When core gamers saw the first glimpses of Kinect, then Project Natal, the tentative hope for a AAA controller-free shooter began to grow. Maybe even a shooter with just a little controller would fit the bill but to date, no developer has dared to swim those treacherous waters."There was never much hope; only a fool’s hope."
Today, Microsoft updated the page for Ubisoft’s upcoming AAA shooter Ghost Recon: Future Soldier with an image of the box art, revealing a clue that can only be described as… a big "maybe". The top of the box art has the trademark Kinect packaging style with the also standard phrase "Better with Kinect Sensor". It’s not as firm a commitment to peripheral integration as, say, a press release, but it’s official enough to begin the speculation. My vote is for river rapid, Matrix-style bullet dodging.
The inclusion of Kinect functionality with Ghost Recon: Future Soldier isn’t as big a surprise as the stealth drone hovering above you, especially given the three delays the game has suffered since 2009. The third-person shooter has been slated for release as early as April 2009 and now could be released as late as March 2012. Ubisoft will no doubt have more information, and maybe even a playable demo, at E3.
This tidbit of tantalizing news vaults the gaming industry one step closer to the Golden Grail of a smooth, motion-controlled shooter. The Golden Grail, as it turns out, may not exist.
