Kinect Sports Rivals: Face Model Tool Could Revolutionize Create-a-Player Option

Don't be freaked out by the thumbnail image for the video above. It's just advanced technology at work.

Recently, I got my hands on Kinect Sports Rivals from Rare for the Xbox One. Tuesday was the official release date for the title. The game's Twitter account dropped this image from a launch event:

Aside from an interactive gaming experience that accentuates the social potential of the online community, there's a potential revolutionary tool associated with the game.

(Click here to read more about the core concepts of the game.)

Let's start from the beginning.

When you boot up KSR, you're given the opportunity to create yourself. There's nothing new there, right? True, the concept of creating yourself in a video game is old. Even creating yourself with the use of images has been done by EA Sports with their GameFace online tool.

But KSR takes the concept to the next level.

By using the Kinect camera with your Xbox One, gamers can have their entire head scanned three dimensionally. You'll be asked to tilt your head left, right, up and down. 

You're even encouraged to show different facial expressions. Throughout the process, you'll see that Max Headroom-ish head on the screen react with you.

Once the process is done, you'll have a cartoonish render of yourself to use in the game now and moving forward. Here's an example of a render from Rare Bishop of Bishop's Gaming World:

I'd have to say, my character came out pretty accurate. Take a look at my profile image and the results in the video to be the judge for yourself.

While interactive sports games might not be your cup of tea, chances are, if you're reading this article, games like NBA 2K, Madden and other core sports franchises are.

Just imagine what will happen if those franchises follow KSR's lead. What would NBA 2K's My Player series be like with this technology? The same could be said for games like WWE 2K15, Madden and EA Sports UFC.

I'd think that's more likely than it is unlikely. 

If I'm right, just remember KSR was the game that did it first.

Follow me. I like sports and video games...a lot.

@BMaziqueFPBR