Kinect: Lag can be attributed to software choices, says Blitz

Blitz Games CTO Andrew Oliver has said lag noticed in Kinect demos can be eliminated by developers if using proper software techniques.

Speaking with Gamasutra, Oliver, who is working on The Biggest Loser: Ultimate Workout for Kinect, said the tech takes a "little bit of time to calculate" and any cracks seen are "fixable by software", and likens these issues to developers working with a new console.

"[Depending] on what technology you're using, I have seen a few games with a bit of lag, but that is the software choice of the creators; they've programmed it a certain way, and they'll come up with new techniques," said Oliver.

"We will tighten and tighten it. There doesn't need to be a lag. We can get it down to maybe two frames behind, which is pretty insignificant; you won't notice. We're just learning new tricks. Ours is pretty tight.

"There are various technologies involved. Some people are using a skeletal system, and it takes a little bit of time to calculate. It’s only a split second. We're actually using a different masking system, which can tighten things up.

"But this is all software-based, so where some people might see some little cracks, they're easily fixable by software. That is, the camera fundamentally works and gives you the input; game designers are running forward in a completely new area and learning this stuff. It's like any console.

"The first few games will look like nothing compared to second and third generation."

Oliver said at Develop last month Blitz found a way to work around the "sitting" issues in Kinect.

Kinect is slated for release in November.