Now your Avatar can Smile, Frown, Nod and Speak like you using Avatar Kinect

Microsoft is taking the gaming experience to an entire new level, offering something innovative and completely different. The Kinect sensor allows users to play games and control the console using their body as well as voice commands.

A new experience called Avatar Kinect will bring a player’s avatar to life in a whole new way, using facial recognition technology to let a person not only control their avatar’s movements but also their expressions; when they smile, frown, nod and speak, the avatar will do the same.

“Everyone who is enjoying Kinect knows that today it listens to your voice, and tracks your body, but what about your facial expressions?”

“Now Kinect can track features like your smile, your laugh, and even the raise of your eyebrows. Here’s just a little taste of what’s next on Kinect. We call it Avatar Kinect,” Ballmer revealed during his keynote address at 2011 International CES.

Kinect for Xbox 360 proves to be a massive success for Microsoft, selling no less than 8 million units in just two months since it was introduced on the market.

“Maybe it’s just me, but that Avatar was pretty darned bald I think. Face recognition, body tracking, now even facial expressions all coming to your living room. I’m pleased to announce that this spring Avatar Kinect will be made available for free to all Xbox LIVE Gold members,” Ballmer added.