Microsoft has confirmed that they have made the call to delay Kinect Sports Rivals until spring of next year. Citing quality control concerns, the added development time will allow Rare to polish the game so that it can be released at an acceptable state.
The E3 trailer revealed the minigames that will come for Kinect Sports Rivals: climbing, soccer, wake racing, bowling, target shooting, and tennis. It shows more realistic player avatars, implying Kinect will get closer likenesses of the players than possible before. It also showed off some predictive action mechanic in climbing, allowing you to see beforehand which steps are flimsy so you can avoid them.
The official site reveals even more details. With the Xbox One's Real Vision and Shadow technologies, the game will be able to create an AI version of you and your playstyle so that your friends can play against you even when you aren't around. The site also promises more subtle motion control technology, tracking fingers, hand gestures and facial tics.
The game will also have three teams you can join: the Wolf Clan, Eagle Legion, and Viper Network. Joining each team will require impressing each Captain, who are revealed in the site as mere silhouettes for now.
It's a shame Kinect Sports Rivals won't make it to launch, but given everything it promises, it's no wonder Rare feels the need to make sure that it delivers. It's also worth noting there's no mention of online multiplayer, but given everything Team Xbox has been boasting about so far, it may be a possibility. Hopefully Rare can make the wait worth it.
