Since the release of Kinect at the back-end of 2010, there's been a severe lack of hardcore games aimed at Microsoft's core audience. However, Microsoft says that is all about to change as interest from developers following Kinect’s successful period at retail over Christmas hots-up.

That's according to Senior producer of Microsoft's interactive entertainment business, Kevin Unangst, who revealed to CVG that in addition to the likes of Child Of Eden, Forza Motorsport 4 and Kinect Star Wars, there's a host of new core titles coming our way.

"There are many [hardcore games] coming," he told the website at Microsoft's Spring Showcase event. "This is sort of scratching the surface of what's happening, but we've got Child of Eden here today, we've got Twisted Pixel's Gunstringer... and certainly you're going to see more."

"We're not even a hundred days since we launched Kinect yet. It was very intentional with Kinect to go out and deliver blockbusters like Kinect Sports and Dance Central - games that resonated with a broader audience."

Unangst also said that there's much more than the motion-sensing tech of Kinect to attract developers. "Whether it's voice control, face recognition and all the tech that Kinect makes possible. Now that we've got it in the hands of developers you're going to see more and more core games,” he enthused.

Outside of Kinect, hardcore gamers appear to be well catered for on Xbox 360 in 2011 with the likes of Dragon Age II, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Gears of War III and Batman Arkham Asylum 2, plus many more big titles, all slated for release later this year.