The Xbox Kinect is a new product manufactured by Microsoft that works with the Xbox 360 console. It was released on November 4th in the US and promises to be a hot item this Christmas season.
What makes the Kinect unique? For one, you don’t have to hold any controller as you play. That alone is an incredible step forward from previous systems. Many people don’t like to play games on consoles because the controller makes it feel somewhat unnatural. The Kinect uses sensors and microphones to allow players to control the game with their body and their voice. Your movements in front of the sensor will be followed by the characters in the game, so it is pretty much like you are in the game itself. In a way it is similar to the Nintendo Wii in that there is a motion sensor, however with Wii you still have to have something in your hands as you play.
The Xbox Kinect sensor retails for around $150 and comes with one game, Kinect Adventures, which is more like a variety pack of five mini-games to help give you a feel for what you can do with the new system. Some other top Kinect-ready games include Kinect Sports, Dance Central and Your Shape Fitness Evolved. Keep in mind that you will need to have an Xbox 360 console to run Kinect. If you don’t have the console you can purchase a Kinect Bundle, which includes an Xbox 360 and Kinect, for about $400.
Another interesting feature is the Video Kinect service, which lets users video chat with their friends right on their television with no headset required. You can even watch movies and sporting events on the screen while you chat.
When playing Kinect games you do need to leave about six feet of floor space between yourself and the television to allow the sensor to scan your entire body. If you are in cramped quarters, like a college dorm or a small living room, you may need to do a little rearranging to properly use the system. Your room also needs to be well-lit with few shadows as a shadow can sometimes confuse the system into thinking there is another person playing the game. Changing around your lighting setup can usually remedy this issue, but it’s something to keep in mind if your Kinect is not operating as it’s supposed to.
All in all, this new video game system is a lot of fun to play and very intuitive to use. Microsoft has really built on Nintendo’s Wii technology to bring about yet another leap forward in the evolution of video gaming.
Related posts:
No comments yet.