Xbox Kinect Review From microsoft

Back then, Nintendo Wii made waves when it came out in 2006.

It wasn't because of an exciting array of incredible launch titles - there weren't any. And it absolutely wasn't due to the Wii packing dazzling HD graphics - it doesn't.

Sony's Move and Nintendo's Wii MotionPlus both enable the same type of gaming—using a wand-shaped controller to represent a piece of equipment in 3D space. But in advance Microsoft's Kinect is the only one that actively integrates both voice, a camera and full-body sensing into games and the core Xbox experience!.

Specs
Xbox 360 Kinect Add-on
Price: $150
Works with: Every Xbox 360, but better with Xbox 360 S (no power cord)
Space requirements: 6-8 feet stated, but really should be 8-10
Games: $50 each, $10 less than standard Xbox 360 titles

While Sony's PlayStation Move uses the PlayStation Eye camera to detect and measure the location of high-tech and spatially-aware handheld controllers, Kinect has no physical controllers to speak of at all.

The idea is that your body is the controller. It's up to the Kinect games and apps to use the camera and microphone to work out what you're doing and what you're saying, and to interpret your commands in the appropriate fashion.

How it works

The Kinect sensor contains an RGB camera and a depth sensor to track your movement. It measures the positioning of 48 key joints in your anatomy and by tracking the movements of these joints, it can work out exactly what position your body is in. What's more, it sees in 3D by overlaying the input from the RGB camera with the depth sensor.

Meanwhile the built-in multiarray microphone monitors the room for your voice - yep, Kinect even allows you to control your Xbox 360 using voice commands alone.

It's almost too good to be true, isn't it? These are the hopes and dreams of every 6-year old child come-true. It's the sort of technology we only dreamed about while watching '60s TV series' like The Jetsons as kids.

But this isn't fantasy. This is real. And so what we nervously want to know is - does it really work, and is it any good?

I'm conflicted. Although the potential of the Kinect platform is evident, it's still unclear how more mainstream titles like Gears of War or Dead Rising or Fable can use these new gaming mechanics. Will you act out chainsawing soldiers and zombies with an invisible saw in your hand? Will you gesture and wave to your peasants as you stroll down the streets as king?

ESPN Xbox Live / Kinect Demo - E3 2010

The Verdict

It's also hard to justify the $150 price tag right now—especially when you need to purchase a whole raft of new games at $50 a pop just to use the thing. You also need a lot of space—way more than either the Wii or PlayStation Move requires, and this is a big problem.

Having only 1 title out of 17 launch games truly do something compelling and new isn't a very good launch, especially for people who don't like dance games. Right now, the answer to the fundamental question of "are you having fun with Kinect" is, unfortunately, "not really." Unless you like dance games. The potential is there, but you need to think of Kinect like the launch of a new console: Wait until the games you really want are available—or maybe even the next generation.