Microsoft Kinect

TechJunkeez Xbox 360 Editor | November 2010

The long wait for many Xbox 360 fans is over. The new, supposedly game changing peripheral is here. Microsoft’s motion tracking device, Kinect, has finally arrived but does it offer any revolutionary changes to the way we’re going to think of video games from now on? Well, the answer to that is yes and no.

Kinect is basically a camera, a very special camera though. It can realize full human body motion in 3D space and turn them into commands used in video games. It also has a built in microphone for voice detection, which can be used to give your Xbox 360 commands in games or on the dashboard of the system. The system also has a visual recognition technology which is really helpful as the system will recognize you as soon as you step in front of it… without the need of choosing your profile or anything.

One of the disadvantages for Kinect is its difficulty to set up. You need a large empty space in front of your TV set, even larger if you want to go multiplayer. You’ll also need very good lighting for the Kinect not to have any issues.

A trailer of some of the games available for Kinect

Another issue is the lag. It’s not very noticeable, and for the current selection of casual games available it’s not really a big deal, but I reckon a snappier response will be needed if this device does in fact attract hardcore gamers and hardcore games. But keep in mind that this has nothing to do with how accurately the device reads your movements, you’ll be amazed by how good the Kinect is at doing that.

Kinect has some useful features outside of gaming. We are one step closer to Minority Report. Kinect allows you to scroll through menus by swiping your hand and takes voice commands from the user as well. Another neat feature is Video Kinect, which basically allows you to have video chats with other Kinect owners through Kinect’s built in camera. Although it’s not a very high resolution camera, it does the job quiet well.

Whether or not the Kinect is a fad is not clear yet. For now, the games available aren’t very appealing to hardcore gamers but offer tons and tons of fun for family gatherings and friends. Microsoft promises hardcore titles on the horizon so we’ll have to wait before we give our final judgment. In conclusion, I think Kinect will be a huge success but it won’t change the concept of gaming. I’m very impressed by the accuracy of the device and am looking forward to seeing interesting ideas being implemented by developers. Let’s hope this doesn’t backfire and change the console’s line up into 80% shovelware… which is unfortunately the Nintendo Wii’s story.