Price: £130 including one game
Xbox Kinect is the latest attempt from Microsoft to get gamers out of their chairs and jumping around the room in hope of injecting more exercise into our daily lives. The primary difference between Kinect and other similar products such as the Nintendo Wii and Sony's Playstation Move, is that the Kinect does not use a wand or any other controller for that matter.
The catch phrase is "You are the controller" and the Kinect certainly delivers on this. The Kinect uses a camera which is placed on or underneath your t.v. This camera recognizes both you and your body movements and leaves no room for cheating - whereas similar products can be fooled by shaking the wand in a certain way. I have also found that people who do not usually play video games can pick this up rather quickly (I'm currently trying to persuade my grandma to let me film her playing).
Each player has their features recognized (facial features, body shape etc) and each time a player steps up to play, their features are analyzed and their avatar/account will be selected.
The device itself is very easy to set up. The camera is self adjusting and positions itself for efficient use of your available room space. The instructions are easy to follow and after a few basic gestures from the user you are ready to go.
So, how does it measure up to the Wii and the Move? In my opinion, the actual technology behind the Kinect is superior to the others and the lack of controller does make for a more enjoyable and immersive experience. As I mentioned before there is a lot less room for cheating which is definitely beneficial in the exercise games market. For example, if you are running on the Wii you can mimic the motion by shaking the controller when you get tired. With the Kinect there is no margin. If you aren't stood in front of your t.v the game stops, if you aren't running you will be told off by your on screen instructor.
The downside for me is the lack of games and the variety of them. The games that are available are good at what they do, but they do not cater to the avid gamers. This of course is fine if you are looking for exercise or party games, but not so much if you are looking to play the next FPS by running around your living room. There are fighting/beat em ups however I have not had the pleasure of trying these out (watch this space!)
In summary the Xbox Kinect is nothing short of amazing. Even the very few times I managed to confuse the camera were overlooked due to the rest of the experience being so fun and immersive. It is definitely aimed less at the hardcore gamer and more towards the casual people who are looking to play family/party games or even lose a few pounds. At present the number and type of games are limited but this is a new product and there are more on the way. If you enjoy the Wii or Playstation Move you will definitely enjoy Xbox Kinect. This is as immersive as it gets and Xbox Kinect deserves a hefty 5/5.