The Xbox brand has always been a reliable, bankable one for gamers. Microsoft have gone out of their way to ensure that core gamers – those that want their games deep, online enabled and consistent – are satisfied and glued to the idiom that is Xbox. I’ve been a proud owner of the original console and the 360 because of these notions, social gaming and light bites can easily be found elsewhere, so when Natal was announced last year (and subsequently became Kinect this year) my derision was forthright and, in my head at least, absolutely justified.
This was, it appeared, a desperate move into the family market for a company so adept at the hardcore side of the scale. It had worked for Nintendo (although you could argue that the Big N was always heading in this direction) with the Wii and Sony were waggling around with Move, but I’d always assumed that Microsoft would stick to their guns and concentrate on pushing out the games we all know and love ad infinitum: Gears of War, Halo, Forza. I hadn’t imagined I’d be rolling around in a field with a fluffy tiger cub or dancing to Lady Gaga, that’s for sure.
The problem with preconceptions is that they’re normally founded on a lack of evidence, bias or just plain refusal to accept that something’s out there that doesn’t immediately agree with your usual sentiments. Kinect was one such thing – videos concentrating on the lag and the camera’s apparent inability to track the most basic of hand movements weren’t exactly in short supply, and the line-up of launch games didn’t exactly fill me with confidence. Things change, though, and on Saturday morning I picked up a Kinect box and a pile of games, and set about challenging my ideals.
Much has already been said on the subject of motion control here at TSA, but whilst the camp is divided, it didn’t take very long for Kinect to charm its way into my front room. Set up, as Peter has already remarked, is incredibly simple, and once I’d attached the smaller-than-expected sensor bar onto the top of my TV (with the aid of some velcro and superglue, seriously) it was quite happy scanning up and down, looking for me like some decapitated Johnny 5. The Dashboard walkthrough is a breeze, too, I was up and running with Kinect without any fuss in about 5 minutes flat.
The voice recognition worked fine, too. “Xbox Kinect” brings up the simplified UI and “Play Disc” gets you right into the action – wonderful stuff.
In terms of games, yes, they’re clearly aimed at a different audience than your usual Xbox player (if there is such a thing) but the quality of the first bunch is actually quite high. Kinect Sports is the clear highlight, offering up some fantastic body tracking and high gloss, colour rich presentation only the likes of Rare can achieve. Football is a blast, but boxing is a surprising amount of fun and the track and field events are a riot with a few competitive players. More importantly, the interface is well designed and the menus, which are entirely controlled by your hands Minority report style, are slick and intuitive.
I’ve barely scraped the surface of the current batch of games, but here’s a quick synopsis: Kinect Adventures doesn’t fare so well, the lag’s terrible in places (you need to jump a good second before it’s required) and the games included aren’t particularly fun; Dance Central is slick and potentially hugely addictive; Joyride is much more of a giggle than it should be and The Biggest Loser, whilst flawed (it couldn’t see me laying down for one) shows off a realtime 3D model of the player that illustrates just how smart Kinect really is.
From what I’ve seen, smart is probably the best way to describe Microsoft’s attack on the family market then. It’s simple to set up, the games are instantly playable and, with the right crowd, great fun. The experience isn’t flawless but it’s more intuitive than PlayStation Move (try Bowling) and if Microsoft can get some good third party titles on to the shelves and dial back on the fitness fluff, I’ve no doubt that Kinect is here to stay. Convinced? Let’s put it this way: yesterday I bought a brand new 250GB Xbox S to go with my new shiny sensor bar – the dull white plastic of my 60GB Xbox just didn’t look right.
Michael
Damn the breakage of my central heating!
Bladesteel
Great excuse: “But I need kinect so I’ll move around to keep warm”.
jediryan123
i played a kinect boxing game at the shop today (I turned a few heads :)) and I thought that it was quite fun although similar to what I could do with the eye toy or wii
Stripeysocks
It’s because of the amount you work out ;)
Sympozium
I find the whole focus on casual games very sad and gimmickly wrong. The Wii has a few excellent games that appeal to me but I’m a bit saddened with a few Move games.
Where is all the “new” core games I do not like to see old games that I sold months ago even though much are free. I hope one day the Move and Kinect will see the dark light and thus have er… darker non-family games… the wii already has a few greats so thats okay…
“I say stop buying the Wii and **** project natal up the *** and maybe this whole motion sensing trend can **** off and make room for the next innovation… like cyber space or a controller made of fruit”
“Quote” Yaztee hehe sorry
smokeybeef
I tried Kinect Adventures at a shop yesterday. It was horrendous. So laggy, and the avatar’s arms just flailed every now and again for no apparent reason.
Still I think the Kinect itself is an impressive piece of kit, just needs to get some worthwhile software.
colossalblue
odd, I’ve only encountered minor lag with Kinect Adventures. Maybe it’s my general lack of coordination that just luckily lines up with their latency!
Dan Lee
That’s the problem – in a shop it sucks. Once you’ve calibrated it properly, and to your body, it works well.
rossthebassist
im plesently surpirsed by kinect and move if im being perfectly honest, yeah sure casual gaming experiances can be found elsewhere, but…. we all know this is a fact, is Sony and MS can make some more money by taking customers away from the Wii and increase their own install base and topple the wii from the top spot… they are going to try.
we have to face up to the fact… why has the Wii sold more consoles than PS3 and 360…. because there are more casual gamers out there… we the core, are now in the minority it would seem.
still, mag with MOVE controls is intresting.
david
The question is, was it worth the £130 you paid for it?
Foxhound_Solid
For me Kinect just doesnt work. The last thing I want is to have to clear my apartment to jump up and down on the spot. Yeah I have move and will play it with Heavy Rain when I fany, but you simply cant beat kicking back with the DS3.
I totally understand Sony and MS approach, entering the Casual Market wanting to improve and inspire it.
The only good thing is the 3 consoles are fighting so much it keeps everything fresh and right up to date. Its great.
nofi
For what it’s worth I didn’t have to move anything in my house, although Kinect struggled with 2 players.
4lf13
So when do you fany?
Foxhound_Solid
*fancy
Tuffcub
Typo of the day :)
Foxhound_Solid
My GF wouldnt be too happy if I were playing Heavy Rain whilst I was ahem, fannying ;-)
MaD dOctoR 79
@ Foxhound_Solid
“My GF wouldnt be too happy if I were playing Heavy Rain whilst I was ahem, fannying ;-)”
there is rumble feedback ;)
Grey_Ghost13
Where I think kinect and even move could benefit both their consoles more is integrating the two systems more into normal games. Have the working menu integration of kinect with a controller, switching between the two etc…
cc_star
That will surely come.
Don’t forget as far as full retail games are concerned you can only make rather limited games in one year’s worth of dev time, good games take a couple of years and great one’s can take even longer. By next Christmas the Move & Kinect games will look & play very different to how they do now.
Grey_Ghost13
I know, and I honestly can’t wait. I’m not a fan of microsoft, but I admire where they are going with kinect and what they have given the tech world in the sensor bar.
dextreme08
I think move has the ability to produce a better bowling game simply due to the presence of a button, and increased accuracy. with the game deciding when to release the ball for you on kinect I imagine a lot of control is lost. also the ability to spin using the wrist which I’m not sure kinect can do?
just look at what they did with bocce!
nofi
It’s fine. The ball leaves your hand as expected and simply moving your hand across your chest to spin works perfectly.
Tuffcub
I won’t ever get Kinect because I am Too Cool For School and would never be caught flailing around like a drunk sealion. Even if it was just me in the room I would know I would be making a twat of myself and that’s enough to put me off ever buying it.
I. Don’t. Do. Silly.
Endof.
cc_star
I thought I’d look a bit daft as well, then I caught sight of my reflection waving two glowing dildos around. Now back to slouching on the sofa with a DS3
MaD dOctoR 79
are people still finding that funny?
note to self: if you have to ask if something is funny, you already know the answer.