Kinect, previously known as Project Natal, is Microsoft’s newest offering in the world of motion-control gaming. Unlike the Nintendo Wii and the new Playstation Move, you won’t need to be holding controllers in order to play the video games. Kinect is a camera and so it will be able to pick up all of your motions and translate those body movements into actions inside the video games. It will definitely be an exciting new experience.
The way that Kinect works is that it combines two different camera signals, one from an RGB camera that picks up your image and one from an infrared camera that can judge the depth when you move forward and back. The combination of these two cameras plus the software provides for a new exciting gaming experience.
There are definitely games coming out for all types of gamers. If you like playing games with groups of friends, then playing Kinect Sports or Kinect Adventures will be an absolute blast. You’ll be able to play all kinds of sports and activities with and against your friends. Dance Central and Dance Masters are for those who like to get their groove on. Kinectimals is a great game for kids that allows them to play with a virtual pet and Star Wars Kinect will be another great game for kids (and adults) who want to swing around a light saber. Your Shape: Fitness Evolved, The Biggest Loser: Ultimate Workout, and EA Sports Active 2.0 will all be great games for those of us who want to get into shape.
Kinect will be able to work on all existing Xbox 360 consoles, and it will be released on November 4, 2010. You can buy Kinect by pre ordering it now, so that it will be delivered when the accessory is released in the fall. I would definitely recommend buying it early, because it will definitely be a popular device!
