Xbox Kinect Review - A Revolutionary Device

Microsoft starts out this Christmas season with a BANG. They release a totally revolutionary device we call "Kinect" for the Xbox 360. This device is one of the top items on Christmas lists for both children and adults!

A while back we all remember when the Nintendo Wii was released. It used simple motion sensor controller for video games which opened up a totally new market for video gamers. Back then, it was a huge hit. Now... you rarely hear of it. When Kinect was released, Sony also released their own version of a motion sensor controller (called the "move"). This is more advanced than the Wii, but many see it as just a copy of the Wii. You never really hear about the "Move" either.

Now the all new Xbox Kinect is out. Unlike Nintendo and Sony, Microsoft decided to take away the standard controller all together to make a totally new gaming experience. When using Kinect you use only your body movements and voice commands to play the games.

Now that you have a quick rundown of what Kinect actually is, lets talk about price. I thought that this device would be overall expensive when it hits the market, but is is not. It is much cheaper than I thought it would be. If you just want to buy Kinect without the Xbox 360 it will cost you $150. If you want to buy a package of Kinect with the Xbox 360 4GB version, it will cost you only $299. If you want That means that if you do not own an Xbox and you buy Kinect it will cost you only $50 more than what the Wii was when it first was released. I think for $299 it is a great deal. The only problem is that since this device is super popular, it may be hard to find in stores, but you should be able to find it easily online at websites like amazon.com.

Games for Kinect are not at all expensive either. So far all the games are $50 or under (you can usually find them a bit cheaper online). There are not too many titles out right now, but there will be many more in the future. Also remember that not all Xbox games work with Kinect. Only the ones that are made for Kinect will work.

I find that Kinect for the Xbox 360 is a very fun device. It is a totally new experience when playing the games. I feel that it is much better than the Wii. The motion censoring when playing games is good.. but not great. For some very fast paced games, I find that there can be some lag with your actions and what happens on the screen. Don't worry, it is not really much of a problem. The voice reconization was not that bad either. It is pretty cool when you can tell your Xbox to turn on or off.

Since you don't use controllers anymore, you would hope that managing through the menus should be an ease using your hand motions and voice commands. Well, that is not always the case. When using your hands you basically move your hand over the button on the screen when you want to select it. Then it takes a few seconds to activate. It might be a little annoying at first, but after a while you will get used to it.

Watching video is fun with Kinect. You can stop, start, play, fast-forward, etc., using your hand motions and/or voice commands. I do wish there were a little more options, but it is still great.

One of the bad things about the Kinect is that it needs a large place in front of your television set. When playing games, you need to be 6 to 8 feet away from your TV! That is a lot of space. So before purchasing Kinect, I would make sure that you have the space in your house for it.

Overall, this a great device. If you enjoyed the Wii when it first came out, you will love this! The technology is awesome and the price is not that bad either.

As I said before there are not too many games out for Kinect yet (but that will soon change). Let me tell you what I think of some of them. Lets start with "Kinect Adventures," the game that comes bundled with Kinect. It is composed of many minigames that really show off the technology and gives you a good taste of using your body as a controller.

A fan favorite for Kinect so far is, "Dance Central." You can probably tell what this game is about from the title. You dance. In this game it can teach you dance moves and much more. It is very fun. This is a "must to get game" if you purchase Kinect.

Another good game for Kinect is, "Your Shape: Fitness Evolved." This game is a fitness game that blows away Wii Fit, due to it's extra motion censoring capabilities. The game captures your every move. It will even deduct points for not bending your knees if the instructor says. In the game, there are a handful of games, along with lesson plans. It also tracks your progress which is awesome.

The game, "Kinect Sports" is kind of like the equivalent of Wii Sports Resort. It is a game composed of many sports. There are games like bowling and tennis. When I played the bowling, it was fun, but it felt a bit weird. When playing tennis, the sensor had a hard time keeping up with my hands. Overall this was an okay game and would be fun to add to your Kinect collection.