Kinect for Xbox 360 released today

Kinect for Xbox 360 released today - November - 2010 - Which? Which? home News Podcasts Technology Home & garden Cars Money Baby & child Environment & saving energy Search Which? You are here: Which? home > News > 2010 > November > Kinect for Xbox 360 released today In this section 2010NovemberOctoberSeptemberAugustJulyJuneMayAprilMarchFebruaryJanuary20092008200720062005 Latest News What is RSS? One in three repairs is due to wear and tear Kinect for Xbox 360 released today Deal of the week: Jamie Oliver health grill Three quarters of Brits want banks to go ethical Hot Car Deals, 09 November 2010 Kinect for Xbox 360 released todayMicrosoft's motion sensing controller 10 November 2010
Today sees the release of the Kinect, Microsoft's XBox 360 motion sensing games controller. 
The device tracks the players movements, which are then replicated by the on-screen avatar. The control system is similar to the Nintendo Wii and recent Playstation Move, but without the need for a physical controller.
We first saw the device at the E3 games show back in June. Find out what we thought in our Microsoft Kinect First Look review.
Gameplay Games for the Kinect are played by moving the body to interact with objects on screen. Kinect Sports sees the player throwing virtual javelins, competing in hurdles by running and jumping on the spot, and deflecting volleyballs by punching the air. Kinect Adventures requires the player to maneuver their inflatable raft down an object filled river by leaning to steer, and jumping to negotiate ramps.
Keep fit games for the system, such as EA Sports Active 2 and The Biggest Loser Workout, scan the players body and take measurements before the workout, so that progress can be accurately recorded.
Hand signals and voice commands As well as ditching the traditional games console controller, the Kinect is capable of other functions, allowing users to navigate menus by simply moving their hand. The device also enables the user to control the Xbox 360 by using voice commands, allowing the system to be turned off or on, or instructed to load a game with just a few words.
The Kinect's built in camera features facial recognition software, and signs players into their profile automatically when they stand in the Kinect's field of vision.
Check our video First Look review of the latest Xbox 360 250GB.
Games line-up The UK will see 19 Kinect compatible games released this month, with most available from today. The focus of these titles is on pick up and play games, including Kinect Adventures, Kinect Sports and Kinectimals, in which the player plays with a virtual tiger club.
Included in the line-up are numerous keep fit and dance titles, developed specifically with the motion sensor in mind. Games such as Dance Central and Dance Evolution tracks the players motions, and score the player depending on how accurately they have followed the on-screen choreography.
Pricing and compatibility The Kinect device is priced at around £130, and comes with the Kinect Adventures game. There is also a bundle available which includes Kinect and the Xbox 360 console, for £250.
Kinect is compatible with all Xbox 360's, although the newer 4GB and 250GB models have a dedicated port, reducing the need for the additional power supply required for older models.
What do you think of the Microsoft Kinect? Will it be on your Christmas list? Let us know your thoughts in the Which? Conversation.
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Microsoft Kinect - Which? gets hands-on first look

04 November 2010

Microsoft's Kinect, its new motion sensing games controller, launches on November 10 just in time for the Christmas rush - and Which? has a first look review of the UK version of Kinect.
Which? got its hands on a pre-launch sample of the UK version of Kinect at a Microsoft event last week, giving us a chance to get closer to this innovative new technology and get hands-on experience of Microsoft's answer to the Nintendo Wii.
You can read our first impressions of an early version of the Kinect from the E3 games convention in June in our hands-on first look Kinect review.
Kinect's unique selling point is that it turns your body into a video game controller, recognizing up to 48 key parts of the human skeleton, and tracking how they move in real time. The device itself is a slim bar which incorporates two infra-red 3D depth sensors and a more conventional digital camera.
The device attaches to Microsoft's Xbox 360 games console and rests on a motorized stand that allows the unit to pan and tilt as necessary.
The in-built sensors and digital camera in the Kinect sense and track the movements of your body. So you don't need to keep hold of a physical device like the Nintendo Wii Remote or Sony PlayStation's recently unveiled Move device.
Find out what experts like and don’t like about the PlayStation Move and join in the Which? Conversation to share your views.
Our sneak preview gave us an insider's view as to how Kinect fits in with the newly revamped Xbox 360 interface.
If you have an Xbox Live user account, the camera built into Kinect's sensor bar can recognise your face, and sign you in automatically - a neat trick.
Once signed in, you can control your Xbox 360 using simple, intuitive gestures. Waving at the screen tells Kinect to take notice, and by moving your hand you can move a hand-shaped pointer over the different options on the screen, selecting one by hovering over it for a second or two.
Read our first look review and see a video of the Xbox 360
You don't even have to use your hands if that's too much effort, as the Kinect also features voice control. Say 'Xbox', and you can control the system using voice alone. According to Microsoft, 'If you see it, you can say it', so by reading out a menu option or speaking a command from a context-sensitive black bar at the bottom of the screen, you can do anything you might normally do with a physical controller.
This extends to playing music from your Xbox 360's hard drive, choosing and watching films from Microsoft's Zune marketplace, or even watching Sky TV using the Xbox 360's Sky Player.
This ease of use seems typical of Kinect. Depending on the game, players can join in just by stepping into the space in front of the Kinect sensor, and games we tried were able to calibrate the system automatically. Microsoft admits that you’ll need to stand approximately six feet away from the sensor and clear your living room of clutter to see Kinect working at its best, but it can work in smaller spaces by predicting what any parts of the body it can’t see are doing.
We’ll see if this holds up in a full Kinect review.

Volleyball is one of the games you can play with Kinect
Kinect will stand or fall on its software line-up, but we're cautiously optimistic. Among the launch games Which? tried we found titles that matched Wii favourites for fun.
Whether you're desperately plugging leaks in an underwater chamber or dancing to a range of pop hits, Kinect does an impressive job of tracking every movement, and Kinect Sports highlights like boxing and table tennis proved that, while there is a small lag between your movement and movement on the screen, this needn't get in the way of fast-paced gaming.
It's only once you get to more traditional and complex games, such as a Kinect-enabled version of the next Harry Potter game, or the Kinect fighting game, Fighters Uncaged, that Kinect feels unresponsive.
We're also expecting big things from Kinectimals. In this stunning-looking game, players explore a mysterious island, befriending five cuddly big cats and training them with activities, gestures and vocal commands. It's a Nintendogs for the next generation.
Meanwhile, a bevy of keep-fit titles, including a tie-in for the Biggest Loser and a Kinect version of EA Sports Active 2 look set to outclass Wii Fit. Not only do they offer a wider range of exercises and routines, but Kinect can actually see when you’re not following your instructor’s commands.
We'll have a final production Kinect sensor in for a full review soon, but it seems like Kinect will offer Nintendo some serious competition this Christmas.
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