73
Microsoft Kinect
$150.00
Released November, 2010
The Pros:Great for kids. Voice recognition. Innovative new control paradigm expands the possibilities of gaming, entertainment, communication.
The Cons:Sometimes the abstraction of a controller is useful and can't be duplicated with motion sensor. Voice recognition might not be available in all languages initially. Requires you to be 6 to 8 feet in front of your TV - an awkward requirement for the majority of TV-room layouts.
Microsoft Kinect is an 'interactive method' accessory for the Xbox 360. The device sits close to your television, similar to the Wii sensor bar, and includes both a regular and infrared cameras. This lets the device perform functions such as image recognition through the regular camera, and motion tracking through the IR sensors.
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Microsoft is touting Natal as a breakthrough in control schemes one-upping Nintendo's Wii-mote as your body is the controller. The Natal also contains a microphone that allows the software to be enhanced with voice recognition technology.
Demo'd during the 2009 E3 conference very little actual footage was shown of the device in real world situations, other than a brief manufactured promotional video and a small sample of prototype applications. From the conference Microsoft is making it clear that the Natal is targeted towards the casual expanded audience that Nintendo has captured with the Wii. Speculations on release date and price point are rampant, but nothing has been confirmed or even indicated.
Features
- image capture through camera
- 3D depth perception using IR sensor
- voice recognition through built-in microphone
- facial capture
- track multiple people simultaneously
- compatible with all Xbox 360s
User Reviews (21)
Pros & Cons
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14
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10
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7
Innovative new control paradigm expands the possibilities of gaming, entertainment, communication
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7
is the next step to virtual gaming
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6
No need for a controller; YOU are the controller
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6
tracking works in all lighting conditions (actually improves the darker the room is)
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5
15 supported games at launch
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5
motorized stand for automatic calibration
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5
capable of working with all versions of the 360 - separate power and USB data connections for older ones, dedicated port for newer versions
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5
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4
a healthier alternative to original gaming styles / controls - improves upon the Wiimote by involving the whole body
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4
Brings family friendly gaming to the Xbox 360 - which sorely needed it
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4
Best way to play dance and fitness games
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4
Kinect ID lets you sign into your profile ridiculously easily, and it's really cool to boot
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3
Well priced when bundled with the console
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3
To join the game, just walk in front of the screen. It just works
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2
Comes with a pack-in game
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-1
Many possibilties for accessories: clothing, guns, wheels, boards, swords, etc.
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-1
No more lost remotes, battle for the remote when viewing TV, movie content
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-4
Does not need "calibration"...it just works!
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4
Sometimes the abstraction of a controller is useful and can't be duplicated with motion sensor
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3
Voice recognition might not be available in all languages initially
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3
requires you to be 6 to 8 feet in front of your TV - an awkward requirement for the majority of TV-room layouts
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2
like the Wii many of the launch titles are shallow and gimmicky
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1
The focus on lowering the barrier of entry to the casual user, may take away from the hardcore gamer's experience
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1
Quite expensive as a standalone add-one
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1
No one can walk in front of you while playing; something people do ALL the TIME!
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1
Using Kinect to control the Xbox 360 isn't universal, only happens in a specific "Kinect Hub" which is a small subset of functions
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1
Very low-res photos of in-game action
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0
might not have alot of games when its released to the public.
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0
most interaction is one person at a time - extremely restrictive, takes some of the fun out of collaborative play
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0
comes with a draconian privacy policy
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-2
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-2
Games from demo's seem childish
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-2
glossy black plastic - looks cheap and is highly susceptible to dust and fingerprints
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-4
looks a lot like playstations old eye toy, which was bad
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Comments (19)
Omar: Nice! The update to the Netflix app on the
#microsoft_xbox_360 just got released that allows for
#microsoft_kinect motion navigation! Unfortunately early reports say that the navigation is pretty limited to a "smart recommendation/instant queue hub" Meaning you can't navigate around the entire Netflix interface and search and all of that using Kinect. You can also control movie playback with Kinect which includes voice control.
Apr 14, 11
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Omar: In Microsoft's CES keynote last night they had some pretty sweet announcements, though the ones that were most relevant to me are:
* 8 million Kinect devices shipped
* Netflix and Hulu Plus coming AND Kinect enabled
Being able to use
#microsoft_kinect to navigate the extensive Netflex and Hulu Plus libraries is going to be sweet! What would be even more sweet is if Hulu Plus starts including all the content found in Hulu. It's crazy that it doesn't.
Oh, and just to put the 8 million shipped in 2 months into perspective.. it's more than the iPad shipped in almost 6 months. Kinect is a HUGE success, which is great for people like me that own one, since it means there's going to be quite a bit more software released for it.
Jan 6, 11
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1 person like this
Omar: Not sure how many people are familiar with the whole Kinect Hacks thing, but it's starting to get seriously cool. Essentially people are connecting
#microsoft_kinect to their computers and coming up with cool programs/applications.
Here's a piano
http://kinecthacks.net is the best site I've seen for seeing new "hacks" as they appear.
Dec 14, 10
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Omar: November 2010 NPD results are in (
http://bit.ly/hxmV8F). Looks like
#microsoft_xbox_360 is the big winner. Most likely boosted by
#microsoft_kinect and
#call_of_duty_black_ops it sold 1.37 million units which is the biggest November its ever had. Considering we're in the 5th year of the 360's life, that's pretty darn impressive.
#nintendo_wii did really well too, coming in at 1.27 million units. This bucks the trend that the Wii has been suffering from up until now where it was seeing massive year over year declines. If the Wii sees another big bump in december like in 2009, then it'll actually do really well for the year.
#sony_playstation_3_slim selling 530,000 is pretty sad. Particularly when
#gran_turismo_5 comes out in the same month. Not sure what Sony can do at this point... focusing on Europe is probably the best strategy since the US is pretty much hopeless at this point.
And holy crap wow at Call of Duty!! In one month it has become the 7th best selling game of all time. That's crazy. I wonder if next year's installment will sell even more - it seems crazy that it can. But at the same time it seemed crazy that Black Ops would sell more than Modern Warfare 2, so who knows!
Dec 10, 10
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2 people like this
Amanie:
#microsoft_kinect I played this with my 60 year-old dad yesterday and he loved it! We only played Kinect Adventures so the game was pretty lame but it was awesome to see him jumping and stepping with the game. I didn't think it was possible but I think I've become a kinect fanboy(girl).
Dec 1, 10
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2 people like this
Amanie:
#microsoft_kinect I just played this for the first time last night and had a blast! It is super fun (and I'm not a gamer AT ALL). I totally recommend it for people who just want a fun activity to do.
Nov 25, 10
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3 people like this
Omar: Deal alert! until November 25th, Futureshop has the
#microsoft_xbox_360 holiday bundle on sale for $250 and it even comes with 2 extra games! This is actually a really really good deal. This special is not only $50 cheaper than the standard 250GB bundle, but also comes with 4 games!
Though most stores are now carrying the "holiday bundle" which includes 2 games - but this is still a great deal over the regular holiday bundle. If you were in the market for the 250GB
#microsoft_kinect bundle it makes a lot more to buy this bundle and then pickup the standalone Kinect unit for $150. Reason being is that the overall price is the same $400 - except with this setup you get 4 extra games, and you get the external power supply with Kinect which costs $30 on its own.
The Kinect power supply is good for taking the Kinect sensor to friends and family's houses that don't have the Xbox 360 slim.
Nov 23, 10
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3 people like this
Font:
#microsoft_kinect Kinect looks to be an enticing controller for casual audiences and a potentially powerful supplement to hardcore gamers. Imagine a normal Xbox shooter with normal controls, except the Kinect allows for headtracking (looking, leaning, crouching, gosh i suppose prone might work too) and some gestures to give commands or otherwise. The player could play the game normally, or include Kinect to any extent to increase presision and immersion. I'm excited for the Kinect's future!
Nov 14, 10
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2 people like this
Omar: I'm calling it now. The
#microsoft_xbox_360 is going to be the best selling console in North America for the next two years. Reading all of the impressions of
#microsoft_kinect is showing the same thing that happened with the Wii. Enthusiast press didn't "get" it but when regular people got it into their homes they had a blast. That's exactly what's happening with kinect.
So you then combine that post-Wii hype with all the solid fundamentals the 360 already has and you have an incredibly powerful combination. Other than Nintendo games I don't see any reason to buy a Wii anymore. And unless you need blu-Ray or Sony games then I don't see a reason to get a PS3.
Considering the 360 was already the number one console for the past four months Kinect is going to make sure they have an incredible holiday.
What's particularly exciting to me about all of this is that:
1) kinect games are going to get a lot better. Developers didn't have solid technology until the past couple of months so their games were made in a stupidly hard situation and under strict time constraints. With more mature tech and time to make games properly the 2nd and 3rd wave kinect games have the potential to be great
2) combine this with the fact that xbox 369 has a ridiculously hardcore audience that loves to buy games. What this means is that unlike the Wii publishers actually have a chance to sell their game so they may be more willing to develop "core" kinect games
3) Microsofts strong online capabilities. Wii is absolutely horrible in this regard and kinect is already completely outclassing the competition when it comes to online. Kinect.me is genius and stuff like that is only going to get better.
So remember that infamous article of mine where I said the Wii won't sell? Well people can now take this new prediction to the bank. Kinect is going to do gangbusters.
Nov 5, 10
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3 people like this
Omar: There's a new
#microsoft_xbox_360 dashboard update coming tomorrow (Nov 1st) and it's going to a bunch of nice little new tweaks and such, alongside
#microsoft_kinect support. I've been part of the beta for a few weeks now and overall I have to say it's a really nice update. Outside of Kinect the biggest upgrades in my opinion are:
- Netflix integration. sure the selection is pretty poor, but it's still pretty damn sweet for only $8/month
- Sign out other controllers. it's a small thing but it happens to me SO often that it's quite annoying
- MSN videos. This is actually pretty cool, you can watch clips from CBC, MTV, and some other "meme" type videos right from the dashboard. It's obviously not YouTube, but hopefully it's a start of cooler/better things to come.
Oct 31, 10
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Omar:
#microsoft_kinect Overall I thought it was amazing technology, really ground breaking stuff. The low latency and high resolution internal models means it's very powerful. At the office we were talking about using it for sports games, and being able to 'dribble' in soccer, or pass the ball with Ronaldo.
But there's also the danger that we're going TOO far into the realm of 'realistic' control. In the abstract->simulation spectrum, you have controllers which are very abstract, Wiimote which is semi-abstract, Natal which is closer to similar, and then real life.
I think the Wii-mote has struck a good balance between abstraction and realism that doesn't require you to do TOO MUCH to get a good result. When you have the kind of capability of Natal when you can get very close to real, then it's going to be up to the software developers to strike that balance.
With the Wiimote developers are forced to compromise and design around the limitations, but with Natal they're not. And some developers may not have the discipline/design intelligence to properly restrain themselves.
Look at Tony Hawk Ride for example...
Jun 1, 09
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