Summary
I'll be covering the games separately from this Kinect review, but the ones that I have played so far have been impressive in the way that they showcase Kinect's ability to recognise your movements. One of the finest examples we’ve seen of movement recognition is in the fitness games, Your Shaped Fitness Evolved and Get Fit With Mel B. Press-ups, kicks to the side, punches and star jumps are all mapped onto the screen with amazing accuracy and it's clear to see that the potential is really here for a developer to create something totally immersive. Sadly, aside from Dance Central, the great games aren't going to appear overnight, but with a lot of developers pledging their support for Kinect they should arrive sooner rather than later. And it's with this software that Kinect will carve out its reputation.
Kinect is a remarkable piece of technology that shows glimpses of the future of gaming. In a relatively short space of time, things have already moved on since Wii and its new brand of physical gaming. Kinect represents a new style of gaming once again, one where you're forced to make a connection with the game - because you have nothing in your hands to put you off immersing yourself fully in the experience. Kinect does have huge potential, but without the great games it’s still nothing but a gimmick. Kinect will top of a lot people's Christmas wish list, but is in danger of being tossed aside like an unwanted toy come new year.
Clearly, those great games aren’t here yet, and it's likely that developers will hold back to see how many people buy into it before they start splashing out the cash. The good news is Kinect does appear to be selling well and therefore should be well supported. Admittedly, Kinect will impress you just as much than Wii did at the beginning, but at this early stage with just a handful of games on the shelves, I wouldn't rush out and pay over the odds for the sensor this side of Christmas. Hang on in there, wait for the games to arrive and the dashboard to be streamlined. It's not that you'll be disappointed, it's just that you won't be getting the full-blown Kinect experience just yet. However, when that time does arrive, you'll want to be there to experience it - it could be very special indeed.
