Unboxing and Overview of Kinect for Xbox 360 by Protomario
11I purchased this device at AFFEE's a store for military personal and got it realitvly cheap and bundled. Several stores have already sold out of this for the season so if you want yours you better get it now. Though there are only a few really good games out for it right now, the ones that are out will provide anyone with enough game play to keep them entertained for months.
IGN gave the device 7.5 out of 10 saying that "Kinect can be a tremendous amount of fun for casual players, and the creative, controller-free concept is undeniably appealing", though noting that for "$149.99, a motion-tracking camera add-on for the Xbox 360 is a tough sell, especially considering that the entry level variation of the Xbox 360 itself is only $199.99".[71] Game Informer gave it 8 out of 10, praising the technology though noting that the experience takes a while to get used to and that the spatial requirement may pose a barrier.[70] Computer and Video Games gave the device 8.8 out of 10 saying that it is a technological gem, praising the gesture and voice controls though criticizing the launch line-up and Kinect Hub.[69] CNET gave the device 3.5 out of 5 saying that the device keeps players active, as it's hard to fool due to its full-body motion sensing but criticizes the timing-based learning curve, the additional power supply needed for older Xbox 360 consoles, space requirements, standing requirements for numerous games as well as noting that the novelty of menu and video navigation wears off quickly.[72] Engadget gave the device a 6 out of 10, praising the powerful technology as well as potential of its yoga and dance games though criticizing the large space requirement, slowness of the hand gesture UI and its launch lineup.[73] Kotaku said that the device felt revolutionary the first time it was used, but noted that games were sometimes unable to recognize gestures, or had slow responses. They also highlighted that the experience is inconsistent with the lack of a killer app or game, and that the device has to be more than a remote control replacement for its pricing saying that "it's not must-own yet, more like must-eventually own."[78] TechRadar praised the voice control and thought the device had a great deal of potential but that lag and its space requirements were issues.[75] Gizmodo also noted Kinect's potential but felt it remained to be seen how more mainstream titles would utilize the tech.[79]
From a design standpoint, Ars Technica's review expressed concern that the core feature of Kinect, its lack of controller, would hamper development of games beyond those that have either stationary players, or control the player's movement automatically; remarking that the similarity of the genres of the launch titles owed to the hardware not being able to "handle much else", they predicted that Microsoft would eventually need to release a "Move-like" controller in order to overcome this limitation.[80]
The mainstream press also reviewed Kinect. USA Today compared it to the futuristic control scheme seen in Minority Report, stating that "playing games feels great" and giving the device 3.5 out of 4 stars.[74] David Pogue from The New York Times predicted you will feel a "crazy, magical, omigosh rush the first time you try the Kinect." Despite calling the motion tracking less precise than Wii's implementation, Pogue concluded that "Kinect's astonishing technology creates a completely new activity that's social, age-spanning and even athletic."[81] The Globe and Mail titled Kinect as setting a "new standard for motion control." The slight input lag between making a physical movement and Kinect registering it was not considered a major issue with most games, and the review called Kinect "a good and innovative product," rating it 3.5 out of 4 stars.[82]
2.5 million units of the Kinect sensor have been sold as of November 29, 2010,[18] 1 million of which were sold within 10 days of its North American launch.[83][84] Microsoft expects sales to reach 5 million by the end of 2010.[85]
Reference-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinect