You've seen the ads and heard the hype, but you're still asking "What is Xbox Kinect?" Well, never fear, because we prepared this short and sweet guide that aims to answer all your questions about Xbox Kinect. If you want to know what is Xbox Kinect, how it works, and what sort of games you can play with it, you've come to the right place.
What is Xbox Kinect?
Kinect is the motion control device created by Microsoft to be used with their Xbox 360 console. You use your body (head, hands, and feet) along with spoken commands to control whatever it is you're playing. Microsoft has taken care to emphasize in its ad campaign that with Kinect, YOU are the controller, so that pretty much gives you an idea of what this device is all about.
How does it work?
Okay, so now you know what is Xbox Kinect. But how does it work? What sort of magic lies underneath its shiny shell?
The Xbox Kinect does its magic with a powerful array of sensors. It uses a RGB camera and a depth sensor to capture and track your movements. It also has a multi-array microphone whose role is to capture your voice commands. All of these sensors are built into a horizontal bar, which in turn is connected on top of its base, allowing you to place the Kinect either above or just below your TV or monitor.
The Kinect also has a motorized pivot that allows it to track your movements across the playing space. Along with the three sensors mentioned above, this allows the Kinect to do full-body 3D motion capture with facial and voice recognition. Yes folks, the Kinect can - and will - recognize your face and voice.
What can you play with it?
Alright, we've come to the most important part: what games can you play with this thing?
Well, I'm gonna have to start off by mentioning Kinect Adventures. This is the game that comes bundled with the device. Kinect Adventures is a package of mini-games whose sole purpose is to give you your first taste of what it's like to play with Kinect. Its collection of games doesn't have high replay value, but it's pretty good for what it's designed for.
When you're done with Kinect Adventures, you can get busy with Dance Central, a popular dancing game that can impress you with what the Kinect can do. You can also grab a copy of Kinectimals where you can scratch lion or tiger cubs behind the ear and have them play dead. I also suggest trying out Kinect Joy Ride - a racing game with full-body jumps and stunts. You can get pretty tired out after playing this, I assure you.
Now that you know what is Xbox Kinect and what it's all about, I would guess that the next question will be, what's next?
No comments:
Post a Comment