Microsoft’s Kinect was announced at a huge performance at the 2010 E3 trade show. What had been code-named Microsoft Natal, the XBox Kinect is already creating excitement among gamers and non-gamers alike. Much like the Wii gaming system, the Xbox Kinect encourages real movement – but as opposed to the Wii, the Kinect will focus on full-body movement. .
The operation of the Kinect
The Microsoft Kinect system uses a two-camera system to capture motion. Depth is captured by one camera, while another takes RGB color photographs and video. This system tracks full-body motion and movements by combining input from these two cameras.This means there will be no controllers and no separation between game and player.
Playing on the Kinect
The Microsoft Kinect, as an add-on to the Microsoft XBox, is slated to debut with a fairly wide range of games. LucasArts is even working on a Star Wars game, complete with light sabers. You will find also six “base” games the Kinect will be released with. Numerous gamers are already drooling over the possibility of Halo Reach migrating to Kinect.
Is the Xbox Kinect your only option?
The success of the Nintendo Wii has encouraged other console makers to work on hands-free control systems. The Microsoft Kinect is not the only system like this, though. Sony’s “Move” will be a similar system, but will cost half as much. With the Wii’s commercial success, it has been proven that interactive gaming is the way to move gaming to a wider – and therefore a lot more profitable – audience. Though the Xbox proved very popular when it was first released, it commercially lost over $ 1 billion – - proving that games have to be sold to more than just hard-core game enthusiasts.
Citations
Engadget.com
edition.cnn.com
VG247.com
