Kinect is a whole new way for you and your family to experience games.
With no wires, no buttons, and no controllers involved, you are the controller. A complex, advanced, yet surprisingly intuitive device, Kinect puts you into your favourite games. Confused? So were we when we first sat down with it, but over the course of this article, we'll explain everything you could want to know about Kinect, including what it is, how much room you'll need, where you can buy it, and how much it'll cost. So read on, and learn all about gaming's newest revolution.
What is it?
In its simplest terms, Kinect is a camera, but it's much more advanced than your standard webcam, or even a more advanced digital camera. Able to recognise 3D movement, voices, individual people, and even faces, Kinect is a multifaceted device that will change how you interact with your console. A fairly large device, that's around the size of four or five Wii sensor bars stuck together, Kinect houses a lot of equipment. So let's break it down.Firstly, Kinect has not one, not two, but three cameras inside, which allow it to track movement in 3D. Rather than just capturing a 2D image, and trying to work out who and where you are in that image, Kinect is a lot more advanced. The first two cameras work together, to allow Kinect to track a 3D representation of you, and your living room. An infra-red projector, which bathes your living room in points of infrared light, coupled with a camera that detects infrared light allows Kinect to "see" in 3D, which, when coupled with advanced software, allows it to differentiate between items of furniture, and human beings.
The third camera is basically a webcam, which allows it to capture a video of you while you're in the middle of playing a game - something many games will then take great pleasure in playing you back, allowing you to see just how much of a spoon you looked while dancing to Lady Gaga. This camera also helps out with face recognition, and a few other aspects of working out who's who in the room.
Rounding off the already complex hardware are four microphones, positioned across the device, allowing it to work out where you are in the room by listening to where your voice comes from. With a motorised tilt sensor, Kinect will even follow you and adjust itself to be at the best angle.
As you play a game using Kinect, the hardware and software will be reading inputs and making calculations thirty times every second, extrapolating what it can from the data to make intelligent assumptions. It's not very likely that you'll be putting your arm through your head and out the other side, so Kinect realises that, and changes it to being either behind your head, or in front of it instead - which is much more logical. Microsoft have put a lot of time and effort, and tested the camera with people of all shapes, colours and sizes, wearing all sorts of clothes, to ensure an accurate experience.
The single greatest screenshot ever.
What will you need?
Room, is the most important part of any Kinect setup, and that's also something that could be an impassable barrier for those of us who simply don't have the space. If you want to use Kinect, the official documentation says you'll have to stand between six to eight feet away from your television and the Kinect sensor, which could present problems for people with small living rooms - or those of us who don't have our TV as far away from the sofa as possible.
The second most important thing you'll need is an Xbox 360. Whether you've got the old style console, or the newer "Kinect ready", angular and shiny device, it doesn't matter - both will work absolutely fine with the new sensor, so if you've had an Xbox 360 for a while, there's no need to shell out on a new console. On the older consoles, Kinect will plug into a spare USB port, and will need to be plugged into a wall socket as well, whereas on the new, glossy consoles, the whole process is a bit streamlined, as Kinect has its own special socket, which also doubles up as a power supply.
If you have the room, and you have the Xbox 360, you should be ready to go!
If you've got the room, kids will love Kinectimals
How much is it?
With so much hardware packed in, Kinect doesn't come cheaply, and is priced at £129.99. In the box, you'll get the Kinect sensor, and a copy of Kinect Adventures, a collection of adventuring themed mini-games that are perfect for showing off your new camera. Along with the game, there's also a collection of cables, and everything else you'll need to plug it in and get it working.If you don't already own an Xbox 360, there are several options available. For those who want an entry level setup, Microsoft are releasing a Kinect and Xbox 360 4GB bundle, which includes the camera, and a shiny new Xbox 360, with 4GB of memory for £249.99. What it doesn't mention is that this console doesn't actually include a hard drive, but rather has 4GB of flash memory - similar to the sort you find in SD cards. This may not seem that much of a distinction, but the issue recently came to a head when people who bought Halo: Reach couldn't play the game co-operatively online, due to their system not having a hard drive. There are a few other examples out there as well, as apparently the 4GB of flash memory is not the same as having a hard drive, and doesn't function the same in games. You can still save your progress onto it, download expansions, and download Xbox Live Arcade games, but certain features on certain games may not be available. With downloadable Xbox Live Arcade games often nearing the 2GB mark, the 4GB console is really just an entry level machine, and isn't of much use if you actually want to try out the downloadable games - although you can expand your memory capacity by purchasing an official Xbox 360 250 GB hard drive, which slots in the bottom of the console.
The other option is to buy Kinect along with an Xbox 360 250 GB, which is 250 GB of genuine hard drive, and is more than enough for anyone to store their games, saves, film clips, and anything else they could want to put on a hard drive. The only downside is it costs around £299.
If the price is the only barrier, the other thing you could do is consider being American instead. Across the pond, the hardware costs $150, which translates to £92 according to current exchange rates. Even taking into account VAT of an extra £16.10, it totals at £108.10, so there's a £20.90 charge for being British. Wear it as a badge of honour.
At least it's cheaper than a real tiger.
Where can I get one?
Launching on the 10th of November, there are just a few short days left until Kinect is upon us, and, as may have been expected, many retailers are already running out of pre-orders for their launch allocations, which hasn't been helped by an apparently limited amount of stock. Thankfully, most retailers - including GAME - are guaranteeing that even if you don't get it on launch day, you'll definitely receive it by Christmas, which should help fend off any Christmas morning blues. Most retailers seem to be expecting Kinect to be their Golden Goose this Christmas, so there seems to be little in the way of bundles being offered, meaning there are next to no ways you can save on the RRP.Launching alongside Kinect on day one will be a selection of thirteen titles - which, over the next few days, you'll be able to find handy previews of on the site. Coming with an RRP of £40, as opposed to the standard £50, the games have been priced slightly cheaper, although seeing as most retailers don't sell games for £50 anyway, it's debatable whether we'll see any difference on the high street. Online retailers, however, have taken advantage of the lower RRP, with Gameplay.co.uk offering several games for £32.99, while Amazon take it even further by offering Kinectimals for £32.70.
With several other Kinect games coming out over the weeks running up to Christmas, and the entire other range of Xbox 360 games available, you shouldn't be short of things to play over the winter!
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So, there you have it. (Hopefully) everything you could ever want to know about Kinect, in one handy place. If you'd like to find out more about the launch line up, check out our 'Countdown to Kinect', where you can find previews of a new game every day in the run up to launch - including the bundled Kinect Adventures. Be sure to check back on Wednesday, when Kinect actually launches, for a full guide to setting the device up, along with a steady stream of reviews of the launch titles.
