Announced yesterday at the Electronic Entertainment Expo, along with the other Kinect games, Kinectimals is a new virtual pet game from Microsoft - the type of game we were expecting (and secretly hoping for) as soon as we heard about the Kinect camera.
The Kinect camera is a nifty piece of hardware that combines a camera, depth sensor and microphone - meaning it's able to track your movements precisely and respond to your voice, which, according to Microsoft "turns you into the controller". The camera effectively eliminates the need for controllers (and therefore batteries) - allowing you to control the Xbox, and the new games, with just a wave of your hand or a voice command.
Kinectimals is a game designed for animal lovers of all ages, and gives you the chance to own your very own exotic animal. There are twenty different animals to chose from, including a cheetah, a lion - and my favourite - the bengal tiger. Once you've made the difficult decision of which one to start with, you then get to name it, play with it, and teach it tricks - ranging from simple things like fetch to more advanced obstacle courses and skipping ropes.
Decisions, decisions...
There's more to the game than just a virtual pet to play with though - the game takes place on a vast island, which you and your pet can explore, finding new toys, treasures and unlocking new environments as you go. You can also customise your Kinectimal (here's hoping for a top hat and monocle) and decorate your in-game home. And, for your real-life home, collectable, limited edition plush toys will be in shops. Once you bring them home, you'll be able to scan in the code and your new friend will be transported into your game.
This could make millions... Want, want, want...
Kinectimals looks like exactly the sort of game Microsoft need to position its new camera towards the kids (and the bigger kids amongst us), who can't resist a cute, cuddly lion cub - either in virtual, or physical form.
The game's due out in November this year, along with the Kinect camera. Looks like it'll be a purr-fect addition to your Kinect game library.
