Here's what Kinect is good for...

Yes, the Kinect was a commercial success for Microsoft, but let's be honest, it kind of fails when it comes to offering many compelling games. The Kinect fails mostly at being an alternate scheme like Microsoft is hell bent on pushing it, and yet there are some things it is excellent for.

Parties. The Kinect is great for parties. A game like Dance Central gets everybody involved. Everybody is playing, everybody grooving along. And therein lies the Kinect's strength- in party games. Dance Central is just one example (Kinect Sports and Kinet Adventures are sleeper party hits too).

Whereas the Kinect can never beat the Wii as the go to party system, the fact that it literally involves nothing but a buzzed person to get up and groove to pop music is what makes it so popular.

The Kinect succeeds at prividing (a limited number of) casual game experiences. As far as gaming is concerned, that is what it is good for. Not worth the initial $150 investment at all, I am sure, especially since the technology itself requires some polish, but hey, if you do have it, know that, contrary to what System Wars would have you believe, it isn't completely useless. It has a place, a niche in the gaming ecosystem, and it fills that niche pretty well.

Didn't read because I don't want to read about a gimmick.

So basically kinect is nothing more then a REALLY REALLY expensive party dance game.

I hope MS focuses on Kinect even more to the point where they'd have no other games but Kinect games. plz MS do it even more!

So basically kinect is nothing more then a REALLY REALLY expensive party dance game.

Eddie-Vedder

And glorified menu controller.

Didn't read because I don't want to read about a gimmick.

GamerwillzPS

no hold in youre comments anyway, so why even bother ? :)

$150 is "really really expensive"?Really?

Didn't read because I don't want to read about a gimmick.

GamerwillzPS

Char, this is system wars. Where something that is simple fun that can be enjoyed by any kindd of person is evil and "casual trash." come on, you should know better...

That being said I don't see kinect being used at many parties. When it comes to "family" parties with relatives and kids about, I'd imagine they'd already have Wii for party experiences. And for college parties or teen parties I'd imagine most are more focused on getting wasted then playing games. Although in some cases when a host so happens to own a 360 with kinect then maybe they'll use the thing at some point for sh*t's and giggles. While the Kinect WOULD be fun for parties I don't know if many people would actually do so.

Who seriously plays games on parties unless you're like 11?themajormayor

It will be interesting to see if the WiiU can regain the crowd that just want WiiSports/just dance/sing star type games. Kinect could take that away from Nintendo as the skill level is even easier than the Wiimote+WiiU controller+balance board. Kinect can do all them things; work out games, dance games, singing games without any need for peripherals.

Not only that with that scan feature they was touting you could scan in weights or a running machine if you have room and it could be like a virtual work out station. The WiiU/Wii is unable to have that level of flexibility for none gamers.

It's not worth $150 for me, but was the Wii worth the money for people who bought it for Wii Sports + the cost of Wii Fit when that launched? if they got use out of Sports/fit then I would say yes. $150 is only expensive if you don't use it.

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parkurtommo

You're completely hilarious.

[QUOTE="parkurtommo"]

Michael0134567

You're completely hilarious.

[QUOTE="themajormayor"]Who seriously plays games on parties unless you're like 11?spiderluck

All what I see so far from Kinect is a glorified microphone. Mass Effect 3 "Better With Kinect", with what? Simple commands that select Shepard's conversations and squad commands, and FIFA 13 substitute players without going to Pause menu, is a start button really that difficult??

And Tom Clancy's End War show us voice command with an ordinary mic, I don't see Kinect is really better than a mic. I want Kinect to succeed, I really do, but all I see right now is some casual games and glorified voice commands.

[QUOTE="spiderluck"][QUOTE="themajormayor"]Who seriously plays games on parties unless you're like 11?themajormayor

Here is a Game Informer post highlighting what its good for. Its got some use, a lot of it could be done by a mic of course, but its something and its a good way to move forward. I'd love for voice commands to take off more next gen, but as for motion controls well... eh.

I agree with you Tc.

Here is a Game Informer post highlighting what its good for. Its got some use, a lot of it could be done by a mic of course, but its something and its a good way to move forward. I'd love for voice commands to take off more next gen, but as for motion controls well... eh.

SPYDER0416

Who seriously plays games on parties unless you're like 11?themajormayor

Amazingly enough ours gets used all the time by 16-19 year olds who completely ignore the Move that is sitting right next to it, but whatever.

The Kinect is great for pushing the Xbox to be more than just a gaming console. With motion controls, I find watching movies and stuff like that on the Xbox to be quite an intuitive experience. The Wii's motion controls changed gaming forever, in a positive way, but Kinect seems great as it doesn't confine itself to just effecting gaming, but the technology industry as a whole. Too bad the games kinda suck at this point, but since it's coming in built in the NextBox, I wouldn't see that as such a bad thing, as the Xbox will become my go to media hub for everything.

I would never consider having people over and being like "Surprise! We're going to dance in front of the TV with Kinect!"BPoole96

[QUOTE="BPoole96"]I would never consider having people over and being like "Surprise! We're going to dance in front of the TV with Kinect!"Lupin497

I would never consider having people over and being like "Surprise! We're going to dance in front of the TV with Kinect!"BPoole96

My guess is it is good for taking pictures and transmitting videos over the internet, because it is a webcam.

In all seriousness though, I saw Dance Central 2 being quite funny during a party at a friend's house. The thing is, the only reason people were playing it is because the kids were playing it. Had there been no kids, the game would not have been on, funny or not.

[QUOTE="Lupin497"][QUOTE="BPoole96"]I would never consider having people over and being like "Surprise! We're going to dance in front of the TV with Kinect!"BPoole96

[QUOTE="BPoole96"]I would never consider having people over and being like "Surprise! We're going to dance in front of the TV with Kinect!"spiderluck