Itâs been a while since its release, but Iâve finally been able to try Kinect, Microsoftâs answer to the Wii that allows you to play games without the need for a controller, detecting your movements. Is it worth it? Does it offer me more than the Wii?
Kinect is a device that we must place above or below the TV just like the Wii sensor, but this is âa littleâ more advanced and is made up of two cameras, a normal VGA one and an infrared one that detects the depth of the room.
Movement recognition is instantaneous and although it may have lag at times, it is negligible.
One of the first things that surprises you about Kinect is that motion detection works impressively. When we configure it for the first time, we are shown the interpretation of our bodies just like in the detection systems in the movies, in which the joints and limbs are seen as circles and lines respectively, detecting at all times the posture and depth at which we are.
The main drawbacks that can be attributed to Kinect is that to play with it, you need a fairly large room to play, with the minimum distance between the television and our position being 1.8 meters. If the distance is less, it will not work properly.
One of the features that attracts the most attention is facial detection. We can assign a Kinect ID to our Gamertag so that when we start the console it automatically detects us visually.
The new Xbox 360 âDashboardâ
Al iniciar la consola, aparecerĂĄ el menĂș normal, pero al saludar con la mano, Kinect reconocerĂĄ el movimiento y nos trasladarĂĄ al menĂș de Kinect. En este menĂș, para desplazarnos tendremos que mover el brazo al estilo de la pelĂcula âMinority Reportâ. Muy sencillo de utilizar e intuitivo.
Video Kinect
I canât say much about this feature because I havenât tried it, but theoretically it allows you to make video conferences with friends who also have Kinect. One detail is that having a Kinect microphone allows you to use it instead of headphones to speak in an Xbox Live Party, although after trying it a couple of times it seems that the interlocutorsâ voice is coupled and they can hear themselves.
Kinect Adventures
As for games, Kinect comes with one as standard to test the deviceâs features: Kinect Adventures, which offers a series of mini-games in which we will have to move (a lot) to overcome them while avoiding obstacles, collecting balls, etc.
In total it offers us 5 different mini-games: Carambola, RĂo Abajo, Cumbre de reflexes, Cosmobujas and Tapagrietas, the first 3 being the most fun. They are original minigames that are quite far from what is offered in Wii Sports, surely to demonstrate the differences between Nintendoâs technical demo and Microsoftâs.
After having played a few hours, I can assure you that you get exercise playing because you have to move no matter what. If we donât warm up properly before playing, we may strain or get sore at a much higher level than with the Wii. MUCH OLDER.
KinectShare
Una de las caracterĂsticas que harĂĄn gracia a mucha gente es que al tener Kinect incorporada una cĂĄmara, nos harĂĄ fotos mientras jugamos a los minijuegos y podremos compartirlas a travĂ©s de Facebook, Twitter o descargarlas al ordenador a travĂ©s de la pĂĄgina Kinectshare.com.
In this regard, one of the biggest differences between the Wii and Kinect is that with Kinect you have to move, while with the Wii you can cheat and be comfortably sitting on the couch. A point in favor for one or the other depending on what we are looking for.
Games at 50 euros: Too expensive
Otra de las pegas de Kinect, aparte de su precio que es de 160 euros (en GameStop hay una oferta de Kinect + Kinect Adventures + Kinect Sports por 180 euros) es que el precio de los juegos me parece desproporcionado. Demasiado caro para lo que realmente ofrecen (al menos de momento). Un precio de 30 euros por juego habrĂa sido mĂĄs aceptable y, desde luego, estoy seguro de que harĂa que la gente se planteara comprar mĂĄs.
Thatâs all? What else does Kinect offer me?
Kinect, like Wii, depends on the originality of developers to do something different by taking advantage of what it offers. It is a technology much superior to that of the Wii, but personally I donât see much future for it beyond the minigames of the Nintendo console. In fact, the main uses that I see for Kinect are the same as those of the Wii: mini-games, playing sports and fooling around with friends and I see its future in that aspect as equally limited as that of the Wii, although saving the distance because the Xbox 360 has a credible control alternative such as its control pad, much less limited than that of the Wii for ânormalâ games.
Conclusions
Kinect is fun, perfect for casual players, but it will not satisfy the players of more âclassicâ games, who like me will interpret it as another accessory for the console and a complement to the rest of the games in the Xbox 360 catalog.