Microsoft Previews Kinect (Formerly Known as Project Natal), a Gesture-Based Game Controller
At this week E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) in Los Angeles, Microsoft is expected to unveil Kinect, a device that helps players to use only their body to interact with the Xbox 360 game console. the games will rely on a small add-on device to recognize faces, obey voice commands and track body movements.
Two weeks ago, at the All Things D’s D8 conference, Microsoft’s Molly O’Donnell gave a demo of the company’s new gesture-based controller for the Xbox to Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher,
According to the LA Times, below are the games that use Kinect technology that will be also announced at launch:
River Rush: What Shaun White would want in real-life river rafting, players instead can indulge in the vicarious thrill on their living room rug. Steering a virtual raft past waterfalls, rocks and other obstacles requires lots of jumping and leaning. The graphics are similar to what you’d find in snowboarding games, with giant visual cues telling players where they can go so they won’t get lost. The mini-game is designed to encourage anyone to jump in and play without having to read a manual.
Ricochet: Prepare to break a sweat. Players use their arms, legs, feet and head to block a frantic barrage of soccer-sized balls. Microsoft showed an early version of this game during last year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo. The latest iteration lets two people play simultaneously. Using facial recognition software, the camera checks who is playing and pulls up their personal avatars on the screen. The feature would, for example, let parents control which games their kids can play. If the console sees that the person playing is associated with a profile with parental controls, it will restrict the types of games that can be played.
Living Statue: One small step for Xbox, one giant leap for Microsoft’s social media strategy. This game lets players record their avatars dancing and singing karaoke-style, then e-mail the video masterpiece to their friends. The company has long nurtured its ambitions for its Xbox Live online game service, which has 23 million active users, to become a virtual watering hole for people who play video games. Living Statue is the latest attempt to encourage its players to check into Xbox Live and make friends.
Obstacle Course: This imaginatively named title is exactly what it suggests. Players pull, dodge and jump their way through a series of levels resembling what you would find at summer camp, sans the mosquitoes.
Microsoft promises more Kinect-aware apps will be announced at E3. Along with games, users will also see utilities that allow video chatting, conferencing, etc…
i think its a fair deal to play the best games through controller.