 |
| Xbox Kinect |
With its emphasis on fun over graphics, the Nintendo Wii has been the surprise hit of the current generation of game consoles. It's taken a few years, but Sony and Microsoft have finally answered the motion-gaming call with the PlayStation Move and the Xbox Kinect (reviewed here). Whether your loyalties lie with motion gaming,
Nobody ever said pioneering a new type of controller would be an easy thing. Go ask the guys at Nintendo about how unresponsive the Wii could be if not used precisely enough for a particular game. Or we could ask Sony about those barely function Sixaxis controls that are almost never used in any games except when shoehorned in poorly. Microsoft's Kinect follows along on this trend, faring much better than the Sixaxis but a bit behind the Wii. Why has it fallen behind on the Wii when it theoretically should be a superior experience?
Though it can broadly be called a "motion controller," Microsoft's Kinect is a different beast. Unlike both Sony's Move and Nintendo's Wii MotionPlus controllers--which detect motion as you wave them around in your hands--Kinect turns your entire body into the "controller," with the Kinect hardware--a motion detector/camera that you set up in front of or on top of your TV--converting your movements into gestures that the Xbox can understand.
