Well it’s nearly Christmas present buying time again! This led me to looking for my daughter’s main present! I found the latest gaming product that looks really cool is the Xbox 360 kinect 4 GB or sometimes referred to as “project natal”. I think that was its secret name when it was in development! Anyway as with anything like this I like to do my homework on the research side before I part with my hard earned cash. I’ve done that now so I’m sharing my findings on Project Natal (I love that!) latest Xbox 360 below.
What is the New Xbox 360 Kinect All About?
The bit that interested me the most is that I don’t need a controller to use this new motion gaming sensor! That’s right it is 100% totally controller free! I love this because it means that even people who have never used a games console before (like the grandparents) can get involved in the action quickly, there’s hardly any learning curve at all.
That got me thinking “how does it do that?!” Apparently the infra red camera contained within the kinect sensor takes a 3 D image of the body and uses that to accurately track any moves that we make. We first saw this sort of motion gaming with the Nintendo Wii. The new kinect Xbox 360 takes this to much higher levels of accuracy however from what I can see.
I was a bit concerned about how we operate other things like playing a movie with no controller. As it turns out the ability to just talk the instructions is there. So all I have to say is “xbox play movie” and that starts the process.
Wireless Controller for Complete Control
For completeness there is also a wireless controller to help operate the features of the console and to play non compatible Xbox 360 Kinect games.
Does the Kinect Sensor Play Other Xbox Games?
The simple answer to that is ‘no’. Only Kinect games can be played using the sensor part of the console bundle. Other Xbox games can be played as they normally would be with a controller.
The Xbox Kinect Get’s People Moving
I love the fact that “motion gaming” which is essentially what project natal is based around get’s people active! For too long games consoles have been about children hiding themselves away in their bedrooms playing “shoot em up” type games. This is different – it get’s everyone involved, young and old alike. Most importantly it gets people moving! Up to six people can play the game at once with two actually “active” at any one time.
Getting Social with Xbox Live and the Xbox 360 Kinect
I find that the Kinect Xbox isn’t just about gaming! Using Xbox Live we can watch HD Movies or even look at streaming TV. It will also allow us to join in with other game players around the world using a multiplayer sort of option. I like the fact that we can connect to our Facebook and Twitter accounts with it too. There’s a one month trial included to Xbox Live gold which is a good amount of time to start enjoying all of the benefits of the Live service.
Use It Anywhere in the Home!
I like that this console can go on any TV in any room of the house and still we can use the advantage of connecting to Xbox Live. This is possible because of the built in Wi-Fi.
The Wi-Fi will connect wirelessly through our home router, the thing that connects us to the Internet basically.
What Else?
The design looks really sleek and attractive to have in the home. It isn’t at all chunky looking which fit’s in pretty well with the décor! It hardly makes any noise either, which has to be a bonus as all you can hear on some of the older consoles is a constant whirring sound!
Storing Games and Media
The internal 4 GB hard drive makes it super simple to store any favorite games or even other media like music. That makes starting to play games a whole lot faster! No more trying to find the box with the game in anymore!
It Even Has a Game Included!
The Xbox 360 Kinect comes with a game included in the bundle. The game is called “Kinect Adventures” and is just fine for all age groups being rated an E (everyone!) There are five different games to whet the appetite for other games compatible with the Kinect Sensor. Each game has different levels and difficulties to help keep everyone stimulated.
What’s Included in the bundle?
• Xbox 360 Console 4 GB
• Kinect Sensor
• Kinect Adventures game (E rating)
• Xbox 360 Black Wireless Controller
• Xbox 360 Composite A/V cable (standard definition)
• One Month Xbox LIVE Gold Membership
Warranty
• 1 year limited warranty on console
What Others Have to say – Consumer Reviews
The Kinect Xbox 360 is getting some rave reviews over at Amazon. It’s early days in the ratings but from the reviews so far the majority is 5 stars out of five, so far only 0.05% rate it a four which is still very high! Here are a few of the comments from actual users of it.
• “the Xbox is a great buy”
• ” can confidently say that I would recommend this to ANYONE”
• “I’ll agree with others stating how much fun it is”
• “Kinect games are way More Fun than Wii”
• “Man…..Oh Man……. It is an ULTIMATE experience”
• “Buy this… Seriously… You won’t regret it”
Niggles?
A five star reviewer had one comment that the new Valhalla chip runs a bit warmer than the Elite chip that the older Xbox runs with. I think he got that from a tech review.
How Much Is It and Where Can You Get It?
One of the best prices around is on Amazon at $299.99. I like Amazon because they keep their prices super competitive; in fact I hardly go anywhere else these days!