Today, there was a ton of announcements at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). Dominating much of today's news was the announcement that Microsoft's controller-less interface, known as Project Natal, was renamed Kinect. This interface allows players to control the on-screen action with no controller at all. It maps the movement of the players body and allows it to be used to affect gameplay on screen.
There were several interesting Kinect titles announced today, such as Forza Kinect, Kinect Star Wars, and Kinect Sports. Each title places the player in an immersive experience that looks like a ton of fun. Having watched many of the demonstrations live on the internet, I must say that Kinect looks quite compelling. My biggest question is whether or not the gaming public will embrace it.
Several years ago, Nintendo released the Wii gaming system that uses a bluetooth "wiimote" that is outfitted with accelerometers and gyroscopic functionality. This controller allows users to translate movements of the controller in 3D space to events on the screen. For the first time in history, masses of users got up off their couches and interacted with their games in a purely physical manner. Titles such as WiiSports and WiiFit even saw folks burning calories as they had fun. Since I own a Wii, I must say that the gameplay is indeed compelling. The level of interactivity that the Wii controller offers allows you to participate in gaming in ways that are unique and innovative.
The Wii has proven to be incredibly successful and it was extremely hard to come by in stores unless you camped out, or managed to order one online when they were in stock. Microsoft and Sony certainly took notice.
The downfall of the Wii system in my opinion is that under the hood, the system is not nearly as capable as the other consoles on the market. The Microsoft XBox 360 and the Sony PS3 are capable of much more graphic horsepower, and command the majority of the third party top-tier games. The in-house Nintendo titles that rely on the Nintendo properties such as Mario are great games. However, to the hardcore gamer the depth of titles and technological power simply is not there.
Now we are seeing the competition get into the game. With the Microsoft Kinect announcement, a flood of increasingly interactive titles will eventually hit the market. My question to you is: is this the gaming experience you are looking for? How many of you plan on purchasing the Kinect device? I look forward to your comments.
