From the Vault — originally published November 4, 2010. Some links, videos or prices may be out of date.
Well Microsoft’s holiday Jesus peripheral hit stores today and the reviews (embargoed until today no doubt) are pouring in… or rather pressed to web.
The common theme of the Kinect reviews seems to be more of the same from previews. The sentiment shared by most is that its cool but not really something that can be used for a lot of gaming just yet. Also that the hardware seems okay, kind of dodgy at times and that the games lineup is lackluster for the most part with glimmers of goodness sprinkled here and there but nothing overwhelmingly consistent. Most seem to be hopeful that the price tag will be justified when a killer game for it is released. Shame that there seems to be none now at launch.
Many sites chose not to score the device and whether or not that’s political or not remains to be seen though I am skeptical. In any case here is a sampling of the Kinect reviews published today:
Gizmodo: “I’m conflicted. Although the potential of the Kinect platform is evident, it’s still unclear how more mainstream titles like Gears of War or Dead Rising or Fable can use these new gaming mechanics….
Right now, the answer to the fundamental question of “are you having fun with Kinect” is, unfortunately, “not really.” Unless you like dance games. The potential is there, but you need to think of Kinect like the launch of a new console: Wait until the games you really want are available—or maybe even the next generation.”
Destructoid: “I was definitely more impressed by the Kinect hardware (and the software) than I imagined I would be. But I’m not ready to champion Kinect as the death knell for controller-based gaming, and I’m not sure I ever will be. When it comes to the games themselves, I’m a bit concerned that the lack of a physical controller will really limit the type of gaming experiences we’ll see. (Will we get any games that aren’t on rails?)
Then again, I’m also not ready to write off Kinect, either. When it works, it’s certainly impressive, and it’s an fascinating glimpse at what the future of entertainment and games could hold.”
Shacknews: “Kinect lands a solid hit with the tech but its real-world practicality remains in question to me. All of the current games are intended to be use in a full-size recommended play space. That will require special setup for many. It also means that when I’m not “Kinecting” I most likely won’t have the sensor setup, rendering all the gee-whiz navigation functionality moot. When Kinect becomes the device that lets me sit on the couch and interact with my 360 and some games it will earn a permanent place on my gaming center, until then it’s reserved for group game night.”
Kotaku: “Kinect doesn’t replace the Wii any more than it does an Xbox controller. It’s not even a sure thing as a games platform, not until it has its first great game. But it doesn’t have to be. If Kinect becomes nothing more than a replacement for the TV remote, it’ll prove to be a winner. For its launch price, though, it needs to be more. If Microsoft keeps supporting it, and if its flaws can be patched and improved through software, Kinect can be revolutionary.”
