subject: Top Christmas Toys 2010 - New Xbox 360 Kinect Games [print this page] Top Christmas Toys 2010 - New Xbox 360 Kinect Games
This year, the new Xbox Kinect with its amazing Kinect Games top the list of most wished for Christmas toys. Microsoft just launched their new Xbox 360 with Kinect. What's new with the Xbox Kinect Bundle and the Kinect Games? Why should you want to buy it? Well, let's have a look into this and find out why the new Xbox Kinect makes such an amazing toy as a Christmas gift this year.
There was a time when Sony and Microsoft, Nintendo's two main video game competitors, scoffed at the user interface of the Wii. Namely, the way the player's movements control the action on the screen. They called it a gimmick. Let's be polite and say times have changed. The Kinect for the XBox 360 promises to take this technology to the next level.
Just like the Nintendo Wii, the XBox Kinect uses a sensor bar to help detect where a player is, and what they are doing. However, the Wii still requires the use of a controller (either hand-held, or a foot board). The Kinect, on the other hand, gets rid of the controller all together. Instead, it uses several different proprietary sensors within the bar, including a camera and sound detection. Their is also facial recognition software to let the unit "see" who's playing. Because there is no longer a controller, players interact with games by making various gestures or with voice commands.
The Kinect can be purchased as an add-on peripheral if you have the latest generation model XBox 360 that supports it. You can also buy a new XBox which comes bundled with the sensor bar. The choice is yours, of course, but it may be a smarter idea to get a whole new console to ensure there are no compatibility issues.
Any console is only as good as its games. While there are not a lot of titles for the Kinect yet, there are sure to be more to come. And, because it's Microsoft, it should be interesting to see what games they come up with. As of now, a lot of the games do feel a bit like reworked Nintendo Wii games, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.
