Anyway, with all the new buzz about Xbox 360's Kinect, I have to express my feelings on the matter. The idea of not needing a controller, of using your whole body to interact with video games is EXTREMELY exciting. Ever since I was a little kid "Virtual Reality" has been this far fetched dream, that one day we'll be able to stand in the place of these characters and physically do what they do (or rather, have them do what we physically do). And the Wii was supposed to be a monumental step in that direction, but I know I might be outcast for saying this, but I really don't like the Wii. On occasion, I have enjoyed games like Super Mario Galaxy, or Wii Tennis (and other Wii Sports games), but for games like Zelda or Dead Rising, I find myself just wishing I had a normal controller and didn't have to deal with the slightly inaccurate mechanic of point and click.
But I digress. Kinect is supposed to be completely controller-less, and have complete body motion capture technology. But, much like the Wii, it seems like all the games advertised for it are gimmicky games for families and little kids who don't "normal" video games. Games like "Kinectimals" and "Kinect Adventures!" or other games designed for physical fitness and dancing. Games like this are great for people who don't want to leave the house (or can't, in the case of mothers with small children) and who still want to have fun and get a workout. But for people like me, people who consider themselves "Gamers" it doesn't seem like there is much to offer. I have serious doubts that this 3-D motion capture will be done well enough to make First Person Shooters be more enjoyable than it is with a controller.
My other concern is that games will require tons of physical movement. No, its not because I'm super lazy, but sometimes after a long day of work I just want to sit down and enjoy a fun game without having to get up and dance around the room. I'll be honest, I could be horribly wrong. I have not tried the technology for myself, and I have not read a lot about the experiences that others have had with the device. I'm just expressing my concerns. New technology sometimes makes games take a small step back; trading off shiny new features for more important things like story or fun.
Once more, I could be wrong. Even more, I HOPE I'm wrong, I hope that it is as amazing as Microsoft wants us to believe and that someday when I can afford it, I'll be able to have hours of fun playing it alone or with my family. But we'll just have to see.
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