Xbox 360 Kinect!

Batutta

Batutta

Major Contributor
So who's playing this thing? I'm having a blast with it so far, it's like Minority Report freaky. The voice recognition works flawlessly. I was worried about my lighting conditions but it has no problem seeing me. But man, oh, man is it a workout, even more so that the Wii. With the Wii you can kind of half ass your movements, but not with this thing. You really have to do it. You also need quite a bit of room to use this thing. My problem is that I'm too damn tall so I keep blocking my projector.
 
How is it on room size? We don't have a huge room, and that seemed to be a downside when I was looking into it.
 
Hawk Teflon said:
How is it on room size? We don't have a huge room, and that seemed to be a downside when I was looking into it.
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You need at least six feet back from the sensor and to the sides, 8 is ideal. I have a dedicated theater room but I still have to move chairs out of the way. You also can't have anything obstructing your feet.

UPDATE:

After playing for a few hours I am sore in places I didn't know existed. This thing is no joke.
 
Michael Anthony Horrigan said:
Sweet! I can't wait to get my hands on this thing. Does it follow your actions pretty accurately?

MAH
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Yeah, it's pretty spooky. Some games have a bit of a lag, though, about half a second. And it can be a little fiddly at times. I've found the tracking is better without any lights on, as it has infrared, but then it can't do facial recognition as well in no light.
 
Batutta said:
Yeah, it's pretty spooky. Some games have a bit of a lag, though, about half a second. And it can be a little fiddly at times. I've found the tracking is better without any lights on, as it has infrared, but then it can't do facial recognition as well in no light.
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Cool. Does it hook up wirelessly?
 
I have an xbox with HDMI, fairly new. But it is nowhere near my screen. The camera (Kinect) won't have to have a cable running from the front of the screen all the way back to my xbox will it?
 
Michael Anthony Horrigan said:
I have an xbox with HDMI, fairly new. But it is nowhere near my screen. The camera (Kinect) won't have to have a cable running from the front of the screen all the way back to my xbox will it?
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Yep...and unfortunately with the newer xbox I think it's using a proprietary connector so an extension cable may be pricy, if it exists. I imagine you probably could also connect it to the new xbox via USB like I do on my older unit, and then just get a really long usb cable.
 
I have an extension cable for USB. Maybe that might work? I could just place it on my coffee table or something. If it's like the Wii sensor it doesn't have to be right in front of the screen right?

Thanks btw.
 
Been playing with one at the office and most of the launch games are shovel-ware, IMO, but I think the potential is really there. I will probably wait until the 2nd or 3rd generation games come out before I make a decision.


-Andrew
 
Michael Anthony Horrigan said:
I have an extension cable for USB. Maybe that might work? I could just place it on my coffee table or something. If it's like the Wii sensor it doesn't have to be right in front of the screen right?

Thanks btw.
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The cameras have to be pointing straight ahead. Just remember you have to be about 6 feet back from wherever the sensor is, not from where the screen is. They also recommend it be at least 2 feet off the ground.
 
adkimery said:
Been playing with one at the office and most of the launch games are shovel-ware, IMO, but I think the potential is really there. I will probably wait until the 2nd or 3rd generation games come out before I make a decision.


-Andrew
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I'd say the biggest negative is that it's pretty physically exhausting, so you won't be playing any games for hours on end unless you're in olympic condition.
 
A buddy of mine and I raced on one of the obstacle courses on Kinect Adventures (one w/lots of ducking and jumping) and we were both hurting by the end of it. I'd say were are both in above average shape too. Dance Central looks like the most impressive launch game but I haven't had a chance to play it yet.


-Andrew
 
adkimery said:
Dance Central looks like the most impressive launch game but I haven't had a chance to play it yet.


-Andrew
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That's my daughter's favorite. I don't love it, but dance isn't my thing. Also, there's something magical about having your onscreen avatar copy your movements. In Dance Central, you're just copying the game's movements without an onscreen representation.
 
Fun stuff! Face recognition wasn't working too well though. Not quite bright enough.
My extension USB cable wouldn't work with it either. Not sure why? That made the setup a little more challenging.

Overall though, I enjoyed it. Loved the beach volleyball. Once I work the bugs out it should be pretty sweet.

MAH
 
Going to try it in the Home Theatre again today but I'm tempted to try it on the TV on the main floor. Mostly due to the fat that it is brighter upstairs and my xbox would be a lot closer to my TV than it is to my screen downstairs. Of course, that extension cable would help solve that issue in the HT but it's another $50.00. I REALLY wish there was a wifi connection from the Kinect to the xbox. I can plug (power) it in right by the screen but no way can the USB cable reach the xbox. It's like 30 feet away.

MAH
 
Michael Anthony Horrigan said:
Going to try it in the Home Theatre again today but I'm tempted to try it on the TV on the main floor. Mostly due to the fat that it is brighter upstairs and my xbox would be a lot closer to my TV than it is to my screen downstairs. Of course, that extension cable would help solve that issue in the HT but it's another $50.00. I REALLY wish there was a wifi connection from the Kinect to the xbox. I can plug (power) it in right by the screen but no way can the USB cable reach the xbox. It's like 30 feet away.

MAH
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I think I'm just going to mount a light beside my screen that shines toward me, but doesn't spill onto the screen, to improve my experience. It's actually working well with the lights I have on low, tracking and doing facial recognition, but some games take snapshots as you play and they just come out dark and blurry. Plus I think the grain noise makes the controls a little more jittery than they should be.
 
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