A non-gamer reviews the Xbox #Kinect
#TalkNerdyToMeLover's @JenSquard
I am definitely NOT a gamer. Not so much at all. Unless you are talking about a Sega Genesis circa 1998 with Sonic the Hedgehog - then I am gamer. Otherwise, not so much. My brain doesn't work that way, and I have tried. It just doesn't happen, I suck gnarly balls, so I stick to my Sudoku and Bejeweled.
When the Wii came out I figured it would be a major game changer. I got it for Christmas last year...not a game changer. I liked it okay, but it felt incredibly juvenile to me. It wasn't fun for me, and the workout blew it hard. The responsiveness wasn't there, holding a remote and numchucks, even when holstered, was awkward, and I never was interested in playing. My hubbard is a gamer and didn't even play it. So this year we decided to sell it and try something new.
The Kinect is a very different creature. Since the games are $50 a piece, we don't have a huge variety yet, but it has definitely been used more in the last month than the Wii was in an entire year. He plays Black Ops and Need for Speed, and we have the game that came with it. That game is surprisingly fun, very active, and the responsiveness is great. It has different levels and activities than the Wii and the games are so much more diverse.
Since there is no remote, and your avatars are actual people instead of little bobbing heads, you actually control them. The graphics are great, or whatever, I don't know, I just know I like it. A lot. My favorite thing to do is make my avatar do crazy things. Fist pumping, crotch grabbing and moon walking are especially entertaining.
There are a bunch of free demos and little games that you can download, too. Right now I am watching the hubs dance to Lady Gaga on Dance Central - effing brilliant! Sooo so funny, totes magotes I am love with this thing. The thing I don't so much love is that you have to pay extra to play Live - I just think that after paying so much for the console, the games, the extra controller, an internet connection, and all that hubaloo, you should just be able to connect it. So we aren't live anymore. Which is fine for me, cause I suck at all the games and wouldn't want to play against any real person. Maybe someday. Believe it or not I am not terrible at Need for Speed. Not great, but not terrible. Black Ops makes me so mad that I want to get a real gun and shoot some real people. Not my thing.
But yeah - Xbox 360 Kinect = badass. Loves it lots.
Find me on Twitter and tell me your thoughts about it: @JenSquard