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When Microsoft first debuted the Kinect at E3 2009, it received quite a bit of press attention for what it promised to do, all without using a controller. Many people felt as though the Nintendo Wii would finally have a competent competitor in the motion control field, but it remains to be seen whether Microsoft will follow through with its control scheme and make the Kinect and games for Kinect a marketing success as well..


One of the clear cut advantages of the Kinect over the Wii is that the 360 can play both hardcore games and now, family games like what you would expect to find on the Wii. You will not find people who have their Wii exclusively to play first person shooters or role-playing games, but instead families that purchased the device for having fun. Microsoft bridges the gap between these two different niches of gamers to bring them together under one system. The Kinect does mimic some of the offerings available on the Wii, such as Wii Sports and Wii Fit, but without the need to use a special controller or a balance board in order to play these games, there is a clear cut advantage.

The Xbox Kinect seems to be catering to people who are looking for new games to play to get them up off their feet. Offerings such as Fitness Evolved are very similar to Wii Fit, and several dancing games have been announced as well. Another aspect that Microsoft seems to be tackling is simulation games. One such game planned is Kinectimals, which allows you to interact with a virtual pet similar to the Nintendo DS’s Nintendogs title.

It is not surprising to see Microsoft mimic Nintendo in this fashion, as Nintendo has always been at the forefront of technology when it comes to gaming and consoles. However, it seems as if Microsoft is poised to outdo Nintendo at its own game, as gamers can have the best of the party games offered by the Wii, while still maintaining their ability to play hardcore games such as Gears of War and Halo. All of this can be done at full 720p resolution, which is something the Wii cannot boost. The line up of Kinect games will be around 20 at launch, with several more as the life of the device is fleshed out.

One of the exciting features that makes the Kinect so innovative is the voice controls it features. Instead of having to use a remote to control the 360 with basic commands while watching a movie or a TV show, you can address the Xbox directly. A good example of this is if the phone rings while you are watching a movie. Instead of having to hunt fro the remote in order to pause the movie to answer the phone, you can simply say “Xbox Pause” and Kinect will register your voice and perform the action. There are several other voice commands which are unique to Kinect, making it stand tall above the Nintendo Wii.