GamePro: Kinect Review

If it did work up to spec, GamePro could talk about its ability to compete against the Wii and the Move, and its potential for bringing entirely new genres to the table. But for now, it's less a matter of what it can do and more a matter of what it can't.

[SasanovaS1987]

kinect is a lie. end of story

[Godmars290]

If you listen to calmer heads, people who don't see the thing as the Next Coming or an instant disaster, it has a lot of promise as a game enhancer. Its just that at $150 MS have chosen to promote it as a game changer.

[WaggleLOL]

This is what makes absolutely no sense about Microsoft. They basically completely given up on their existing Xbox fanbase thinking they were going to magically turn the 360 into a Wii type device with Wii type success.

So if you only have one thing you basically have to hype it to infinity.

If Kinect was just an add-on selling alongside a massive first party studio lineup putting out masses of 360 games there would have been no need to massively oversell what Kinect in reality was.

Now they are probably going to lose a huge chunk of their existing 360 userbase and completely fail to get anything remotely close to Wii type sales because the massive number of stories about how Kinect fails to deliver what Microsoft claimed it would.

[Lifendz]

Over promoted and a lot of its shortcomings aren't being talked about to the same degree as Move or even the Wii. It's really weird how reviewers are just glossing over certain key things like the required amount of space and the very noticeable lag.

I can't keep going to the very cliched line of "MS is paying these reviewers off" but what else do you attribute the majority of very pro Kinect reviews too? I could see spending 50 bucks for a cool way to navigate the dashboard and voice commands to opens apps and what not. I can't see spending 150 for something that feels like it needed more time in R&D to be worth the price. /rant

Anyway, props to Gamepro for giving a score that reflects the review. They could have taken the easy path and opted to not give a score but they didn't. I actually had to bookmark their site off of this. Honesty is something that's a dying breed in games journalism these days.

[darthv72]

The consensus from level headed people say its very good and fun. The rumblings of it not being what it is are those who are wanting it to be more than it is now.

Everyone has their own personal hype meter and some get so wrapped up in it they cant help but call foul at the very slightest imperfection.

It isnt a game changer like some are getting themselves worked up about. It is very good none the less and will only get better. If you have optimism and open mindedness when trying these things out you cant help but see there is potential to be had.

If you just carry a negative view then no matter the good, the bad will always outweigh it.

Rome wasnt built in a day. Gaming wasnt born overnight and certainly, kinect isnt changing the way we play games. It only adds to it.

[8-bit]

I tried it out for the first time yesterday. I am a huge PS3 fanboy and Kinect skeptic by the way. From what I played (Kinect Adventures) it worked and worked better than I had thought it would. It does track your body with very few lag issues. I was surprised. It was fun too. I still see an issue with limitations tho. The games were all simplistic and get old quick. There is only so much you can do with little input options.

I own the Move controllers and I can tell you that Move IS a lot more precise and has a lot more options as far as input giving it the advantage because it can play almost any game type where Kinect is limited in what it can do. Over all tho I was impressed with Kinect.

Oh also we had to move furniture to play it in his small apartment. We had to move his couch out of the room.

I even uploaded a short video of us playing it from my phone.

http://www.youtube.com/l98m...

EDIT - I kind of want to know who is disagreeing with me, PS3 fanboys that don't want to hear that it's fun or xbox fanboys that don't want to hear about it's faults lol

[Parapraxis]

I agree 100% Darth
"Rome wasnt built in a day. Gaming wasnt born overnight and certainly, kinect isnt changing the way we play games. It only adds to it. "

But a lot of the press (non-gaming) are saying it's revolutionary, game-changing, yada, yada.
That's why it is very frustrating to see. I for one realize what the device is, and that it's a solid piece of tech, far from perfect and not something that interests me. But good for what it does, none the less.

However many reviewers are buying into the hype, it's plain to see. And oddly but maybe not terribly surprising many of the 360-only diehards are gobbling it up as well, all while the support for core games that the 360 has been known for are being put on the back burner. (which freakin sucks BTW)

[Lifendz]

"Of course, the apologists, along with Microsoft, will say that these are all small hiccups that will get addressed over time; they'll also point out that these minor technical issues pale in comparison to the new opportunities Kinect's unique capabilities will open up. But I am not reviewing what the device could achieve -- rather, I'm here to judge it on what it's capable of right out of the box, and frankly, it feels like it's two or three revisions away from living up to its potential. If it did work up to spec, I could talk about its ability to compete against the Wii and the Move, and its potential for bringing entirely new genres to the table. But for now, it's less a matter of what it can do and more a matter of what it can't."

[Lifendz]

you guys already have your Christmas tree up? Wow.

[Equinoxe_7]

great input you gave there, pros and cons

[OmarsAccount]

One particular bad review, and everyone goes nuts about how Kinect fails. Yet, there were tons of positive reviews before this one, that went on without much views/comments.

Now I'm not saying Kinect thing is absolutely amazing, neither do I think it down right flops, but this is just what I've noticed on N4G.

[TheBlackSmoke]

Your point is perfect.

This is exactly why I have been so critical of Kinect, not because of what is does, but because of what was promised, hyped and shoved down our throats about it for so long.

Anyone with common sense already knew the limitations and therefore what to expect from it, however all the BS we were fed made it out to be something that it can never achieve.

The fanboys drank the kool-Aid and elevated the BS even further...well up until a few weeks before launch when it was apparent that kinect was just for casuals and then they changed thier tune to

"durr its sposed to be about teh fun, dun you ps3 fanbois understand its not for teh hardcore"

If MS just said look this is for casuals then we wouldn't have to be bombarded with kinect articles for so many months.

[Fan Tastic]

But that is what MS does, overpromise and underdeliver.

We have multiple sku's of xbox360's and you can't even do every game, every function on a large amount of 360's unless you buy add-ons or upgrade.

[darthv72]

Yeah I read that. I am not trying to change perspective. Just trying to keep an open mind.

@blacksmoke..."hyped and shoved down our throats" as if there hasnt been any big name company that isnt guilty of that.

To imply what was hyped would NEVER be possible is just futile. Sometimes it takes a bit longer to really bring out the best in something. As a ps3 and 360 gamer I can say they are sure better systems now than they were on launch day.

[EVILDEAD360]

I'm so glad I didn't sit back and listen to some reviewer before I bought Kinect. I like GamePro as a mag..bought many off the stands but IMO this review doesnt represent the actual product..

GamePro: 'the hard truth is Kinect can't register more than one person at a time'

The REAL truth is that I've been playing since last Thursday and two player works perfectly. Had a party last weekend and played split screen for 5 straight hours and had an absolute blast with split screen.

So, when GamePro says ' So it's all the more infuriating that it does such a poor job of registering multiple users at once' they are reviewing the wrong system, the exact opposite is true. I was amazed at how good the games worked with two people.

All of these ducktales about Kinect needing a billion square feet to work are silly. I cleared an area just like I always do when I play for Wii or Move..The real fallacy is when you look at Move which asks you to play at 8 feet away for games like Table Tennis..

GamePro: By far Kinect's worst problem, however, is the lag time between when you make a motion and when it registers onscreen.

See this is where GamePro fails again, because time and time again people just like me are suprised that after hearing all this supposed lag talk, when you play the games it's simply not there. Even in the forums, the people that have lag are the ones with TVs (ie. LCD) that inherently had lag in the first place.

Kinect, like any motion control, is not perfect, but it's a shame when certain detractors simply can't tell the truth about it's capabilities when describing the product.

Either way, the feedback has been mainly positive for the product and it should definately do pretty good this holiday.

Evil

[TheBlackSmoke]

Erm yes, last time I Checked they were telling us

"the future of gaming"

"become the controller"

"like a new console release"

blah blah blah.

They spent the last two E3's with fake demos of thing's that can't be done, basically straight up lying to everyone. #cough...Milo...cough#.

Kudo Sunoda continually promised games for the core and this is the end result....

http://i51.tinypic.com/qnvd...

All this with Half a BILLION put in to marketing this lie.

Sony and Nintendo aren't perfect but have never out right BS'd as much as this and not delivered. For me PS move still hasn't peaked my interest either, BUT Sony never made it out to be anything that it wasn't, its always been a choice to enhance hardcore games, with the understanding it will have a lot of casual games.

[Death2494]

a damn promotion to editor-in-chief.

Listen to this quote:

"Of course, the apologists, along with Microsoft, will say that these are all small hiccups that will get addressed over time; they'll also point out that these minor technical issues pale in comparison to the new opportunities Kinect's unique capabilities will open up. But I am not reviewing what the device could achieve -- rather, I'm here to judge it on what it's capable of right out of the box, and frankly, it feels like it's two or three revisions away from living up to its potential."

[lowcarb]

Wow, one of the biggest PS3fanboys on this site actually played Kinect and enjoyed it. Yet we still have people like Black Smoke just listening to negative reviews and running his mouth because he is simply a hater nothing more.

[BubloZX]

there is nothing fun looking about jumping around like that.

[WaggleLOL]

"kinect is a lie."

Not surprising considering Microsoft had to resort to faking their demos of it for two straight E3s.

[ArtsyGamer]

It's not so much a lie as it is a gimmick.

[mantisimo]

I would like to hear from people in say......3 weeks time, just how much fabulous fun they are still having with Kinect.

[lucifon]

Motion Control in a nutshell

[cowboysfan]

Just picked up kinect today and have to say not very impressed. It has some good features but for the most part it is very boring after a short time. I think any true video game fan will miss having some sort of controller in hand. I think the lack of feedback is what I don't like. In time maybe that will change but for now I not very happy with my purchase.

[N4WAH]

3 weeks?
My friend is already bored with his and it's only been a few days.

[Zeevious]

BUT...with the receipt taped to the box.

I Can't decide yet if it's worth it.
The fitness program for instance is great.

I agree with everyone else and can see the potential tomorrow. Here's the problem...I bought it TODAY.

Why not just buy it when it actually works and matches the marketing hype, and spend my $150 on something else?
I returned my first PS3 for the exact same reason!
(Bought in early 2007 -- It's firmware was locking up playing DVD's)

I don't care what it MAY do tomorrow...because I own it NOW. I'm trying out more 2-player games, but I've given up on the unreliable voice-control and slow-azz hand-waving 1/2 done interface. A controller is much faster and much more reliable!

If Kinect is going to work really well in 6 months...fine.
I'll return it and buy another one in 6 months!

Why should I waste my time, or money suffering through another product that their own developers say isn't even 20-30% of it's promise?

[BYE]

Doesn't work as advertised = lie.

If it actually would work, then it would be a gimmick, yes.

[Kain81]

___
http://oi36.tinypic.com/was...

[HINDERIZATION]

i lol'd :)

[ico92]

ooh somebody never got their gift basket

[gigaware]

Isn't gamepro generally pro Sony? I get their Mags from Gamestop and I don't read them anymore because they seemed pro Sony.

[JasonPC360PS3Wii]

Gamepro is pro Sony, everyone knows that just like Kotaku is Pro Xbox. I don't know why PS3 fanboys still try even when Gamepro pretty much admits they are. Everyone who favors Nntendo or Xbox knows to stay clear of Gamepro. It's just a fact lke the fact that 70% of the comments in this review are PS3 fanboys.

[Army_of_Darkness]

I remember reading their mags in the nintendo vs. sega era.... Hmmm... I just thought that they're pro hardcore games, which is why kinect got a bad score;)

[nnotdead]

Gamepro has gotten this Pro Sony tag because early this gen they didn't jump on the PS3 will fail bandwagon. thay actually tend to be easy graders on everyone. like how they gave FF XII a 4/5 when the writer spent the whole review trashing the game.

360:
ME2- 4.5/5
Splinter Cell- 5/5
Alan Wake- 4/5
Crackdown 2- 3.5/5
Reach- 5/5
Fable 3- 4/5

PS3:
MAG- 4/5
Heavy Rain- 5/5
White Knight- 3.5/5
GOD of War 3- 4.5/5
Yakuza 3- 4.5/5
Modnation- 4/5

[Death2494]

You don't get Gamepro through Gamestop, It's GameInformer.
Shows how much you thought you knew. It's not bashing Kinect, but it is offering a unbaised, legit review.

[N4Great]

For a ms fanboy, anybody who is not a ms fanboyz, or a ms employee, is "pro-sony", but most of the time, they are just "normal people".

[BubloZX]

.......

[Jeremy Gerard]

enough said, that Sony fan sight has ZERO cred when it comes to anything 360.

[frostypants]

You're kidding.

GamePro has been around for over 20 years. They were around before many of N4G's users were conceived in the bathroom at Denny's. They were around before the Web even existed.

They are one of the oldest and most respected gaming publications out there. They've got more credibility than most other sources combined.

The only difference between them and the relative newbie sites is that they've been around long enough that they don't feel the need to succumb to Microsoft's payola.

They are NOT pro-Sony. They are simply not pro-Microsoft. Microsoft has bribed, coerced, and strong-armed so many gaming review sites over the last few years that an OBJECTIVE site tends to seem pro-Sony in comparison.

If it was between GamePro and 40 web-only publications written by amateurs, I'd trust GamePro every single time.

Now get off my lawn!

[strickers]

Bubbles.Fantastic Dennys line.

[BubloZX]

They aren't pro sony.

[nightfallfilms]

GamePro ????

[Motion]

GamePro.

[harrisk954]

"Of course, the apologists, along with Microsoft, will say that these are all small hiccups that will get addressed over time; they'll also point out that these minor technical issues pale in comparison to the new opportunities Kinect's unique capabilities will open up. But I am not reviewing what the device could achieve -- rather, I'm here to judge it on what it's capable of right out of the box, and frankly, it feels like it's two or three revisions away from living up to its potential. If it did work up to spec, I could talk about its ability to compete against the Wii and the Move, and its potential for bringing entirely new genres to the table. But for now, it's less a matter of what it can do and more a matter of what it can't."

This is how it seems most reviewers are looking at it. It is getting a pass on too many levels and is not being reviewed for what is now - a peripheral that sometimes works. The best critical discussion I've heard was on this week's Epic Battle Axe.

[vhero]

"the hard truth is Kinect can't register more than one person at a time. It constantly loses track of players, interrupting the action and incessantly prompting you to return to sensor range when you're both standing smack in front of the sensor. "

So it can only really be used for 1 player.. Would explain why different reviewers are getting results out of it as some are playing solo. £120 for 1 player.. Can't really say Move is more expensive now whichever way you swing it.

[ubiquitious]

I guess SONY's check took a week to clear

[raztad]

Or perhaps MS's bounced.

[Information Minister]

Ha ha, that made me laugh. Bubbles for both of you.

[renegade]

rolf you made my day/

[cmrbe]

MS cheque got cleared for him to say this on N4G.

[Sarcasm]

Either way gamepro won. They got a free Kinect and Sony's paycheck.

[Jeremy Gerard]

wrong

No website wins for being on the take, everyone with half a brain knows GamePro is in the bag for Sony, they pump out some of the most biased, pro Sony anti MS crap your going to find online.

As a result, tons of people like myself, refuse to even go to their site anymore, that is not a win for them; they can't survive solely off checks from Sony forever.

[Lionhead]

But you'll go to a site that is pro 360 and anti PS3?

Fail argument is fail

[Sheikh Yerbouti]

Gamepro is pro Sony?

How do you figure?

[renegade]

mr.obvious

[ksense]

MS is prolly paying you money for spitting nonsense like this...

[Dirk Benedict]

flop in the eyes of the hardcore.

[Trunkz]

Nintendo payed me to drop my pants. I'm cold :(

[Jazz4108]

Hate to agree but I subscribe to four gaming mags and gamepro I quit subscribing too one year ago because they seemed biased in the articles to favoring the ps3 and as a mag you can't show favortism and be a multi source mag. Gamepro even though I tend to favor sony is really a bad source for me bto read for unbiased revieews. Kinect does not offer me anthing as a core gamer and that's why I don't have it or the move as I feel motion cntrols really are too imature as a gamer for me to own. That said I respect there place and I look forward to seeing ms delivering to there core audience in the future but if they don't its there mistake but they just are not that stupid to forget them completley and they have stated that they have plenty planned nexy year and I know sony does so please wake up ms and stick with you bread and butter and quit dabbling in so many areas.

[TheTwelve]

I'm a shameless Sony fanboy and Ubiquitous' comment still made me laugh.

12

[strickers]

Wow.I didn't think Sony splashed the cash.Ars,engadget,Metro,IGN,T3 and now Gamepro all prefer Move.The best Kinect reviews seem to come from mainstream(ignorant)media or silly little fansites I've never heard of,or that appeared a few weeks ago.
When the dust settles,people will realise that Kinect is too limited for games and that the alternatives are superior.

[lokiroo420]

Ouch

[cmrbe]

Ouch,Ouch

[iamnsuperman]

I know at least some reviews I have seen were a least a bit nice this is just brutal.

[kneon]

And even when he said something positive it was just plain wrong

"Its tracking ability is so fine-tuned that it's able to recognize facial features and log you into XBOX Live just by looking at your face"

This has been available with webcams and built into some notebooks for a while now. It's doesn't require anything special.

[Anon1974]

"Requires too much room to maneuver; doesn't work well with simultaneous players; lag time is exceedingly disconcerting; expensive; often fails to match movements one-to-one; generally feels "unfinished.""

Triple ouch. Just add them to the growing list of professional reviewers who are underwhelmed by Kinect. The question is, will it matter to the casual's this product is targeted at?

[hikayu]

that question depend on how microsoft will advertise this.lie to customers with empty promises or go true-to-god and suffer low sale due to high price . it's a tough question for microsoft because many recent survey showed that microsoft tarnished its image with fail products such as zune , kin , and let us not forget the RROD . but at the sametime , steve ballmer is on the edge of getting his butt handed to him by the board because he wasted so much money on these failed products . kin took the last check last year of 750 mil , go figure .

[number47]

with the myth that kinect = minority report in your living room. For initial sales at least....

But Kinects problem of not working, is going to cause it to falter where the Wii succeed with word of mouth & constant entertainment, and having a Gigantic Mascot(mario) for the general audience, and with its games. Microsoft makes the mistake of looking at the end game, and not what it took to get there. They just want SALES no matter what, no matter if the product works, no matter if its faulty, Sony & Nintendo were #1, so they want to be #1 too. But they were #1 due to constant support, quality control, and a company ethic of developing fun for consumers. Kinect's 'fun' requires so many work arounds, and even then, its a webcam game that you cant play with friends.

I'd be all for this new revolutionary device that puts US in the game as the controller, playing FPS/TPS/Strategy/Party/Fitness /Controlling your interface with voice & gestures for everything, but Kinect is NOT this. So now the supporters just say "so what? its fun isn't it?!" Yet, can't see the glaring problem that its selling based off of its lie, more so than its reality. I doubt many people know it doesn't work with any other games besides the handful of Wiitoo games.

Its Microsoft doing business as usual, clearly. Its unfortunate that they use a tactic of misinformation to dupe consumers, and its even more unfortunate that there is support for this idea.

[JonnyBigBoss]

The lag and limitations are what really kill this thing. It's really a hassle to play with, and all games require you to stand in place, so what's the point of motion?

[raztad]

Physically demanding games are not meant to keep people interested for long. If Mom and Dad have to play standing, they wont be using Kinect much, and kid will want to go back to his DS/Wii.

[vhero]

Its full of issues starting with space, you can't really move from where your stood, can't be played with more than 1 player without it failing to register certain things and then you got the stupidly high price.. Marketing is the ONLY thing selling Kinect..

[renegade]

Bet they just got bored of it...

[GeoramA]

Props to Gamepro for not falling into M$'s hype.

They gave PlayStation Move a 4.5/5 for comparison.

[lucifon]

Great they gave wii motion plus a 4.5 GG

[Parapraxis]

lucifon..that's great. What's your point?

[Motion]

Probably that they're not against motion controls in general.

[Blaster_Master]

Well one this is forsure, they are producing their own sold/shipped numbers by giving away free kinects to everyone. Last night I saw a Burger King commercial saying they were giving away 1 kinect every 15 minutes. So there ya have it folks, the product sucks so bad that they pretty much have to give it away.

[maniacmayhem]

Definitely putting this on hold.

[kagon01]

A very ancient name, why did they become so underrated ?

[SunSunich]

"But the Kinect is rife with impractical design ideas, saddled with a too-high price tag, and, ultimately, fails to achieve what it's been advertised to do -- bring people together for live party gaming sessions"

[blackburn5]

A bit harsh but whatever. You just have to take the bad reviews along with the good ones.

[BeAGamer]

don't cry, its ok

[All_4_One]

I finally got a chance to play Kinect, and this is about what I would give it. I played Rafting and Dance Central and I was sick of it after about 30 minutes.

It feels like it needs more work to me. 2/5 because it`s functional and the casuals will like it, but it offers literally nothing for someone like me.

[xg-ei8ht]

boom and that's the game.

[Space_cancer]

N4G´s trademark.

[strickers]

And your contribution to the discussion???

[Space_cancer]

Since when you need contribution to the discussion in N4G?

Trying to talk common sense or have mature discussion with fanbois is a waste of time if you haven´t noticed. It´s just impossible. But reading beyond retarded comments in PS3vs360 threads is actually very entertaining. It´s like when some movie is so bad that you keep watching it just because of the humour value. And there are no shortage of talents on this site.

[Motion]

I'm going to have to agree. I never read the comments for any insight or value, purely for entertainment.

[Scotland-The-Brave]

so everyones a fanboy because they dont like kinect?

[BabyTownFrolics]

device called kinect that the wife and the kids love.

[cmrbe]

wife and the kids love

[mantisimo]

....Sorry but they aren't your wife and kids they are clones from the microsoft lab that replaced your real family.

I worked on the project and there is at least 1 in every home.

[BabyTownFrolics]

i'm right behind you.

wow.... its pretty funny actually.

admitting you enjoy kinect means you are disagreed to hell on n4g. thats the way it is I guess. I think I'll stop adding my 2 cents on this topic, its just a waste of time.

[Sarcasm]

"admitting you enjoy kinect means you are disagreed to hell on n4g"

Right, that's why you state that your wife and kids love it, not you.

Contradiction, exclusively on N4G.

[BabyTownFrolics]

now your just parsing words

if my wife and kids enjoy it of course that means i enjoy it

i dont see the contradiction you mention, just like I dont see the point to coming to this website sometimes.

it does not increase the pleasure that gaming gives me, in fact it usually just makes me wonder why folks cant just be civil and respectful when other people find pleasure and value in things you dont. I never said kinect was better than anything or that the people who dont like it suck. I just tried to be an example of a life long gamer who does find some value in kinect. I dont know why I even try, someone's just gonna shit on this anyway.

good gaming

[FLOWCity]

I love my Kinect too..And I'm a hardcore gamer.

Disagree buds

[TheTwelve]

Of course your wife and children love it --- it's aimed at that demographic.

12

[DiRtY]

the things mentioned are just not correct. It worked perfectly when I played with my girlfriend yesterday. She wanted to play with me, stood up and we were playing together. She actually was amazed (I was not I saw this before).

And the lag is soooo tiny, my girlfriend did not even noticed. I did, but I had to move fast and focus on the reaction.

I never saw the message to go back in front of the sensor or anything like that. Well I don't trust reviews at all and this one proves me right doing so.

[JonnyBigBoss]

As I posted on GamePro:

"At first inspection, the environmental requirements are crippling. Requiring such an enormous amount of space leaves many people including myself limited to only single-player with no room for error. The lack of buttons means all simple inputs need to be done with extremely animated movements, and that's where the lag comes into play. All movements are delayed by about 1/4 to 1/5 of a second, which will forever limit the library of the device. How can you play a game like Forza or Fable with Kinect when your inputs are delayed so much? That might be a reason why the Fable 3 Kinect support was scrapped.

Then you have the price. $150? That's nearly the price of a console, and looking at the current and upcoming library leaves a sour taste in the consumer's mouth.

So basically what you have is a $150 casual peripheral on a hardcore console that doesn't work with any of its core games. The experience it provides definitely has a 'wow' factor for the first few hours of gameplay, similar to what the Wii did, but once you realize you have to prepare your room just to play simple games involving punching balls and plugging leaking holes in glass, the wow factor quickly wears off.

I also gave this device a 2/5 and have a hard time recommending it to anybody. It's far too limited and expensive."

[BabyTownFrolics]

what is the problem with the wife and kids enjoying kinect?

[mantisimo]

nice stealth edit.

[BabyTownFrolics]

what did I have in comment 19 that isnt there now?

[mantisimo]

By the time I had typed a reply I had to delete it and do my own stealth edit.

[-IronMan-]

Finally a review that speaks the truth. I am subscribing to this magazine.

Good job GamePro glad u didnt accept the bribe from Microsoft.

[SunSunich]

I'm sure Microsoft now hack and slash those, who forgot to send them the 4,5/5 review :)

[Zachmo182]

I don't understand why some of you people say this is like an eyetoy. Do you guys not remember the video camera that came out like with the launch of xbox thats the microsoft version of the eyetoy.... The kinnect does a hell of a lot more then that.

[arragionthegreat]

Show me a core gaming applicability that is different, than ps2 eye-toy,.. does ir depth,..

Everything It launched with was totally ripped from ps2s eye-toy games,..
Every fucking thing,..
Even 360s menu use,..

I keep telling you guys that the basic premise of the device is gaming wise limited,.. Even if it could track your fingers at 240fps,.. It is cool and all,.. I mean has some really damn cool tech behind it,.. but for gaming purposes not so much,..

[Omega4]

There's always one lol.

[GiggMan]

who steps up and tells it like it is...

[mantisimo]

.... You certainly are "one"

[BeAGamer]

yea, omega the "special" one

[creepjack]

That's funny, for something that sucks so bad, it sure is kicking Move's butt.

[Dig_Dug]

It's fun to imagine, isn't it? I'd agree with you, but I have a thing for wanting to live in the "real world".

[Scotland-The-Brave]

in what?

[militant07]

i just got my kinect and i can easily say the accuracy is amazing and lag is very negligtable anyone says otherwise havent tried it or a fanboy!

[Dig_Dug]

If what you say is true, then you'll have no problem proving it. Feel free to post a video. I could use a good laugh. Oh by the way, if you want people to take you more seriously you may want to work on your grammar.

[militant07]

i dont have to prove it, and i dont care if you believe it or not.

+, about grammer thing. fuck english.

[XTerminator]

Poor MS spend half a billion for advertsing and didn't have that much left anymore to bribe the reviewers like always.

[Shazz]

not surprised

[ghostgaming]

As far as lag - its weird, some games is almost 1-1 with little lag, other games it is horrible.

I do agree that in Sonic for example, you really need to overexaggerate for the movement to register.

I did experience some issues with the camera not registering the users when they both in front of it, but it was rare that it happened

Bottom line, there is potential, but you can not review based off potential. Fact is I didnt buy it and would not recommend people buying it right now. I am going to wait and see how it progresses. That said, it is overhyped and overpriced. Overpriced for what it is currently offering - potentially in the future it may be worth 150, but right now its not. Even with the above issues, I would have gotten it for 100$ as the menu navigation is great and easy to use and the games (while have issues) some work pretty well and are enjoyable.

[gravemaker]

just bought it, it's good

[arragionthegreat]

Yes it is even better than ps2 eye-toy,.. and graphics are nicer to,..

[tatotiburon]

wow gamepro, you didn't get a kinect unit for review that you had to buy it? (i know that you probably had a hard to find a unit in retails) so your angry and want to bash it? lol fail review

[krisprolls]

Or Kinect just sucks.

[TimeSkipLuffy]

I think reviewers should buy there stuff. If you get free stuff a lot some companies might expect something positive from your review or they stop giving you some benefit next time...

And I don't care about Kinect or Move reviews. I order it online here in Germany. If I don't like it, I just send it back and get full refund :)

[Esena]

Sony paid them off. Every other place has reviewed Kinect around the 8s, they had to pay them off!

[acere]

You are correct. As a gaming device it is a total fail...The games have been made and played before and the best game for the thing is Dance Central...Casuals aren't that dumb

I played the original version of this game just now. A song came on the radio while I was getting something to eat and I was like "this is fun" and started dancing a bit. The graphics were much better than the 360 version and it had less loading times. It also cost £0.

I'd recommend it instead of buying this, I think it's called "Dancing in Real Life".

[John Kratos]

Wow that must be Sony's money talking to Gamepro. /s

[BeaArthur]

Fanboys are so stupid. All the MS fanboys are talking sh!t about GamePro and all the Sony fanboys are acting like they are the only legit site. Motion controls are a gimmick made for soccer moms and little kids.

[arragionthegreat]

until you play resi4 on the Wii,..

It is that much better,..plays better, feels better, adds to the gameplay,..
It is better than PC, Ps2 and even GC version,.. And I have them all because I love that game so much,. Same goes for Resi5 on the move,..

[BeaArthur]

I've played shooters and 3rd person action games on the Wii and I'm sure RE4 works just fine but I still don't care. You may feel like it feels and plays better but I say that a controller feels better. Just because it's smooth gameplay doesn't mean it's not a gimmick. As I said below, they don't do anything to make the experience better, you may prefer that control scheme but it's just a matter of preference, not improvement.

[Tito08]

Because Kinect is all a hype and useless device!!!!

[BeaArthur]

I would say the same about the Move and the Wii, if the Kinect is a useless device so are they. Motion controllers are pointless gimmick that offer a different way to play instead of enhancing the experience.

[Tito08]

I don't support Motion controllers anyways!!!!

[PR_FROM_OHIO]

OUCH!!!! LOL

[nightfallfilms]

More like Game Pro is full of it.
"It constantly loses track of players, interrupting the action and incessantly prompting you to return to sensor range when you're both standing smack in front of the sensor."
My 9 year old bought Kinect and we have never experienced this as long as you stay in the cameras field of view. Yes if you move way to the side it will tell you to move back. SO either GamePro is full of it, or they didn't calibrate the camera correctly.

[shadyiswin]

why are being saying kinect is a lie? the first video of kinect was a vision a prototype if you will,things get cut its normal they did fulfill all promises on everything mentioned at e3,and some other things havent been ruled out yet like object scanning so relax. most are complaining about false promises and never planned on getting one,simple looking to bash,the kinect works great,worked fine in 2 player mode,yes it warns you your leaving the playing area but gives 5 seconds to move over which is great,if u ever watch someone play and get out the zone its more apparent watching then playing that your moving out the play zone,kinect works fine,i would say text it in the store but im sure they dont calibrate it often like they should.

[Donnyskillz]

gamepro...is the most bogus ass site/magazine on the market...anything to do with microsoft they hate. thats why i stop buying that crappy ass mag long ago...EGM and Gamefan should have stayed around.....gamepro should have been taken off the market years ago.....lmaoooooooooo

[nix]

gamepro.com/games/xbox360/1599 48/halo-reach/

go figure!

[Masterchef2007]

wow i didnt know it had problems with 2 players at once i thought they resolved the issue a long time ago. Well kinect isnt a 4 player party device thats for sure

[lukewind]

I see a lot of sad people at this website. Here are the real FACTS!!!!

1. Kinect Works - Every motion gaming device has limitations, but Kinect works great, should get even better over time...FACT!!!!!!

2. It has Good Launch Games - At least 4 launch games have good review scores across the board, better then the Move or even 360 launch itself.

3. Yes it has issues - You need some space, if you don't have it that sucks, but it already has the widest angle camera available. Given that you can still play most games within 5 feet of the camera.

4. Sony Fanboys can't stand it - Yes we get it Sonybots, you hate Kinect, even though you never used it, you hate it. The Kinect is gonna sell like hotcakes this Xmas and it makes you Sony boys so upset. BOOO FREAKING HOOOO! If you guys are so happy with PS Move then why do you spend so much time complaining about the competition.

I bought the move and Kinect, and I also have a Wii. I can tell you that they all offer a different experience. The move and the Wii are very similar, maybe the reason that the Move is not selling well. it offers nothing new, yet!

Stop being such retarded douchebags!!!!!

[Masterchef2007]

no need to get all overemotional over a camera. I mean if you have fun with it thats fine. But it is not for everyone. Jeez no need to get worked up

[N4WAH]

Told me I should grow up.
Wow. Luke it's guys like you as to why I deleted my old account (nearly 4 years old) and made this one. This truly is New 4 whiners, apologist and hypocrites. There are some mature gamers here for the right reasons and then there are members like yourself.

[jneul]

yeah and kinect is just like eyetoy, you see the problem now???

all devices have promise... it's just kinect promised too much and does not fulfil it's p[promises it made over a year ago

[GoldPS3]

I agree with this review. Kinect is not ready like the guy says.

[rlm42]

Kinect will never be ready for you because you're an ignorant Sony Fanboy. So stfu and stop hating.

[IQUITN4G]

In this case reviews from media don't matter any.Played some stuff last night and came away convinced this wont have a hard time selling

Dance Central is an absolute blast and frankly a system seller and i don't dance any.Such a fun game and an excellent work out.The other games have their moments too

Kids especially will lap it up as it's just plain out fun and very simple to set up.Great screen prompts too if you do venture out of zone.MS certainly have made it user friendly and done their homework

And much more responsive than i assumed.Yup this will do very well despite the cries of meh or how apparantly casual it is- frantically dashing, jumping and ducking about incoming obstacles is far from boring and not in any way casual as far as i think.The games are though more laid back approachable types but that's what should be expected at launch for a new device of this type.It's really so users get an understanding for this type of thing rather than being just thrown in there.That said, it doesn't mean you can't perform more skillfully at the game than the last person and that's really what hardcore is about.And of course there will be people entirely new to games that will a develop a hardcore skillset and kick your arse- then what do you say

[thrust]

hmmmm i will bet it did not even give this bit of a tech a chance to calibrate or even do it themselfs! anyone with half a brain know that tech lick this needs it like everythin even tvs need it now!

stupid thick people! i have kinect and i have taken about 20mins setting up right and can/will prove to any person that this bit of kit is very good i mean it is mind blowing.

the people who not got this working are the people who have there tvs on stanard!FACT!

[bviperz]

My problem is it only does little of what it was being hyped to do and cost twice as much as it should, regardless of who it was intended for. Kinect is the hardware version of Vista.

[Reckless718]

if sony pays gamepro then ms owns g4tv. just saying

[Tron_Rocks]

I own a Kinect and Kinect Adventures, Kinect Sports.
Both play and respond great. No this is not the greatest thing ever but it is a whole new way to experience gaming and other things the Xbox has to offer. I am sure that in time it will get better, I also plan on getting the PS Move as finally there is a WII-HD that is worth having.

All I can say is Kinect works and works well. You do need at least 8ft (our kinect is 3ft off of the ground) and plenty of room for 2 players.

[Biggest]

Hmmm. . . Is it newer than Eye Toy? A lot of the games seem extremely similar (aka: Exactly the same).

[prettyboy1]

finally sum truth

[g-nome]

Kinect seems like a great device to get wives , girlfriends and children enjoy video games without the complexities of traditional controller. Let it be what it is , a way for families and friends to have fun together.
It is not meant for serious competitive gaming.
I would love to get it for my daughter but already own the ps3 with move and the wife will divorce we if I bring home another console.

[jneul]

finally a review that is actually honest

[captainjy]

Here's the funny thing, reviews and results are two completely different things. And the results that I see are this:

Kinect is selling very well
Move is not even being talked about except for maybe on N4G
Halo Reach sold very well
Fable III sold very well
360 is selling very well
Holiday season for Wii: strong like always
Holiday season for PS3: tepid
Holiday season for Xbox: amazing

[gamer7804]

first review in a while where I categorically disagreed with in all but one area. It does take alot of space. Its a shame gamepro had such a hard time figuring out how to setup the system,\ and to get it working with 2 people. Took me all of 10 minutes to get setup and playing 2 player with my wife and a friend. Lag was also not a problem for any of us, in fact it seemed snappier than the psmove, about the same as the wii.

[BLAKHOODe]

Odd I'm not experiencing anything the reviewer experienced. My lag times have been pratically non-existant and my wife and I, in our small, cramped living room have had no problem enjoying multiplayer games, like Kinect Adventures together. How big is the reviewer if he's requiring so much of the player space that another person can't fit into it?

But what really bothers me about all the reviews I've read about Kinect is all these game reviews suddenly making themselves out to be hardware experts. They're not. Quit pretending. On top of that, that rate the device on what they think it SHOULD be able to do, now what it can do. That's like saying I think a can of beans should be able to babysit my kid. I guess on a scale from 1 to 5, I'd give that a 2, too. What? I'll give it a point for just being there. (Then again, it's not like it can roll away.)

When game reviewers rate games, it's pretty simple - they rate the game on it's appearance, it's ease of navigation, controls, sounds, and enjoyment. Why don't stick to the format they think they're best at and rate this kind of hardware in that way?

[captainjy]

What really cracks me up is that your post has a Disagree on it that, I am pretty sure, is from someone who doesn't even own Kinect and most likely owns a PS3.

[SyphonFilter]

flop confirmed once again. even the giant bomb crew which are a bunch of fanboys said you should pass on it.

[captainjy]

No, the problem is N4G is pro Sony. Reviews on Kinect have been stellar everywhere and it's selling out. I'm not really sure how much money GamePro got for that review, but it's the most inaccurate review I have ever read. We had 30 people over this weekend for a party and it was the life of the party. Everyone was completely amazed on how accurate and how little lag there was. There's so little lag that it doesn't dampen the experience at all. The author is clearly reaching when he says that Kinect is not ready for prime time and complains about lag and accuracy. In fact, Kinect surprised just how accurate it really was.

This review is very suspect, but even more so the real lie here.

[saint_john_paul_ii]

I stopped reading your comment right there. 3 years ago, this was a Pro 360 site. it was bombarded with "PS3 iz teh Doomedzz" articles, and 75% of the commentors here where trash talking the PS3 as if it was a crappy $600 paperweight that has "no Games". Now these commentors are either regreting what they said and are singing a new Tune after they witnessed all the changes Sony went with the PS3 and how it was Bombarded with Games. Some left the website with embarrassment of what they said before.

as for Kinect reviews, where are the stellar Reviews you talk about? every game-related website has given it mediocre to average reviews so far. the only places where kinect has been given "stellar" reviews are non-related game websites, like US News, La times, New York Times, and thats because these people dont play games, the demographic that Microsoft is trying to grab with the Kinect.

[Psychotica]

Now Kinect has been hacked to work with PC's

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TEC...

[Sylmaron]

Probably another case of too little too soon.