Kinect, Kinect, Kinect!

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After three days of wandering the show floor at the Electronics Entertainment Expo, there’s one thing I can say with absolute certainty: this is going to be a good year for Kinect. Developers and publishers were out in force, showing off everything they had to offer for 2011 and 2012.

While some big-name games stole the show, there’s no doubt that Microsoft left with a smile on their face after seeing how many developers are planning on supporting Kinect in 2011. With Doublefine’s Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster, Dance Central 2, Kinect Disney Land Adventures, and a boatload of other titles turning you into the controller, Kinect fans are finally going to be getting the games they want. It looks like everyone is finally figuring out the best ways to use the innovative camera, and although it’s still unproven when it comes to shooting or adventure games, there seems to be nothing better for fun family titles.

One of the coolest Kinect games I saw was Kinect Sports Season 2. I only had a few minutes to play it, but it totally blew me away. As a football fan I naturally wanted to jump onto the field, and before long I was having a blast tossing around the virtual pigskin. As the quarterback, I got to pick the plays, and then crouch down and jump up to hike the ball. The wide receivers scrambled around as I surveyed the field, looking for an open man. When I found him there was no button to push, no direction to hit, all I needed to do was naturally throw it. It’s that simple!

Speaking of which, I also checked out a sweet new peripheral by Nyko for the Kinect. Some people, including myself, just don’t have the necessary space for Kinect. It requires about 6’ - 7’ of between the player and the camera — which is just a foot or so too far for my living room. However, with their Nyko Zoom attachment, they say you can be up to 40% closer and still play. Sure, you still can’t be a foot from your TV, but for people like me, who are just under the limit, it’s going to be a great device. In fact, I’m looking into getting it to test so I can give you all a full rundown later!

I hope it works for me, because with games like Star Wars Kinect coming out, I’m going to need to find some way to get sucked into games. If you have any other Kinect questions for me feel free to ask away! Thanks again, and expect more E3 goodness coming next week.