Microsoft’s booth at E3 this year had the Kinect at the center stage, surrounding the Xbox booth on all sides with glass “bubbles” in which people tried the new hardware out. After waiting in line for well over an hour, I finally got some time with Microsoft’s latest motion “controller” with three other individuals. The excitement could be felt right outside while we waited our turn in line as we were asked which of the four games we would like to play.

One of the guys in our group really wanted to try Kinectimals and we happily obliged as it’s the “underdog” of the titles available. The other three titles includes: Kinect Sports, Adventures, and Joy Ride. We were lucky enough to be able to play three of the four games with an extended demo time of nearly 20 minutes (was supposed to be 10 minutes). You can read about our initial troubles and eventual success after the break.

Kinectimals

Right as we got into the demo area we were pumped to play with Microsoft’s latest creation, a few of us already questioning how well the device performs. We immediately jumped into Kinectimals which one of our group members was anxious to play. Right from the get-go you are asked to select an animal and then give it a name.

To have the animal, a tiger in our case, learn a name you would have to say it several times for the camera to recognize using its built-in microphone. The name our guy wanted to go with was “Whiskers” but the system was having a hard time recognizing it and after several tries we switched to “Skittles” and the name was recognized within a few seconds.
The demo itself played like a giant game of Nintendogs in which you could pet your animal or even start to teach him new tricks. One of the tricks was a simple jumping trick. Using the motion sensor the game would recognize when you jump off the ground which resulted in our pet tiger trying to replicate our trick. He failed the first few times, falling straight on his face at one point. However after a few more tries he conquered it.

Supposedly you would also be able to say “jump” after the trick is learned and he would perform it, but our tiger wasn’t feeling very cooperative. Then another one of our group members wanted to try it out and the Microsoft representative suggested playing dead. So, while in a glass booth, exposed to the show floor, the Microsoft Corporation employee (around my age) fell straight to the floor and put up his feet and arms. After flailing around for a bit and trying to find the “sweet” spot for the sensor the tiger finally replicated the trick.

It was a funny sight and something I never expected to see at such a public venue. For a game like Kinectimals, precision is not required so we had no issues with the motion controlling aspect of the game. However we did have some difficulty with the microphone picking up our words, something that probably had to do with the loud E3 show floor.

Adventures

The second game that we played, and the first one I got some “hands-on” time with was Kinect Adventures. The demo was showcasing two different games, a river-rafting game and a moving obstacle course.

Both games featured simple motion-based controls. To control the raft you would simply move your upper body in the direction that you wanted to go and jump in the air when you wanted the raft in the game to jump as well. The controls were extremely simple and we had no difficulty navigating the raft through various gates. However we did fall short several times on our jumps, hitting various walls and falling to a lower level.

The game also takes advantage of Kinect’s technology by taking pictures at various points within the level. Most of these points were at jump points, hoping to catch a picture of you while you are in the air. It was a great concept; however it was just a reminder for me of how funny, or stupid, I looked playing the game.

At the end of the level I was begging for more, but my turn was up. I stepped out of the camera’s focus and allowed the others the opportunity to play the next level, the obstacle course. The obstacle course required you to move your body side-to-side, up-and-down all while trying to avoid various obstacles and collect coins to improve your score.

From what I could see the game delivered, mimicking the player’s movements and body positions in-game properly. The game was focused on a competitive aspect with the player collecting the most coins and points would win at the end of the 3-tiered course.

While I didn’t play this particular game mode, it seemed that the two guys were having a lot of fun doing so. We all had a great time playing the games from Adventures and it’s looking like it may be the Wii Sports-like title for the Xbox 360 and Kinect.

Joy Ride

I’ll cut straight to the chase: Joy Ride, as a racing game, doesn’t work out so well as a Kinect title. However, the second game mode that we played was the stunt mode which involved less precision and more fun. You were thrown into a huge half pipe which you would have to ride in to get air, do stunts, collect points and dodge mines.

The controls were simple: use your hands as a sterring wheel, push forward for a boost at the bottom of the pipe, and while in the air perform stunts using body movements. If you leaned to the right or left you would do a simple maneuver. If you twisted all the way the car would rotate in the air. If you were feeling daring however you could lean forward or backward to do a front or back flip.

This was the most fun for me as I tried to beat my opponent who was ahead of me the entire game. I somehow managed to come out on the top however with about 900,000 points to his 400,000 points. At the end he looked over at my score and said “Whoa, how’d you get that high?” My answer: “No clue”.

It was a great game with simple controls and all I wanted was more of it. Sadly our demo time ended and we had to leave the booth. If I had the opportunity I would’ve returned the next day and waited in line again just to play another time.

What wasn’t working so well?

Our initial impressions of Kinect were far from positive. The first game we launched we had trouble with the sensor picking up the player’s hand which was used to move a zipper across the screen to start the game. We kept trying and trying with no success. Finally the Microsoft representative stepped in and re-calibrated it by putting her hand over the sensor for a few seconds.

With the sensor calibrated however we were still experiencing the issue. Then the guy who was trying it out at the time switched to his left hand and the game recognized it immediately. It was a weird revelation, but apparently Kinect dislikes people who are right handed… (sarcasm)

The next issue we ran into was the Kinect’s microphone picking up our voice. When we wanted to name the pet tiger Whiskers, the game recognized it once but other attempts and shouting matches resulted in the game telling us that we need to speak louder. However, when we switched to another name, Skittles, the sensor and game had no trouble recognizing the name.

The last issue was when I jumped in to try out the river rafting game. Both of the previous players jumped out and I and another guy jumped in. The game didn’t recognize me when I jumped in; probably a result of the tight booth and the proximity I was to other people.  However, restarting the game fixed the issue and I was right off on the water.

What Kinect is and isn’t.

Kinect is not a precision gaming controller. You will not find yourself playing “hardcore” games with it or any other games that require precision, accuracy, or those that have a lot of actions. There is some delay with the sensor; however that’s to be expected. Many will complain about the delay, however it is very, very small and is not game-breaking. You don’t even notice it while in game. When you move to the left, you’ll see your avatar move to the left a split second later. It’s only when you play a game that projects your body onto the screen that you notice any delay (Your Fitness for example).

With the current game offering, it’s not for those who want to sit down either. All of the games demoed required standing room and a lot of body movement. The river rafting and stunt riding games played extremely well with the sensor with no obvious lag

However, the Kinect works very well with the “casual” crowd who just want to get up, have some fun, and maybe even laughed at a bit. I’m not much of a casual gamer; however I came out of the demo booth wanting more, a lot more.

So, what’s the verdict?

It works. I want more. It’s a new experience that’s separate from the simple motions of the Nintendo Wii or Playstation Move. If at the right price this would be a day one purchase for me; however with the rumors of a $150 price tag it may be a while before I pick one up.

Follow this author on Twitter.