Sunday, January 29, 2012

Microsoft Xbox Kinect - Compatibility and Games

The Xbox Kinect allows a revolutionary wire-free game-play experience. Designed to compete with the Sony PlayStation Move and Nintendo's established Wii games console, we take a look at the origins of the Kinect system and review compatibility with older Xbox 360 consoles. We also review the best new games and look at the Kinect launch titles.
Origins of Microsoft's Kinect
Kinect was announced by Microsoft at the E3 technology show on 1 June 2009. At the presentation three demos were shown to showcase the system, these being Ricochet, Paint Party and Milo & Kate. A demo-only version of Burnout Paradise was also shown at he show.
Project Natal formally became Kinect at the 2010 E3 show where the redesigned Xbox 360 was also announced. This new version of the console has the additional Aux port to combine the USB data and power supplies required by the Kinect.
Kinect Compatibility
Microsoft has confirmed that the Kinect system will be fully compatible with all versions of the Xbox 360 console sold since its original release. It would appear that the new motion control system will considerably extend the product life of the Xbox 360 system. Combined with the recent refresh of the product line, the console should not see a replacement until around 2015.