kinect
I would love to hear from someone who has bought a Kinect.
Does it really work?
Is it buggy? Does it require a specific rug or background? Can kids and adults play it?
What are the ins and outs really? I have seen all the Microsoft Videos, but I would like to hear from someone who is not a MS person if it really works.
Yes, the Kinect will work with every Xbox 360, old or new.
Check the main page:
http://www.xbox.com/en-us/kinect
You are the controller
Kinect brings games and entertainment to life in extraordinary new ways – no controller required. Easy to use and instantly fun, Kinect (formerly known as “Project Natal”) gets everyone off the couch. Want to join a friend in the fun? Simply jump in. And the best part is Kinect works with every Xbox 360®*
...
*Kinect coming November 2010.
Since the Kinect is an totally new concept, old games will not support the Kinect out-of-the-box.
However, the publishers have always had the option to ship updates to games (via an Xbox Live update), and it is completely feasible for developers to retrofit their games with support.
Kinect is based on the hardware, and possibly software, of PrimeSense. They use a flashing IR light-source and a filtered camera to measure time-in-flight and compute a depth map from that. Presumably, objects that are near-field and/or moving are detected as people, while static and far-away stuff is treated as background.
In contrast, the Wiimote has an IR camera and accelerometers built into it. The sensor bar that you put on/near your TV contains a pair of IR LEDs. The hardware in the Wiimote tracks those LEDs and determines which way it's pointing based on their position.
Best Answer
I bought a Kinect, and overall I'd say that yes, it does work.
However, it has some (potentially) strict requirements in order for it to work optimally. You need to stand at least 6 feet away from the sensor, ideally more like 8-10 feet. For two players, 8 feet is the minimum. If you are too close to it, it doesn't work really well at all. Some games might need more room than others, though (I've heard that Your Shape wants you to stand at least 8 feet back, with room behind you in addition, but I haven't played it yet).
The movement in-game does mimic your movements, but there is a very slight lag, and it doesn't always get what you're doing correctly (although it is right most of the time).
Overall, I'm happy with my purchase. I did have to rearrange my gaming setup for it a bit so that I had more room to maneuver, but when set up properly it works really well. If you don't have room for it (or can't make room), then I'd suggest holding off on it. the Kinect Support site has some information on how to set it up, so that might help you determine if it would work for you or not.