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Xbox Kinect is a hot holiday gift; new games also aim at Wii and PS3 players
One of this month's hot presents isn't spelled the way teachers approve -- but Microsoft's Kinect videogame controller is about motion-sensing, not spelling tests. It eliminates buttons and any hand-held device because your body becomes the controller as you jump, punch, spike and dance your way across a wide-ranging group of games. Kinect is sold alone for those with an Xbox 360 and is packaged with new systems, which business-watchers say are moving faster this holiday season than the Nintendo Wii or Sony PS3 with a new cordless Move handset. The futuristic Kinect uses an infrared emitter and camera to track gamers' movements, and Microsoft says it expects to sell 5 million worldwide by Christmas. Among popular all-ages games for the new entry are "Dance Central" (bust a move), "Kinectimals" (pet a wild cat) and "Kinect Sports (six competitive activities).
This roundup focus on electronic games because they're played in two-thirds of American households, according to the Entertainment Software Association. So stores also display new releases for users with Nintendo or Sony setups. "Gran Turismo 5" for PS3 is a hyper-realistic auto racing game that has taken nearly five years to finish. "TV Superstars" for PS3 with Move is a party game that lets players compete in a cooking, fashion or home improvement reality show. Game consoles and media aren't the only gifts that'll be used all year. Related necessities include charging stations, a handy way to power up controllers and a tidy place to store them. Choices are the Xbox 360 Quick Charge Kit from Microsoft, the PlayStation Move Charge Station Quad from Nyko and the Wii Energizer Flat Panel.
Front Page Talking Points is written by
Alan Stamm for NIEonline.com, Copyright 2013
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Blogger says: "Kinect is a whole new experience. . . . Having Kinect hooked up means you can control some of your Xbox 360's functions with voice commands and gestures. It's cool to play." -- Eric Wittmershaus, The Press Democrat in Santa Rose, Calif.