Microsoft isn't straying from the packaging aesthetic it uses for Xbox 360, with arguably the biggest differentiator being a slit in the cardboard for Kinect Adventures to go (the retail package is covered by another thin layer of cardboard and ads that keep the game in place). Opening the top flap reveals a very purple interior, Kinect's color choice (as further demonstrated by the DVD cases for all motion titles). Behind the sensor itself, there are a handful of pamphlets, a USB extension cable, and an AC adapter for using Kinect with older Xbox 360 models (more on that later).
We can't help but quote our Google TV review here: "It's always hard to review version 1.0 of a platform -- it's tempting to give concept and potential nearly as much weight as execution." The Kinect as hardware is great, but there's plenty of room for software engineers and UI designers to improve. And speaking of room, if you're worried about cramped space, you might want to get a measuring tape before shelling out $149. Former Microsoft exec Robbie Bach called the Kinect a "midlife kicker" for Xbox 360, so you can bet the company will continue to pool resources into improving the experience for a good while (and hopefully the Dashboard is pretty high on that list of to-do's).
The comparison everyone wants to make -- including Microsoft and Sony themselves -- is how Kinect stacks up against the Move. By the numbers, picking up Move starter bundle and an extra controller is the same price, and in that setup you also get a two-player experience. Move's Sports Champions is arguably a stronger bundled title compared to Kinect Adventures. But really, we feel like both systems -- along with Nintendo and the Wii -- are just taking a different approach to the same issue. Where does interaction go next? How do you bring it to the living room? Back to the Kinect, though: we think there's some fighting spirit inside that glossy shell, but it's definitely got a lot of growing up to do first.
The Kinect sensor itself is very glossy, on par with the new Xbox 360 look -- which means dust and fingerprints will settle in on the surface just nicely. The motorized stand tilts the sensor vertically for calibration, and to us felt mighty sturdy. Looking at the front, you'll see a green LED light when powered on, and three cameras. The one in the middle is the "RGB camera," as Microsoft prefers to call it -- as earlier listings have indicated, it's likely 640 x 480, 32-bit color at 30fps. The outer pair are the depth sensors, which according to Microsoft "combine an infrared projector to allow Kinect to see the room in 3D under many lighting conditions." (We were told that darker rooms would work better, and in near pitch-black testings, tracking did improve, at the cost of the RGB camera seeing virtually nothing. There's a common ground.) A quartet of microphones are used to detect what's being said and approximately from where in the room.
If you own a new Xbox 360, all you need to do is plug in via the dedicated Kinect port in the back, just above the ethernet cable. For older models, the AC adapter provides power while also extended a USB input for plugging in via the back port. For those with a WiFi dongle, Microsoft's suggesting you use that packaged USB extender and plug your wireless connection into one of the front two ports.
As you'll be reminded at least once every game, Kinect recommends (and at times requires) that you be six to eight feet away from the sensor while in play, with no coffee table or ottoman in your way. This isn't exactly the easiest setup to obtain, especially in apartments and dormitories. We set up the Kinect in multiple locations, and none of them were quite right -- we moved couches, twisted the TV diagonally, even pushed back the sensor a few inches to maximize as much space as possible. Point is, the six feet isn't just a recommendation, it's pretty much a requirement.
Whenever you turn on the Xbox 360, Kinect will do what it can to detect human life, and in doing so will use its motorized vertical tilt to get said individuals into the frame as much as possible. If it's the first time using the device, you'll be prompted to calibrate the audio. It takes several minutes, but you'll definitely want to endure -- in essence, it's learning what audio will be ambient / coming from the television (and therefore can be ignored) versus your own vocal cord vibrations. It's how you'd be able to, theoretically, watch a video of someone sternly screaming "Xbox" and the Kinect sensor never mistaking it for a voice command.
