The Kinect was released for the Xbox 360 console a couple of months back in Nov 2010. While Mircosoft had promised a "controller-free gaming and entertainment experience", I was sceptical that it would appeal to a hardcore gamer like myself that had graduated from playing Super Mario Bros using traditional controllers since the good old days of Nintendo's Famicom console. Nonetheless I took up the offer of taking it for a spin over at Shawn's swanky new apartment.

While setting up, I was rather impressed that you could actually utilise the Kinect to navigate the menu using simple hand gestures. It felt pretty close to how Tom Cruise did in his movie "Minority Report". I was thinking to myself that it would be really cool if the same technology was applied to our PCs. For players that already configured their Kinect profile, all you had to do was to stand in front of the Kinect sensor, and it would be able to recognise you and automatically sign you into your profile

We tried out the game "Dance Central" that was developed by Harmonix, creators of the Guitar Hero and Rock Band franchises. After loading your favourite song, you are required to follow the dance routine using the on-screen dancer and a series of flashcards that prompt you on the next move. For someone that is uncomfortable with any forms of strenuous exercise (including dancing), I was convinced that the game takes some practicing as I was constantly confused as to which foot I was supposed to step out with first. Thankfully the game didn't require me to perform any back flips or handstands. Nonetheless, I think everyone enjoyed the game thoroughly and "Dance Central" makes a great party game once everyone has a couple of drinks and stops worrying about how goofy they look dancing. Our dear Miyake-san was standing on the side capturing the rest dancing on her camera and I wonder if she would start auctioning those unglamorous photos/videos on eBay. (^^;;

The Kinect's controller free concept proved to be a refreshing eye-opening experience for me. Nonetheless, because of the absence of a controller, I felt that the Kinect sensor had a larger margin for error where some of the body movements were not accurately captured. However, since Microsoft was targeting a different group of audience, you probably wouldn't require the same kind of precision of the traditional controller, where you would probably be staring down the iron sight of a first person shooter such as Call of Duty: Black Ops.

One of the restrictions that I found slightly irritating was that the Kinect requires a lot of empty space for you to play (recommended distance of six to eight feet), hence you probably could only enjoy the Kinect in your living room. During the game, we were reminded a couple of times to move further back from the sensor. If you are looking to play any Kinect game in your tiny school dormitory, be prepared to sell away some of your large furniture pieces to make room. As for myself, I see myself still sticking to Monster Hunting on my PSP for the next few couple of weeks to come.