XBox Kinect Builds Off of The Wii

Last year, when an in-development, motion-sensing Xbox 360 device was first presented by Microsoft in an initial preview, many people sensed that the Wii would soon be facing some tough competition when it came to motion-sensing action games. The Wii has, however, benefited from a head start in the field yet the Xbox 360 Kinect will offer some definite advantages.

While Wii motion-sensing devices have been available for purchase for a long time, the quality of Wii games is a factor to take into consideration. The Wii is just unable to compete with the graphic processing power of the Xbox 360. The Wii has never claimed to be able to compete, however. The success of the Wii is thanks to its ability to appeal to casual gamers. Furthermore, it creates excellent “party games”.

For Microsoft, this is an unfamiliar situation. The Xbox 360 games console features a wide range of outstanding games. However, the majority of these games are aimed specifically at twitch gamers, role-play game enthusiasts and more traditional video gamers. The Xbox Kinect aims to bring a brand new audience to the Xbox world. Microsoft has not been shy about imitating the Wii console in this regard. It has also removed the requirement for extra accessories such as the Wii Fit through offering a product of greater inclusivity. A brief look at a few Kinect games in production show that they build off the great success of the Wii.

The Wii Fit has been nearly cloned by the Kinect 360 Fitness Evolved game. And in contrast to the Wii, there is no requirement for additional peripherals in order to begin burning calories. Third parties companies have also began manufacturing Kinect versions of Wii classics such as the Biggest Loser and Zumba Fitness. Kinect Joy Ride is clearly meant to be an Xbox 360 clone of Mario Kart for the Wii as it not only offers similar game play but has similar features too. Even games for the Nintendo DS such as Nintendogs have an equivalent for the Xbox Kinect. It is called Kinectimals and allows gamers to look after a virtual animal.

Nintendo has never failed to be an innovator and has always brought fresh ideas to the gaming market. Sometimes they find success, other times they do not. However, in the last few years, the quality of both the graphics and processing power has lagged behind their rivals. Nintendo may have been the innovators of motion-sensor gaming but Microsoft looks set to steal the thunder. Getting onto the market before everyone else certainly holds its own advantages. However, the Wii game collection is also packed with dud games that people are not interested in playing. The amount of success Kinect achieves will depend on Kinect games\’ quality.

The Kinect benefited from a full preview at the prestigious E3 convention and it will be released this coming November. On the face of it, Microsoft looks to have covered all its bases. However, will the flashier graphics on top of similar gaming concepts prove to be enough to lure people away from the Wii and into the world of Kinect? Microsoft is certainly hoping so.