I would if this would improve the god awful PC Skyrim UI...

mauricecano: Combine that issue with the fact pc gamers want quick response time. They are not interested in the magic of moving the character. They are interested in their raid time (mmo) KDR (shooter) or crushing their enemy (strat).

Right idea, wrong stats. Response time/latency and accuracy would be the right stats, nothing yet mass produced beats a mouse and keyboard for input response times and accuracy. Those things lend themselves to victory, but they're necessary for enjoyment really.

RexTalionis: I don't see the as much a point for Kinect for Windows as for consoles. PC users sit closer to the screen, and there's much less need (or space) for broad hand gestures. The only use I'm envisioning for this is a webcam that can generate 3D images on the receiving end for video conferencing.

It would be nice to be able to work on my signing without having to find an actual deaf person, and occasionally i might use the computer as a bedroom tv and find a de facto remote useful. Is it worth a couple hundred bucks for those two things and the crazy webcam shiat? Ehhhhhhh maybe. Probably not.

Since Microsoft bought Skype, I imagine this is mostly going to a video conferencing tool that will be dumb as a rock user friendly once it's integrated into Windows.

I see the problem here being distance. The Kinect has a pretty obnoxious minimum operating distance. The rangefinder seems pretty useless on anything closer than 3.' I guess you could run a larger TV and Kinect off a PC, but that doesn't seem like an ideal application either.

Personally I'm looking forward to all the random non-game concepts people come up with once it has more official driver support. Maybe something like having it scold at you for slouching at your desk, etc.

Can anyone recommend anything good for Kinect, not dancing related? Got one for Xmas but no games have piqued my interest really. Anyone have any experience with the Sports titles? Or any other recommendation.

mauricecano: The Kinect doesn't lend well to any of the main types of gamers out there. Novelty, yes; practical, no.

How many times have you been playing a game, got in to the zone, then started reacting to what was happening on screen (twitching/dodging) or moving your head whilst trying to look around (leaning/panning around) or you're just plain out of macro hot key binding combo's (raiding, MMO's in general)?

I'm betting a lot. If it's done right and developers integrate it well in to their games it could add a lot of immersion to a lot of genres.

Look at Windows 8, WP 8, Kinect integration, cloud services, etc etc etc - and tell me that Microsoft isn't about to pull some slick shiat reaaaal soon.

Meh. I've got a decent LED monitor, ergonomic keyboard, good quality 2.1 speakers, and a trackball mouse.

I understand MS's need to keep selling gadgets in order to stay in business, but I just don't need anything else right now to enjoy my pc. Especially not some handheld thing that makes me wave my hands in the air like an idiot just to open my e-mail.

How many times have you been playing a game, got in to the zone, then started reacting to what was happening on screen (twitching/dodging) or moving your head whilst trying to look around (leaning/panning around) or you're just plain out of macro hot key binding combo's (raiding, MMO's in general)?

never. turn based strategy-explore, expand, exploit, exterminate, and the occasional adventure/puzzle game or light driving or flight sim. maybe a mmorpg too but i was never in the WoW zone so much i was ducking and weaving while fighting a murloc

RexTalionis: I don't see the as much a point for Kinect for Windows as for consoles. PC users sit closer to the screen, and there's much less need (or space) for broad hand gestures. The only use I'm envisioning for this is a webcam that can generate 3D images on the receiving end for video conferencing.

Some of us have movie screens/ projectors for gaming. This can add even more fun to parties.

LasersHurt: Look at Windows 8, WP 8, Kinect integration, cloud services, etc etc etc - and tell me that Microsoft isn't about to pull some slick shiat reaaaal soon.

Good sir, I direct you to Microsoft's track record of deftly snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. They could be about to pull some industry grade levels of win that would have even me cheering for them. It is more likely to be a bag of nails... or cancelled at the last second.

Or released 3 years after it's competitor.

starlost: How many times have you been playing a game, got in to the zone, then started reacting to what was happening on screen (twitching/dodging) or moving your head whilst trying to look around (leaning/panning around) or you're just plain out of macro hot key binding combo's (raiding, MMO's in general)?

never. turn based strategy-explore, expand, exploit, exterminate, and the occasional adventure/puzzle game or light driving or flight sim. maybe a mmorpg too but i was never in the WoW zone so much i was ducking and weaving while fighting a murloc

Yah but this Kinect would let Sots2 know that you just face-palmed over yet another game-stopping bug you'd just run into.

sarah_t_s: LasersHurt: Look at Windows 8, WP 8, Kinect integration, cloud services, etc etc etc - and tell me that Microsoft isn't about to pull some slick shiat reaaaal soon.

Good sir, I direct you to Microsoft's track record of deftly snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. They could be about to pull some industry grade levels of win that would have even me cheering for them. It is more likely to be a bag of nails... or cancelled at the last second.

Or released 3 years after it's competitor.

I guess we'll have to wait and see. It all looks great on paper; it's just up to them to deliver.

Old enough to know better: Meh. I've got a decent LED monitor, ergonomic keyboard, good quality 2.1 speakers, and a trackball mouse.

I understand MS's need to keep selling gadgets in order to stay in business, but I just don't need anything else right now to enjoy my pc. Especially not some handheld thing that makes me wave my hands in the air like an idiot just to open my e-mail.

No, they don't. Microsoft is primarily and by large software company.

Apple is the one who needs gadget selling to make a direct profit.

Finally, revealing the real (and obvious) reason why they didn't want people to "hack" the Kinect and related drivers.

Kinect is a great tool for many things, but it's a terrible way to game. It feels less accurate then a wiimote, and the games, by and large, are terrible.

but for robotics, drones, 3d scanning, etc? Great tool for $150.

Kuroshin: I see a big "Meh" coming, as geeks already have everything they need to use the XBox Kinect in Windows, and Joe Average Consumer is likely to balk at the $250 price tag, especially when he sees the console version sitting there for $100 less.

It's going to flop. Hard.

I don't think it is meant to sell, actually. It is meant to get enthusiasts and developers to buy it and play with the tech.

I think the real killer implementation will come with windows 8 PCs when they are released (when the aforementioned enthusiasts have already made some cool use of it). You may see some media and kiosk style PCs released with this bundle, as well as some integrated systems (will you see kinect built into the monitor?) going for the high end "slick" crowd.

starlost:
never. turn based strategy-explore, expand, exploit, exterminate, and the occasional adventure/puzzle game or light driving or flight sim. maybe a mmorpg too but i was never in the WoW zone so much i was ducking and weaving while fighting a murloc

Ever noticed that you physically look towards the corner of the screen before you start scrolling the map? Well now it knows your looking and it starts scrolling it. Look based window focus could be quite useful in a 4X. Or resting your head in your hand when contemplating a move having it pause/cycle idle units/trigger a move suggester/tell you to go to bed might be useful.

I know having my head moving bound to look around would be handy in flight sims.

Depends how sensitive this thing could/can be I admit.

The figiting thing is more for FPS's thing than a raiding thing I find.

I feel like I bought the Eye Toy all over again.. It came with the bundle I bought last christmas. I can't think of anything to do with it that isn't just cumbersome and could be done better with a controller, and all the games are about dancing and exercise...

sarah_t_s: starlost:
never. turn based strategy-explore, expand, exploit, exterminate, and the occasional adventure/puzzle game or light driving or flight sim. maybe a mmorpg too but i was never in the WoW zone so much i was ducking and weaving while fighting a murloc

Ever noticed that you physically look towards the corner of the screen before you start scrolling the map? Well now it knows your looking and it starts scrolling it. Look based window focus could be quite useful in a 4X. Or resting your head in your hand when contemplating a move having it pause/cycle idle units/trigger a move suggester/tell you to go to bed might be useful.

I know having my head moving bound to look around would be handy in flight sims.

Depends how sensitive this thing could/can be I admit.

The figiting thing is more for FPS's thing than a raiding thing I find.

Only if you move your head. The kinect doesn't register pupil movement as far as I know

My daughter loves Kinectimals. I find the Kinect useful in Forza because there are so many different menus and areas in that game that you have to hit 15 different buttons to move from one area to another but with the Kinect you just tell it where you want to go and you're there so that's nice. My wife and I both love using it to control Netflix although it does occasionally produce some strange results. Last night while she was watching a show when I said "Next think you know bowling balls will be shooting from his nipples." Some how the Kinect thought I was talking to it and started rewinding what she was watching. Still don't understand how that happened.

Kinect coming to Windows PCs, may revolutionize gaming, the Boobies tag

I have yet to see it attempt to do so on the 360.

RexTalionis: I don't see the as much a point for Kinect for Windows as for consoles. PC users sit closer to the screen, and there's much less need (or space) for broad hand gestures. The only use I'm envisioning for this is a webcam that can generate 3D images on the receiving end for video conferencing.

Enh, the issue is that HD TV and LED Monitor are basically the same thing now. My gaming PC and the various consoles we have around the house have all spent time hooked up to the projector in the basement or various large TVs. Gaming PC + Bluetooth Keyboard and Mouse + Widescreen TV is fun.

I'm actually starting to wonder if the next XBox will be more PC like. If you think about it, a big reason to get a XBox was Microsoft's online play was superior to Sony (XBox live had DLC and all that before Sony did. Sony has caught up, so MS came back and made the XBox more computer like (it can stream Netflix, ESPN3, etc via applications on the hard drive). The next thing for MS to do is find some way to merge the XBox and PC gaming platforms to some degree. Basically offer a console that has the piracy protections of a console but the mod friendliness of a PC. So having the Kinect on both may be dipping a toe in that water.

About the only useful computing application I could see for a PC based Kinect would be eye/head tracking to simulate glasses-free 3D, otherwise, my mouse and I will be quite comfortable over here on my lawn, you young whippersnappers.

sarah_t_s: I know having my head moving bound to look around would be handy in flight sims.

They have this in Forza 4. Sounds like a great feature until you try it. Then you realize that turning your head means you're no longer looking at the screen and never use it again.

sarah_t_s: How many times have you been playing a game, got in to the zone, then started reacting to what was happening on screen (twitching/dodging) or moving your head whilst trying to look around (leaning/panning around) or you're just plain out of macro hot key binding combo's (raiding, MMO's in general)?

Zero. Zero times. Only a spaz would spaz out at stuff happening on the screen.

As long as I can script it to switch to switch weapons when I stick my tongue out, this is going to be crazy useful.

Mentalpatient87: sarah_t_s: I know having my head moving bound to look around would be handy in flight sims.

They have this in Forza 4. Sounds like a great feature until you try it. Then you realize that turning your head means you're no longer looking at the screen and never use it again.

I have the TrackIR5 (new window)and I use it for Flight Sim X. As long as you set the sensitivity so your eyes don't move off the screen, it's pretty amazing.

Lsherm: Mentalpatient87: sarah_t_s: I know having my head moving bound to look around would be handy in flight sims.

They have this in Forza 4. Sounds like a great feature until you try it. Then you realize that turning your head means you're no longer looking at the screen and never use it again.

I have the TrackIR5 (new window)and I use it for Flight Sim X. As long as you set the sensitivity so your eyes don't move off the screen, it's pretty amazing.

Well that's nice, and yeah, I forgot to mention that you can jack up the sensitivity, but that leads to that weird "keeping my eyes on the screen but swiveling my neck around" thing that I find
A) Uncomfortable
B) Makes me look like David Caruso trying to act...

not sure if was mentioned already, but it seems pretty obvious to me that this is directed at people who don't own or want a console, but DO have a pc connected entertainment system.
So basically , this is still meant to be used in open spaces in front of a large screen.

tsakali: not sure if was mentioned already, but it seems pretty obvious to me that this is directed at people who don't own or want a console, but DO have a pc connected entertainment system.
So basically , this is still meant to be used in open spaces in front of a large screen.

Possibly... But it doesn't seem like a very big market.

I suspect its also aimed at the modding crowd who lives to tinker with technology like this.
Kinect needs to evolve past being a "body" control and become more of an intimate gesture and voice system. Like a Siri you can poke and prod into doing what you want. That would be a big boon for tablets and laptops as well as consoles.

To that end they popularize the technology in a market that's known for advancing curiosities like this. Then they raep the benefits by buying up and exporting the good stuff back to a waiting market.

In theory you could replace everything from the TV remote control to the mouse and keyboard. That's a big chunk of change if they can sort out the details.

mauricecano: Combine that issue with the fact pc gamers want quick response time. They are not interested in the magic of moving the character. They are interested in their raid time (mmo) KDR (shooter) or crushing their enemy (strat). The Kinect doesn't lend well to any of the main types of gamers out there. Novelty, yes; practical, no.

Well there are the vast numbers of people playing shiat casual games on theor computers. They're switching gems and finding hidden objects. They're running around restaurants and managing their Facebook farms. And they are vast in number and have more money than taste.

way south: I suspect its also aimed at the modding crowd who lives to tinker with technology like this.
Kinect needs to evolve past being a "body" control and become more of an intimate gesture and voice system. Like a Siri you can poke and prod into doing what you want. That would be a big boon for tablets and laptops as well as consoles.

That's not a terrible idea. I'd probably use Siri more if I could slap understanding into her.

Mentalpatient87: Lsherm: Mentalpatient87: sarah_t_s: I know having my head moving bound to look around would be handy in flight sims.

They have this in Forza 4. Sounds like a great feature until you try it. Then you realize that turning your head means you're no longer looking at the screen and never use it again.

I have the TrackIR5 (new window)and I use it for Flight Sim X. As long as you set the sensitivity so your eyes don't move off the screen, it's pretty amazing.

Well that's nice, and yeah, I forgot to mention that you can jack up the sensitivity, but that leads to that weird "keeping my eyes on the screen but swiveling my neck around" thing that I find
A) Uncomfortable
B) Makes me look like David Caruso trying to act...

Meh, I pop the reflectors on the ball cap and I don't really notice it, but I have the sensitivity set pretty high. It's a blast after takeoff to move my chair back 12 inches and have the point of view switch from the cockpit to the back seat. If you buy a few of the extra scenery packs you can take some pretty nice tours yourself.

sarah_t_s: How many times have you been playing a game, got in to the zone, then started reacting to what was happening on screen (twitching/dodging)

I think I only twiched and doged when I was playing games on drugs back in that phase of my life.

BumpInTheNight: I would if this would improve the god awful PC Skyrim UI...

Get SkyUI + Better Sorting Mod. Live it. Love it.