For anyone living in the greater Toronto area Microsoft has set up a permanent Kinect showcase at 207 Yonge Street until Dec 1. They have 2 floors set up with about 10-12 Kinect stations plus a host of staff to help you (at least 1 for each station) and also a DJ. The games I saw were Kinect Sports, Kinect Adventures, Dance Central, Your Shape, Kinectimals and Joy Ride.
First some overall impressions, there was generally about 20-40 people there with people coming in and out all the time. The biggest thing I noticed was that everyone seemed to be having a lot of FUN. I saw young kids playing with their parents, guys with their girlfriends (who clearly weren't gamers), a lot of 16-24 year olds and a few hipsters. I'm sure it was helped by the DJ but there was a good atmosphere and everyone seemed to be having a good time.
My impressions were very positive. I got to try out bowling, table tennis, volleyball, Your Shape, a bit of Kinectimals and Joyride.
I won't go into detail on all of them but a had a blast playing all of them (even Kinectimals) and I definitely see Kinect being very big this holiday. Bowling was awesome, so was Your Shape. I wouldn't allow myself to dance in public but I'll definitely be picking up Dance Central as it looked like a lot of fun.
Lag was present in some games but was only really an issue in the table tennis where the controls felt very loose, although you could still control the angle of your racket with pretty good precision which was cool. The other negative (which is a positive for me) is that Kinect is very much a physical activity. If you want to just zone out on the couch then this is not for you. At least with these titles you are required to stand up and I think it's a great thing. When I want to just chill out I'll play something else.
My biggest impression was a very small thing that I think is what really will separate Kinect from the Wii and Move and that is the sense of immersion. I first noticed it when I was doing a mini-game in Kinectimals where I had to throw a sombrero at some targets. I was having trouble hitting one on the left side of the screen, I tried about 5 times but none of my throws could reach it.....until I decided to just take a step to the right. Bingo! The game saw my movements and actually moved the camera in response to where I moved to and which direction I was facing. It was a small thing but it REALLY sold the fact that you were actually standing on a beach. The same thing was true about bowling. For those who have play Wii bowling you know that if you want to stand on the left of the lane or angle your throw you need to click the D-pad to move your position, with Kinect you just take a step to the left and turn your body. Simple as that. The camera will follow you. This sense of immersion is what really sold me.
