Everyone here has had such creative comments about the Kinect and its potential. I agree with some suggestion above, that a hybrid control scheme or a controller-free setup would work, as long as neither feels tacked-on or awkward. Instead the setup should add to the experienceand be intuitive and natural.
Cliff Bleszinki's comment also were pretty bang on, it seems that there's a lot of densiveness within the hardcore gaming community. But, i don't agree that its because gamers are afraid, just that they enjoy traditional controller or keyboard/mouse gaming. A lot of people simply don't like the physical aspect of it. Others find there is a lack of precision. For some reason i think the unfamiliarity is a problem. Whatever their reasons, I'm not sure the current selection of game titles is enough to change their mind.
However, As Cliff points out, Rise of Nightmares and Children of Eden come to mind as two games that do work well, and appeal to a more mature and sophisticated gamer audiance. Rise of Nightmare's is a particular favorite of mine, because I think it's movement control scheme takes a step in the right direction. Yet, games like these that appeal to to the hardcore gamer demographic, are few and far between.
So, instead of waiting, I decided to see if I could make Cliff Bleszinski's suggestion come true. Using the Kinect and a Bluetooth headset, I tried to create a Skyrim where you could use your hand to cast a spell, or swing a sword.; a Skyrim where you could summon a spell with your voice, or perform Dragon Shouts.
It's not perfect, but it's a start. Any suggestions and feedback would be appreciated.
Skyrim Kinect:
