I must be some kind of deranged masochist. I actually downloaded the Kinect labs, and even went so far as to download a couple of the gadgets. I did this for you guys so nobody else would have to feel like gouging their eyes out. Yes the whole experience was underwhelming to put it mildly. Basically all of the gadgets tally up to one thing sticking a picture onto an object. All you get are variations on a theme. Which is supremely disappointing especially since you can't take any of the toys out to play with.

Kintect Me was the first gadget I tried, and this one is a disaster. I am just a couple degrees above alabaster, and I came out looking like I was Hispanic. Obviously this isn't me so I gave it another shot. Now I look like I shoved my nose into a bag of flour. The third go was closer, but still not close enough. Point being Kinect is not going to do you justice unless your in the sunlight. Beyond this glaring technical problem your imagination is stymied. There is something unrewarding about posing in street clothes for a camera. Microsoft has been charging folks for accessories for year now. Why can't we edit those into the shoots. Hell let us use those backgrounds we are charged for. Instead of childish back drops.

Bobble Head was the the second gadget I tried out. This is the damndest thing. This once actually did a better job of catching my facial features, and my hue. Go figure that one out. Nothing technically wrong here, and I like being able to record a message. The problem is this is entirely pointless. If we could give them to friends so they could dick with them on the dashboard. Hey that would be cool, but a game that is all about hitting something to hear a reply is just plain stupid, and a complete waste of time. Dare I say it, but Microsoft needs some version of Home for this stuff to have any minor entertainment value.

Build a Buddy. Yes the on stage demo is about all you get for this feature. It takes a physical object, turns it into a slug, and makes it go through rehearsed acts while you have to trigger it by waving, jumping, dancing, and spreading your arms. Seriously Microsoft you blew it with this one. You have a 3D rendered toy, and it just screams to be run around in a virtual environment. Maybe even interacting with other players toys. Give us a obstacle coarse or something. This would actually be fun. This isn't fun, and it isn't worth downloading.

I didn't even bother with Googly Eyes. Somehow I got the impression it was more of the same. Sparkler is not available yet, and neither is the virtual news set which I will be honest looks interesting. Let us run video behind that couch, and we might be able to go all MST3K on something. I doubt that however I am leaning towards something far more mundane. What it all amounts to is tech demos, and nothing more. So I went to the source to see if these labs may you know improve in the near future. My hopes were dashed. They are voting on more tech demos, and asking for feed back. Here is my feed back nobody should be downloading over a gigabytes worth of tech demos.

The least we should be getting is tools to try and make something for ourselves. Build a Buddy should be build a 3D platformer map for you and your friends. Kinect Me should be letting me create custom animations for my Avatar to use on the dashboard. Bobble Head should be what lets me place art on 3D objects to be used in games. Fine you can do these things I didn't need to see that. What I need to see is finished products that I can actually use. Why do I feel like I Just got used by Microsoft for no reason whatsoever.

Anyway it isn't worth seeing for yourselves. You saw it at E3, and that is all these labs actually do.

=p It are also easy achievements. I didn't expect much and we got what you already have said but who knows what other applications their will be on kinect labs.

I actually had fun with Kinect Labs. I messed around with it for about an hour but yeah they aren't deep gaming experiences in any way. But then again they aren't supposed to be.

If your looking to kill like 10 minutes and have some laughs the stuff like Build a Buddy are great fun.

Sounds pretty worthless.

I ran googly eyes and only googly eyes. that app was entertaining. I scanned in a throw pillow which, the kids thought was so cute and then I scaned in a face and that was a riot and creepy. that app takes your object tosses on googly eyes then u make it dance around.

edit - put the original in on my phone, I went back and fixed some grammar. 

The other three apps sound like they aren't as good as googly eyes, but I will check them out as well. 

yea its pretty shitty, i tried out kinect me and googly eyes, with kinect me it shows me as an african american while i am middle eastern, and googly eyes shows my hands in the final scan of the objects i scan. I was very interested in them but after trying them out, i have to say that i can't believe the e3 part where she scans herself isn't pre recorded.

I thought Kinect labs would be very cool. Even made the statement on some thread and defended MS because I thought it was a good idea. Seems I was wrong.

yea it is a good idea however the implementation is very poor as the software currently used in kinect labs is very bad currently, i was excited until i tryed out the kinect me and it felt underwhelming, i hope they update the software as it needs alot more. the idea itself is great though

And that to me characterizes Kinect.

(not trying to flamebait here or whatever pisses people of - just an opinion)

well implementing kinect into games and software should improve with time, right now i see that the implemenation is poor for the software but i see the implementation in mass effect 3 being nice and in tom clancy future soldier