Three common issues keep cropping up in many of the latest Kinect Reviews. All the issues are related to the room requirements to play Kinect. The first issue is how far players must be away from the Kinect sensor. The second is the need for the room to be clean. And the third is that players must stand to play.
Based on a leaked copy of the Kinect manual, it appears Microsoft is recommending users stand 6 to 8 feet away from the Kinect sensor. This seems to have caught many off guard. And many feel it is unreasonable. The average person doesn't have that kind of room available.
However, it turns out many of the reviews are not "hands on". A number of hands on reviews have reported Kinect works fine with one or two players as close as 5 feet. So it appears the recommendation in the manual is the "optimal" setup. Not a strict requirement. Another factor to consider is if you place the Kinect sensor on the top of your TV vs below it, you gain approximately a foot of distance between a player and the Kinect sensor. So all in all the concerns about the distance requirement are most likely unfounded.
Also, trying to play Kinect in less than 5 feet of space is most likely a safety hazard. Playing Kinect games involves using your entire body. But your focus is squarely on your TV screen. If you are in less space and are flailing away with your arms and legs, you are going to hit something or someone inadvertently. Player safety and their liability probably explains Microsoft's 6 to 8 foot recommendation in the Kinect manual more than any technical limitation of the Kinect sensor itself.
You probably aren't going to play Kinect alone nearly as much as you play with a friend or even an audience. With multiple players, you are going to need more room. So it really isn't a surprise you need at least 5 feet wherever you plan to put your Kinect.
Another common and related issue raised in recent reviews is the need to clean your floor to play. But to me this is a non-issue. Obviously, from a safety point of view Microsoft is going to recommend you clean up your floor before jumping around playing Kinect. But it turns out there is also a technical reason. When Kinect first starts up, it tilts down to the floor to find the floor plane. It relies on the floor plane as a point of reference for skeleton tracking. So a clean floor allows the most accurate tracking. But, the Kinect sensor is very intelligent and will still work if you have a messy floor. It just won't work optimally.
Many gamers were concerned players had to stand to play Kinect. But this issue has been addressed. Recently, Microsoft updated Kinect's software to detect seated players. To date no Kinect games take advantage of this feature. But game developers now have the opportunity going forward to develop seated games. Playing from the couch also reduces the distance requirements. Players sitting on the couch instead of standing in front of it probably gain a foot or two of distance between them and the sensor.
In the big picture these are all minor issues. The distance requirement may be a more serious problem in cities with pricey real estate and smaller homes but on the whole should not deter buyers. Cleaning up the floor to play is a reasonable expectation and will only deter the laziest of gamers. And may even be a selling point for parents. Microsoft must be feeling pretty good about these being among the biggest and most common concerns raised in Kinect reviews so far.
About the Author:
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