Kinect Games - A Gaming Revolution

Over time, video games have become a major source of entertainment for children and adults alike. Everybody loves to play video games, maybe because video games allow one to do the impossible, like driving a car at break neck speed, taking on the role of a superhero, do somersaults, fly and even take part in shoot-em-ups. The world of video games has changed and evolved into a new type of gaming that now allows for controller free gameplay.

The latest accessory from Microsoft, Kinect, has made way for games that will allow you to control your game character the same way you would do in real life i.e. with hand gestures and body movements - that is what Kinect games are all about. The unique selling point of these games is that you do not need to hold any gaming device or gaming controller in your hands. All you need to do is stand in front of the screen and the motion camera fitted inside the Kinect accessory will read your body movements and control your game character accordingly.

Microsoft, has developed ten launch games for Xbox 360 Kinect accessory. These 10 Kinect games are of different genres to cater for a varied type of audience.

One of the most anticipated Kinect games is Star Wars. Star Wars on Kinect would literally change the way you have played the game in the past. Players can now battle with the Jedi using a light saber sword with real movements and motion-activated Force powers for a more immersive gaming experience. Kinect has a new interface for this game, whereby players will need to stand in front of the screen and move their hands the way they would move a real sword. The character in the game will mimic the movements onscreen. You do not hold any controller in your hands or push buttons. Hands free control has given a whole new meaning to the world of gaming.

Another of the launch games for Kinect is Dance Central, a game developed by MTV. Game play involves picking a song from a long list of tunes for players to mirror the on-screen avatar's movements. In the game, the Kinect camera reads your full body movements and you score according to your moves. It is a great game just to have some fun and learn some cool dance moves along the way.

Kinect Joy Ride, as the name suggests is a racing game. Again, no remotes, no arcades, just sit in front of the screen and position your hands as if you are driving a car and you are good to go. Players navigate their way around a track by imitating steering wheel movements with their hands, and scoring extra points by leaning back and bending forward causing their vehicle to somersault when it's airborne.

The major feature of Kinect is that it features a full body sensor and the capability to read even the slightest of movements, which really makes game play a pleasure. All of the Kinect games are aimed at a casual gaming audience and the absence of a control system makes it easy for anyone to join in the action using their own body movements.

Microsoft have high hopes that their new Kinect games will win over the affections of casual gamers, where the quality of the games will be paramount to success. Kinect's hands-free gaming interface could well be Microsoft's way of securing a piece of the massive casual games market.

For more information about Kinect and Kinect games visit: Kinect Xbox 360 - UK information portal and price comparison for all things Kinect!

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Soundtracks - Gaming Background Music

Some songs and tracks play in the background of a movie, soap, video game or play. These are one way or another related to what is going on in the clip. That is why they are referred to as soundtracks. They contain a sound cording of some sort.

A soundtrack is not only made of a song playing in the background of a movie. Those sounds from people talking the script, explosions and sound effects are also

A soundtrack for a movie feature may be composed from scratch or have aspects of it sampled from an existing work. You do not have to record a new one all the time, but still, you need the necessary clearance for this.

A movie will have its scenes changing often and this should be accompanied by a changing soundtrack. Since these are short, a soundtrack album is the way to listen to a whole composition.

Single tracks can sell like hot cakes once they are used in a movie. The best example yet is that of the movie "the body guard", which was done by Whitney Houston.

These days, sound effects are almost inseparable from any high-octane video game, be it a shooter, adventure or simulation. They are so common yet before the eighties, these were unheard of. There were no sound effects back in the days.

The soundtracks in video games have also evolved slowly from the era of monophonic sound effects to the more advanced music tracks of today. These are available for sale on CD and in fact, the greatest hit to date is the Final Fantasy soundtrack. This is a big difference from the earlier midi files popular with Nintendo in the eighties.

These days you can have soundtracks for a book. Unbelievably, all you do is download one and listen as you read. They create moods depending on the genre. For example, a science fiction book will have a soundtrack that brings that. A good example of this is Steve Perry's "Shadows of the Empire" which is available online.

Accurate and convenient reception chair is easy to use and great to have in every home, and so is the special quality conference room chairs.

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Cartridge-Based Gaming Limits Innovation in Nintendo DS Learning Games

I've been writing often, lately, about educational games, especially Nintendo DS learning games. Most of my research has had a common thread of truth: it's a difficult medium to work in. According to industry sources, most learning games marketed towards kids never see the light of day, and the ones that do make it out of the planning phases can be a bit of a gamble for their studios. Especially, as is the case for many recent games, the teams who lack the backing of a major label. Major label = assured distribution.

Problem is, the major labels don't necessarily want to innovate. They don't often want to chance the market's willingness to accept a new ideas, foreign or unfamiliar gameplay, or, really: anything that isn't guaranteed to make a certain percentage of profit. It's understandable; they're publicly-traded companies, for crying out loud. Of course they're built to play it safe. DS learning games are a tough sell to begin with, these companies seem to say. Why swing for the fences when we've got a guaranteed base hit?

Well, that's true. But there are game makers out there, right this very second, who're toiling in obscurity, putting the finishing touches on the next Katamari Damacy. Ah, says the company, the Katamari example. For every Katamari, they say, there're three or four games you never hear about that fail miserably on the market. And Katamari wasn't even a DS learning game!

Also true. So, then - the problem isn't squarely on the shoulders of these monolithic gaming corporations. It seems the handheld gaming device industry deserves much of the blame.

Unfortunately, most of the gaming innovation I'm seeing is limited to the Internet. It's as if Indie game makers are sticking to personal computers, Flash games, and internet distribution, with the hope that they can attract a grassroots groundswell, maybe get noticed by one of the aforementioned big-name companies, and try to work for change within the system.

Without major changes withing the handheld gaming device industry, the Nintendo DS and its fleet of DS learning games will be in danger of running aground against the improved software distribution system of multiple-use devices like the iPhone. Here, at least, game makers can self-produce and release games to the market without the current logistical and production restraints of the cartridge-based gaming world. I fear for the Nintendo DS's survivability. For as many things as the Sony PSP got wrong, their recent switch to digital distribution is right. They just came to it too late - no one wants to re-buy games they already own.

The handheld gaming world is changing, and I hope that Nintendo helps lead that transition. I'd like to see a similar amount of fun DS learning games on the 3DS, but, by sticking with cartridge-based production, they're hurting their customers, smaller game producers, and ultimately, themselves.

Of course, in the meantime, we have some amazing games coming out. And the pre-existing DS learning game library is formidable, fairly deep, and has plenty of hidden gems. Nintendo needs to reevaluate its cartridge-based gaming platform for its upcoming Nintendo 3DS, lest they lose yet more ground to other handheld devices.

William is a parent and a New York straphanger. His kid is already on the way to becoming a gamer who sometimes needs a little "gentle encouragement" to play his Nintendo DS learning game, even the ones the little guy picked out, himself. William misses the days of Sonic and Mario when they'd only go from left-to-right, rather than 360 degrees.

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