Kinect Adventures Message Board

Purchasing the 4 gig Kinect/Kinect Adventures Xbox 360 bundle will run you about $300 no matter where you buy it, but only at Gamestop will purchasing one also net you a $50 gift card, which can then be spent on most of a new game, or 10 to 20 used Barbie and/or horse-related DS titles.

Microsoft has sold approximately 114K units of its hands-free motion peripheral, the Kinect, during the last 12 months in Japan. And the bulk of those sales were within the first few months surrounding its launch in November 2010, then dwindling to the low thousands as early as February 2011.

That's according to a report from this month's Famitsu Xbox magazine, which also outs Kinect Adventures as the top selling game for Kinect at 114K units sold, assuredly assisted to the top spot with placement in hardware bundles. Microsoft has yet to release a statement on the one-year sales numbers, but has remained steadfast in its commitment to the Japanese market -- despite the country's aversion to Microsoft and its products.

Comparatively speaking, Microsoft said it had sold 10 million Kinect units worldwide as of March this year, and this report puts around 94,000 in Japan as of March, making Japanese sales just under a single percentage point of worldwide sales. Eight months later, and Japan comprises just barely above one percentage point of that same 10 million sales number.

[Image credit: Andriasang]

Microsoft's annual Holiday bundle streak continues this year, with two different SKUs: one targeting the family crowd that enjoys flailing around together, the other targeting the hardcore gaming crowd that's all about no-scoping domes. Both bundles are shipping to retailers today, Major Nelson says.

The first bundle includes a 250 GB Xbox 360 S console with a Kinect, a copy of Kinect Adventures and Carnival Games: Monkey See Monkey Do, and three months of Xbox Live Gold, all for $399.99. The other bundle has a suggested price of $299.99, and sports a 250 GB Xbox 360 S console, three months of Xbox Live Gold and copies of Halo: Reach (downloadable) and Fable 3.

#kinect In case you were still on the fence about dropping $150 on Microsoft's magical camera stick, the company today announced that the bundle is getting updated to include a download code for a free copy of sensual shooter Child of Eden. More »

#clips Start at 1:00 in. It's OK to laugh. Because she survives. More »

So you bought a new Xbox 360 S console bundled with Kinect last week and, like many others, found your new camera doodad doesn't come with its own power supply -- clearly, Microsoft thought you intended to use your Kinect with this console and this console alone. You were up the proverbial creek, sans paddle ... until now.

Microsoft's online store now has a listing for the power supply. No, you can't simply get one on the arm since you purchased the Xbox 360 S bundle -- no, instead you've got to reach into your wallet for $34.99 if you want one. That's almost one whole fifth of the cost of Kinect on its own but, hey, if you need one, now you know where to get it.

Respected outlet Consumer Reports has concluded that the Kinect ID functionality in Microsoft's new peripheral has equal difficulty recognizing users of any skin tone in low light. The organization did a series of tests after GameSpot reported that some of their darker-skinned staffers weren't being recognized by the Kinect. Consumer Reports states, "We did not experience any instance where one player was recognized and the other wasn't under the same lighting conditions."

To be clear, only the Kinect ID functionality is affected by lighting in the room, as gameplay uses an infrared system. CR noted that the claims against Kinect reminded the group of the "racist HP laptop" situation from last year, which also came down to an issue of lighting in the room. Head on over to Consumer Reports to see a video of their Kinect tests.

Here we are, having our own little private November Christmas, tearing apart the freshly delivered Xbox 360 S console bundle, replete with Kinect and Kinect Adventures, only to make an inconvenient discovery -- the Xbox 360 S Kinect bundle doesn't contain a standalone power cord for Kinect, leaving folks who want to use those Kinects on older (pre-Slim) Xbox 360s in the lurch. How in the world are we going to show Grandma all our stylish new Dance Central moves when she's only got a regular Xbox 360?

As of this minute, Microsoft isn't showing individual Kinect power cords on its website, though a Microsoft rep is looking into whether they'll be offered in the future. Those in dire need could always purchase a standalone Kinect (which comes bundled with the cord), but we'd suggest against that. For now, though, unless Grandma's got her own Kinect, or an Xbox 360 S, your dance moves are staying firmly holstered in your own abode.

Here we are, having our own little private November Christmas, tearing apart the freshly delivered Xbox 360 S console bundle, replete with Kinect and Kinect Adventures, only to make an inconvenient discovery -- the Xbox 360 S Kinect bundle doesn't contain a standalone power cord for Kinect, leaving folks who want to use those Kinects on older (pre-Slim) Xbox 360s in the lurch. How in the world are we going to show Grandma all our stylish new Dance Central moves when she's only got a regular Xbox 360?

As of this minute, Microsoft isn't showing individual Kinect power cords on its website, though a Microsoft rep is looking into whether they'll be offered in the future. Those in dire need could always purchase a standalone Kinect (which comes bundled with the cord), but we'd suggest against that. For now, though, unless Grandma's got her own Kinect, or an Xbox 360 S, your dance moves are staying firmly holstered in your own abode.

#review Kinect Adventures is the game that every Kinect owner will soon be playing. That's because it's the one that comes with the hardware. So it should give players a taste of what they can expect from Xbox 360 motion gaming. More »

Does the Kinect pack-in sell us on controller-free gaming?

According to an image sent to Joystiq by an anonymous tipster, it looks like Microsoft is rewarding all the participants of the Kinect beta program. A letter, purportedly written by Xbox Live VP Marc Whitten, is offering to let testers to keep their Kinect sensor now that the beta program is over. In addition, testers will also receive a code to redeem a free download of Kinect Adventures. We're attempting to verify with Microsoft, but it certainly makes sense. After all, it stands to reason that some testers won't want to part with their sensor and be reticent to send it back to Microsoft. It wouldn't be a stretch for people to suddenly "lose" their sensor either.

We'll update this post if we receive word from Microsoft.

Worried that Kinect won't work when you're not standing directly in front of it, despite the assurances given by developers? Worry not -- Eurogamer has heard that Microsoft has changed the configuration on the body recognition system, switching a node on the body model from the base of the spine to the back of the neck, allowing for players who put their knees above the waist while playing to be more easily recognized. Previously, individual developers could still edit their own recognition systems in, but this is a change to the base recognition system that Microsoft is building.

In fact, the way we understand it, a skilled developer could even recognize you in that weird position you used to sit in as a kid, where you put your back on the sofa seat, and hung your head upside down to stare out at the TV during Saturday morning cartoons. No idea what they'd use that pose for, but they could do it.

Microsoft's Kinect may have jettisoned controllers from the living room, but Atomic Accessories isn't ready to be swept away in a sea change. "Game Boat is de facto the first accessory for the peripheral which doesn't need any," mumbles the product description, tasting the cold steel of a gun barrel. "Ideal to comfortably play in 2 gamers simultaneously, still without being clumsy in the living room."

Hey, Martha. I love what you've done with the place! It seems so elegant now, which is the opposite of clumsy. The giant dinghy centerpiece really ties it all together and -- oh, are these stitched barnacle cushions on your whale couch? I love it.

Perhaps we're being unfair and ignorant of the real genius behind the Game Boat -- as a brilliant plan to save face. Remember when the head of product acquisition got drunk out of his mind because his cat choked on a stapler? "Sir, I don't think we need that many. Or any," Susan argued. But noooooo. "Shooshan, order the goh, goddamn boatsh! Twenty twelf ish jusht around the bender. You shaw the mooovie."

Aside from the tenuous anchoring provided by Kinect Adventures (which features people standing in a boat as they hurtle through an unrealistic river slalom), the Game Boat is tethered to the "reality of your home" because, well, it's so gosh-darn useful. It's easily inflated within minutes with the included pump, compatible with any model Xbox 360 (and possibly other systems), supports two seated people, and is fully functional "at the sea or at the pool." Why?

BECAUSE. IT IS. A BOAT.

#rumor Kinect Adventures will include at least five game types and support both online play and the ability to show off and share your favorite moments in the Xbox 360's upcoming motion game, sources tell Kotaku. More »

A month after popping up on the side of the Aussie Kinect bundle box, Microsoft has officially announced the existence of the Xbox 360 Kinect bundle with 250GB hard drive. The package, launching November 4, includes an Xbox 360 with a 250GB hard drive, built-in Wi-Fi, a Kinect sensor and Kinect Adventures for $400.

On the same day, the Kinect hardware will launch on its own at $150, alongisde the Kinect 4GB Xbox 360 bundle for $300. There's also the option of purchasing the 250GB hard drive for the S version of the console separately, but that's $130. At this point, the latest announced bundle is the best value for those looking to get the whole package. Oh, and they still sell Xbox 360s that only come with plain ol' controllers, if that's your thing.

IGN reports that two big announcements have been made at a Microsoft Open House event in Australia. First and foremost, Kinect will launch in the land down under on November 18. The unit will be bundled with Kinect Adventures for AUD $199 (USD $181). A console bundle with Kinect (presumably the 4GB Xbox bundle we've seen before) will retail for AUD $449 (USD $407).

Furthermore, Foxtel's previously announced premium TV streaming service will launch in October. Pricing details for the service are expected closer to launch, though apparently it will be "fabulously affordable."

The question of Kinect pricing is over ... insomuch as there was any question. As was widely assumed - and widely listed on retailers, from GameStop to Microsoft itself - the Xbox's newfangled motion-sensing camera will retail for $149.99 this fall.

There's also an answer regarding the pricing of Kinect retail software. While most stores have been listing Kinect software for the usual $60 Xbox asking price, Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg told Joystiq, "All of our Kinect retail games, from a first-party standpoint - Kinectimals, Kinect Sports, Kinect Joy Ride - will all be retailing for $49." Microsoft later followed up, letting us know that Dance Central, Harmonix's Kinect-powered rhythm game (and arguably the most well-received title in Microsoft's Kinect launch lineup) will also match the $50 first-party pricing.

That $149.99 hardware price also comes with a copy of Kinect Adventures, the casual title from Microsoft's Good Science Studio, formerly known as SpawnPoint Studios. Microsoft promises that those who pre-order Kinect or the Xbox 360 Kinect Console Bundle "today" will "receive a token to download three exclusive game levels for Kinect Adventures." Before you get to that, why not let us know where you stand in our highly scientific poll?
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#xbox360 Worried that Microsoft's E3 showcase of its Kinect controller for the Xbox 360 was a little too "casual," a little too Wii Sports rewarmed? Kinect's creative director sees it otherwise, that Microsoft's taking a Super Mario Bros. approach instead. More »

#e3 While my favorite Kinect game of the show was most certainly Dance Center, the game that had me jumping up and down on an imaginary river raft was my number two choice. More »

It's a never ending adventure.

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