Back in June I wrote the longest blog post I've done in months, if not ever. It was about how Kinect was made for someone like me, and my family. 
I don't disagree with that blog, I still think Kinect is made for a family like mine where there is no Wii in the house. 
What I started to think about the last few weeks is whether Kinect is made for my house, and my budget. 
I don't remember the exact date, but when I saw the Kinect promo box in the gamestop a little while back, it had recommended distances for one or two players. It was 6 and 8 feet respectively. 
So I went home and measured between the front of the TV stand and the couch; 6'2". Hmm. Enough room for me then, but nobody else. . . . if I moved the table out of the way. A little bit of shoving and pushing, and the distance is up to 7'. Better, but still not enough for two. It wouldn't be much of an issue, except that part of the reason I want this is for two player stuff with my daughter. Hmm. Maybe a slightly raised stand behind what we currently have? I did some measuring, and for a week or two, the plan was to add a small extra level stand, above and slightly behind the current one. this would work fine, there's a good 8" or so between the back of the stand and the wall; the 360 power brick, and some mess of cabling live back there, making it nigh impossible to push the whole mess straight back to the wall. 
"What about mounting the TV to the wall?" I can hear at least one person asking. Aside from the parts we've knocked down and replaced, all the walls in our house are plaster and lathe, which is more than a bit of a pain in the ass to try to hang anything other than a small picture on; plaster is wicked crumbly, lathe is only strong enough really to hold the plaster that's been slathed on to it, and the wall studs are pretty much covered in the nails used to hold the lathes in place. 
Then I saw a video showing a Kinect on top of a TV. Well, well. The measuring tape came out, and sure enough, that would add enough depth. Sweet. I might still build the extra stand, that would be plenty of room. 
Then I started to think more about what would be required. Every time I wanted to use the Kinect would require moving the table from in front of the couch. It's not a big table, and I can move it easily, but the more I started to think about it, the less I wanted to be moving things back and forth as often as I was hoping that the Kinect would be used. 
And, maybe the last straw(s), were a couple of games coming out; the new Assassin's Creed, and the next Fable. I essentially finished Fable II before linking myself up to GB, but I know I played the hell out of that game, and Assassin's creed II is in the top five for games I've spent the most time with. For as much as I'm really looking forward to the MP in AC:Brotherhood, it was reading about the single player in GameInformer yesterday that really cemented it for me. 
I could spend 150 on an untried, and only lightly tested peripheral and a game that I might, in all likelyhood end up playing alone. 
Or. 
I could get two sequels to games I already really liked, and had collectively spent months on. 
So. The pre-order for Kinect got switched to AC:Brotherhood, and sometime next week, after payday, I'll be driving over to get a fresh new copy of Fable III. 
 
I'm still looking forward to getting a Kinect at some point, but I think it'll wait until the early adopter tax has come off, and the 2nd round of games arrives.

Back in June I wrote the longest blog post I've done in months, if not ever. It was about how Kinect was made for someone like me, and my family. 
I don't disagree with that blog, I still think Kinect is made for a family like mine where there is no Wii in the house. 
What I started to think about the last few weeks is whether Kinect is made for my house, and my budget. 
I don't remember the exact date, but when I saw the Kinect promo box in the gamestop a little while back, it had recommended distances for one or two players. It was 6 and 8 feet respectively. 
So I went home and measured between the front of the TV stand and the couch; 6'2". Hmm. Enough room for me then, but nobody else. . . . if I moved the table out of the way. A little bit of shoving and pushing, and the distance is up to 7'. Better, but still not enough for two. It wouldn't be much of an issue, except that part of the reason I want this is for two player stuff with my daughter. Hmm. Maybe a slightly raised stand behind what we currently have? I did some measuring, and for a week or two, the plan was to add a small extra level stand, above and slightly behind the current one. this would work fine, there's a good 8" or so between the back of the stand and the wall; the 360 power brick, and some mess of cabling live back there, making it nigh impossible to push the whole mess straight back to the wall. 
"What about mounting the TV to the wall?" I can hear at least one person asking. Aside from the parts we've knocked down and replaced, all the walls in our house are plaster and lathe, which is more than a bit of a pain in the ass to try to hang anything other than a small picture on; plaster is wicked crumbly, lathe is only strong enough really to hold the plaster that's been slathed on to it, and the wall studs are pretty much covered in the nails used to hold the lathes in place. 
Then I saw a video showing a Kinect on top of a TV. Well, well. The measuring tape came out, and sure enough, that would add enough depth. Sweet. I might still build the extra stand, that would be plenty of room. 
Then I started to think more about what would be required. Every time I wanted to use the Kinect would require moving the table from in front of the couch. It's not a big table, and I can move it easily, but the more I started to think about it, the less I wanted to be moving things back and forth as often as I was hoping that the Kinect would be used. 
And, maybe the last straw(s), were a couple of games coming out; the new Assassin's Creed, and the next Fable. I essentially finished Fable II before linking myself up to GB, but I know I played the hell out of that game, and Assassin's creed II is in the top five for games I've spent the most time with. For as much as I'm really looking forward to the MP in AC:Brotherhood, it was reading about the single player in GameInformer yesterday that really cemented it for me. 
I could spend 150 on an untried, and only lightly tested peripheral and a game that I might, in all likelyhood end up playing alone. 
Or. 
I could get two sequels to games I already really liked, and had collectively spent months on. 
So. The pre-order for Kinect got switched to AC:Brotherhood, and sometime next week, after payday, I'll be driving over to get a fresh new copy of Fable III. 
 
I'm still looking forward to getting a Kinect at some point, but I think it'll wait until the early adopter tax has come off, and the 2nd round of games arrives.

I think the distance issue will really hurt Kinect's sales. People will still buy it but most will return it shortly after. People aren't used to measuring their house for a non-appliance.

 Just buy a damn Wii if you want motion controls.

For the love of God... 
 
  

I have just under 5 feet from my 360 and my wall. I can move stuff up more to get 8 feet though. But I'm not getting Kinect now.   

I love Rock Band also, but I'm not buying their $900 instruments (900 NZ). It's sad because I have invested so much money into DLC, and now I will really just be playing Rock Band 2, but it'll say 3. 
 
I'll spend money else where.

" I have just under 5 feet from my 360 and my wall. I can move stuff up more to get 8 feet though. But I'm not getting Kinect now.   I love Rock Band also, but I'm not buying their $900 instruments (900 NZ). It's sad because I have invested so much money into DLC, and now I will really just be playing Rock Band 2, but it'll say 3.  I'll spend money else where. "

" For the love of God... 
 <Clipped Reagan Speech>"  

I'd say get the games, kinect will ultimately be used only for dancing/party games and dashboard navigation.  And if you're the only one who'll use it then it's a waste of money.