So I've never written a blog before, but I figured I would give it a shot. I tend to have a lot of random thoughts/ideas about video games so Giantbomb seemed to be the best place to make a post. Not sure anyone will read this, and honestly don't think I care that much. If this just turns out to be some place where I can store my ideas then so be it.
 
So for my first post I'm gonna talk about Kinect games. I recently got an Xbox 360 slim for free (part of a promotion for buying a windows phone) and figured that I might as well pick up the Kinect and see what its all about. Even if i don't end up liking it my non-gamer girlfriend will probably enjoy using it for some sort of dance or fitness game. Now, I have never owned a console before. I did all of my gaming on the PC and the DS, with the PC taking up about 90% of that pie. So with that being said, a lot of my opinion of the Kinect might also be influenced by the fact that console gaming as a whole is new to me. So lets get down to it.
 
1. The Kinect is Actually Fun
  
Now just because I'm a PC gamer doesn't mean I'm naive. I am fully aware of the reaction from the hardcore gaming crowd when it comes to the Kinect. And I agree with parts of it. The launch (hell, the current) lineup isn't that great and it does come off as somewhat gimmicky and inaccurate. But there are two games out for the Kinect (Kinect Sports and Dance Central) that make the whole system worth while. I understand that Kinect Sports is the same sports collection that every other motion controller system has, but from my point of view that doesn't matter. I don't own all three systems nor do I want to. The fact that the Wii, the Move and Kinect all have a similar game will never change how enjoyable Kinect Sports is for me. And it is! With how shitty the weather can get during the winter here in Canada, it's nice to feel active while doing something indoors. Living in an apartment as a recent graduate doesn't afford me a lot of room for say exercise equipment, so being able to fill this void with my Xbox is awesome. The games may get repetitive, but the higher difficulties add some great challenge and are a lot of fun (especially Boxing). Throw in Xbox Live match ups and I have all I ever wanted from the game. As for Dance Central, it's clearly the best Kinect title out there, and has been discussed a lot as a result. I won't say too much, other than the fact that it manages to take something I hate doing (dancing) and make me not mind it enough that I'll actually do it in front of people.
 
2. Navigation Sucks
 
Maybe it's my PC heritage, but I hate menu navigation on consoles. I just feel encumbered by having to use a controller. The Kinect makes the problem ten times worse. You would think that it following your hands around would be more to my liking, but the fact that I have to hover over icons to select stuff just feels so tedious. The voice controls are alright, but are sparsely implemented so it doesn't really matter.
 
3. Developers Need to Think Outside the Box
 
I think part of the reason that the selection of Kinect Games is so sparse is because developers don't know how to use fully body controls in place of a controller in conventional games. I think that's their biggest problem. The best thing they can do is use the Kinect WITH the controller. Now I know this goes against all of the marketing they've been doing, but to prove my point I'm gonna pitch a game that would be awesome using this control scheme and couldn't be done the same with just the controller.
 
Game Idea!!!!
 
It would be a motorcycle racing game with combat. You hold the controller in your hands and play seated in front of the Kinect. Either trigger will accelerate and the shoulder buttons are brake. To turn you lean in the direction you want to go, the harder the lean, the harder the turn. Alternatively you could use either thumbstick. As for the combat, there would be three types of weapons: Mines, Projectiles and Melee. To release mines you would raise either hand straight up into the air and bring it back down to drop behind you. To throw it ahead, you would raise your hand straight up and then make a throwing motion forward. For projectiles you would put your arm straight out to the side and make a forward throwing motion to shoot ahead of you. To shoot behind you would reach your hand out in front of you and then make a backward throwing motion. For melee weapons you would just naturally swing them to whichever side you want. Use the D pad to select between weapons.
 
So that's it! First ever blog post. If anyone is reading this, let me know what you thought....of any of it...please......:(