Microsoft have recently announced that the new Kinect Motion Sensor will retail at £129.99.

Is this overpriced for this revolutionary add on for the xbox 360 ?. Some might think so; however it is more than likely that this new addition to the xbox 360 will be in great demand over the coming months with inevitable stock shortages in the run up to Christmas 2010. Microsoft have decided to target the family game players initially with releases such as Kinectimals, Kinect Sports, and Kinect Joy Ride which may not have gone down too well with the hardcore game players but it is very early days for this technology and we could be forgiven for anticipating more 'hands on' games will become available in the near future.

For those who are looking to buy their first xbox 360, there is a package available with the Kinect Sensor and Kinect Adventures which seems very appealing due to the 'bundled' saving available.

You are the controller ! say Microsoft and when the word gets out, the Kinect Sensor could well become the add on that every xbox 360 owner wants to get their hands on.

We recommend if you are considering PreOrdering the Kinect Sensor to visit Amazon as they offer free shipping and also guarantee that if the price drops before launch that the cheaper price will be charged.

Controller-free gaming and entertainment:

Kinect provides a whole new way to play — no controller required. It uses a sensor to track your body movement and recognize your face, even listen to your voice. If you know how to move your hands, shake your hips, or speak, you and your friends will be able to jump instantly into any Kinect experience.

Full-body play:

Kinect provides a new way to play where you use all parts of your body — head, hands, feet and torso. With controller-free gaming you don’t just control the superhero, you are the superhero. Full-body tracking allows the Kinect sensor to capture every move, from head to toe, to give players a full-body gaming experience.

Personalized play:

Kinect provides an in-game experience in which the player’s face and voice are recognized. Greet and speak to characters in the game, or simply step into view of the sensor to log into Xbox LIVE and connect with friends. Only Kinect is smart enough to remember voices and faces. Fun has never been so personalized.

Off-the-couch play:

Kinect provides gameplay that gets you off the couch, on your feet and in the fun. Each Kinect experience is designed to get players moving, laughing, cheering and playing together. Kinect makes social gaming off-the-couch fun.

Easy-to-play fun:

Kinect makes sharing in the fun a snap. Talk or watch a movie in the same living room or on the other side of the world — no headset, no keyboard and no controllers required. It’s just you, your friends, your family and a whole new way to play.

But that's all very well but how does Kinect take your movement and gestures and turn that into an intergral part of the game?

Kinect sensor:

Kinect is the world’s first system to combine an RGB camera, depth sensor, multiarray microphone and custom processor running proprietary software that brings Kinect experiences to every Xbox 360 console. The Kinect sensor tracks full-body movement and individual voices, creating controller-free fun and social entertainment available only on Xbox 360.

RGB camera:

Kinect has a video camera that delivers the three basic color components. As part of the Kinect sensor, the RGB camera helps enable facial recognition and more.
Depth sensor. An infrared projector combined with a monochrome CMOS sensor allows Kinect to see the room in 3-D (as opposed to inferring the room from a 2-D image) under any lighting conditions.

Multiarray microphone:

Kinect has a microphone that will be able to locate voices by sound and extract ambient noise. The multiarray microphone will enable headset-free Xbox LIVE party chat and more.

Custom processor (running Microsoft proprietary software layer).

A proprietary software layer makes the magic of Kinect possible. This layer differentiates Kinect from any other technology on the market through its ability to enable human body recognition and extract other visual noise.