What You Need to Know About the XBox 360, the Kinect, and a Review of All Kinect Games

A NEW WAY TO GAME! IS THE XBOX 360 KINECT THE RIGHT NEXT GADGET FOR YOU?

There are a plethora of game systems and games out there. Why should you consider the xBox 360 and the new Kinect? What will the Kinect do for you? Some have claimed it will change your life, will it do that? What games are available for the Kinect and do they really work well enough to justify the cost, the time, and the trouble? Is there enough variety to suit your needs?

This article will give the positives and negatives of the xBox 360 and the new Kinect. What can be accomplished with this system and why consider getting a Kinect for yourself and your family? How well does it work?

Let's start with a little bit of history xBox 360 for you. If you will go way back in your mind and remember that the xBox 360 is a sixth generation video game by Microsoft. This group of games was known as the 128-bit era game consoles. The xBox was actually released November 2001. However, the xBox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft (the first was the xBox). It now competes well with the Sony's PlayStation 3 and the Nintendo Wii, as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles, the xBox 360 was the first of that creative age introducing HD and 1080p into the game playing mix in November 2005.

The xBox 360 was officially unveiled on television. The announcement was on MTV in 2005. Coming up to more modern time the xBox 360 was known as the xBox 360 S, but now we just call it the xBox 360. The consoles have been redesigned, as well as the hardware, and that innovation was officially announced in June 2010. And word is that Microsoft has announced, covertly, that if they ever (and with their current popularity I'm sure they will) come out with another console as a successor to the xBox 360 S it will be simply called xBox 720. The initial rumors are very intriguing.

The second edition of the xBox 360, which included 4 GB of storage, was a prelude to the current box. The xBox 360 Elite came out middle of 2010. But with the avalanche of new games being designed and released it pressured Microsoft to upgrade their hardware.

Isn't that always the case with hardware and software? It goes like this: Software becomes more complicated and needs faster processors, larger computers and capacity. And so the hardware designers and manufacturers have to race to keep up. It's the same with the gaming genre. Try playing Halo Reach on your old xBox. It's not happening.

Thus in August of 2010 Microsoft announced that they had a mega model, a 250 GB stand-alone hard drive for use with the xBox 360 S models, and that would be priced initially at $129.99.

The features of each of these models and core systems are interesting, but it is beyond the scope of this review. The remarkable features, capabilities and the capacities of the devices improved with each progressive model. Microsoft became one of the big guns in the gaming console market and will remain there with this system.

This past Christmas buying season of 2010, the xBox 360 was bundled for better consumer purchasing power, which, among others, featured the Limited Edition, as well as some of the more popular games such as the Halo Reach, Call of Duty Black Ops, and other special features including wireless remotes controllers and head-sets.

The online service is called xBox Live. This is a worldwide service that allows users to play with and against other online players or download purchased content, experience new games and it also offers movies, game trailers, game demos that can be played for a short trial period encouraging the user to then go on to purchase the full game.

There are xBox Live arcade games, images, dashboard themes as well. Through xBox Live, a person can discover new undiscovered content. There are Gold Memberships, which allows you to purchase Microsoft Points to use for downloads avatars and add-ons or additions to your current games. Those prepaid cards come in 400, 800, 1600, 4000, and 6000 point denominations for an equivalent amount of money.

I will reveal some interesting details about the negative attributes of the xBox and xBox 360. It may be a surprise to a newbie, thinking that there were not any negatives. But there are...or were.

It seems that the console can be subject to a number of technical problems. Users have reported concerns over its reliability and alarming failure rate in the older models. That led Microsoft to extend the xBox 360 S warranty to three years for hardware failure problems. Users were getting the dreaded red ring of death and a message announcing general hardware failure.

Microsoft unquestionably did not want to leave their customers hanging and helpless. It attempted to modify the consoles to improve its reliability. The unit was subsequently put together much better and inside the unit there is not as much movement in the main (mother) board during the heat expansion and now the unit has better ability to dissipate heat.

With the release of this redesigned xBox 360 the warranty on the newer models does not include the three year extended warranty for general hardware failure. The word from the experienced gaming community is that the xBox 360 is a very reliable machine and the user complaints and failures of the past have not surfaced.

The new xBox 360s are very reliable. Overall, I rate the xBox 360 5-Stars. It is now the standard in the current industry. They are the leader and the other companies are trying to keep up.

Now we enter into the realm of the new and eye-popping Kinect. This is an amazing addition to our adventures in creative and all-consuming, mind-and-body gaming. It is a controller-free input device and a big step up in the entertainment experience for the xBox 360.

It was initially announced June of 2009. Sadly, it was not released until November 2010. This amazing sensor device enables the user to control and interact with the games of the xBox 360 without a physical game controller. This is similar to the Wii, but the user is not limited to holding and pointing a controller and Nunchuk. The amazing Kinect uses body gestures, spoken commands, and objects and images. It's the EYE that works the magic! The Kinect is compatible with all 360 models. The Kinect...connects to new models with the custom "Kinector." The old consoles used a USB adapter.

Along with the new games, the Kinect is called the new xBox experience (NXE). Along with the NXE there are many new features that users can install into their gaming world. There are games from disks loaded onto the hard drive and then played with reduced load time and less disk drive noise. That is comforting, but each time the game is played the disk must remain in the system in order to run it.

There are also a cool bunch of digitized avatars that can be used for multiple activities, such as sharing photos and playing arcade games.

The xBox 360 and the Kinect were so popular during the Christmas season that it sold out in many stores as well as the major online sites. The demand exceeded the supply. Since the Christmas rush has past you have the opportunity to get discounted prices and lots of selection and availability.

I looked in the retail and online outlets and have compiled an updated list for current supplies of all available and announced games. There are a growing number of supplies, but here I will give you the most up-to-date list of games available for the Kinect.

• To begin with the fitness game called Your Shape Fitness Evolved. It contains workouts in a martial arts class lead by a celebrity trainer. Big names that work on the Biggest Loser show.

• There is Kinect Sports, These are world-class sports. Kinect Sports includes a bowling alley, soccer pitch or track-and-field arena. Kinect puts in the game as the VIP player and somehow lets you be the controller. It apparently also includes soccer, volleyball, ping-pong, and even more games they tell me.

• Get your groove on with Dance Central?. This is exclusive for the Kinect and is the first real dance game experience that will be fun, social and for everyone!

• The very cute and much advertised game is Kinectimals. This is great fun for children of all ages. You get to play with an animal on your xBox 360 screen. The TV advertisements show an irresistible tiger. I thought there would be many more animals, but I guess the furry tiger does it all. That's cool. The Bengal tiger cub will bring back an dream of being in the circus or of your trip to the zoo. The Kinect lets that furry tiger become your best friend. See now you don't need that indoor pet after all.

• Listen to this, If you really want to get the Ultimate Experience then get the Kinectimals Limited Edition Bundle with King Cheetah Plush. It is the entire package.

• Motion Sports, Play for Real, this looks like a game that you do sports motions and keep moving; great aerobic exercise. It has a wide range of sports, like it says you can zoom down slopes of a Super G slalom, score a mind-blowing penalty shot, duck-and-run your way to a game-winning touchdown or throw punches at the champ." I don't know about all that, but it look like some really exciting exercise.

• Kinect Joyride is a fun ride in a car, but I do not think it is a "stolen" car, but it is a Joyride. Kinect Joy Ride, the first controller-free racing game that combines wild kart racing with full-body controlling possible only with Kinect for Xbox 360.

• Sonic Free Riders is more action. It has speed and a finish line. This one takes your whole body to control a variety of hoverboards and bikes. This one may NOT be easy to pick up and play and be the hero. It matches family and friends in multiplayer modes. Each racer can have their own unique rules.

• And then the game that we all need to get is the Ultimate Workout, Biggest Loser style. You will work out with Bob and Jillian, the best workout coaches ever. The Biggest Loser Ultimate Workout will maximize your healthy diet. It boasts 50 new, healthy recipes. You can also track your caloric intake. This "game" is for real and will even give you real-time feedback that says you'll see immediate results.

• Can you dance? You will! DanceMasters lets you dance with nothing to constrain your movement and freedom. Different modes: Dance Mode, Lesson Mode, Status Mode, Xbox Live. There is even downloadable content. Next step is Dancing with the Stars for you!.

• Zumba Fitness Kinect. Everyone loves a Zumba! This game is for up to four players. Family or online players compete to get the highest workout group score or individual in Zumba Attack! Action, Dancing, and great fun.

• EA Sports, Active 2.0. It's in the Game! Build muscle, track your heart rate. There seems to be an unlimited customizable workout option with more than 70 games.

• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part One. The wand and real magic! You get an arsenal of formidable spells to defeat Death Eaters and enemies to all good Harry Potter stand-ins. Fight Voldemort's Death Eaters, Snatchers and Dementors.

• Deca Sports Freedom. This features ten athletic games to life: Tennis, you can even twing the bowstrings then play. Ten different events: tennis, boxing, archery, paintball, beach volleyball, dodgeball, kendo, mogul skiing, snowboard cross and figure skating. They really pack it in.

• Game Party: In Motion. This is a family-friendly collection of 16 arcade type games. The list is long: Darts, Hoop Shoot, Rootbeer Tapper, Table Hockey and 12 more. Multi player action and support available online and meet up to 16 players. Design and use your avatar and Facebook cross functionality. Now that is really covering all the bases.

• Fighters Uncaged, looks like a major adventure in fighting and the cover is really great. You can upgrade your fighter. The game and the Kinect lets you use your fists, knees, legs, elbows and even head. Take THAT mangy opponent!

• The next is Adrenaline Misfits. This is for single players or two players. The race includes 7 fantasy worlds and 7 monsters that need defeated. The soon-to-be-conquered course are like Snowy Mountains, stormy deserts, glacier lands, limestone caves, and volcanoes. This one also hooks up to xBox Live.

• And then another called Child of Eden. Graphics and sound combine to stimulate the senses. It is a physical, sensory experience.

• Star Wars Kinect is on the list but is not scheduled to be released for a year.

• Brunswick Pro Bowling, It is bowling for everyone, however kids have options which let them compete with the pros.

• Michael Jackson and the Experience. Put yourself into the game and be one of the stars in your own Michael Jackson video. This one looks awesome, if it includes "Thriller"! Dancers and Michael's Dance School take your performance to the next level. For beginners and experienced performers.

The price of the game seems to range from about $34 to others that are priced around $60. And for $40 you can even get a Kinect Mount that puts the sensor at just exactly the right position.

Now as far are reviewing the Kinect and the games: The public's experience is still new and since the Kinect has only been sold for less than two months, with the accompanying games the whole system is still novel and shiny new.

But it seems to this reviewer and others in the industry, that this is a brand-new paradigm in games and indoor exercise and it will shape the industry's future. The Kinect is changing the industry.

The xBox 360 and the Kinect are now in stock currently at Amazon and many other retailers and there are also very nice bundles to get the xBox 360 plus the Kinect as well as other hardware and games. It is very nice to get a bundle. It saves money in the long run - in the short run also. The Kinect also has some very nice price discounts.

James, my gaming colleague, is still stirred by his xBox 360 and he is an expert gamer. James says his xBox 360 experience, as well as the many games that he has played notes that the new Xbox 360 250GB is faster than other systems he's tried. The graphics are better and he noticed more advanced corporeal levels.

I asked him, "James, would you ever go back to another game system?" He replied, "Possibly the PS3 as a second," as he believes it is a close competitor.

For a more complete review of the xBox 360, the Kinect and specific games, please order the free e-book that will give you more detailed information go to the blog http://www.xbox360kinectsite.info

Thank you for attending this review and becoming informed of this remarkable system. So far, it is perfection and happiness.

This is an exciting day and age where specialty games and the reality of the xBox 360 and Kinect deliver a physical gaming experience, involving every part of your body and thus forcing you to exercise, stay active and have lots of fun..

The future of this system is limitless. If you have an xBox 360 and a Kinect and a HD TV and some of these games, you will experience the excitement, bliss and the life-changing action. This is a system that is near perfect. It can change your life, you can lose weight, get involved in adventures, hone your physical and mentall skills. This is a system that makes your time spent gaming well worth it.

You can't go wrong with this system. Now, get up and get moving!

Complete, intriguing, honest, and hard-hitting reviews of today's most important items. Such as this xBox 360 Kinect review, the iPad, is it perfect or just good enough? The Kindle eBook Reader can it really make you a more interesting person, and Oakley Sunglasses, Why choose Oakley? Are they really the best?

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Games Cheat

Games Cheat

Another name for game cheats would be cheat codes. The original purpose of the games cheat was to allow developers and beta testers to be able to get to a specific area and not have to start the games over all the time. It was then also an option if a player got to a difficult place in the games and could not advance, the option was available to use the games cheat to advance and go on with the game. Some game cheats would open up new sections, hidden areas, or other types of bonus features. For our article we are going to take a look at the games cheat in reference to online gaming.

If you have ever played games online the odds are you have run into someone cheating. This would be especially true if the game does not include some kind of anti-cheat program. In simple terms cheating is "modifying the game to gain an unfair advantage over the other players. It is at this point we would like to point out that most developers do not build the games cheat into multiplayer games for this reason.

There is a big debate among gamers on what a real cheat is and what isn't. Some feel that only such things as a aimbot is a games cheat but custom skins, and settings that enhance performance is not. Still others feel that it doesn't matter a cheat is a cheat. For example in one game a video card with a specific video driver will not show fog or it lets you actually see through walls. Some feel that is more than adjusting settings while others feel it's not their fault so it's perfectly OK to use that advantage. Then there was a game that had a flaw in it when you also were running MS Messenger. Both these were not intentionally built into the game by developers. Others however felt this was more than adjusting your gamma, brightness and other settings to improve performance so they were game cheats.

There are two other ways of cheating. These two almost everyone in the online gaming community, feel are definitely a games cheat. The first is an exploit.

With an exploit a bug is found on a specific level or game map. The developers didn't purposely include them, but once found they are very quickly used as a games cheat. Examples would be a hole in a game that would allow you to kill other players but never be hurt or killed yourself. It could have been a piece of code that accidentally got left in the game. These may have been used by the designers for a specific purpose. Sometimes these exploits will be addressed with update patches, but many times they will stay as the developers feel they are not a high priority.

Hacked files, trainers, aimbots, are other forms of a games cheat. These type of game cheats are mostly the work of people who are adept at coding or programming. The reason for this is this games cheat entails modifying game and or driver files. These modified files are then loaded directly into memory in which case they by-pass the game itself.

So the ultimate decision is based on your own definition of a games cheat as to if you are cheating or not. However it should be mentioned that if you are playing on-line and the rest of the players feel it is cheating you should discontinue what you are doing. Just out of courtesy for others. This way everyone can enjoy the game and this is what the developers did intend.

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Video Game Rental: A Real Money Saver

What is my best option if I like video games, but don’t find it cost effective to buy all the expensive games? The answer depends a little bit on what kind of game system you are using, but the truth is there is only one answer: video game rental. Home video game systems can be a lot of fun, but the games can be very expensive. That can be a real problem if you don’t have the time to play them or if the game you are playing has a definitive end. No matter the reason, video game rental will prevent you from spending too much on your home video game entertainment.

Video games, though becoming more affordable and more exciting, are very expensive. Even after you have purchased your home gaming system, you still need to purchase the actual game to play on that system. That can be expensive since games can be as much as $60, $70, or even more. By using video game rental, you can curb that cost. Generally you can rent a game for just a few dollars and keep it for a few days. If you don’t play your system very often, then you have saved a lot of money you would have spent on purchasing the game. Video game rental can definitely be a real money saver.

Another reason to consider video game rental is for testing a game you are considering purchasing. If, for instance, you enjoy playing games and are willing to put down the money to purchase a certain game, you want to be sure you actually like it. What you can do is go out and get a video game rental of the game you are considering. For a few dollars you can play it for a day or so. If you don’t like it, then you are only out the cost of the video game rental. On the other hand, had you bought it and then found out you don’t like it, you may not be able to return it for the full purchase price

A final reason for considering a video game rental for games that may have a distinct ending. Some games, like adventuring games, have an end point. Once you have figured out how to win the game, it is useless to you. If you are good at adventure games and can win them quickly than you may find that you are forking out a lot of money for a game that is useless to you in a few days. A video game rental can save you that money.

If you love video games and playing them on your home system, you know how expensive that can be. The cost of the system is a lot, but then you have to buy games for your system, which is quite an added expense. However, one way to curb that cost is through video game rentals. By renting games [http://www.evergladenews.com/category/entertainment-online] instead of buying them you can save yourself money in a couple of ways. You can play a game to its end, you can test a game for purchase, or just play a game you know you wouldn’t play enough to justify the cost. No matter what, you can save yourself hassle and money with a video game rental.

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Most Popular Games of the World For Improving IQ

We all are fond of playing games online and offline. Games can be defined as an activity that is merely done for enjoyment or sometimes for educational purpose. However, many of the games such as soccer, rugby, baseball, chess, etc are largely played to have competition between the players in order to decide the winner. The winner of the game is usually the one who utilizes his mental and physical activity above par to win the game. Many people hardly find any time to play games which means their physical and mental ability will comparatively lower than a sportsman who stays fit and plays game regularly.  Most games need physical and mental stimulation to be played effectively. As it is said that games require mental stimulation, it is evitable that it improves one IQ level.

One can find infinite numbers of popular games online and the list of games is simply endless. Games can be classified in different categories such as quiz, trivia games, online games and real life games. Real life games include a wide range of games. Tug of war is one of the most common, popular and widely played real life games. This game is also known as rope pulling. The game is played between two different teams or sometime between two individuals. Both the teams have to compete with each other using a rope which is the tug. The winner is declared when one of the two teams managed to pull the opponent team in such a manner that they cross the center point. This game requires high physical stimulation as well as mental strategy as the game need to be played with techniques to favor the players.

Charades is one of the guessing games, which is also widely enjoyed by people around the globe. This games is known by different names in different parts of the world, however, the most common name for the game is Charades or Charade. The game is as interesting as any other quiz games or online trivia games. Charades also improves IQ as it involves lot of mental exercise in form of guess works. The game is based on acting and guessing skills. As one person acts out a word or a phrase and the other participant needs to guess the correct answer by understanding the sign language done by his teammate.

Trivia games are also one of the most interesting games that are enjoyed by people from all age groups. These games are filled with general knowledge sort of questions which needs to be answered. Like many other games trivia game also helps in enhancing your IQ level. Other games that are improves our mental skills include online quiz games, word search games, word puzzles, image puzzle, suduko.

 

Chess is one famous board game which is played in almost every country of the world. It can also be played online. The game highly stimulates mental ability of the players. It requires lot of mind work. There are many other such games that are played which not only offer enjoyment but also enhance IQ level. Card games such as solitaire, hearts, piquet, bridge, etc are very exciting games that will make you think of different strategies to win the game.

 

TV Games are one of the best ways to play games and improve your IQ by staying at the comfort of your home. Unlike other outdoor game which improves your physical strength, TV Games helps in enhancing your mental abilities and also improves your thought process. Various TV games have various difficulty levels. The more time you spend to think about different ways to clear the level, the more mentally sound you become.

 

On the internet, you can find many online quizzes, trivia games. You can also find umpteen numbers of skill games can be found online, one of the prominent ones being strategy games such as Evony. This game can be played through your web browser. You can also choose multiplayer option to play with anyone across the globe. There are other strategy games that can be played by means of DVDs on your PC such as SimCity and Age of Empires. Such games can improve your IQ considerably.

Matthew Brown is a researcher and analyst of QuizBoom.com. Online quiz QuizBoom.com [http://www.quizboom.com/] is a risk-free online quiz where players compete against each other using their trivia knowledge. All players are rewarded with cash prizes - only a player's skill determines the outcome of each game round. QuizBoom.com is a game created for everyone who loves trivia - those who have taken part in trivia games or have always wanted to.With QuizBoom.com, each and every player can take part at any time - there are no limits to proving one's trivia knowledge.. Each game consists of 16 multiple choice questions with different difficulty levels covering various subjects. Everyone can play the game for free - QuizBoom.com gives free chips for each registered user. Chips are needed for making bets on ones game score. At the end of each day's quiz game all the individual games played are ranked by their scores.The daily game pool is distributed to all players of the particular day according to pre-defined winnings distribution rules.

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