Kinect Adventures
Encyclopedia
Kinect Adventures is a 2010
sports
video game for the Xbox 360
, which utilizes the Kinect motion camera and is included as a pack-in game
with the device. It was officially unveiled at the 2010 Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles
. The game is a collection of five adventure and sports minigames and was developed by Good Science Studio
, a subsidiary of Microsoft Game Studios
.
multiplayer. At many points during the game, Kinect's RGB camera takes photos, which are shown to the player(s) and saved to a storage device. These can then be viewed within the game, with the option of uploading these to a private repository on Kinectshare.com and downloaded to a computer or uploaded to social networking sites.
The object of all the minigames is to get the highest number of adventure pins, which are collected in different ways. Adventure pins earn the player(s) medals which, in story mode, affect progression. Medals can be bronze, silver, gold and platinum, in order from least to most pins needed to acquire each.
As a pack-in game, Kinect Adventures also contains features which aid users in proper set-up and use of the Kinect sensor.
At the end of each Adventure, the player(s) earn either an achievement, a new timed play mode, an avatar clothing award, or a Living Statue character model which can be uploaded to Kinectshare.com. The player is invited to record several seconds of character movement and vocals (which are then digitally modified to fit the character, such as a high pitch modification for a chipmunk).
s two presenters gave the game a 6.5 and 6 out of 10 saying that it's a good demonstration of what the Kinect is capable of but a pity that there aren't more mini-games however stating that only 2 of the 5 mini-games were worth playing.
Being a pack-in game for Kinect, which has sold 10 million units, Kinect Adventures has sold 10 million copies worldwide, making it the third-best selling game for Xbox 360, behind Halo 3
and Call of Duty: Black Ops
.
2010 in video gaming
The year 2010 has seen many sequels and prequels in video games, including several new titles.-Events:-Game releases:List of games scheduled for release in 2010 in North America....
sports
Sports game
A sports game is a computer or video game that simulates the practice of traditional sports. Most sports have been recreated with a game, including team sports, athletics and extreme sports. Some games emphasize actually playing the sport , whilst others emphasize strategy and organization...
video game for the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, which utilizes the Kinect motion camera and is included as a pack-in game
Pack-in game
- Characteristics :Pack-in games are intended to be system-selling games that make good use of the positive features of a given system. Sometimes a pack-in game will be changed to a more popular game, or another game will be added, along with the original pack-in, if it is perceived that a newer...
with the device. It was officially unveiled at the 2010 Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. The game is a collection of five adventure and sports minigames and was developed by Good Science Studio
Good Science Studio
Good Science Studio is an American video game developer owned by Microsoft Studios. It was established in 2009 to develop Xbox 360 games for the Kinect sensor. The company was originally called SpawnPoint....
, a subsidiary of Microsoft Game Studios
Microsoft Game Studios
Microsoft Studios is the video game production wing for Microsoft, responsible for the development and publishing of games for the Xbox, Xbox 360, Games for Windows and Windows Phone platforms. They were established in 2002 as Microsoft Game Studios to coincide with the release of the Xbox, before...
.
Gameplay
Kinect Adventures uses full body motion to allow the player to engage in a variety of minigames, all of which feature jump-in, jump-out multiplayer play. Each minigame lasts about three minutes. While most of the minigames are co-operative in two player mode, Reflex Ridge is a competitive game. The game also supports Xbox LiveXbox Live
Xbox Live is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft Corporation. It is currently the only online gaming service on consoles that charges users a fee to play multiplayer gaming. It was first made available to the Xbox system in 2002...
multiplayer. At many points during the game, Kinect's RGB camera takes photos, which are shown to the player(s) and saved to a storage device. These can then be viewed within the game, with the option of uploading these to a private repository on Kinectshare.com and downloaded to a computer or uploaded to social networking sites.
The object of all the minigames is to get the highest number of adventure pins, which are collected in different ways. Adventure pins earn the player(s) medals which, in story mode, affect progression. Medals can be bronze, silver, gold and platinum, in order from least to most pins needed to acquire each.
As a pack-in game, Kinect Adventures also contains features which aid users in proper set-up and use of the Kinect sensor.
Game types
- 20,000 Leaks
- In 20,000 Leaks, the player's avatar is in a glass cube underwater. The player positions his or her limbs and head to plug cracks as crabs, fish, and bosses such as sharks and swordfish cause cracks and holes in the cube. As difficulty increases, up to five leaks must be plugged at a time to earn Adventure pins. Each game consists of three waves, which end when time expires or when all leaks are plugged. Extra time left over at the end of each wave is added to the Adventure pin total.
- River Rush
- In River Rush, one or two players stand in a raft and work together to pick up the adventure pins scattered throughout the winding rapids. The raft is controlled by stepping left or right to steer, and by jumping to jump the raft. There are many secret places that you can get to by taking ramps. There are considerably more adventure points there than on the river. Crashing into barrels, wood, markers, or rapid markers, causes the player to lose points.
- Rally Ball
- Rally Ball is a Breakout cloneBreakout cloneA Breakout clone is a sub-class of the "bat-and-ball" genre introduced with the Magnavox Odyssey's Tennis and Atari's Pong...
, but also similar to handballAmerican handballAmerican handball is a sport in which players hit a small rubber ball against a wall using their hands.- History :...
. The player uses his or her limbs and head to hit balls at blocks and targets which are at the end of a virtual hallway. When certain targets are hit, the ball splits into multiple balls which can be handled simultaneously. Each game consists of three rounds, each with a different set of blocks and targets. Rounds end when time expires or when all blocks and targets are destroyed. Extra time left over at the end of each round is added to the Adventure pin total.
- Reflex Ridge
- Reflex Ridge is a track-and-field inspired game, but played on a moving platform in an environment similar to a wooden roller coasterRoller coasterThe roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885...
or minecart. One or two players (in split screenSplit screen (computer graphics)Split screen is a display technique in computer graphics that consists of dividing graphics and/or text into non-movable adjacent parts, typically two or four rectangular areas. This is done in order to allow the simultaneous presentation of related graphical and textual information on a computer...
) race on a platform, jump over hurdles, lean away from obstacles, and limbo to avoid hitting their heads on low beams. Jumping in place makes the platform move faster along its rail. Adventure pins are earned by avoiding obstacles or touching ones scattered throughout the course. The game is timed, with extra time left over at the end of the course added to the Adventure pin total.
- Space Pop
- In Space Pop, transparent balls (soap bubbles) shuttle between holes on the walls, floors and ceilings of a virtual zero-gravity room. The player attempts to pop the bubbles by touching them to earn Adventure pins. Space Pop utilizes depth, requiring the player to move toward and away from the sensor. To move upwards, the player can flap his or her arms, and to stay at current height, hold arms out to the sides.
Adventure mode
In adventure mode, the player(s) follow a linear progression of pre-selected challenges drawn from the five minigame types. In order to progress, one of three conditions must be met:- A certain number and quality of medals must be earned in several levels, or
- A certain number of "Treasure Pins" (effectively identical to Adventure pins other than their appearance) must be collected across several levels, with the Adventure concluding as soon as that number is acquired, or
- A certain number of timed mode challenges must be completed.
At the end of each Adventure, the player(s) earn either an achievement, a new timed play mode, an avatar clothing award, or a Living Statue character model which can be uploaded to Kinectshare.com. The player is invited to record several seconds of character movement and vocals (which are then digitally modified to fit the character, such as a high pitch modification for a chipmunk).
Free play mode
Free play mode features the same challenges as Adventure mode, but the player is able to select the game type and difficulty level at will. All levels are initially unlocked, with no need to play easier challenges before being able to play difficult ones.Timed play mode
Timed play mode, which must first be unlocked by playing timed levels in Adventure mode, is similar to free play mode in that individual challenges can be selected. Adventure pins are replaced by Time pins, which award the player(s) more time to complete the challenge. The time limit is more rigidly enforced, meaning that if time runs out, the game is over. In other modes, the games are timed but play can continue if more rounds or waves remain. Some two-player challenges in this mode allow the two players to share time, meaning that there is only one time limit for both players and actions performed by either one can increase or decrease the time limit. Only Reflex Ridge, Rallyball, and River Rush are playable in this mode.Pre-Order Bonus
Pre-order Kinect bundles included a card with codes redeemable for two exclusive levels of Rallyball and one exclusive level of Reflex Ridge, as well as a helicopter prop for use with an Xbox Live Avatar.Reception
Kinect Adventures has received mixed reviews from various game reviewers. Video game talk show Good GameGood Game
Good Game is an Australian video gaming talk show television programme created by Janet Carr and Jeremy Ray currently on ABC2. It premiered on ABC on 19 September 2006...
s two presenters gave the game a 6.5 and 6 out of 10 saying that it's a good demonstration of what the Kinect is capable of but a pity that there aren't more mini-games however stating that only 2 of the 5 mini-games were worth playing.
Being a pack-in game for Kinect, which has sold 10 million units, Kinect Adventures has sold 10 million copies worldwide, making it the third-best selling game for Xbox 360, behind Halo 3
Halo 3
Halo 3 is a first-person shooter video game developed by Bungie for the Xbox 360 console. The third installment in the Halo franchise, the game concludes the story arc begun in Halo: Combat Evolved and continued in Halo 2...
and Call of Duty: Black Ops
Call of Duty: Black Ops
Call of Duty: Black Ops is a first-person shooter video game developed by Treyarch, published by Activision and released worldwide on November 9, for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii consoles, with a separate version for Nintendo DS developed by n-Space. Announced on April 30, 2010,...
.