Can Kinect connect?

This year’s must-have technological gift is undoubtedly the Kinect console for X-Box 360. It builds on the interactive approach developed by Nintendo with their highly popular Wii system, encouraging player interaction with the on-screen display. The technology behind the gaming has the potential to revolutionise the way users’ experience the internet and opens up a wealth of opportunities for the way we approach web design and content.

What sets Kinect apart is that it is the first console not to require any form of controller. The Kinect technology effectively makes you the controller, whether you are playing games, watching films or chatting to friends.

It offsets the old arguments about gaming causing obesity and anti-social behaviour by creating a mode of play that is all about you and your friends, it works best in a multi-player setting and requires full body movement to play most of the attached games. Certain features are also voice- or hand-movement activated, in a style reminiscent of Tom Cruise’s popular film Minority Report!

The technology measures the positioning of 48 key points in your body to run its interactive programmes and has received generally ecstatic reviews from the gaming and gadgets community. It also brings a new level of interactivity to internet usage via the Xbox Live system. The same rules apply, so you essentially have hands-free internet, with access to all your favourite sites including Twitter, Facebook and TV-on-demand applications.

So industry insiders are now asking, is Kinect the future of communications? In particular, the way we approach the internet? If the anticipated technological switch-over does occur, it’ll be the first time a gaming console has irrevocably changed the internet, proving that as the web continues to grow, inspiration really does come from all sources.