Microsoft releases Kinect Nat Geo TV game for Xbox 360

Microsoft Studios in collaboration with National Geographic has launched the Kinect Nat Geo TV game, a first-of-its-kind interactive television gaming experience in India. The game is priced at Rs. 2,399 and is now available in stores across India. Gamers can also download the game by purchasing a Season's Pass on Xbox LIVE with Kinect for Xbox 360.

Developed by Relentless Software, the 2 Way TV experience for Xbox 360 Kinect lets children don the roles of various animals in their natural habitats and enable interaction via Nat Geo TV shows that include eight 30-minute episodes of Casey Anderson's "America the Wild"

The game allows simultaneous dual player gameplay. Kinect Nat Geo TV blends fun with education for the whole family as it claims to help develop naturalist skills, learn about the environment and get to know more about wild animals.

The 2 Way TV experience works with the Kinect scanning the living room and projecting its image on the TV screen in the form of a natural habitat for an animal with grass, trees and other resources. Visual cues on the screen appear to highlight the interactive "sidetrack" activities for viewers to jump in and explore with Casey.

Children can then be invited to be a part of certain animal activities like, for example, look for food as a bear. As they  call out to the TV set with this request, the children see themselves being portrayed as the bear with a head and claws, roaming around looking for food around the wild terrain, which is a recreation of their room's interior.
 
Sharing more on this revolutionary gaming experience for children, Anshu Mor, Category Lead, Interactive Entertainment Business, Microsoft India said, "The Kinect NAT GEO TV game with its' unique 2-Way TV Experience, is part of Microsoft's effort to bring to India the latest in playful learning. The game encourages children to learn in a manner that is fun and engaging. Through the TV set, which most children spend a lot of time watching, Kinect NAT GEO game uses Kinect to turn the living room into natural habitats and players into a range of animals, creating a truly immersive experience for children. A unique innovation in the way children take in deep learning about their environment and observe nature and wildlife in a realistic manner. It's a great combination of learning through doing as the Kinect technology enables young children to access learning through gaming naturally, using their body and voice to interact with the show."