Project Natal, which has since been renamed to Kinect, is Microsoft’s next-generation motion control technology that was unveiled to the world this week at E3. Since then, there have been varying degrees of opinion regarding the overall usefulness, validity or even viability of Microsoft releasing such a piece of hardware. No doubt, there have been the trolls who have immediately dismissed the technology, crying foul across the internet that Microsoft is simply copying Nintendo in an attempt to keep pace with Sony. As I perpetually dislike being the bearer of bad news, it still must be said that this should merely be seen as a business move. Microsoft and Sony, which also will be showing off the Move this week, have spent the last several years appealing to their devoted market bases. Having done so for an extended period of time, it is only logical then to expand and increase their respective shares by appealing to other distinct corners of society by offering something a bit different amongst their Gears of War, Halo, Killzone and Uncharted titles. This is simply smart business on the part of companies that wish to survive and continue publishing games for you, the gamer. Thus, out of the fifteen games releasing with Kinect on November 4^th, here are the five that appear genuinely worthwhile to bring home for the family.

Kinect Sports definitely has similarities to Wii Sports and Microsoft certainly isn’t trying to hide this fact. After all, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so there would be few better ways than to set an early precedence for their new motion controlling Kinect than to release a collection of sports activities that could very well supersede Nintendo’s initial offering as well as Wii Sports Resort. Demonstrated at E3 by showing off a track & field hurdling event, players will have to run and jump in the same way real world hurdlers would while performing at an event. As no additional inclusions have been announced in regards to features or games, we can all only wait with baited breath. However, regardless of the amount of content that will be available on the disc when it arrives at retail, Kinect Sports would definitely be the title with the potential to garner universal appeal, thus making it the quintessential game resting on every Kinect owner’s shelf.

4. Kinect Adventures

A Microsoft Game Studios original, this is a surprisingly interesting game that seems to have caught a case of Tomb Raider. Placing players on a flat-topped train car, they are tasked with collecting free-floating tokens by adjusting their bodies or flailing limbs like a wacky, wavy, inflatable arm-waving-tube-man all while trying to maintain their momentum on the track. Even cooler is that a friend can immediately jump in or out of the game just by standing in front of the Kinect camera, which places their avatar onto their own car for a level or two. Seemingly, every motion affects the in-game mechanics. Going down on a track-bound elevator, jumping will speed up how fast you descend. Alternatively, a game was shown with two player avatars in a raft, propelled down torrential whitewater rapids, collecting tokens and moving alike. Perhaps the most notable aspect is the fact that during any one of these games, at designated points that force players to jump, squat, or do any number of relatively strenuous or embarrassing actions, a camera icon will appear and take a picture of you and your friends. This would be enough for most, but they can be instantly uploaded to Facebook, just in case you weren’t already satisfied with how much of a silly ass you already appeared to be.

3. Your Shape: Fitness Evolved

Fitness Evolved shares a planar existence with Wii Fit, but only in the loosest sense of the expression. Where Wii Fit confines players to a balance board, Fitness Evolved gives players their own space on their living room, bedroom or family room floor – effectively eliminating a lot of the pains associated with the hard plastic shell of the Wii peripheral. Within the first few moments of starting the game Fitness Evolved proceeds to scan the player, creating a digital image of them to give the game a better view of their body in the game space. Regardless of how trite this might seem initially, it’s kind of cool that Kinect enables the Xbox 360 to have a HAL-9000 moment of telling a player their various vital details, such as shoulder span, all based on visual assessment. It’s admittedly a bit creepy, but nonetheless a step towards a seamless integration of games and players – significantly amping up the immersion factor. The player then proceeds to do basic calisthenics, which are kept track of complete with the amount of calories being burned as well as ensuring proper form is maintained. Immediately following, players might find themselves punching and kicking pixilated blocks before doing some Yoga. Sufficiently impressive, despite being a launch game for the console, Fitness Evolved seems more than capable of luring in those who’ve been longing for a Wii Fit experience on the Xbox 360.

2. Dance Central

If there is one thing I was always curious about growing up white and nerdy, it’s how I possess any capability whatsoever of being able to dance. But, odd natural talent aside, it’s going to be interesting to see how exactly Dance Central, created by Harmonix and MTV Games, will work. Not only does the game have a dance mode that allows players to bust all sorts of grooves all over themselves, it has a mode that is capable of teaching players how to dance. Initial terror aside, I’m not exactly certain what that all entails, but if the demo shown during the MS press conference has anything to do with it, it just might be able to help all of the kids out there who lack the gift of rhythm to finally discover what it’s like to not have two left feet. With the same people behind the game as Rock Band, Amplitude and even the first two Guitar Hero games, I’m fairly confident that this just might be one of those games that imbues geeky kids into Lords of Dance.

1. Kinectimals

Admittedly one of the most adorable things any gamer has ever seen, it’s ridiculous how cute watching a pre-teen play with a digital tiger cub could be. More than that, it’s absolute madness, but I can’t wait until Kinectimals comes out if for no other reason than to leave it running for hours on end so I can have my pet tiger running around the screen while I sit at my computer working. Claiming to offer forty different animals and over thirty different activities, it is without a doubt something that can keep a lot of people wondering until Kinect arrives in November. But, after showing the E3 footage to a few people, I’m well aware that kids this Christmas have something to look forward to – namely owning their own tiger.

So, after watching the E3 footage, what do you think? Are you excited at all for the prospect of Kinect, even if it isn’t your cup of tea? Regardless, the future potential is there and while it may not possess the overall staying power to render the control pad useless, it does seem poised to shake things up and bring a new aspect of popular culture to the Xbox 360. Let us know in the comments what you think of Kinect and be sure to stay tuned to The Naked Gamers as more news comes out of E3.