by Jack DeVries

So Christmas is over, it's officially 2011, and there in your living room, sitting on top of your Xbox 360, is Kinect. You made all the wacky talking statue videos you wanted in Kinect Adventures. You bought your pet tiger every fancy collar in the game. You even mastered dozens of dance routines.

So now what? You've got a really expensive peripheral and a lack of games on the horizon. Or so it seems. Turns out there are a ton of games, both casual and hardcore, slated for release this year on Kinect.

While it's true that many companies have been tight lipped about their Kinect projects, plenty of games have been announced. We're compiling this list of titles, both full Kinect games and ones that will have Kinect features. As more information comes in, we'll keep updating it (there are plenty of games that have no release date, or ones that will have Kinect features that have yet to be announced).

BERJAYA




Dance Paradise

Release date: February 22

THQ is throwing its hat into the Kinect ring with the third dancing game to grace the system. We don't know much about Dance Paradise, save that it's geared towards both families and "die hard clubbers" and that you can dance in a discotech or on a beach. It also features actual music videos. Harmonix set the bar pretty high with Dance Central, so we'll see how THQ answers.



Brunswick Pro Bowling

Release date: February 28

Crave has released Brunswick Pro Bowling on both the Nintendo Wii and the Playstation Move. The concept seems self explanatory. You're going to pantomime that you're bowling. It will likely also feature all the interesting lanes and characters from the previous games. It will be interesting to see how Kinect tracks shots, considering it's not designed to notice subtle wrist movement.



Fantastic Pets

Release date: March 15

In addition to its dance game, THQ is also going after the virtual pet market with Fantastic Pets. Unlike Kinectimals, Fantastic Pets is an augmented reality game (like Eye Pet). Players can also transform their mundane normal cat, dog, or lizard, into something more... fantastic, like a unicorn or a dragon.



Winter Sports 3: The Great Tournament

Release date: March 29

A collection of eight winter sports, like bobsledding, figure skating, and snowboarding. Zoo Games released this title on the Wii last year, so we'll see if it's the same game, or if it's a more improved version. Hopefully it still features online multiplayer.



Child of Eden

Release date: March 29

Child of Eden is the spiritual successor to Rez, a rhythm action shooter lightshow on the PS2 (and later available on XBLA). By using your hands you can controls weapons in a colorful and explosive shooter. It's definitely one of the games to keep an eye on, and we've had the chance to play it before.




Get Fit With Mel B

Release date: March 31

Remember Mel B, aka Scary Spice from the Spice Girls? Well it turns out she's still a celebrity in Europe, and in addition to having her own reality TV series, she has a successful line of fitness DVDs. And now she's getting a video game on Kinect. Is the celebrity appeal enough to make this a fitness game that actually stands out?



YooStar 2

Release date: March

Yoostar doesn't use motion controls, but it does use the Kinect camera and microphone technology. For the unfamiliar, it's a movie karaoke game that allows players to act out scenes from famous films, then upload them and share with friends and the community. Like all performance games, it will be more fun if you like to ham it up, or if you have a case of beer and some good humored friends.



Michael Jackson: The Experience

Release date: April 12

The Michael Jackson game already came out on the Wii to a poor reception (and huge sales), but here's the thing. If the developers can actually make this game more like the good dancing games that are already on Kinect, then it might actually be a Michael Jackson experience. Here's hoping the game actually makes us moonwalk.



Forza 4

Release date: Fall

We've known for a while that Forza will feature Kinect controls as an extra feature. Racing games were some of the earliest demonstrations of the tech. and from what we've seen, holding your arms up like you're gripping a phantom steering wheel totally works.



Rise of Nightmares

Release date: TBA 2011

SEGA is flexing their survival horror muscles with a Kinect exclusive game. It looks very House of the Dead like, and could very well be the first M-rated Kinect game coming out.





Kinect: Star Wars

Release date: TBA 2011

We haven't heard much about this game since we saw it last summer. But in the demo it was exactly what you think. Players used motion controls to swing a lightsaber, use force push, and deflect shots. If we can also force choke some dudes, it's a guaranteed purchase.



Codename D

Release date: TBA 2011

What is this game? We have no idea. But it's from the mind of Suda 51, the creator of No More Heroes. So we know it will be crazy in all respects. Crazy violent, crazy funny, and probably literally crazy.



Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor

Release date: TBA 2011

What makes Steel Battalion particularly interesting as a Kinect title is that you'll play the game with a controller, and motion controls. Controlling the mechs will be a combination of button inputs and onscreen interface. Sound complicated? Well that's Steel Battalion for you.



Haunt

Release date: TBA 2011

Haunt is another horror game for Kinect, though one that feels decidedly different. We've only seen a trailer so far, but it looks like it might be a first person survival horror game where players walk through some sort of haunted mansion. The style is cartoony, but the atmosphere is very creepy.





This list doesn't even cover every game we know about. There are still plenty of titles that have no release date, or just haven't been fully revealed (Milo could be a 2011 release, or it could be 2025 for all we know). Pretty much every major publisher has a Kinect project in the works for this year. So bookmark this page and keep checking back as we expand the list.