Kinect's first purchasers talk about camping out, system's potential

Did you want to be the first person to buy Kinect? You were well beaten. The first person -- in a warm purple hoodie -- arrived on Monday, more than two days ago. Thankfully, he had some friends to keep him company. We chatted with the collective group, and asked about what compelled them to wait in the New York City cold. "The deal! It's just so good," one person shouted. "The deal is just -- that's what attracted me. You're getting $160 free and you're buying a $150 system." Certainly, being the first person on line is one way of guaranteeing access to the deal.

Unfortunately, there is a downside to waiting on line for the Kinect, other than the cold, the hunger and inconvenient bathroom breaks. Whilst standing at the entrance of the Times Square Toys R Us, you could faintly see Microsoft's extravagant dance performance (of 600 people!), a block away. "You can be first on line, but you miss everything else," one person lamented. "It's a tease."

But what about the games? "Dance Central looks good. I actually like Kinect Adventures -- that free one that they're giving? That rafting one?"

Many of the people in the group argued that Kinect will offer a better experience than either the Wii or the PlayStation Move. "I've had a Wii, and PlayStation ... I would not want it if they gave it to me," one person shouted, proud of his Xbox alliance. Another fan used some marketing lingo when describing his enthusiasm for the upcoming device. "The Wii doesn't have the games that you look for, really. And it's not as pretty. So, Kinect offers you -- you pay $150, and you're your own controller. You don't have to buy extra controllers -- like the Wii, you do -- and it's so reactive. It just knows who you are. You could just walk in: it signs you in 'cause it sees you, it knows who you are. It's just great. The way the games are, they look fun. That dance game? You're gonna be playing that for years to come!"

"They haven't reached to core gamers yet," another person added. "But, I'm sure that's gonna come soon. There's so many endless possibilities. I'd say it's better than the Move launch, that's for sure."

So what franchise does the first person in line want to see the most on Kinect? "Fable, easily ... The Milo stuff." Unfortunately, neither of these efforts have come to fruition ... yet.

At the end of our conversation, one of the members of the group asked us what we thought of the system. Our adherence to Microsoft's embargo for reviews tied our tongues. That didn't matter, though. "I'm sold already," one of them quipped. "I already went to Comic Con. I already saw how it was. I liked the fact that it knows you. There's voice command. Everything just works. Just for the Netflix alone -- being able to pause and play, and keep my ass in bed or couch -- even though that's the laziest thing in the world. That's worth $150 right there."