Kinect for Windows enabling UK flailing from 1 February

We've been jiggling and gyrating in front of our computers for years here at Crave. But as of 1 February, we'll finally have an excuse to shake our junk for reasons that aren't related to [censored following advice from our legal team].

That's because Kinect, the the motion system where you control your Xbox 360 via the method of flailing, is due to arrive on PC for Windows users on 1 February. 

The news was announced in a blog post by Kinect for Windows general manager Craig Eisler, who confirmed the Kinect for Windows hardware will be released in 12 countries including the UK, Ireland, Germany and France for a suggested price of $249 (£160) -- which is $100 more than the Xbox 360 version. A UK price wasn't announced.

Why is the PC edition so much more expensive than the console model? Eisler says it's because the new gadget was developed as a "stand-alone" system. "The ability to sell Kinect for Xbox 360 at [a lower] price point is in large part [because it is] subsidised by consumers buying a number of Kinect games, subscribing to Xbox Live and making other transactions associated with the Xbox 360 ecosystem," Eisler explained.

Sounds like a load of tosh to us. Perhaps Eisler is forgetting the fact that people also buy games for Windows and that Xbox Live is indeed available for the PC.

Though it's more expensive, Kinect for Windows will likely offer functionality the console version lacks. The kit will include a 'near mode' that will allow you to use Kinect for Windows while sitting at your desk. This will likely include voice control for launching apps and searching, as well as gesture control for accessing your movies and music. Naturally, the system will also have a 'far mode', which will let you flail, jerk, holler and flop while standing some distance from your PC. 

You can watch a clip of Kinect for Windows by heading over to our sister site CNET.com, where you'll see Microsoft force a small girl to embarrass herself on a stage while pretending she's playing with characters from Sesame Street (the footage is around the 4:11 mark). 

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