By now, you've probably heard of Kinectimals, the video game for Xbox 360 that uses Kinect and enables kids to play with virtual animals. As we previously reported, Kinectimals takes you on a journey of discovery, using full body movement, voice commands, and gestures. Just like real pets, your animal will come running when it hears your voice, respond to commands like “jump,” “roll-over,” and “play dead,” and purr with joy when you scratch it behind the ears.
Now five new Kinectimals plush pals have been released in the real world, available at Toys “R” Us and Target. Each toy has a Microsoft Tag, and when you scan it with the Kinect for Xbox 360 sensor, it unlocks a new in-game character: the White Tiger, African Lion, Asian Cheetah, Bornean Clouded Leopard, or Iberian Lynx. The plush pals let players keep their animal friends with them even when they’re not playing the game.
These five new Kinectimals plush pals are only the beginning, with four additional waves of plush pals launching later in 2011, including some of the world’s most exotic animals, such as the Canadian Lynx and Jaguarundi.
Have you played Kinectimals? What do you think of the Tag tie-in with the plush pals? Let us know in the comments below or on Tag’s Facebook or Twitter pages.