It looks like rumors about new Kinect games are already arriving.  Gaming news site IGN has received word from a “reliable source” that Microsoft is looking to use this year’s Spike Video Game Awards to show off one of their hardcore Kinect games for 2011.  According to those sources, that title looks to be a Gears of War game for Kinect from Epic Games. There is no word on whether it is an all new Gears of War game or Gears of War 3 with special Kinect features.

Cliff Blezinski, a game designer for Epic Games and the driving force behind the Gears of War franchise has already commented on the rumor.  A couple of hours ago on his Twitter account, Blezinski wrote “No Kinect in Gears of War 3.”

My Analysis: To analyze the situation, Blezinski is no doubt telling the truth.  Gears of War 3 is definitely finished in terms of having all of the content in the current build of the game.  The only things that will most likely be changed or added to the game will be the fans’ suggestions that will come out of playing the Gears of War 3 beta in early 2011.  I do believe that if this rumor is even true, it will be some sort of Gears of War spinoff to tell more of the storyline told in the trilogy.  I believe that it will either be a game for Xbox Live Arcade or a retail game that will retail somewhere between $40 and $50.  I really do not feel Epic Games had enough time to make a full featured $60 Kinect game in just a little under two years, maybe even less than that.  It is definitely possible but I don’t see it happening since Kinect is such new technology and they will need time to make things perfect.  It will definitely be a hardcore title and there is no way of telling whether is will be a shooter or some sort of different genre.  Stay tuned for more updates on this rumor as they arrive.

(IGN)