[quote name='dirtyvu']don't get the zoom! you'll regret it.
it's a wide angle lens which is how it lets you get closer to the Kinect. the problem is because it's a wide angle lens, it distorts the viewing area for the Kinect, and it forces you to play closer and forces you to play in a smaller zone.
the normal kinect zone is between 6-10 feet. this gives you enough room to go forward or backward or sideways in the kinect game. step outside the zone and the kinect will tell you to step back if you're too close or step forward if you're too far.
the zoom basically squishes this zone so that it's wider but narrower. so instead of being able to move around in a typical kinect zone, you have this tiny window to move around. so for kinect games that have you move in all directions, it's quite easy to step out of the reading zone with the Zoom. people think the zoom will expand their area from the normal 6-10 feet to something like 3-10 feet but it's really changing the zone to 3-5 feet.
And because it's a wide angle lens that stretches the area, in games when you have to step sideways, for a normal Kinect setup, when you step to the left 1 foot, your character moves to the left 1 foot in the game (or whatever the distance is for the game). But with the Zoom, it's stretching your movement.
But it's not only that. Because of the distortion, some games act really wonky with the Zoom.
If you don't have the space for the Kinect, then you're basically using it for voice commands and hand gesture navigation.
Most people in the typical living room home theater scenario sit 6-10 feet away anyway so they basically have to move the coffee table away to use the Kinect. The Kinect is not really meant for a kid's bedroom scenario.
That aside, it's only $5. You can spend $5 for a bad fast food meal so it's not much harm or foul. And if it works for you in the games that you enjoy, that's a win.
The best tip for playing closer to the TV with a Kinect is to put the Kinect higher. because what happens is the Kinect needs to see the floor and it needs to see the farthest part of you (seeing your fingertips when you raise your arms above your head). So when the kinect is placed high, it's looking downward so it's easier to see the floor and you. But if you put the Kinect below the TV (and the kinect's viewing angle is like a cone), to see both the floor and your whole body, you basically have to step further back. So you can probably trim a foot or so off your distance from the Kinect and get better scoring performance.[/QUOTE]
^ This pretty much sums up what I was going to say.
I bought one last year and it just made everything so much worse. Fruit Ninja Kinect is practically unplayable with this thing. Also, yes it did scratch my kinect lens as well.