Deal or No Deal: Fruit Ninja Kinect and The Humble Indie Bundle

This week, we return to looking at video game offers and determining whether or not there is some true value in them. The twist this time however is that there will be no beating around the bush. Both Fruit Ninja Kinect and the Humble Indie bundle are deals you should grab.

First up is the Humble Indie Bundle, a project that allows you to download five to seven independent video games for the low price of...well, whatever you want. It works like this: Sign up for their e-mail list and be alerted when they will be launching a new download bundle. Next, choose the amount you want to pay for a group of games that would normally cost around $50-$70 total. Just want to pay $20? Fine, $20 it is. Feeling really cheap and just want to plop down a cool $5? That will work, too. The money you pay is essentially a charitable contribution.

The process is simple:

• "You choose exactly how your purchase is divided: game developers, foundations, or even us" (Humble Bundle)
• "Install them as many times as you like AND redeem them on Steam and Desura!"
• All games in the Humble Indie Bundle work natively on Linux, Mac OS X and Windows.

The most recent Bundle offering just ended today, but another should be coming around soon. These are not high-end titles like God of War or Mario Kart, but they are games that offer a bit of fun and that can be purchased at a price point of your own choosing. Definitely a deal and definitely worth being a part of the next time it rolls around.

Fruit Ninja Kinect is the Xbox 360 version of the popular iPad and iPhone game that is giving Angry Birds a run for its money. Available on those devices for just ninety-nine cents, the interactive Kinect version costs $10.00. Right away the price jump bothered me. $10 for a game you can get for free in the Android Marketplace and for less than a dollar everywhere else? Not a deal right? Well, hold on. 

Various reviews of Fruit Ninja Kinect are in and the party game appeal of playing this with the Kinect and going crazy with a bunch of friends makes the cost seem more than reasonable. Forgetting comparisons to other platforms for a second, the price tag is great for a Kinect game. The gameplay also differs in that the swinging of your arms wildly and hysterically simulates the chopping of fruit in this version of the game. The crazy fruit-assault gyrations elevate the wackiness above finger slicing across a screen, making this a true Deal and a must have for every Xbox 360 gamer who has or is thinking of embracing the Kinect. Social. Fun. Cheap for the platform it is on...Deal.

So what do you think? Deal? No Deal? Discuss, Like, blast away.

In the meantime, be sure to head on over to Twitter and check out my daily musings on all things video games @SavingsGCapes.