I’m pretty excited for the Microsoft Kinect.  Motion-sensing gaming with no controller!  Sounds great, right?

And I’m sure it will be really, really fun.  I’m excited to see all the different ways game designers use the technology.  But the other day I was showing some of these videos to my wife, and I could tell we were both thinking the exact same thing.  In addition to being really, really fun, this is going to really, really embarrassing.

I mean, watch this guy dancing and then pretend that it’s you.  In front of other people.

I feel like a dork playing Guitar Hero in front of people; I doubt I’m going to be super-comfortable popping and locking to a Cascada song.  At least I won’t be wearing that guy’s hat.

That said, I think I’ll suck it up if I get to pretend I have a lightsaber.

It gets worse, though.  The height of embarrassing video game interaction is represented by the upcoming Def Jam Rapstar.  Seriously.  Do you want to see a British guy in a suit awkwardly rap along with “They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)” by Pete Rock & CL Smooth?  Of course.  Then skip about six minutes in to the following video.

I seriously broke into a sweat just thinking about someone watching me do that.