Kinect: Hit or Miss?

Been arguing about this for awhile. I feel that Kinect is a useless add on, trying to justify R&D for the next Xbox, and that Microsoft will never give 3rd party developers full access to the information needed to program for it, so that Microsoft can develop the best games. Standard Big N stuff. We've seen it all before.

However, I have been countered with the argument that Microsoft put $800 million into a slush fund for the project, and know that it is a 10 year program.

My counter is that only a percentage of Xbox users will have Kinect, and then obviously not all of them are going to have all of the games, so our market share is incredibly tiny compared to downloadable games.

I think Christmas will tell. Thoughts?

I took a step backwards when I got sick of my PS2, so I may not be the best person to answer this, but I'm leaning towards it being more of a "Band Wagon" type thing. I think that Nintendo will dominate this field for a while, and any other companies will play second fiddle.

I do reckon that it's quite possibly the future of the industry though, because Nintendo have done an ace job of making new groups of traditionally game hating people love games. Mainly because they're more simple, and fun if you like that sort of thing.

I wouldn't get Kinect if I had an X Box, if I wanted games where I waggled my arms, I'd be more inclined to get a Wii because its shelf life will probably be longer and give better value.

It sounds like you've answered your own question already, by leaning towards the "cheap add on" side of things; I would advise waiting to see if it catches on, then if it bombs (a la 32X) pick it up cheap and keep it as a funky little add on for your collection.

Just my thoughts, but then I'm more of a traditionalist who thinks that the only workout you should get when playing video games is thumb strengthening!

imo, the only way it can really take on is:

1. if they bundle it for every Xbox 360 being sold out there right now, without the added expense.

2. if they gave every single pre-kinect, Xbox 360 owner a FREE kinect.


Otherwise, it's just going to be yet another Eye Toy or...[think of any innovative peripheral ever made without being part of the console itself].


in other words. As long as it is not part of the console itself, the peripheral will remain just that, a peripheral. Then take into account all the games it will NOT play, and you've got yourself a useless Activator.

I disagree. I'm not going to buy Kinect at launch because my living room is one foot too short for 2-player games. But Microsoft is spending $500 million marketing this peripheral and, unlike the 32X, they aren't going to launch a new console in six months.

I don't think Kinect will bomb for these reasons. It will probably be much more successful than eye toy or Move. I am going to be watching the Kinect fighting games very closely. If somebody lets me fight damn dirty ninjas, and I really mean fight them, I'll buy whatever it takes. ;)

Once Kinect got the Oprah seal of approval, it was over.....If Oprah can make KFC run out of chicken, she can help MS sell kinects. Those mindless oprah drones would jump off a cliff if she told them to.

Anyways, I have a MOVE and a Kinect. My wife and kids enjoy both of them and thats primarily why i bought them. They are both fun and I have had fun playing them.

I actually feel like the move is the better system for gaming but the only thing that concerns me about move is Sony. They dont have the greatest track record for supporting add on hardware. Look at the eyetoy and the psp go....

Kinect will need some type of control device to play games that arent on rails or arent simple casual games. MS is pouring a buttload of money into it and that alone tells me they will do everything they can to support it. I dont really get that feeling from Sony for the move.

Well my kid really wants the Kinect for christmas, so I have to go find it. And I'm gonna get him the Sonic Free Riders games.
Which look pretty decent. He LOVES all Sonic games. Even the ones we think suck. He's 12.
But I do like the he enjoys the older Sonics just as much as the newer ones.
At least this will get him off the couch!!!

I think it's pointless, and I feel the same about Move.

This is a case of catch-up on the part of Sony and Microsoft. This them saying "Oh man, how is it that the system with the least powerful hardware is kicking our asses? It must be the gimmick that powers the system! Let's copy that."

It's an add on. Is it worth spending almost as much as I would for a Wii for an add on? When the launch games are so lackluster? I could just buy the Wii, for a little more money, which already has a full library of games that have received much acclaim. HD graphics are all that this adds to the experience. Oh, and your game room had better be big enough!

How much can really be done without a controller?

And then, what if I don't already own a 360? The cost is prohibitive. I agree with whoever said it - they can dress it up however they want, it's still a peripheral.

I'm not advocating Kinect, I doubt it will ever have a game that compels me to buy it. We should consider though, that the Wii was essentially a Gamecube relaunch in a different package with the Wiimote packaged inside for cheap. We are at the point where a new generation of consoles would normally be launching, but the graphics arms race has basically stopped. Value propositions are the order of the day.

So, lets break the costs down from scratch for late adopters who want a motion control system. I'll just use Amazon.com's prices.

Wii Fit Bundle
Includes four Wiimotes, four nunchucks, Wii fit w/ the board, We Ski, and Wii Sports for:
$500

Or here's a two player bundle for $400

Neither package comes with Wii motion plus attachments.

Meanwhile the most expensive Kinect Bundle is $400. Add $100 to get three games with the package, or two games and an extra 360 controller.

Keep in mind that Kinect allows two player with a large enough living room and no coffee tables.

The cheapest Move package only comes with one magic wand, no nunchuck, and one game. It's already $400, and buying a 160GB PS3 instead doesn't seem cheaper. I can't find Move outside of a bundle, but the nunchuk is $40 and we know how much extra games are. I am supposing that Move allows for fitness games without an extra peripheral like the Wii Fit Board.

So, the value proposition is virtually identical with no consideration for any of the other functions of the systems or their libraries. Though Move looks slightly more expensive to get to two players, especially with two nunchuks, and more than one game.

If/when they start pushing this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd3-eiid-Uw


It could be FAR more significant and useful, albeit also a bit overkill for that purpose. (other than avoiding the need to have any sort of accessories worn)

Head tracking has some truly awesome potential though.

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We are at the point where a new generation of consoles would normally be launching, but the graphics arms race has basically stopped. Value propositions are the order of the day.

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Don't you think it's more accurate that we're at a point where successful attempts at innovation are being rewarded rather than focusing on whatever has the most bells and whistles? There were times when that wasn't the case, when things straying from the normal approach were "weird." I feel that may have gotten that way around the mid - 90s, but I'm just pulling that part out of my butt.

Again, Wii has outsold the efforts of the competition significantly this generation. Kinect and Move are late attempts to rectify the less visionary approach taken by their respective companies.

Kinect's controllerless approach makes it more impractical. There are simply some things you can't do with gestures and body movement. There's a point where you need something to manipulate for the games that are popular and that people want to play... which will mean more money for more peripherals. Sure, XBox has a wireless controller as it is, but not one that you can hold in one hand for a practical control - and if you held it with both hands, you're now in an unnatural arm position.

Move may have more "correct" in that way, but I'm unconvinced by it anyway. I sometimes question how successful PS3 would be if it wasn't also one of the best blu-ray players on the market.

I look at it like touch-screen phones. Apple came out with the iPhone and suddenly you had a flood of largish phones with touchscreens... but all those phones did was replace the keypad on a regular phone; there's no point. The point of the iPhone (and now Android too) is the intuitive interface and the functionality of it, not the fact that it has a touch screen. Wii isn't successful because it has a gimmick, it's successful because it's so well implemented and so functional. Kinect and Move (especially with a host of mediocre launch games) have a long way to go before they shed gimmick status.

Ultimately, if Sony and Microsoft's ad campaigns are any indication, they're going to invest significantly in the success of their motion systems. Meanwhile, Nintendo will have an opportunity to get a leg up on their next gen console, trump the other two, and carve out their niche while Sony and MS are treading water on yesterday's news. If it doesn't end up going that way and Sony and MS go to their next gen leaving these peripherals behind, it's 32x land for both of them - and that'll hurt both companies as well.

I think Nintendo is absolutely responsible for the current marketing positioning from Sony and Microsoft. I think the economy is the biggest cause of the graphics arms race halt though.

In regard to Kinect not having any controls, that is easily fixed by peripherals in the same way the Wii has made accepted.

I like Kinect, as a proof of concept for Microsoft it's a really great pice of work, and all credit to them, but I can forsee some issues.

For a start you have to stand to use it, I have no problem with that as I have a good size open plan living room, not so good for folks who have their Xbox in a small bedroom.
This isnt really a limitation on the Wii as most things can be played sitting down, or in my case laying on a beanbag on the floor.

Also (and I can't confirm this myself) but supposedly it has real issues where more than two people are involved, very tall people are involved or rather large people like myself ;) are involved.
If anyone can cornfirm, deny or elaborate on that I'd like to hear more...

Personally it's a lot of money for a peripheral I'm pretty unlikely to do anything with, I can see the novelty wearing off extremely quickly indeed.

I think the question has some spelling errors; it should be "Shit or Piss". :D

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Originally Posted by sheath

I think Nintendo is absolutely responsible for the current marketing positioning from Sony and Microsoft. I think the economy is the biggest cause of the graphics arms race halt though.

In regard to Kinect not having any controls, that is easily fixed by peripherals in the same way the Wii has made accepted.

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Yeah but the control issue... that's only one small part of it. This is too little, too late. None of the consols in this gen have been failures by any stretch, but Sony and MS were totally outclassed by the uniqueness of the Wii and they know it.

I'm hoping this leads down the road to one of them stopping... then maybe Sega can come back! Hehe...

Well I just pickup the Kinect today, for my kid for christmas... I'll see if I can't carefully open it up and mess around with it this weekend and give you guys a review!