Activision Concerned About Kinect and Move

Andy Chalk

One Flag, One Fleet, One Cat
Nov 12, 2002
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Activision Concerned About Kinect and Move


Activision is warning that high prices on Move [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002BSA298/ref=s9_simh_gw_p63_i2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-3&pf_rd_r=1V4AGC93PB1TXDP3VWHJ&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938811&pf_rd_i=507846] could translate into slow sales, which would make it hard for the publisher to get behind the devices.

Pricing on the new motion controllers from Microsoft and Sony remains unconfirmed at this point but it appears that Kinect will come in at the $150 mark, while a full Move bundle, made up of the Move controller, the navigation controller and the PlayStation Eye camera, will add up to around $120. It's a lot of coin for what are essentially novelty devices with very limited software support, a fact that hasn't escaped the notice of publishing giant Activision [http://www.activision.com].

"You have to be concerned about how the price drives a lot of the outcome of how big of an install base there's going to be [for hardware]," Activision COO Thomas Tippl told Gamasutra [http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/29075/Tippl_The_Lower_Price_The_Better_For_Kinect_Move.php]. "The bigger the install base, the more likely that you can make sense out of your investment. So, the lower the price, the better. In this economic environment, it's probably more important than ever."

"Move and Kinect, I think, will be interesting new opportunities to innovate certain franchises, but probably not for every kind of game. So, we'll have to see how much of an install base they're going to develop," he added. "A lot of that will depend on the price point they choose."

In other words, if there's not a fairly significant uptake of Kinect and Move, there won't be much reason for Activision to support the devices in future game development - which of course has the unfortunate side effect of giving people even less reason to buy them. That makes the importance of an attractive initial price even more pronounced, as console owners are far more likely to roll the dice on a $50 product than a $150 one. The Microsoft Store [http://store.microsoft.com/microsoft/Kinect-Sensor-for-Xbox-360/product/C737B081] currently has Kinect listed at $149.99, but has also posted a notice saying, "Official pricing has not been announced. $149.99 is an estimate only and subject to change." Could the widespread negative reaction to the high price be giving Microsoft second thoughts?


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JaymesFogarty

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That's why motion controls are the last thing gamers need. I don't see any reason for forking out $150, or $120 on controls. Get a dualshock, or a 360 pad.
 

SonOfIkaros

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I still think the Move is going to sell pretty good, or at least sell alright. It's pretty much just a Wii with better graphics, but it's cheaper than the Wii (requiring, of course, that you've already got a PS3). So families that already own a PS3 will probably be more likely to buy a Move bundle-set than a Wii, I think.
 

Jesus Phish

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I don't hate Activision, but they sure go out of their way to let you know they're all about the money.

"Since this might be risky, we're just gonna lie back and see how it plays out. If it turns into a money maker we'll be right on that shit".

Terrible image.
 

fletch_talon

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See Sony and Microsoft? This is why you do what Nintendo do and get third party support before announcing prices, that way, by the time they realise the potential lack of console/controller sales they've already invested too much time and effort into the games to be able to pull out.

This then results in having great third party support for the console, meaning its more likely to sell despite the price, cancelling the entire problem.

In other words:
Activision, if you build it, they will come. (Make the games and the controls will sell)
 

Truly-A-Lie

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Activision are calling things too expensive? How can I possibly take that seriously? Sort your RRP out and then you can talk about other companies' pricing schemes.
 

jthm

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tellmeimaninja said:
KAPTAINmORGANnWo4life said:
Now I want these things to succeed, just because I hate Activision.
Arg... I hate motion controls and Activision. This is too confusing!
There there friends. We can hate them both! Just don't buy either.
 

polarizebeta

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SonOfIkaros said:
I still think the Move is going to sell pretty good, or at least sell alright. It's pretty much just a Wii with better graphics, but it's cheaper than the Wii (requiring, of course, that you've already got a PS3). So families that already own a PS3 will probably be more likely to buy a Move bundle-set than a Wii, I think.
I agree. I think that if one owns a PS3, then one will buy the ne motion device. If a person owns nothing, then they will most likely get a Wii b/c as Fletch says there is 3rd party support and quite a catalog of games. not least of which, Mario Galaxy 2. I am just hoping that KH3 comes out on wii so I slap Jaffar with the keyblade once again.
 

Jared

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And thats another think they might not have thought about...the 3rd part support for Wii has been deminishing as people just arent buying...

Song and MS may see the same problems
 

Andy Chalk

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Nov 12, 2002
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Jesus Phish said:
"Since this might be risky, we're just gonna lie back and see how it plays out. If it turns into a money maker we'll be right on that shit".

Terrible image.
I don't really think so. Tippl is just saying what everyone else is thinking: Why should we stick our necks out to support devices we have no vested interest in? Do you think Ubisoft or THQ or EA are going to make big pushes to support the controllers without first seeing what kind of user base they've got to work with? Never gonna happen.
 

Meggiepants

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Jan 19, 2010
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Here's how Sony or Microsoft could get one of these devices in my house:

Bundle it free with a copy of New Vegas. I know, Fallout New Vegas has nothing to do with motion control, but if you want me to buy motion control games, you are going to have to give me the hardware at this point.

I already forked out almost $300 for the Wii a few years back, and then decided it was boring and sold it back. I ain't falling for that again.
 

jpakaferrari

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In the end I really see these products as being too expensive. If Microsoft now says that its not for core gamers and that they are gonna sell these things to families I just don't see it happening. Realistically not very many families have a Xbox360. These consoles are mainly owned by their children and what teenage boy wants to give up his paying time on his own games to play bowling or dodgeball with mom and dad. Thats right probably about 2% of all teenage boys. So that means parents shell out 150 bucks for some piece of shit bar that they can rarely use because its another 300 bucks for a console the whole family can use. Plus the cost of games. Alternatively, if I am a parent I can buy a wii for 200 bucks get wii sports resort plus for free in the bundle plus another game (I know forget what this is) and put it in the common family space. What product do you think people will choose?
 

Neuromaster

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When will console manufacturers learn? Almost no console peripheral ever reaches widespread adoption. Even general-purpose, 100% useful features like network adapters failed on the last generation of consoles.

The closest things I can think of reaching success are DDR pads and Guitar Hero/Rock Band stuff. All niche and single-purpose.

Activision is right. Let Microsoft and Sony pay for their mistakes. If they wanted to introduce new controllers, they should have released consoles called the 361/PS4 with backwards compatibility, slightly improved graphics, and the new controls included as standard. At least then developers could target a "platform", rather than a peripheral very few will buy.
 

HontooNoNeko

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Nov 29, 2009
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Andy Chalk said:
Jesus Phish said:
I don't really think so. Tippl is just saying what everyone else is thinking: Why should we stick our necks out to support devices we have no vested interest in? Do you think Ubisoft or THQ or EA are going to make big pushes to support the controllers without first seeing what kind of user base they've got to work with? Never gonna happen.
I understand this mentality and it makes sense from a business perspective but the problem is if everyone did this no one would ever move forward. Whats the point of curing a disease if controlling it with drugs makes more money? Activision is only interested in taking every last penny we have not if we are enjoying it or not.
 

Andy Chalk

One Flag, One Fleet, One Cat
Nov 12, 2002
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HontooNoNeko said:
I understand this mentality and it makes sense from a business perspective but the problem is if everyone did this no one would ever move forward. Whats the point of curing a disease if controlling it with drugs makes more money? Activision is only interested in taking every last penny we have not if we are enjoying it or not.
But Activision isn't curing diseases, it's entertaining us. It makes a product and then we decide whether or not we want to give them money for it. There's no compelling reason to do so beyond the quality of their product and our own inability to control ourselves.

Getting back to the original point, Activision has no obligation to help anyone make a peripheral work. It's the other way around: If MS or Sony want Modern Warfare 3 to support motion controls, then they better give Activision a pretty good reason to include it. It's entirely their responsibility to make these things work, not Activision's.