First Impressions: Microsoft Kinect

[Greg Tito]

If the "Wii audience" has largely dried up, than the audience for the other consoles is dead and buried, Greg.

From VgChartz [http://www.vgchartz.com/] weekly hardware sales, June 5, 2010. worldwide numbers.:

Nintendo DS: 218,699
Wii: 188,116
PS3: 128,772
Xbox: 93,508
PSP: 79,002

Dried up? Do remember that these stats are even though Nintendo has basically stopped marketing the Wii for the past 5 months, while Sony's been pushing the hell out of the PS3 lately.

I suppose you are correct strictly by the numbers. I was thinking more of the fact that the growth of Wii sales had dwindled and that the novelty of motion control has worn off. It seems odd for MSoft to be pushing a scheme that feels overdone already.

Still, it could revolutionize everything, as they seemed to suggest by the ham-handed presentation. We'll learn more from the presser and Natal party tonight, where I think we get to try out the tech for ourselves.

 

[Greg Tito]

Just making sure you realise, I wasn't critising you guys, I was just telling Straying that Susan did in fact do the same thing. Its nice to get different perspective, after all thats why alot of us frequent several different gaming sites.

Have you tried out the tech yet?

No worries, I didn't think you were calling us out, just wanted to clarify what we saw.

I haven't tried it yet, but I think we'll learn more from Susan at the presser today and the party tonight. I think that's where we'll be able to try it out for reals.

 

[comadorcrack]

Not Impressed, I said it before I'll say it again. Eye toy in wolfs clothing. So uninterested in it and even less interested in the PS3 Move, Wii in HD Clothing.
Massively uninteresting in Sony and Microsoft Butt Hurt from the Wii's casual success.

For some reason when ever I say Kinect = Eyetoy though, people seem to look at me as thought I'm crazy... Sorry If I'm missing something...

 

[DigitalSushi]

Just making sure you realise, I wasn't critising you guys, I was just telling Straying that Susan did in fact do the same thing. Its nice to get different perspective, after all thats why alot of us frequent several different gaming sites.

Have you tried out the tech yet?

No worries, I didn't think you were calling us out, just wanted to clarify what we saw.

I haven't tried it yet, but I think we'll learn more from Susan at the presser today and the party tonight. I think that's where we'll be able to try it out for reals.

You guys get to go to a gaming party?, jetset lifestyle or what!. Will you be reporting if Susan gets drunk on honeymead?

We don't get any cool events like that in the Euroland, I think the EuroGamer Expo is the biggest thing we get here and thats pretty small compared.

 

[Plinglebob]

Judging by what was shown, I won't be buying this unless I find someone stupid enough to be my girlfriend and she's interested. The video chat idea is good and the Minority Report hand-waving would be fun for all of 5 minutes, but after that there's nothing that would interest me.

I don't think this will attract the casual crowd though. An entry price of (approximately) $450 for new customers is too high for familys and I doubt the 18-35 group would want another Wii.

Also, I'm taking bets for how long after release it is for someone to get injured/killed after an argument over who gets to use the Xbox in a household. I'm betting 3 months.

 

[L4hlborg]

Don't think it can beat a classic controller in gaming. Unfortunately, it looks like this is taking over the Xbox 360 and it's becoming a new wii.

 

[Sovvolf]

The game's are tech demo's, they aren't the finished product. This was probably done within a couple of months just to give an example of the technology... your judging everything on tech demo's. Then you just proved the point I stated at the beginning, people are criticizing the technology... without having the slightest clue on how it really works. I have no clue how it works, I'm not showering it with praise but I'm curiously looking forward to seeing how it all works. Maybe it's going to be a bag a shit, maybe it will be the best thing to happen to gaming... I don't know, I'm just reserving my judgement for when it's out. While people like you have already made up your mind based on tech demo's.

Yes, because the tech demos make it abundantly clear this technology will be a lot like the Wii but without the wiimotes. And that's nothing to be excited about. If the tech demo was someone navigating the web Minority Report style, using hand movements to paint details on a virtual painting or playing Guitar Hero without the guitar by moving his fingers, that would be one thing. That's not what it is, though. This thing can clearly only sort of tell if someone is moving, it can't catch anything subtle.

Well whether or not it's to be excited about is all opinion based. You may not like it, I've got hopes for it. I doubt we'll change are opinions on it at this early stage. However my problem is mostly being labelled a casual gamer just because I don't think it will be a big piece of shit. The problem with tech demo's though is that they are often rushed out in order to show off so you don't really see the full potential. People were complaining about the Star Wars video because it looked a little clunky and didn't have the best of graphics... however the game isn't going to be released until next year... this would have been the product in it's early stage and just rushed out to show it for E3 to give a taste. We don't know what the product will be like when it's actually released next year... they have plenty of time to fix it all up. I hope they do because it's games like that I want this thing for.

I also like these little sports games they are showing, they'd make good fun for a party or a good laugh... not worth buying the Kinect just for that though and I'll say this... they better have a better line up of games for it before I'll buy it. The fitness game looked cool though, a personal work out instructor in your living room... I didn't like this for the Wii because that balance board and the Wii-motes made the actions a little too inaccurate and limited. I like the dance game too... that looked a good amount of fun with friends. I think I share some of your scepticism on this though, I don't want just dance and fitness games (even if I thought these two looked pretty fun) I want some real games for it.

 

[poiuppx]

On the one hand, this sort of tech has potential. On the other hand... I think whoever planned this little demonstration out needs to go into rehab. How much money is Microsoft tossing out there for this? Seriously, if it's good, you don't need elephants and cryptic French acrobatics to sell me. If it's NOT good, all the color-coordinated smocks in the world won't get me to buy it.

 

[Atmos Duality]

Ahh. So Natal turned into "Kinect". That explains a lot.
What a stupid name for a stupid product.

 

[L_Lawliet]

X-Box has done what is considered to be "hardcore gaming" for some time, and they do it quite well whereas Nintendo has shifted to more medium and casual gaming.

If Microsoft wants to take Nintendo on at their own game and come to the game four years late, they best be sure that Kinect is really REALLY good, or they will suffer the consequences.

I would love to see Kinect do well, but I'm not holding my breath...

 

[raankh]

I think that it's a little more difficult than you think. There were hundreds if not thousands of people in the room, all moving and shifting. To wirelessly coordinate a light show with tech that was light enough to be nearly undetectable by the person wearing the get up, I was impressed.

Of course, you are a tech wizard who could pull that off MacGyver style with a paper clip and an avocado.

Hehe, yeah; that would be McGyver alright. But seriously though, RF chips are in everything nowadays-- ATM cards in some countries even. Admittedly, I do work developing wireless technologies, so my view on what's advanced or not is probably biased towards the extreme high-tech end ....

 

[razbuten363]

Is it still okay to call it Natal? Because Kinect is spelled wrong and I feel weird pronouncing it like "connect" as if it were okay to just be wrong about it.