Molyneux Says Kinect Breakthrough Will Come

[Treblaine]

Molly-X was also right on the mouse comparison- almost useless by itself, but coupled with a more complex physical interface, works amazingly.

but the fundamental thing with Kinect is interfaces have to be LESS complex as it can only reliably determine broad gestures. Still there is no effective way of clicking.

The mouse analogy would be significantly relevant if the first mouse DID NOT HAVE ANY BUTTONS.

Apple are crazy to think it's OK to have a mouse without right click, but Microsoft have one-upped them with "no click". The Fundamental problem with kinect is it seems to think it has such a great idea it thinks it is "above" buttons, "oh such primitive 1970's technology, we don't need buttons, we can recreate those small precise interactions by... uhh... I don't know. Miming a honking action?"

While a mouse lets you quickly select a single pixel on a huge 1920x1080 screen (I'm doing it Right Now as I type, going back to select the single pixel between each letter to edit) but with a Kinect icons must be huge for your hand to select them, you have to hold your hand WAY up in the air and not just for an instant to actively select it, you have to HOLD IT RAISED ANS STILL for a few seconds for it to figure out you are selecting that icon. (gorilla arm [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Touchscreen#Gorilla_arm] anyone?)

that is all at the same time:
-more confusing to use
-more expensive to implement
-more limited in application
-physically harder to use
-slower to use

Kinect has one and unt precisely one benefit: full body tracking.

That's only relevant to a very narrow number of games, like dancing and fitness games. Any game that isn't doing full body tracking you're better off with other controller interfaces. Kinect has extraordinarily narrow applications.

I can't stand the implication that Kinect is going to beat mouse at the jobs mouse do:

So photo editing and drawing, people will discard the mouse for kinect?

FPS games, discard the mouse + keyboard for that?

RTS strategy games with all the keyboard combos and mouse selecting there will be "some breakthrough" that will suddenly make everyone realise kinect is better.

Yet at the same time Move somehow won't? Dismissed by lack of consideration. I don't buy this, it doesn't have any backing, it's pure wishful thinking.

Kinect will remain the dancing/fitness toy and there is no evidence it will beat anything else at that task.

 

[Supernova2000]

as is always the case Peter Molyneux said it, so it will never actually happen.

In which case, let's hope he says that Kinect and Move will never die.

 

[Baresark]

What a visionary.

"This controller could do great things..."
"A new way to control things will change the face of gaming..."

It's like he is paroting what Nintendo said a while back when they introduced the Wii. Only, they did great things with that controller system.

It's true, there is a lot of potential, but nothing game changing unless you count the near useless library of games made for it.

 

[adamtm]

The Kinect Breaktrhough Will Come....when we invent tactile feedback for it.

 

[mjc0961]

Molyneux's mouse comparison is surprisingly apt. The mouse on its own is great for certain types of games, but for the majority of core games, it needs a keyboard too. Similarly, Kinect alone is rather limited, but when combined with a controller, it opens up a lot of possibilities.

The difference is that Microsoft spent so much time telling us "We are the controller", so having to slink back and make us hold a controller while we are the controller (hi Xzibit) will make them look silly.

Plus so far, Mass Effect 3's use of Kinect isn't that special anyway. Instantly command via controller, or have a delay in the commands because I have to talk at my game? Hmm, which is better...

 

[Epona]

Remember that Sony Move buttons ad?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgoCKKAEDmI

 

[MR.Spartacus]

So given his track record is this technically an unofficial announcement of it being doomed to failure? What were his plans for it again? A crap overly linear Fable spin-off and that thing's which name I can't remember because I always referred to it as "Sim-Paedo".

 

[gring]

Hate to be super negative, but this guy needs to just go away.

 

[Sean Strife]

Peter Molyneux, do us a favor: shut up.

Seriously, just shut up. Anytime you open your mouth, you may as insert your foot because you have put your foot in your mouth so many damn times it's not even funny anymore.

Just do us all a favor... and shut up.