Oh, the poisoned chalice of Kinect. For the uninitiated, the device is an add-on for the current Xbox 360 that acts as a motion sensor – essentially, its Microsoft’s interpretation of the popular Wii remote and one that they’ve built a solid, profitable market around. Looking ahead to the next generation, though, and it seems that the input device isn’t going anywhere. Kinect 2.0 has been rumoured to be mandatory for the Xbox 720 and while I think this would be a somewhat poor decision from Microsoft, that’s not to say that a market clearly exists for these motion-controlled games.
Of course, it’s a symptom of the Wii’s unprecedented success, but forcing developers to shoehorn the divisive feature into every next-gen game seems strained and one that won’t sit too well with the majority of Xbox gamers. There’s no denying that Kinect has done well for the console – in fact, the peripheral broke the record for the “fastest selling consumer device” in 2010’s Guinness Book of Records – and, from a business perspective, extending your audience threshold to casual gamers will always be beneficial. Games such as Dance Central and Kinect Sports have been financial successes for the company, and you can’t blame them for wanting to exploit that particular market. In saying that, if the genre of motion control is a successful output for Microsoft, then let it exist as a separate entity. A branch of their great gaming Oak tree that doesn’t become entangled with the system’s other genres. Because, let’s face it, the bulk of Microsoft’s core audience see the device as a tacked on peripheral that does nothing more than collect dust in their living room.
You know, sometimes navigating the dashboard and GUI with your thumb is a little easier than waving your hands around in front of the TV, besides, not everyone has the luxury of a 6x6ft space to fully utilise the system. Granted, this is a technology in its infancy so if Microsoft were to iron out these issues with Kinect 2.0 then maybe, just maybe, the technology can exist as a solid add-on for players in search of a new method of play. Because there’s absolutely no reason why Microsoft can’t appease the hardcore and casual audience with Kinect. The trick, however, is balancing the two together in harmony and Microsoft will be hoping that casual and dedicated gaming can coalesce in the form of Kinect 2.0.
With Illumiroom, SmartGlass, and even Skype – which the company bought for $8.5 billion dollars in 2011 – the Xbox 720 won’t exactly be short on features. Unfortunately at this point in time, there’s no confirmation of exactly what is under the hood of Microsoft’s next machine and, by the look of things, we’ll have to wait patiently until May 21st at the earliest for further information. Regardless, you can safely assume that Microsoft have their figurative ear to the ground. Developers and consumers have been vocal about the next Xbox and it’ll be fascinating to see what the next few weeks will bring. Questions will be answered and, hopefully, fans will be satisfied because, honestly, there’s no feeling quite like having something to look forward to, but the big, overarching conundrum is whether or not Microsoft can have us counting down the days until Xbox 720.
What do you think of these factors? Do you agree or disagree and do you have one you’d like to share? Drop all your gaming related thoughts in the comments!