Is Kinect Microsoft's Albatross

[Anubis]

If I want that Ill go socialize with people in real life.

I play games to play the roles of other characters in a fantasy world, not real life simulators that mirror the real world.

this is how i feel. i dont want any of it, and none of its non gaming use appeals to me. a remote works perfectly fine. I even dissable the six axis crap on the PS3 that you can controll stuff in games with the controller gyroscope. i cant stand it

 

[sourceninja]

I bought a kinect for my wife. She used it for about 3 weeks and got bored of the workout style games. I tried it out and found it to not be a fun experience with limited game choices. It now sits unplugged in a drawer and only brought on when someone asks what it's like to use a kinect so they can play the adventure game that came with it for 5 minutes.

 

[kommisar]

The Kinect could enable some pretty cool stuff. The ability to depth filter a video means they could paste your face onto your avatar and have the facial animation sync to your voice feed. The ability to track multiple skeletons means it would enable audience members to have effects on the game. This could lead to some interesting co-op with heterogeneous player roles. Sound and or motion controls could be used for latency insensitive control schemes – say ordering NPCs to perform certain actions or toggling active quests. Microsoft deserves some kudos for taking the risk of putting in an expensive sensor with unknown uses instead of just slightly faster hardware.

 

[Fingolfin269]

I'm sure the Kinect might be able to do some cool stuff one day. But I don't have anywhere to put another device connected by a wire near my TV. Seems like they didn't think that one through.

 

[Hugo Drax]

Microsoft recently patented the use of the Kinect to monitor your television viewing habits and report the data back to the giant electronic brain at MSFT for analysis.

A few people I talked to about the new Xbox one are creeped out about the 24/7 active microphone and camera.

The whole thing is not a good start.

 

[American Gunner]

But we all know that Kinect is for the future

 

[cmdrdredd]

Won't it be able to determine how many viewers are watching a movie and somehow limit your viewing or charge a different amount?

Was that BS? It sounded feasible though...

 

[Hugo Drax]

Won't it be able to determine how many viewers are watching a movie and somehow limit your viewing or charge a different amount?

Was that BS? It sounded feasible though...

It is feasible, they 2nd gen device can even resolve heartbeats. it is a pretty amazing piece of technology actually.

 

[KaOTiK]

Won't it be able to determine how many viewers are watching a movie and somehow limit your viewing or charge a different amount?

Was that BS? It sounded feasible though...

They didn't say that it would do anything like that. But MS did file a patent I believe stating exactly that last year.

 

[colonelciller]

Won't it be able to determine how many viewers are watching a movie and somehow limit your viewing or charge a different amount?

Was that BS? It sounded feasible though...

it can recognize faces
it can recognize and track eye movement

of course it can determine how many viewers are watching a movie... unless 1+1+1+1+1 is too difficult for the Xbone. And of course microsoft filed a patent:

http://www.vg247.com/2013/05/24/microsofts-kinect-patent-suggest-they-will-be-always-be-watching/

 

[OneOfTheseDays]

From what I understand Kinect will NOT be used as a replacement for the traditional controller, but merely to augment it. This kind of strategy makes a lot of sense and given that all Xbox ONES will be required to have this connected at all times means we will see much better implementations from developers.

My prediction is that it will be one of those things you don't really appreciate/notice too much until you goto a system that doesn't have one (ala PS4). MSFT is getting reamed for this right now, but ultimately it was a ballsy decision that should pay off for them and advance gaming forward.

 

[cmdrdredd]

From what I understand Kinect will NOT be used as a replacement for the traditional controller, but merely to augment it. This kind of strategy makes a lot of sense and given that all Xbox ONES will be required to have this connected at all times means we will see much better implementations from developers.

My prediction is that it will be one of those things you don't really appreciate/notice too much until you goto a system that doesn't have one (ala PS4). MSFT is getting reamed for this right now, but ultimately it was a ballsy decision that should pay off for them and advance gaming forward.

Doubt it...developers aren't going to spend time making a game different between consoles. Just like the WiiU releases barely use the gamepad screen.

 

[zephyrprime]

The motion sensing is the greatest point in my opinion. Kinect 1 only cost MS $56 according to estimates. I expect the next Kinect to be cheaper even though it it is higher res.

 

[clok1966]

The original Kinect sold 24 million units. I can't think of another console peripheral that has sold as well. That is like 1/3 of their install base. That is pretty good. I hardly think the Kinect is anything but a money maker for MS.

one must take into account that 3/4 of that number was int eh first month it was available, after that it sold dismally, much like the Wii. great seller when everybody didnt know it was all gimick and little substance.. once they found out and the novelty wore out.. the sales followed.. Kinect sold more in the first month it was on sale then it did the following 11 months.. that should tell you something right there..

I own it and on the 360, unless you like fitness or dance games its about as useful as Boobs on a Nun.. saying "netflix" instead of pushing 3 buttons is nice.. but my "lazy" factor is not so ingrained its a big deal.

 

[Tweak155]

The original Kinect sold 24 million units. I can't think of another console peripheral that has sold as well. That is like 1/3 of their install base. That is pretty good. I hardly think the Kinect is anything but a money maker for MS.

So in other words, 2/3 of their install base didn't want it. Good call to force it on them.

 

[sourceninja]

So in other words, 2/3 of their install base didn't want it. Good call to force it on them.

Plus some of those people who bought the kinect did it just to see how well it worked.

I bought a kinect just to play with a toy (hook it to my PC, look at the science aspect of it, etc). Having owned it and a wii, i'm over motion gaming as a concept. I don't like it. The kinect got in the way of more things than it improved (never have it plugged in while watching a movie on the xbox or you will be annoyed when someone talks).

My purchase of a kinect only reinforced that I did not like the idea and it now sits in a box under my tv (unplugged). Would not buy again, don't want a device that requires it to be plugged in.

 

[Hugo Drax]

I wonder if the plugged on requirement is part of the DRM. Maybe in the future they leverage it as a security camera, in case you try to do something that looks like you are attempting to bypass the DRM locks, it will record your actions and send it up to Microsoft.

 

[ImpulsE69]

"I'm sorry Dave, but I cannot allow you to do that, may I suggest you play Halo instead? I have wonderful new DLC I have purchased for you based on your heart rate while you were watching the trailer. You should see the transaction on your next credit card statement."