Dec 07 2011
Debate of Day: What Will It Take To Get You To Buy Kinect?
Yesterday, Microsoft released a dashboard update for Xbox that gave it a lot more Kinect functionality with the ability to navigate and search using voice. I speculated that this sort of application should have been available as a selling point at launch, and it seems strange it took a whole year to implement.
But even after all this has now happened, I’m still not getting on, and I suspect that many of you aren’t either. My question today is, what’s stopping us? Why do we still not want to shell out for a Kinect?
The tech is obviously cool, and I think it has many applications for the future of not just gaming, but a lot of home entertainment technology. But it just doesn’t seem to be “there” yet, and between the games I have no interest in (dancing, fitness and a crappy Star Wars game) and the fact that it is still far simpler to use a controller for basic tasks around the dashboard and apps, I just can’t see it being worth it yet.
What about you?
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no interest in motion controls. at all. on any level.
I’m planning on getting the star wars bundle after christmas so i suppose i’ll get mine then. I heard Mass Effect 3 will have some Kinect support so that might be cool. I could def see it not getting much use though. I do want to try out the Gunstringer though
When I have kids maybe.
What is the point of purchasing a 360 (or kinect) when a brand new system comes out next year? Why spend that much money on an old system?
The ability to be able to use it without sounding like some sort of mentally challenged robot would be nice.
No interest in motion controls.
I have never liked dancing or fitness games. I would love to see a great Star Wars lightsaber game. But I doubt the games designers would do it justice.
Basically, when they can make games that use a new input system that don’t seem gimmicky I would consider buying it.
A girlfriend that likes fruit ninja and her birthday… oh wait I just bought one last week.
She loves it, but I think for ‘non-casual’ gamers it’s more of a novelty that wears out quick. Especially since all the games are ‘on-rails’ and simple.
I did hear a while back (last E3 maybe) that some games were going to implement the voice to interact with NPC, as a side feature. I think that this is more useful then going to a ‘give command to team’ menu and going three or four menus deep to convey ‘Cover Me, I am going left’, to the NPCs kind of takes away from the game a little, and you end up just going left and handling it on your own.
Hope that makes sense.
I have it, but it needs more games. Child of Eden was pretty crazy but didnt really captivate me to where I felt I had to buy it.
Kinect Sports is fun with friends, but I really dont use the kinect outside of that game. I’d love to get my hands on that Ghost Recon game shown at E3, where you can deconstruct a weapon and work on the individual parts, all the way down to the firing pin.
a living room.
I’d have to have someone offer me money on the sole condition that I spend it on a Kinect.
Even then I’m not sure I’d want it.
Aside for not being inspired by any of the titles and a fear of committing to gen 1 of the technology, I’m uncomfortable with investing via additional expensive hardware to a gaming generation that’s on its back 9. If they have gen 2 of Kinect ready with the launch of XBox 720 and a handful of well crafted, complimentary titles to go with it, maybe.
I picked it up because it was 1/3rd the price and I got a nice discount on top of that. Otherwise, I’d wait until my kid grows up to an age where he will enjoy it. And that may be when the next console comes out.
When they start releasing real games that I’m actually interested in. Regular remotes and controllers work better for navigating menus and it seems they always will.
My Kinect sees alot of action at my house. I have a 3 year old daughter and a 13 year old daughter, they both love it. I love Fruit
Ninja. It’s fun getting drunk and playing that game.
Not gonns happen. Won a Wii at the company Christmas party…played it for a few months then sold it. It doesn’t take long to get your fill of motion controls and for the novelty to wear off.
And hey, not to derail the conversation, but I know there are a lot of smart people who comment here and I have just a quick question. I just got a new LCD TV the other day, for kicks I popped in Black Ops to play a few rounds and it’s totally fucked. When I turn to look around, it doesn’t stop when I let go of the thumbstick. It’s like lag, but not really. The view just has a little bit of a perpetual motion thing going on. It’s not a lot, but enough to completely screw me up in a game where reflexes and aim are kind of important.
I turned the tv to game mode, adjusted controller sensitivity up and down, disabled/enabled the Smooth Motion function on the tv, and even tried different HD resolutions. Nothing seems to work. The game worked fine on my old set, which was also HD, but it was a tube tv (yeah, I know. The thing weighs 280 lbs).
Again, sorry if I derailed the thread, Paul. I just thought I would see if anyone has any suggestions.
I bought one years ago…. it was called the Nintendo Wii. Motion controls have a short shelf life unless there are MUST HAVE games for it. I love my Wii, but I only use it to play games like LOZ and Metroid; unless I’m entertaining. Skyward Sword is excellent, but it’s really the first game that offers real motion controls that isn’t a party game. You show me halo that I can aim and throw grenades in real motions, and I’ll show you someone who is very interested in that.
Had one since launch; the kids love it, and it’s been a great learning aid to my autistic daughter. I use it daily, at a minimum as a control for Netflix or Hulu, and find it user friendly and simple. Even my kids will jump up and say “XBOX, PAUSE!” when they need to refill their water bottles or when their lunch is ready. In addition the wife and I lost 15 pounds playing EA Sports Active 2 (it was a fun way to make our workouts competitive).
I never expected to use it for much more than a replacement for the remote and a party toy, but I have no complaints, and have more than gotten my money’s worth out of it since purchase. Hell, the kids have even used it to send pictures and video chat with Grandma… MS may have been a bit slow to utilize its potential themselves, but it’s actually a pretty impressive piece of equipment for less than the cost of two controllers.
I’ll wait a generation or 2 for the technology to be fined tuned. Plus, unless I’m fully immersed into the games’ world, I’m not interested.
If I do get it, it will probably be the Star Wars Kinect XBOX 360 bundle. Have not had a chance to try it yet but I don’t care for motion control games. My gamepad works just fine.
@andrew
What brand of TV was it? Resolution? LED, LCD, or Plasma? How is it connected to the TV, HDMI, Component, Composite?
I bought an Insignia 32″ LED TV and it sucked for gaming, returned it and got a LG 32″ LCD instead, works alot better IMHO.
I’ll be interested in motion controls when we have gaming systems a la the game room in The Gamer, ie we’re in a nearly completely imersive setting where me turning around physically is important
it costs 160 euro here in the netherlands…..
make it 79 or 89 and ill buy it!!!!
for 160, no way
why can they make a xbox kinect pack for 250 euro but the camera alone is 160….. don’t make sense!
@ ganung
What brand of TV was it? Resolution? LED, LCD, or Plasma? How is it connected to the TV, HDMI, Component, Composite?
47″ Vizio, 1080p, LCD, HDMI
I’m hoping it’s not just the tv. I don’t want to deal with the hassle of returning it.
i actually just bought one a week ago. gamestop had a bomb deal: refubished kinect – $70. the new update is great.
If I could use Kinect to capture custom animations for a game, then I’ll be interested. I’ve always wanted my custom fighter to have a completely unique moveset.
Or something I saw PlaystationEye do once; take pictures of things and turn them into in-game objects.
A well thought out, executed, and fulfilling game?
When it comes free with a new PS3?