They could always bite the bullet and absorb the cost of kinnect themselves. Of course this means losing $100 plus on every sale, depends how badly they want this.
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Kinect-less SKU with support for voice-control is the only way I would buy the system. Not sure about building the microphone into the controller since the controller would need to stay powered the whole time in order to listen to commands. I still like hands-free microphone approach, but can they make a really cheap hands-free microphone? Just taking out the camera parts of Kinect is probably not going to make it cheap enough.
Tommy McClain
You deserve a thunderous and deafening round of applause. Kinect is a quintessential part of the Xbox One and it will show as time goes on.
Sure, there have been very few revolutionary games on Kinect, but that's normal if you think about the transition era we lived since the introduction of the Wii, the confusing times in gaming that it led to.... Kinect 1 was kinda rushed, and the new Kinect is like a restart, until it's settled as a device.
Ideally Microsoft should have a Xbox One launch game using the capabilities of Kinect and showing them to the world, but working on a new console, R&D investments, a new OS, and the DRM backtrack made it all the more complicated.
You have to be patient with Kinect. Patience is a virtue. Easy to say but hard to practice (maybe that's part of the human self-destructive nature).
Then you read things like this and you wonder if there isn't hope. It's so bad. It's an Eurogamer article talking about the Xbox One remote.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-02-13-xbox-one-media-remote-spotted-costs-about-14
I have had the original Xbox 360 remote and let me tell you I barely used it except for DVDs, it's clumsy and slow. Voice commands on the other hand are like 1000 times quicker, you don't have to look around for the crappy remote, etc etc.
I just hope Microsoft don't listen to some of the claims coming from some of the core. The fear of change, the "go with what just works" mindset is what makes this world so boring at times.
You can't let them make your console, because then the Xbox One wouldn't be anything but a X360 v.2.
Lost of focus and dedication would be worse, and as long as they don't lose the focus, let people who like to complain have their fun for the first couple of years, then make amazing things and reap the results.
Look back at the NPD numbers for 2007, the Xbox 360 was pretty close to outselling the Playstation 3 by 2-1 in the US for the entire year and just look where the Playstation 3 is now.I know there are other factors to consider, but my point is we are only 4 months into the lives of both consoles, so I think it is far too early for doom and gloom predictions.
Boooo at your fancy graphs, I only trust my shiny pitchfork!
My take on the latest NPD - great for the industry so far hope it continues, then trends up a bit as things mature and prices fall.
djskribbles
Legend
That graph proves the opposite of what he was trying to prove. Nothing has really changed since 2007. Wii is still the top selling console in the US, and the X360 still has close to a 2:1 advantage over the PS3 LTD.
what? I guessed you missed it
The numbers of hardware (ps4 excepted was OK, though thats most likely due to not enuf stock, perhaps it would of been >500k otherwise) were terrible, even the 360/3ds done terrible
Software was also terrible
A bit to early to say, but perhaps the slowdown thats hit PCs (see data on PC sales declines, also I just read win 8 = 200 million in 15months, win7 = 240million in 12 months)
due to phones/tablets etc
might also affect consoles, people are definitely playing games on their smartdevices
You'd think after 3 years on the market and a second iteration that such new revolutionary games that show off it's potential would have enlightened us. How much longer do we have to wait? Kinect 3?
Because as far as I know, there are no new IPs on the horizon that advertise it's heavy use and has brought appreciable attention.
People talk about the uncanny valley when it comes to graphics, but to me there is some similar effect for voice commands.
When you speak to a human, there is some presence, feedback when you deliver you command/message. And you get instant reaction feedback when finish delivering. Maybe not an answer, but there is some sort noticeable reaction you get.
But talking to the PS4, mobile phone or telephone systems, is devoid of it, it feels very unnatural and staccato, not like a conversation. Maybe its like comfort noise on digital phone links, your subconscious disapproves in some way.
I am not an native english speaker, so it might make it worse, since I have to concentrate to pronounce my words with less accent or rather try to emulate another accent than my own. But still the voice systems I have tried in my native tongue has this problem.
The Kinect 2 might be a better system, but imho I doubt we will have any voice solution that is comfortable to use this generation, because its not just crunching the input and get it correct, lots of fluidity needs to be added to.
When you speak to a human, there is some presence, feedback when you deliver you command/message. And you get instant reaction feedback when finish delivering. Maybe not an answer, but there is some sort noticeable reaction you get.
But talking to the PS4, mobile phone or telephone systems, is devoid of it, it feels very unnatural and staccato, not like a conversation. Maybe its like comfort noise on digital phone links, your subconscious disapproves in some way.
I am not an native english speaker, so it might make it worse, since I have to concentrate to pronounce my words with less accent or rather try to emulate another accent than my own. But still the voice systems I have tried in my native tongue has this problem.
The Kinect 2 might be a better system, but imho I doubt we will have any voice solution that is comfortable to use this generation, because its not just crunching the input and get it correct, lots of fluidity needs to be added to.
steveOrino
Regular
RancidLunchmeat
Veteran
100% it's almost unimaginable that after the Kinect, they'd launch Kinect2 as a mandatory component of the One and not have any games that utilize it or showcase its abilities.
The Wii was under powered but won on marketing and gimmicks, but didn't it launch with those gimmick games? If the One wants to win despite being underpowered but gimmicky, how does it not have those gimmicks available at launch?
Unbelievable.
There are rather timid attempts in launch games, but your argument is undisputable, and the fact that what was supposed to be a launch game -Kinect Sports Rivals- wasn't launched in time for the Xbox One's release date didn't help either.
Zuma for instance can only be played with Kinect, and the gamepad does nothing.
Continuing with the initial paragraph, other reasons are that the core gamers like me dictate the initial sales and pleasing that audience requires a different approach for a console and a brand which has been very core oriented 'til now. The transition to a core but also more casual console can be a confusing one no matter who tries to pull it off, imo.
Yes cause Xbox fitness is a timid attempt .
We are still on launch software and we will see attempts at furthering games with Kinect as we go along.
We might see a price drop this year if titan fall does poorly but here in the states at least if they can keep a string of good titles coming they might not need it. Titan fall into halo 5 would be a big push out here.
It's one of those "damned if you do, damned if you don't". Microsoft heard the gamers loud & clear at the original XB1 launch that they wanted games & core games at that. They didn't want nothing of Kinect. So that's where they put all their focus on for launch. That's what they showed at E3 & every show since. I do agree with Strange somewhat that if Kinect was the pinnacle of game interfaces, then developers would have put it to use more. I think MS naively expected that support to come when it was bundled with every system, but it hasn't so far & I'm starting to think it might not ever. MS needs to be the driver of innovation on Kinect games. If they don't how do they expect other developers to? Or make it completely open & allow anybody with $100 to develop a game for it & put it for free or for sale on the Game Store. Maybe then somebody will find an interesting use for it that nobody else has.
Tommy McClain
Tommy McClain
If that AR glasses was real & chip and they had sth special for the combination of them (Kinect and AR glasses) to create some unique sci-fi like experience (for games and other things) then 500$ price tag & 720-900p would worth it. But right now there is no sign of such a scenario.
Last gen Kinect was a successful add-on but this gen Kinect itself needs new add-on (like IllumiRoom or equivalent AR glasses) to be successful !
Last gen Kinect was a successful add-on but this gen Kinect itself needs new add-on (like IllumiRoom or equivalent AR glasses) to be successful !
Kinect games? The question is, will the xb1 with Kinect 2 be able to produce such a different experience to Kinect 1 that it will sell xb1. We had plenty exclusive Kinect games but we need more than just enhanced versions. And i think it's going to be a huge challenge.
This is a key point.
Wii managed to conquer casual market because it was a novelty, a new way to interact with games, and more over, easily marketable.
Kinect, won casual market for similar reasons.
Now, Kinect2 can do more or less the same things as Kinect 1 (only way better and more accurately). So, not a real novelty, and, anyway, at least not enough to conquer again the casual audience. And also not so easy to market as a novelty.
Moreover, a part from X1 Fitness, Kinect Rivals, and the future D4, nothing has been revealed that could show the "reason why" of the Kinect2, outside pure casual games and voice comands.
Major Nelson has listed "improved voice controls" as one of the features of the new update.
I used the "Kinect does not hear me" option again just in case.
.... and, especially, lots of good software. Exclusives galore!
Removing Kinect is not an option. It won't make the console as powerful as the PS4 or a good PC and the entire Xbox One is built around it, architecturally wise even.
On a different note, Microsoft have criticised Metacritic.
http://www.vg247.com/2014/02/14/mic...iew-scores-metacritic-is-a-complicated-topic/
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