MMGN: It's been roughly one and a half years since Kinect launched worldwide in late 2010, selling over 8 million units in its first 60 days and making the Guiness World Book of Records for being the "fastest selling consumer electronics device" ever.
Since then, the motion-sensing device has sold over 18 million units as of January 2012.
It's safe to say from a financial and commercial standpoint, the device was a success as a product, and has no doubt helped prolong the life-span of the Xbox 360 and helped Microsoft sell millions more consoles.
But what else has Kinect notably accomplished or changed other than impressive sales? In my opinion, not much.
It feels like the video game console is at a crossroads. With Xbox Series X and S floundering in the ‘console war’, Sony suggesting PlayStation 5 is approaching the second half of its life after missing sales targets, and uncertainty around the release of the Nintendo Switch 2, there is growing concern that the traditional video game console business could be under threat.
It's obvious that MS is leaving the console biz. MS may have tons of money, but that doesn't mean they want to keep losing money on the gaming division to prove a point. Thanks Phil
Good article and this is not a duplicate. The link that @Maximus Prime shared is just a small portion of the full interview. This post is the full interview.
Times are changing quick, the same ol way the industry been is changing. Where people play is changing.
“What I think Phil is doing is setting up some smoke signals that we're thinking very differently”
I’m surprised how slowly Microsoft is moving toward Xbox as a software platform. They usually don’t care so much about upsetting their customers with unpopular changes like they do with every other version of Windows.
This "console market hasn't grown narrative " is overblown. The market has grown just not as fast as say smartphones. But so what? There is still money to be made in the business and just because Microsoft has failed doesn't mean the entire industry is facing sudden collapse. Gaming will be fine, every industry has to go through periods of restructuring. AAA games are made becuase its what attracts gamers the most and is where they spend the most money. (Demand/supply) Microsoft abandoning hardware should have happened years ago, they clearly lost interest at a base level in producing games and/or paying 3rd parties to back during the tail end of the 360 generation. Tired of hearing about the future of gaming, just make great games and/or invest in one's made by other to attract people to your platform.
"All signs point to the hardware becoming less and less important to Microsoft."
Less innovation and competition. People act like if MS went away life would be better but it would just mean you have one less choice as to where to spend your money. If Sony became the defacto home console provider and Nintendo the handheld, then these companies could limit what you get and you would ultimately have very little choice but to support them if you want to play games.
I was a video that suggested that Steam could potentially get into the console market if Xbox ceases to exist. They already had the Steam Machine(?), and they have the Steam Deck for the portable market. I’m not in the pc space at all so I wouldn’t know if that would be a realistic statement.
No Xbox future I am going to guess Microsoft will go down the path Sega choose and be a publisher/game developer with their in house studios. Or sell off their in house studios and just go back to making os for PC's. I highly doubt the second part. Microsoft like any company wants to make money. So if Microsoft did say pull the plug on Xbox I see them going down the path Sega went. And utilize Xbox as a brand and not just as a console. I can see the name of XBox being mainly a brand after that. And maybe with the game you see published by or developed by Xbox studios.
Hanzala from eXputer says, "Abandoning exclusives meant while Microsoft could still profit, Xbox would be doomed as a platform; I'm relieved it's not happening."
They even said it in the article.
"Xbox business meeting clarifies the future of the console, which is that it’s not the end of the platform."
Ives said for the 100th time this past week. LS and AA don't grow console sales, or services. Sustainability and revenue is what it drives. So those types of games only makes sense to drop your walled garden and drop those types of games everywhere.
However Again, logic says Just buy a PS6 if games like Blade, Elder Scrolls, next Halo release on PS6 Day date or year or so after it
Doesn't matter. Makes no sense for an Xbox to even exist and no saying "get it on GP!" definitely won't work because you're getting everything on PS6 including Sony's AAA's. Xbox rental service would render useless. Those AAA games need that walled Exclusive garden to sell your console and services AA or LS drive long term revenue and sustainability but don't grow your console sales or services.
Oh it's happening. It's clear to me that the xbox division has recieved new marching orders from on high once Microsoft was duped into spending near 100 billion on gaming. This move is purely financially motivated and has nothing to do with a philosophical change regarding exclusivity. That podcast last week was about managing the message as it is clear from the Nintendo direct and how quick announcements for ports to ps5 afterwards that Microsoft has made the decision long ago and is moving forward with it. All those reports leading up to the podcast of everything being ported were maybe from disgruntled xbox execs who had hoped to manipulate Microsoft into changing the new plan.
You're only deluding yourself if you think xbox's meager fanbase can financially support all the content potentially coming out of their now enormous 1st party. I was opposed to abk purchase but it may have forced Microsoft to eventually give up their identity as a platform holder.
The major problem with MS is that it just wants to buy the industry, it doesn't want to add to it, it doesn't want to improve it, it just wants all the money and they'll do anything they can to turn the entire thing into a subscription service where you can only rent games.
Nintendo is the only one that would be doomed because Mario and Zelda support inferior tech. If players have the choice, they would play these games on Xbox, PS5, or PC/Steam Deck, not the cheaply made Switch.
Yes. 99% of Kinect games don't sell past 300k and most of them score in the 50s or below. Even powerful names like Star Wars, Disneyland, and Pixar can't help Kinect games sell past 700k and this is on a system where supposedly the exclusives sell well. EVERY core Kinect game bombs hard. Just look at the latest core Kinect game Steel Battalion which scored a 39 metascore and a measly 20k sales. That is the lowest score and lowest sales of any exclusive of all time. If that's not failing gamers then I don't know what is. Look at the rest of Kinect games released this year like Huant and Diabolical Pitch. Yep, you guessed it, they both sold less than 300k and both scored low. Notice the trend?
Most Kinect games have sold over a million like kinectamils, kinect joyride pretty much most of the launch titles have sold over a million and a few others have as well like Fruit Ninja and the disneyland and star wars game will eventually sell 1 million no doubt about that.
The thing with most Kinect games is they sell a lot in the long run they have legs. It hasn't failed gamers since a lot of people like Kinect. It's mostly the "hardcore" gamer who bashes kinect which ironically most don't even own.
News Flash to most uneducated people like you Kinect is not for the hardcore if you still can't comprehend that then I really don't know what to tell you.
It was obvious from when it was for revealed it was geared toward the casual. They release games like steel batallion just to shut most people who complain about Kinect not being hardcore but they don't care. They know who there audience is just look at what games get the actual advertising money it's definitely not these "hardcore" kinect titles it's games like Dance central that get the advertising money. So No I really don't think Kinect has failed the hardcore gamer which it was never intended to please to begin with.
Gamers failed kinect, from the minute it was announced it was attacked. It was never given a chance by these gamers who are always crying about the lack of innovation in gaming, I am glad I bought one. I had a lot of fun with it, but it did get boring after a while. At least I gave it a fair chance though. I am just to into my sim racing :)
It was never aimed at us, I just wish Microsoft wasn't constantly pretending that it is.
I think it's a brilliant system and has provided some of my favourite gaming experiences of this generation, most notably Child of Eden and Steel Battalion: Heavy Armour.