A Kinect-less Xbox One Signals the Death of Motion Gaming

Hardcore Gamer: Microsoft’s debut of a Kinect-less Xbox One cuts the ties that motion controls had to the current generation of gaming, ultimately conceding to the world that the waving of wands and flailing of arms simply isn’t worth anyone’s time or money anymore.

[ValKilmer]

And nobody anywhere grieved.

[miyamoto]

LOL!

https://www.youtube.com/wat...

@ 6:42

But the PS4 will make motion gaming cool again. That I guarantee.

With Media Molecules 3D Game Creator game.
https://www.youtube.com/wat...

[morganfell]

So Kinect was it's saviour?

[Ghost_Nappa]

DON'T CLICk THIS LINK The link is to a youtube video about the top ten male game characters the video maker would wank off in a toilet

[Army_of_Darkness]

Not the death of motion gaming.. Just the end of kinect. I want more move support cause I enjoy some off-time rail zombie shooters as well as sports champs with the GF now and then.

[Xbot1214]

thank you, consoles like wii U should die, what happen to being a lazy fat ass n enjoying your games without having to lift an arm up

[AWBrawler]

wii u doesn't use motion that much. what are you smoking? i play most of my wii u games, lazily in my bed

[AngelicIceDiamond]

@Val not really.

Kinect, 3D gaming and are all optional now. But its funny because ppl always wanna jump ship on to another device.

VR.

There's a market for all these but it will never overshadow core controller gaming.

[MysticStrummer]

"it will never overshadow core controller gaming."

I think once VR quality and price hit a mass market sweet spot, that combined with motion gaming will bring on the next big gaming revolution. A controller with buttons will still need to be used though, and actually it will probably be a controller for each hand. Not a glove exactly but something the player doesn't have to actually hold.

So, I agree it's not dead it just hasn't been done right yet, other than the Wii but that was mainly due to a huge explosion of casuals who have since moved on. For it to be done right it will have to benefit core gaming in an obvious way.

[Imalwaysright]

"will bring on the next big gaming revolution." If you want every game to a FPS or a racer. I myself like variety.

[SaffronCurse]

Do the oculus and Morpheus count as motion games? If so it's not entirely dead.

[CrowbaitBob]

Your head would technically be in motion for the head tracking involved, but I don't think that counts as motion gaming any more than moving your thumbs on thumbsticks counts as motion gaming.

Oculus and Morpheus are all about immersion through eliminating outside distractions and allowing you to look around in a 3D environment naturally as if you are actually there, all while still using a standard control method that you're already comfortable with. It promises to be far more intuitive and consistent than attempting to replicate specific predefined hand/arm/leg/torso gestures instead of pressing a button.

[AngelicIceDiamond]

@Saffron I'm talking about technologies that suppose to "change gaming" and yes that was the initial buzz word at Nintendo's countless conference, Sony's 3D/Move control and many at MS conferences.

Nothing is dead its just that it will always take a back seat to core controller gaming.

[Pogmathoin]

Nice post Val, then first to comment to push your fanboy feelings.....you have not even used it....... Much like your profile name, you amount to nothing.....

[corvusmd]

Not so fast....it's very likely that AR/VR tech will need a motion tracker of some sorts to measure head movements and such. It appears people writing these and believing them haven't fully looked at the big picture. Anyone seen a project Morpheus demo lately? Is that gaming? Does it involve Motion?

[denawayne]

I mentioned before how MS could announce an AR/VR device at E3 that works with Kinect. So while just recently announcing a Kinectless Xbox One appeases the people who were never buying an Xbox One in the first place, an AR/VR device would put the Kinect back in the spotlight.

[MightyNoX]

You know full well project Morpheus uses a regular controller and no motion (save for head trscking). Please shill better. I feel bad for your employers that you're not putting in any effort.

[DrJones]

You got a lot of disagrees there.

[amnalehu]

Meanwhile the PS4 cam is sold out.

[ats1992]

Its not sold out.

[amnalehu]

The PS4 cam was sold out for weeks and still is at some of the larger retailers. It is in much higher demand than ANYONE including Sony imagined it would be. Disagreeing with facts does not change reality.

CAM SHORTAGE:
http://bit.ly/1hYj3kP

Target online out of stock:
http://tgt.biz/1tbCD47

[ats1992]

@ Amnalehu

Just because they are sold out in those places doesn't mean its sold out everywhere. So you might want to get your facts straight.

[BG11579]

Same here. Still didn't manage to see one in several stores where I live. The PS4's cam seem sold out.
Could they hard to produce or something?

[MasterCornholio]

@BG

Can't find one anywhere here in Spain except for this one place where they are selling it for 100€. I can't believe the cameras are selling so well.

[CrowbaitBob]

Meanwhile nobody is using the PS4 camera for motion gaming. So what exactly was the point of your comment?

[darthv72]

not yet. but you do know why the light bar is on the controller...right?

that is the move tech built in for the games that will use it. they are coming MM is making one as well as a few others we will likely see this year at e3.

So dont write off the idea just yet because what is available doesnt appeal to you. chances are there will be something that peaks your interest.

[CrowbaitBob]

@darthv72

Well, if you believe the Sony reps, that light bar on the controller is every bit as much about Morpheus as it ever was about Move.

In the end there has always be a niche market for motion gaming dating back to the NES powerpad and even earlier. So yeah, it may never completely die. But right now there are too many consistency issues and learning specific arm and hand gestures is just silly as a replacement for a simple button press.

The current popularity of the PS4 cam simply has very little to do with any promise of future Move support.

Edit: Are we really pretending that Twitch doesn't exist on PS4 and all of these PS4 cams are selling out like crazy because of some assumption that maybe some day there will be a killer app for Move on PS4?

[amnalehu]

There are 17 million people with the move. The PS4 cam has sold well over 1 million units and is is still in high demand; so much so that some major retailers are indeed sold out of it. Sony has VR in current development which uses the cam and the current motion controls.

The last time I looked MLB 14, Sports Friends, Just Dance, Playroom, Octodad are indeed games, so to say that "nobody" is using the cam for gaming or to imply that no one will use it for gaming is not accurate.

The point of my comment, exactly, is that the fact that Microsoft is un-bundling the Kinect from the XB1 DOES NOT signal the death of motion gaming. It signals that they (MS) probably never should have bundled it with the XB1 in the first place and no realize the error and are trying to correct it.

[Chevalier]

The point is if there is a high penetration of the market that owns the camera then it will be a viable option to include features using camera or making a game for the camera. Especiallyif there end up being more cameras than kinects out there.

[WickedLester]

People are buying the camera for streaming and voice commands. NO ONE is buying it for motion gaming.

[SpideySpeakz]

Most people used those cams for live streaming themselves on Twitch, not for motion gaming.

[XiSasukeUchiha]

Wii and Wii U still counts as motion gaming! so it's not the death of motion gaming!

[deafdani]

While what you say is true, motion controls have taken a backseat on the Wii U, big time. It's not dead, but it's definitely toned down.

Anyway, I think the Gamepad is, overall, a much better implementation for gaming than motion controls ever were. I hope the NEXT generation of consoles all have Gamepads included natively. We would see a big change in game design if that was to happen.

[madjedi]

God no, you can keep the gamepad i don't want that for either the next ms or sony system, nintendo can keep that dead weight.

I would rather not valuable silicon budget wasted on a stupid gimmick that going on almost 2 yrs, has yet to justify it's existance.

[masterfox]

kinect was crap period like or not, Kinect wasn't even the start of motion gaming. that thing was horribly unresponsive, if we go to the MOVE controller by Sony that thing was responsive 1:1 go and see some videos in youtube if you think I'm trolling. The problem with the move controller that it didn't have a proper game that uses its capabilities so thats why it failed.

[darthv72]

the glowing orb on the move is what made it responsive. It gave the camera something easy to fix on and track. Now unless Ms was planning on releasing mo-cap vests for people to wear then the kinect was never going to be as accurate as if it had something to really focus on.

the lightbar on the ps4 controller....yup that is move tech built into the controller for the ps4 camera. Seems sony was going after motion gaming as well this gen and not just MS.

[sevilha82]

Thank God...

I don´t wanna jump around and wave my arms around after a hard day´s work ,i wanna sit in my couch ,have a beer and do some quests dammit... =)

[xX-StolenSoul-Xx]

Lol like this!
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e...

[sevilha82]

Hahahha exactlly,not like that,unless i´m high or drunk... =)

[incendy35]

I do motion gaming, I rather like it too. Sue me

[CrowbaitBob]

Motion gaming was dead on arrival. This move merely indicates that Microsoft has taken steps toward accepting reality.

[Relientk77]

Good, it was my least favorite part of the Zeldas on Wii

[deafdani]

I liked the motion controls on Skyward Sword in some parts; others, not so much.

For example, sword combat? Awesome. Using motion controls for SWIMMING underwater? Awful.

On Twilight Princess, motion controls overall were pretty light (because it never focused on 1:1 motions, seeing how it was impossible at the time). I found it to be fun.

[Conzul]

I hope it's perfected someday so I can wave my hand to browse through my Netflix qeue or to navigate UI's and change audio volume, etc. But for the games themselves, I'll thank you to let me keep my gamepads.

[Menkyo]

Thank god

[hollabox]

Yes, overrated, sick of waving my hands in the air for whatever reason. I would like voice commands to work

[SG1_dapunisherX]

I feel like I got rip off by ms, so far kinect games are hot trash. I would not brought xbox one, if it wasn't for there lying about never releasing xbox one with out the kinect

[D-riders]

so let me get this right for get project morpheus, forget move( which is the best motion control their is). forget gyroscopes and controllers that use motion controls like infamous second son. because Kinect which has sucked since it launched isnt going to make it motion controls are dead. MS doesnt control jack shit in the industry.

[MasterCornholio]

Motion controls will never replace the controller. But that doesn't mean that motion controls dont have a place I'm gaming. Move was an incredible controller which combined tactile buttons with a great gyro. However it was poorly supported and never took off.

[metalmatters]

Morpheus might help it make a comeback

[curtis92]

good riddance to the most overhyped gimmick since the virtual boy.

[Clown_Syndr0me]

IM not interested in virtual reality at all but I would of thought the perfect combination for VR would be Kinect and a headset.
Seems more appropriate and cost effective than Morpheus, PS4 camera and PS Move..
I don't play motion games at all, I only use my Kinect for voice commands, Upload, Skype, Logging in...oh no wait I lied I play Just Dance too :P
Don't like motion gaming but I like the other stuff Kinect makes possible.

[stragomccloud]

Umm.... Dual shock 4 controller, Wii U gamepad, and Wii Remotes say, "hi!"

[deafdani]

Wii Remotes, yes.

Dualshock 4 and Wii U gamepad, although they do have motion control features, they are used very sparingly (and in most games, they aren't used at all).

For me, that's about the right formula. Motion controls are a sweet thing, but it's better when you mix them properly with traditional controls. A good example of this, in my opinion? Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (and the Trilogy as well, I guess).

These games used motion controls in ways that just made sense, without shoehorning them on everything, and without forcing you to waggle your arms like an idiot.

[Gamer666]

MS has not forced Kinect arm waggling other than Kinect centric games so you obviously don't have or know anything about XB1.

I have DR3, Ryse, Forza 5, Titanfall, etc. In none of those games am I forced to use Kinect. In fact, I don't even have Kinect connected on the XB1 in which I play these and many other controller centric games.

[deafdani]

Sorry. Where in the damn hell did I say anything about Kinect specifically? I was talking in general terms.

However, let's touch the subject, since YOU brought it up.

So, your defense for Kinect is... listing a bunch of games that doesn't require it?

How in Earth does that argument makes sense?

Now, list me a bunch of Kinect exclusive games that doesn't force you to waggle around.

It becomes harder now, doesn't it?

And that's because most (if not all) of Kinect-focused games, forgo buttons completely. That is what I'm against. Can't Xbox One games do a nice mix of Kinect features AND the controller? It would be nice to see games that strike that balance.

I hope I made my point clearer now, although I never even intended to trash talk the Kinect or anything of the like, initially.

[Skate-AK]

If they sold at a small loss it would be different. If they had a Xbone+Kinect for $400 it would have been different.

[metalmatters]

yeah but MS is not about to start handing out free kinects 2.0

[Gamer666]

I don't see how unbundling kills motion gaming. They will still have it available and I think a large portion of family buyers will buy XB with Kinect because it appeals to family gaming scenarios such as Dance, motion sports, etc.

[metalmatters]

I still think PS move with Morpheus combined will be a killer combo, we may finally get a proper FPS entirely played with a gun

[Smokingunz]

It would've made more sense to sell the x1 with the kinect for free, just like nintendo sold its first system with the zapper

[madjedi]

Better off had treated kinect like a add on from the get go, and not designed the system around, just have made no nonsense good console and retailed below $500.

[CerealKiller]

These articles make no sense. Just because the kinect was included in every box doesn't mean everyone who bought the Xbox One was going to buy games for kinect. Many people don't use it or only use it for TV and voice features. A 100% attach rate doesn't mean games will sell well, and doesn't mean developers are interested.

[madjedi]

Motion controlled gaming doesn't need to die entirely, consoles designed around motion control gaming and other gimmicks at the expense of better hardware/design do need to die.

It's really hard to screw up following the kiss principle, i still want a cheap mc lightsaber game though.