Why did the sensational Kinect controller disappear from the field of vision and how much is Microsoft itself responsible for the failure of the legendary product? Analyzes of Business Insider told about it.
In 2009, Microsoft first introduced the Kinect controller for the Xbox 360. Then it became a sensation. The infrared camera, sensors and microphones fully monitored the position and movements of the body, and for $ 150 you were given the opportunity to control games and multimedia using only voice and gestures.
Since then, the company has sold about 29 million copies of Kinect. It is difficult to call success. Once an innovative gadget almost completely disappears from the field of view. They are not interested in buyers. Developers it is also not interesting: in the last two years only seven games have been released, made exclusively for the controller. Yes, and Microsoft itself rarely recollects the existence of Kinect, switching attention to its novelty – HoloLens.
What happened?
In 2005, the Xbox 360 was introduced. For several years things were going well and the console was very popular. But as soon as Sony PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii came on the market, the competition became really tough. Microsoft needed to carefully consider its next step and take the Xbox 360 to the lead. Therefore, the company introduced Kinect. This controller looked interesting, promised incredible sensations and created a new niche for games and content.
The launch was conducted with great fanfare. Only for marketing, Microsoft spent $ 500 million. Oprah Winfrey distributed Xbox 360 and Kinect in her broadcast, and the media gave the new controller the best reviews. For 60 days Microsoft sells more than 8 million Kinect, setting a world record for the fastest selling device. Developers are lining up to start working on games for the controller.
True, most of the games released received only negative reviews. Out of 17 projects, only Dance Central received good marks. But all this was not important. Fans of Kinect understood: the technology is new and it needs time for development. Nobody was worried about the controller, everyone just moved furniture in the apartment to play with the new device.
Problem one: the lack of really cool games
The problems began when, and after six months, there were no games for Kinect. Fitness training and elementary platformers did not interest those gamers who bought Xbox 360. Microsoft managed to convince the largest game developers to integrate Kinect support into the most popular franchises, but it was made strange. For example, some players in FIFA 15 were given a red card for shouting obscene words into the microphone. Obviously, such integration did not bring about the result.
Insiders say: even the best of the best developers did not want to integrate the new controller into their projects. After all, these games have already invested a lot of time and money. In addition, they worked wonderfully with traditional joysticks. At the same time, starting from 2010, those teams that best created innovative, creative games for non-gamers focused their attention on iOS and Android. A big jackpot, money, a growing audience – all this was here.
The second problem: “85% of magic, 15% of depression”
Kinect also integrated voice control and gestures directly into the Xbox 360. You could put the movie on pause or log into your account, just appearing in front of the camera. But, no matter how cool it may sound, Kinect was still a new technology, and all its new features were accompanied by bugs. The magic of innovation worked only on 85%, in other cases, the user was disappointed.
Gamers attach great importance to the accuracy of movements – for example, the embodiment of supercomb in Street Fighter IV or a heads-up in Call of Duty. And if you are going to control the TV with voice, it would be better for the system to work perfectly. Otherwise you will shout “pause!” Again and again.
Problem three: need more space
Worse, even more: the longer people used Kinect, the more they found places and situations in which the controller did not function well. To play with Kinect in the apartment, it was necessary to move the furniture. So the sensor received the necessary field for normal operation. On the other hand, you can sit on the couch in a room of any size and play yourself a pleasure – this requires only a joystick.
The second attempt with Xbox One
Despite all the shortcomings, Kinect quickly came into use, at least in part, because Microsoft sold the controller bundled with the Xbox 360, which was very popular. But not everyone bought the full set: in January 2012, Microsoft announced that they sold 18 million Kinect and 66 million Xbox 360. A year later, in February 2013, the head of the Microsoft Xbox division, Larry Grib, wrote on Twitter that the company sold 24 million Kinect and more than 76 million Xbox 360. It can be assumed that those controllers that were sold were bundled with the console.
When the Xbox One was first introduced in November 2013, Microsoft made a shocking statement: the new console will require a new version of Kinect. This meant that the Xbox One would cost $ 499. For example, Sony PlayStation 4 – the closest competitor – was worth $ 399.
For $ 100 difference, Microsoft promised interactive games and TV shows. In addition, you can use the search engine from Bing and pre-installed Internet Explorer.
For Microsoft, this was all part of the long-playing and ambitious plan to place a computer in the living room of each house. This could be achieved with Kinect – a clear interface, multimedia platform … everything looked logical for the company. But the nucleus of the target audience, gamers, this idea immediately hated. When the Xbox One entered the market in November 2013, it quickly replaced the PlayStation 4. In three cases out of four, buyers chose the console from Sony.
Final retreat
In April 2014, the Kinect Sports Rivals video game for the Xbox One was released. Instead of triumph, the case ended in low sales and heavy losses, which led to massive layoffs in the studio-developer Rare. In May 2014, Microsoft finally decided to back out and no longer insist on the need for a new Kinect, agreeing to sell the Xbox One for $ 399, and then for $ 349. This helped raise the sales of Xbox One, and the difference in sales from the PlayStation 4 was reduced by a quarter.
But that meant that about 5 million Xbox One owners who bought the console with the controller got an unnecessary accessory, which they did not really want. At the same time, only a few games had integration with Kinect on the Xbox One, and quite a few received decent reviews.
The news site Neowin wrote in May 2014: “Microsoft is the only one to blame for the failure of Kinect.” The article also stated that not a single flagship game was released for Xbox One, even Microsoft did not release such a game. Already passed a year – and it’s still true.
In addition, Microsoft closed the television studio, which was opened to create a unique interactive content for Kinect in October 2014.
In other words, Kinect, apparently, was put on hold.
This is not the end
It’s interesting that artists and engineers are actively using Kinect in their projects. For example, it became a key element for creating an unusual mirror – PomPom Mirror.
To sum it up, there are 23 million Kinect sold for the Xbox 360 and at least 5 million Xbox One with the new sensor – and it’s a pity that Microsoft could not turn this into a future for video games.
But it’s good that at least somewhere they were useful.
