icon to pop-up a window with pricing information.
 |
 |
|
An Average Gamer: Why Kinect will succeed for all the wrong reasons.
By DrMunkee 10-29-2010 01:59 PM
|
914 views |
|
My goal is to keep this little rant as fair and balanced as I can (not Fox News fair and balanced), for I have yet to experience the Kinect. This is merely a look at the advertising techniques that Microsoft has employed on the Kinect product. I might get a little opinionated at times (the middle and end), but I try to keep it fair.
Let me get this off my chest first; I WANT the Kinect to succeed. I really do. But I want it to succeed for the right reasons. That is, the technology should work and the games should be fun. If the Kinect succeeds because of that criteria, than I believe we as gamers have nothing to worry about. However, I fear that this will not be the case. Here is why - We've all heard the reports of the Kinect advertising budget of $500,000,000 ( - Link 1 - Link 2 - Link 3 - ). Let us see what this has gone towards... 1. Oprah gives her audience members Xbox's and the new Kinect - Sales spike (link) - YOUTUBE NOTE - Turn down the volume near the end. 2. Ellen jumps on the Kinect train (Link) - YOUTUBE 3. Ashley Tisdale hosts an Xbox "party" (Link) - Stars such as David Beckham attend (Link) I know; if I went out today and started shouting "The Kinect sucks!", I would have about as much experience to back up my claim as someone running out and shouting "The Kinect is the greatest invention ever!". This advertising push is everything I had feared and more. The Kinect is going to sell. Oh yeah, it's going to sell tons. But not because it is a great product, but because celebrities are endorsing it. I could be eating my words in the future if it turns out that the Kinect is a great product, but as of now, I'm not convinced. A lot of other people are. Don't worry; I understand that this kind of advertising is prevalent in all forms of product marketing. The first thing that comes to mind is sports stars advertising their "favorite" clothing to their loyal fan base. This is a mindless form of of advertising, and I don't like it one bit. But why am I taking such issue with Microsoft? Because gaming is my hobby, and we've all seen the apocalyptic projections of the future of gaming. Look at the past two E3s. Great games have been pushed aside to give more time to the Kinect and Move. I apologize that this is turning more into a rant than I had originally intended. I'm just writing what comes to mind. Gaming, like anything else, evolves. One day point and click games are all the rage, then first person shooters make their appearance only to be knocked aside by cover based third person shooters. I've stuck with gaming as my main hobby through all of these years, even when I wasn't a big fan of the new type of genre that was taking over the gaming world. Sadly, if motion gaming becomes the new joystick, I might just have to hang up the controllers and actually get a life. I hear that ladies dig guys who can play the guitar. |
 Comments (Total Comments: 14) |
|
|
Wolfkin
- 10-29-2010, 02:05 PM
|
dude i said the same thing with the Wii. It may now be as powerful as a PS3 but it could be a nice system with a few improvements. Unfortunately it sold out.. for three years in a row so from Nintendo's perspective there's no reason to bother making the changes that would make it workable.
|
|
DrMunkee
- 10-29-2010, 02:10 PM
|
|
^ I feel like the Wii DID go through exactly what I feared. Luckily, the returned to cater to their fanbase, most evident this year. Still, they lost some of their fanbase, such as CheapyD (Admit it Cheapy, when was the last time you played your Wii?).
I know that companies focus on making profit. That's capitalism. Sadly, I don't see that as the best thing in the world. |
|
RichMeisterMan
- 10-29-2010, 02:17 PM
|
Oprah and Ellen don't get paid to shill products on their show. They find shit, like it, and then want to let everyone know they do, and get the companies to give it to their studio audience for free. Then M$, or whatever company, is like, FUCK YEAH WE"LL GIVE IT TO THEM!" Because Oprah has a lot of suggestive power.
Kinect isn't for me I don't think it's dumb or anything though. It's just not met for me, and that's fine. It's not a bad product though; it's M$ wanting their piece of the pie. The incessant hate is kind of ridiculous. At least their product isn't a total ripoff of the Wii. This just in hardcore gamers, not every game and peripheral out there is meant for you! |
|
turkeycat79
- 10-29-2010, 02:24 PM
|
After watching those two clips we know who Microsoft is pitching Kinect too -- old ladies that watch Opera and Ellen and probably couldn't figure out how to turn an xbox on even it all you had to do was say "xbox on"...
|
|
DrMunkee
- 10-29-2010, 02:24 PM
|
|
^ Yes, Rich. I understand not everything is meant for us. But when they stop making what the "Gaming" consumer wants, they abandon the fanbase and focus on profit. Then I get bored.
I'd have no problem with Kinect if it was just a side project. The fact that it was pretty much their main attraction for the past 2 years makes me worry about the future of gaming. |
|
Ecofreak
- 10-29-2010, 02:44 PM
|
@Turkeycat79
Didn't you know -- old ladies buy more games per capita than the core gamer demographic. Microsoft will definitely make back their advertising money and cost to buy the Kinect technology with this advertising push! |
|
celegus
- 10-29-2010, 02:45 PM
|
I'm still just hoping (much like 3D) that it's a fad. It may have sorta taken over this generation, but I don't think it will be nearly as prevalent in the next. I hope.
|
|
freeorelse
- 10-29-2010, 02:48 PM
|
The next wave is embedded game chips.....in your brain.
|
|
hostyl1
- 10-29-2010, 03:33 PM
|
I just dont get why "hardcore" gamers care in the least. No one has "forgotten" about you. There are still more traditional games than even the average "hardcore" gamer can play. So what if the companies are going after another audience, you hardcore gamers are still getting what you're used to getting.
Seriously "hardcore gamers" start to sound like high school girls who are being cheated on by their boyfriend. Even in the case of Nintendo, I'd argue that more and better "hardcore" games have been developed for the Wii than the Gamecube. It just seems silly to predict all these doomsday scenarios when the empirical evidence in front of us doesnt suggest that at all. |
|
1NintendoFan
- 10-29-2010, 03:54 PM
|
|
I hope that Kinect is a good product as well. I haven't got to use it myself, but from what I have heard from a few people that have tried it, it isn't as accurate as they had hoped (though it could have improved since then) I think Kinect is going to sell well for the same reason Wii sold well and that is because it is going to be popular and appeal to a lot of different people, many people that aren't typically gamers.
I'm not sure how much it will help Kinect that Oprah and Ellen are advertising it, but I'm sure it won't hurt them. A lot of moms watch those shows, so they are able to get advertisement for the product right to them. However, I have never understood why people have to get things just because a celebrity has it, used it, etc. People start wearing the same clothes, sunglasses, jewelry, buying the same products, etc. just because so and so had it. I will be honest, the reason I have Guitar Hero is actually because of Ellen. A few years ago I was considering getting Guitar Hero III after it was released but just didn't quite know if I should get it. I was watching her show and she was playing the game, it looked like a lot of fun and it made me think it may be something I would like. I didn't run out and buy it right away and I didn't want it just because Ellen was playing, but after seeing it on her show I looked into the game a little more and then eventually decided to get it. To be honest, I really have no idea what to expect with Kinect, if it will be good, bad, etc. but I am still curious to try it and just see how it is. I just hope that if the product itself is good that the sales aren't inflated because of people just buying random games and not really looking into it, causing us to get a lot of shovelware like we get with the Wii. I do hope that it sells well and it is a good product, I just hope that people know what they are buying for games and developers try to give us some decent quality games. |
|
GaveUpTomorrow
- 10-29-2010, 05:34 PM
|
1. I believe the Kinect will sell like crazy, but I'm definitely not thrilled by this. A lot of people will just run out and purchase without even using, but I won't do that. I love the idea of the 3DS, but even though that looks good, I won't be picking it up until I have tried it and experienced the 3D. I wish other people who do the same.
2. I really don't get the hype. When the Playstation Eye came out and let you basically play games with your body to some extent, it was never that big of a deal and never really caught on. Now, we basically get a highly upgraded version of the Playstation Eye and it catches on like wildfire. The Playstation Eye games were terrible and I am not expecting much more out of the Kinect. I realize the technology behind the Kinect is much more advanced, but I still can't see myself having fun with it. I would love to be proved wrong, but sadly that probably won't happen. |
|
Wolfkin
- 10-29-2010, 08:52 PM
|
|
don't get me wrong. i'm pretty happy with my Wii. I have a bunch of games for it. and even more on my shopping list. And while I remain saddened by certain things (friend codes for EVERY game) I accepted it, but i find it hard to believe that there are more real games for the Wii than for the Gamecube. That sir i highly doubt.
|
|
buzzcola
- 10-30-2010, 04:52 AM
|
its better this way
kinnect sells more companys will develop more kinnect stuff will overflow market and bam cags get stuff cheaper |
|
joshnorm
- 10-30-2010, 10:46 AM
|
I have come around on the Kinect. Yes they are marketing towards the non-gaming crowd but that is because they want to move this product. Look at the Wii it sold hardware like a mother
 er for 3 years. Software in the US didn't match up. The Xbox software sales were/are strong and this will help them move some of that hardware. When the games for "gamers" come out for the Kinect then it will be ok. But that is if they make "'core game" which it looks like they are going to try...or attempt to do. But yes I agree the inital push isn't for most that frequent CAG or other gaming sites its for the soccer moms who think it would be Wii-esq |
| Recent Blog Entries by DrMunkee |
|
