Kinect selling 8 million is horrible news for graphics whores

[WCP]

Microsoft recently announced that they have sold 8 million Kinects worldwide. The truth of the matter, is that the 8 million number is a "shipped to retailers" number, and they have probably sold a legit 6 million worldwide, but still, it's pretty apparent that Kinect has been a huge hit for Microsoft.

How does this affect graphic whores? Well, had Kinect bombed, Microsoft would have probably been much more interested in launching a new Xbox machine in November 2012. With Kinect so successful, launching a new Xbox doesn't really make any sense whatsoever for the foreseeable future.

The Kinect effectively becomes their new console.


This has to be exceptionally painful to PC gamers, because the console market is already holding the PC market back about 4 years, and 8 million Kinects sold is going to hold back the PC market a couple of more years as well. ATi and Nvidia can keep coming out with new cards, but I really don't see any legit reason to buy them. The best developers in the world are coding for consoles, and then porting the console ports to the PC, not the other way around. This should continue well into the future.

This sucks for me personally, because I am a certified graphics whore, and I'm already itching to play a new console. I've been playing games since the days of Atari, and I've been happy with the 5 to 6 year lifecycle that each generation has enjoyed up till now. Next November, the Xbox 360 will be 6 years old, and the PS3 and Wii will be 5 years old. That would normally be the time to bring out a new wave of consoles, but it's just not happening. Nintendo might release a new console in 2012, but it will mostly likely just get them up to the current technological standards of the 360/PS3.

I thought about buidling a gaming PC (haven't done that in over 10 years), but the more I think about it, the more I think it would be a waste of time and money, because other than a Metro 2033 here, and a Rage there, I just don't think there will be much to make the investment and drama worth it.

[Melf]

Would the graphical difference between the 360/PS3 and new consoles really be that big? I think the next gen will be more focused on HD, online connectivity, social networking, etc. and not graphics.

[NayusDante]

Screw graphics, Microsoft needs a better CPU.

[Leo_A]

I don't see the apparant success of Kinect significantly holding back a successor. I think Microsoft introduced Kinect now to gain experience, to sell the concept to developers and publishers, and convince it's marketplace that this style of gaming is worthwhile; all with an eye towards the Xbox 720 having this technology built in from day 1.

If anything, this suggest to me that their concepts have been vindicated and that they're going full speed ahead with their plans now that they believe they're on the right track.

[Swamperon]

I still reckon we're on course to see the first eighth generation consoles in 2012. The Wii 2 being the most obvious first debut, followed by the 720. PS4 won't hit until 2014, I guesstimate.

[portnoyd]

I would have never even expected 2 million Kinects. Christ. I didn't think that many people had that bad taste.

[Baloo]

I would have never even expected 2 million Kinects. Christ. I didn't think that many people had that bad taste.

Doesn't help that Microsoft fucked with the 360 Bundles so that half of the Xboxes out there CAME with the Kinect in the first place.

But I digress, it's good to see Add-Ons succeed.

[MachineGex]

I personally would like to see systems hang on for a much longer period of time. In the past, just when companies got familiar with a system, they retired it. I absolutely hate most 1 generatiion(release titles) games. After 4-5 years, companies really begin to show they know how to program for a system. I would be happy holding on for the next 3-4 years (at least). Lets see what they can do, once they have mastered programming for each system.

[Tupin]

Funny that it has already sold more than the N-Gage when they both have the same quality of games.

[The 1 2 P]

This is actually really good news. I just got my 360 in 2009 and it's nice to know that(thanks to Kinect) it will be around for much longer than the typical 4-6 year console life cycle.

[gepeto]

Where's crysis for the next gen consoles?

[joshnickerson]

I don't understand this huge rush to get to the next generation anyway... technology hasn't advanced THAT much, and are we really in that much of a hurry to slap down $400 every four years?

[Trebuken]

I got a Kinect for Christmas and have yet to open it. With two Wii's in the house the Kinect looks like a rehash, and an inferior one as far as gameplay.

Graphically the Kinect has stepped back a couple years instead of going forward. It appeals to a different segment of gamers than you see here. The big threee are going after the casual gamers and judging by the growth of the games industries sales, they are succeeding.

I have always been a PC Gamer first. The last couple of years have seen less than a dozen games (excluding MMO's) a year that push your hardware. They are there though and you generally have to play multiple genres to experience them.

Starcraft II's sales make it clear that PC Gaming still has potential - I think console developement has been cheaper, and piracy is less. Yet Graphically PC Gaming is the forerunner. Seeing PC versions of games delayed due to piracy (Assassin's Creed II), or seemingly canceled (Enslaved), is just disappointing.

Of course there is the new 27" 3D monitor with integrated nVidia 3D technology, so PC gaming is still going forward...

[NoahsMyBro]

If the debut of new consoles is delayed I'm OK with that as well.

Aside from the Dreamcast, until a month ago the last console I owned firsthand was the Atari 5200. On December 9 I received my first PS3 and I'll be thrilled if it remains current and widely supported for a few more years.

I understand and accept that the market couldn't care less for my personal situation and Sony might release a new system anytime, but if things remain as they are for awhile I certainly won't mind.

[NayusDante]

Of course there is the new 27" 3D monitor with integrated nVidia 3D technology, so PC gaming is still going forward...

Why do I have the feeling that just as many PS3s will be hooked to these as PCs?


The only Kinect title that even remotely has my interest is the next Steel Battalion. Even that would be better on PC. Aside from that, Kinect seems to be 100% targetted at the mainstream "non-gamer" segment. If anything, it might cause a console exodus, and a PC gaming renaissance.

[mlambert890]

Not sure why anyone is thinking there were new consoles coming for 2012... Both the PS3 and XB360 are on *very* long recovery models. When it was said that these consoles were on 10 year life cycles, that wasnt some kind of bluff. And that was *before* a global economic cataclysm and before Nintendo made a mint on recycled technology from the prior gen and a motion controller (pure profit from day 1)

The other thing is that technological advancements arent such a huge deal this go around. My current PC is an i980x with GTX580 tri-SLI with SSD storage and 12GB RAM. But all that thats *really* enabling, to be honest, is multi-monitor 3D. But thats an extreme niche. In 1080P (which is 100% of TVs at BEST), there isnt an appreciable difference between my PC and the 360 or PS3. Framerates are of course insanely high, and details are maxed out, but the 360 and PS3 can do well enough, with the current state of software, at 1080p, that people arent sitting there saying "oh crap, if only this looked MUCH BETTER!"

Possibly down the road a bit we will see devs really exploiting tessellation APIs to really enhance visuals and, at that stage, the current gen consoles will look long in the tooth. We're way away from that though. And even farther from that type of experience being proven as economically viable.

The current gen consoles have proven to be a phenomenal value, massively extensible, and terrific evolving platforms. This is a big win/win for consumers.

Also, why do people read hugely broad implications into one add-on? Im not interested personally in the Kinect, but Im also not interested in Rock Band. If others are, then great for them! There is no causal relationship that something *I* dont like succeeding means I will suddenly no longer get the things I *do* like. Thats a ridiculous straw man argument. The fact that Kinect sold that many copies shows how diverse the audience of console gamers is. No one is fleeing. The vast majority of gamers are fully happy, be they racing sim folks, FPSers, classic arcade types, or... yes... casual motion controller gamers.

Computer gaming is dead... Hell... "computers" are nearly dead (in the sense of a traditional, high powered, high dollar desktop or big heavy laptop). Take my word for it.. Ive worked in the technology industry for 20 years. Traditional personal computing form factors are a niche now (replaced daily by smartphones, tablets, netbooks and cheap notebooks) Gaming is a niche within a niche once you get beyond Angry Birds. Console gaming *is* gaming... Sorry to say it... Star Craft II and WoW arent really indicators of anything at all. Those are huge franchises that will always do well. PC gaming will always be around as a niche and sell to those types of audiences, but console games obliterate those kind of numbers and will continue to. If anything is likely to hurt consoles, it is something like an Apple TV getting an App Store.

[The 1 2 P]

Where's crysis for the next gen consoles?

Crysis 1 may never see a console release but Crysis 2 is set to release on 360, PS3 and Pc on March 22nd of this year.

[Orion Pimpdaddy]

I don't understand this huge rush to get to the next generation anyway... technology hasn't advanced THAT much, and are we really in that much of a hurry to slap down $400 every four years?

People always underestimate how fast technology has advanced every time a new system rolls out. This is aparent if you read old letters to the editor in EGM. They are always like, "What do I need to buy a Genesis for?" "My NES is just fine." Yes, it costs money, but eventually they trade their old stuff in for new stuff.

[chrisbid]

as far as i know, there have been no leaked screenshots/specs/drawings on any new hardware from any console company. there needs to be at least 2 years of hype before a new machine hits the market... and with the economy still in the crapper and the current generation struggling to recoup development costs, i just dont see anyone looking to sink a billion dollars into R&Ding a new machine right now.


back on topic, the first xmas season is a bad baramoter for long term success for the kinect. during the xmas season of 1994, the 32x had 'robust' sales. if they can come up with a killer app in the next 12 months, the kinect can be a runaway hit. but that is easier said than done, wii sports is still the only motion game that has resonated with the general public. nintendo is struggling to find its second motion game hit.

[Icarus Moonsight]

I don't understand this huge rush to get to the next generation anyway... technology hasn't advanced THAT much, and are we really in that much of a hurry to slap down $400 every four years?

"This is the New Shit" pretty much nails it.

Are you motherfuckers ready for the new shit?
Stand up and admit it, tomorrow's never coming
This is the new shit
Stand up and admit it
Do we need it? NO!
Do we want it? YEAH!
This is the new shit
Stand up and admit it

Let us entertain you...

I'd pay $400 if Reggie just came out at the E3 presser, said this much, dead-drop the mic and walk out like Itagaki did Tecmo.

Actually could be good news for tech feigns. I mean, it just pushes the successor out further in time and lets better tech be integrated. *looks at Wii* Oh, yeah. Then again...

[Compute]

Eh, I just got a PS3. I wouldn't mind catching up a bit before I can't find PS3 stuff in the stores anymore.

[WCP]

I don't see the apparant success of Kinect significantly holding back a successor. I think Microsoft introduced Kinect now to gain experience, to sell the concept to developers and publishers, and convince it's marketplace that this style of gaming is worthwhile; all with an eye towards the Xbox 720 having this technology built in from day 1.

If anything, this suggest to me that their concepts have been vindicated and that they're going full speed ahead with their plans now that they believe they're on the right track.

A new console anytime in the next 3 years just wouldn't make any sense now. They just sold 6 million Kinects, and now legit developers will likely support it. That is just going to cause even more Kinect sales, and Microsoft would be foolish to dilute their message with a new console. They will milk Kinect for as long as possible.



I personally would like to see systems hang on for a much longer period of time. In the past, just when companies got familiar with a system, they retired it.


Well, you're already getting your wish. This console cycle is already going to be one of the longest we've ever seen (if not the longest), regardless of Kinect. The success of Kinect is just going to prolong the generation even further. So, congratulations! You're getting exactly what you want.


I don't understand this huge rush to get to the next generation anyway... technology hasn't advanced THAT much, and are we really in that much of a hurry to slap down $400 every four years?


Well, if we were slapping down $400 every 4 years, then that would mean that Microsoft would have launched the Xbox 720 over a year ago! So, already that 4 year theory is out the window. Normally, the cycle has been 5 years, sometimes 6. Nintendo "might" consider releasing a new console in late 2012, but that is the earliest we are going to see anything, and I can pretty much guarantee that there isn't going to be any new consoles from Microsoft and Sony before late 2013. That would be the absolute earliest we could see anything from Microsoft or Sony.

[Zing]

Your thread title needs fixed. It should say "Nintendo Wii selling 75 million consoles worldwide is..."

Without the Wii, there would be no Kinect or Move.

[Diatribal Deity]

@mlambert890

That is one of the more articulate posts I have read in quite awhile. Could not agree more with alot of what you said.

Kinect, Rock Band, Guitar Hero, Bejeweled, Farmville, The Sims, whatever...definately not for everyone. But damn, whose to say who is more entitled to get enjoyment out of them.

Never have I seen such utter failure at attempting to predict the success/demise of an add-on before it was released. This result I think reveals how out-of-touch most of us are with commercial gaming. Who are we to individually judge the evolution of the industry? Do we fear lack of innovation? Sometimes commercial application of innovation will fuel further development and risk taking. I think if Kinect had failed, it would have hurt more than it will ultimately help.

[WCP]

. Who are we to individually judge the evolution of the industry? Do we fear lack of innovation? Sometimes commercial application of innovation will fuel further development and risk taking. I think if Kinect had failed, it would have hurt more than it will ultimately help.


I'm not anti-Kinect at all. I just wish that a further delaying on the next console cycle wasn't a side-effect of Kinect's success. Unfortunately, it will be, but I'm definitely not a Kinect "hater". I bought one for my kids, and I'm very impressed by it overall.

I'm just much more of a graphics whore, and would love nothing more than to be presented with a newer state of the art console from Microsoft. I just love that new console smell. :)