The Microsoft Kinect is a video based game controller released in 2010. It takes a live video feed of a person standing in front of their TV and uses the motions it spots to move the in-game figures and objects. Since its release the Kinect has been charted at selling "8 million units in 60 days."
Recently it was stated by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer that the Kinect will soon be supported for PC gaming . The effect of this will be large and could be massive amounts of profit for Microsoft, yet I predict a catastrophic flaw in this choice. As PC gaming stands today most gamers play two major types of games, First person shooters and MMORPGs (Massively Multi-player Online Role Playing Games) such as World of Warcraft. These types of games favor items such as high dollar mice and keyboards. Most people who are PC gamers most likely will not wish to make the switch to full body controlling.
Another problem with putting the Kinect out for PCs would be a drop in Xbox 360 sales. From the release of the Kinect the sales of this gaming system have jumped. Causing a large profit to be made on the Kinect and the Xbox 360 itself. If it is released for the PC those who don't own an Xbox only need to by the Kinect and not spend the extra $300 dollars on the Xbox just to use it. Over all if this happens I predict a drop in Microsoft's profits due to the Kinect yet a continued rise in sales.
6 comments:
Could this be Xbox's first step to take PC gaming to the virtual reality world? Would PC gammers be content with high dollar mice and keyboards or given the opportunity would they like to game in virtual reality? Just for my education, what does MMORPG stand for?
Massive Multi-player Online Role Playing Games is my guess (without researching).
Kern you are correct, and Brad, the technology has been around with web cams and computer integrated cameras. So its not the first step, it might be a hint of people leaning in to the way of virtual reality. In relation to the use of mice/keyboard over full body movements, I feel that the mouse and keyboard is here to stay. For example in the movie gamer, which deals with a type of virtual reality shows multiple types of gamers. You have the people with high reaction times and full mobility using the virtual reality then you have the opposite side. Someone who is handicapped or has swift arm/wrist movements yet can't move their entire body as fast. Full virtual reality would cause things such as games to only target one group of the computer users and gamers. It would hurt the field to have that occur.
Many people today are confusing games like Kinect or Wii with alternatives of exercise. The people coming up with the ideas of virtual games are allowing this alternate to happen. If you were to get rid of these types of games, people might actually have to workout and wouldn't so they'd buy videogames. This causes an increases in videogame producers either way as long as they get the attention of the buyers.
Like Taylor said, people are using these games for a substitute for working out at a gym or working out in some other way than moving in front of a television. I bet more people are likely to spend a lot of money buying a Wii or a Kinect instead of joining a gym. It is more convenient to stay in your home and workout than go out and drive to the gym. This causes the gaming industry to rise and public gyms or work out places to slowly fall.
I agree that people would rather stay at home then go workout at a gym, therefore they will pay the money to buy games and gaming systems such as the wii fitness. But if these games really do work out the body as much as going to a gym, it seems it would be helping peoples fitness, and that is an important factor. If the simulation of working out in a game did nothing for the consumer, there would be no use in buying it, and it wouldn't be as popular as it is.
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