Kinect Changes Nothing.

Kinect, it's everywhere, I can't step into a game store without the words "have you pre-ordered yours yet?" hitting me with a condescending tone. With every poster, advert and overly pushy sales person I can see Microsoft's $500m ticking away, like coal on the fire of ignorant consumerism.

There's something very dirty about the marketing for Kinect, as if the boundary between the manufacturer and consumer has broken down, making it look almost like Microsoft is paying the consumer to buy their product. This is made even more sickening by the fact that 99% of pre-orders are by people who have never actually played on it. Add to this a ridiculous review embargo and it makes me think MS have something to be ashamed of and, maybe, they do. Everything from the TV ads with little to no actual game footage to staged circus showings are all threads in the metaphorical wool that MS are pulling over the general publics eyes. It's a very sad day when an unproven, laggy, twitch-filled, limited piece of tech like Kinect can be sold on mass with nothing but sheer force of money.

Not only that but MS have made some outrageous claims, which, to my utter disbelief, a lot of people have just swallowed e.g:

Kinect is "next generation experience now" - Aaron Greenberg
http://n4g.com/news/568613/...

"Biggest platform launch in history" - Microsoft Game Studios VP Bill Spencer
http://n4g.com/news/636257/...

"Biggest Innovation In 20 Years" - Peter Molyneux
http://n4g.com/news/588688/...

The last one is my favorite, it's downright laughable when you consider what has come along in the last 20 years: HD graphics, wireless controllers/internet, Online gaming, 3D, 7.1 surround sound, dual analogue sticks, rumble etc.

OK this is probably starting to sound like another Kinect hate-rant but I am coming to my point soon, honestly. Also, unlike a lot of the haters, I HAVE tried Kinect out and in more depth than most. I compare it to the first time you walked past an electronics store and saw yourself in the TV. At first it seems really fun and has you dancing and pulling faces and such but it soon wears thin (unless you're really narcissistic) and you move on. Admittedly the media functionality would be handy but also has its limits (text/number input?) and sometimes(most times) it's just easier to press a button.

This is where I explain the title (finally) and give my prediction/opinion on the impact Kinect will have on gaming. As far as 'controllerless' gaming is concerned Kinect doesn't bring much new to the table. Depth tracking is only useful, in gaming, if it is accurate enough to allow developers to do something interesting with it. For example when playing Playstation Moves' Tumble you can reach into the screen with pinpoint accuracy to 'thread' the onscreen controller though a small hoop. When testing out Kinect I thought it would be good to see if I could do the same, albeit with an imaginary hoop. Turns out you can't, it picked up my depth OK but the onscreen avatar twitched so much that I couldn't be sure that I would hit the same spot twice, like trying to find a keyhole in the dark... with a jellyfish. I left dissapointed and I'm pretty sure that's how most GAMERS will feel come launch day.

It's this dissapointing feeling that makes me believe that the MASSIVE hype surrounding this device will come crashing down on top of it when people realize it's limitations. I'm not arguing Kinects worth to a casual non- gamer but, for the real gamers out there, it changes nothing, there will always be alternatives as long as we are here to demand it, even if we have to buy a different console. 'Core' games will never disappear for good as long as we chose to play what we WANT to play and not what is thrust in our faces by Oprah.