I can tell you that we were all feeling a bit downtrodden at the end of Microsoft's E3 presentation. Although it started out well, we were slowly beaten down by the slow march of Kinect into our gaming experiences. It's not that some of the things weren't cool (gun modding in Ghost Recon and voice tactics in Mass Effect 3). It's that most of the things were not (everything else).

In speaking with Eurogamer, Microsoft has confronted some of the criticism it has received from the press. Short answer? They aren't worrying about it at all.

"I think it was as we expected," explained Xbox senior product manager David Dennis. "We showed amazing core game experiences and we showed great Kinect experiences. Both social/casual Kinect experiences as well as stuff like Rise of Nightmares and Ryse which we think are certainly going to appeal to the core.”

Keep in mind that Rise of Nightmares was a game I tried and decided to be awful, and Ryse was originally thought to be a not-Kinect Crytek game set in Roman times and is now a full body, Kinect,  fighting game. David Dennis then goes on to say something that I think he pretty much just made up.

"It's similar to last year where some of the core gaming media walked out of E3 a little sceptical about Kinect and said 'I'm never going to do that'. But a lot of them also went and bought Kinect and said 'Oh my god, I love it, I break it out when I'm having a party, I play with my girlfriend, finally I can play with my kids.'

I'm not sure where he heard this, but honestly I haven't heard this from anyone. I would say that the core gaming media is currently even more confused on what role Kinect is going to play and whether, ultimately, that role is even necessary. And I really believe that "necessary" is the core word here.

[Source: Eurogamer]

Comments

  • Avatar
    Hegs94
    12 years, 9 months ago

    End, not and. lol

    All grammar Naziing aside, I'm in total agreement. When the press conference was over I was a little taken aback by how much Kinect ware was there, and how little of everything else was there. There was, of course, some cool stuff, but most of it was just shit. However, I think the worst announcement of E3 was that there is going to be an all new Halo trilogy. First of all, does MS not understand the word trilogy? It can't be a trilogy if THERE'S MORE THAN 3 GAMES IN THE FRANCHISE. The fact that the next one is called Halo 4 should be enough to tell them that calling it a trilogy is just a stupid idea. Plus, who do I really want to play the same game 3 more times? I don't think so.

  • Avatar
    Actionreplay
    12 years, 9 months ago

    "We showed amazing core game experiences and we showed great Kinect experiences."

    No. You didn't. You shoved shit software in our faces. The Kinect might be good for something but this sure as hell isn't it.

  • Avatar
    inthenameofharmon
    12 years, 9 months ago

    Oh microsoft, its like you have two kids. One is older(core gaming) and has a bunch of intellegent cool friends(core gamers) , but whenever they come over the younger child (casual/kinect) trys to annoyingly grab their attention, mistaking it for being cute. When it doesn't work he crys to the parents (microsoft) and tell him its ok and possibly try to force the older child to let the younger child hang out with his friends....I know I was a kinect when I was a kid but I grew up and hopefully the kinect will grow up and move out of microsoft's house, never to be seen again. Kinect and Microsoft will get in a fight in the future about how Kinect is too old to be sitting around, not making money and microsoft will refuse to support it anymore. (That never happened to me, but it did to proabably alot of other people when they got older.)

  • Avatar
    oplock
    12 years, 9 months ago

    The Core wont come around until they improve the technology and actually build games that integrate with the Kinect seamlessly. Right now it all seems gimmicky and forced. Given how laborious it is to interact with Kinect, it should be an augmentation to the experience and not the entire experience.

    How about the obvious example: When playing a driving game, haven't you ever inadvertently leaned left or right with your body on hard turns? I'm not saying use this to steer a fucking car, but use the regular controller and have the game be able to react to your body movement to improve the experience. Maybe you're riding motorcycles and leaning into the turn centers your balance and makes you less likely to fall. Perhaps an FPS that uses your body language by leaning to peak around corners?

    They need to start little and improve from there. The technology just isn't competent enough yet to provide the fidelity of control they're aiming for.

  • Avatar
    Dimensaur
    12 years, 9 months ago

    The Kinect as a piece of technology is a good idea: but it falls short (and by short I mean miles and miles off) of being a viable gaming device. Motion controls may very well prove useful for other things and the Kinect specifically could provide a great range of functions in the area of home security and the like.

    I think the main problem with the Kinect games is not the core vs casual argument. The kinect games, and motion controlled games in general, give the user great amounts of visible feedback for as little input or execution as possible. Basically you flail around and the game does a bunch of stuff. That novelty has worn out its welcome long ago. Its the same reason why people have problems with QTEs. They operate under the same philosophy, maximum feedback for minimal input and challenge. Flashiness should never get in the way of the player's ability to actually play and enjoy their games.

  • Avatar
    Big Winters
    12 years, 9 months ago

    When Kinnect is used successfully in the actual telling of the game story, or is used in an actual way to enhance gameplay, then I'll buy one. When that Kinnect is actually considered a better way to control and interact with the game than an ordinary controller, THEN I'll buy one. I'm sure there's guys around the world working hard on Kinnect game, all wanting to make that ONE GAME that proves that truly wireless gaming can be an enjoyable and rewarding experience compared to the controller, and when it comes out I'll support them, and buy a Kinnect. But not until then; you can slap any product name on this random, arm-flailing bullshit, and I will never buy one.

  • Avatar
    WingZero
    12 years, 9 months ago

    I'm getting more and more confused by what MS means by "core gamer". While some of the upcoming games look interesting, the only Kinect game I see worth playing is Dance Central. The rest are what I term, "casual games", and hence, does not appeal to me.

    Until I see more good AAA titles on the Kinect, I'm sorry, this core gamer will NOT come around.

  • Avatar
    Joel
    12 years, 9 months ago

    As a Microsoft Xbox 360 fan, this ideology that Microsoft has is pissing me off.

    No Microsoft, the Core gamers are not going to come around no matter how much you push it upon us.

    I bet you to them the "core" gamers are the ones playing call of duty.

  • Avatar
    J52
    12 years, 9 months ago

    "Welp, Kinect has two games with blood in them coming out. Our work is done."

  • Avatar
    VagrantHige
    12 years, 9 months ago

    A good friend of mine just got one and is loving it. It's also only been 2 or 3 days and the new gizmo smell hasn't worn off yet. There has always been something with it that has bothered me. You can't do 90% of games without a controller with this system. That pretty much means one of two options. You either have to buy accessories for it somewhere down the line for those types of games or you sit down, use a controller, and all the Kinect does is voice recognition. I could do that with a headset if I really wanted to. Other than exercise, dance, and mini games there isn't much that is being done or can effectively. Look at the shooting in Ghost Recon and my point is made.

  • Avatar
    Comradebearjew
    12 years, 9 months ago

    I don't think they will...

  • Avatar
    AdjacentKitten
    12 years, 9 months ago

    "Core gamers?" That's a silly way of naming their true gaming audience, aka, the audience that made the Xbox 360 worth a damn in the first place. Seems like Microsoft is looking to take their audience with them as they turn their attention towards the vast expanse of families who don't own a gaming console (or own a Wii). It's just strange to expect one of your main sources of funding to you around as you explore the family gaming market.

    The Kinect is more than a piece of hardware, it's an insult to the gaming audience that led the Xbox 360 here in the first place. They want more money, and obviously, they're too stupid to find a way to garner more of an audience without relying on families who have never played a video game in their life.

    It ain't looking good, if they keep taking it this way. Microsoft can work towards maintaining that "family entertainment system" ideology as much as they want, but by the time the new consoles roll around, something tells me that the hardcore gamers will flock to the next generation PlayStation.

  • Avatar
    Kipp
    12 years, 9 months ago

    Im telling you as of right now it already has. Also when they say core gamers they mean hardcore gamers. Not the people who just play cod for days on end but the people that play multiple genres. Overall however even for just the casual shooter fans Playstation has way more to offer with as I mentioned before socom, uncharted, killzone, resistance. Only shooters xbox has are Halo and Gears and Uncharted is exactly like Gears only less gory and more realistic.

  • Avatar
    Minyme
    12 years, 9 months ago

    I doubt we will...

  • Avatar
    mark
    12 years, 9 months ago

    Such passion from all you, I feel like a core gamer who is prepared to go out and spend$ 60. ( after a little research ) I'm not a millionaire, but I do believe in gaming employees being rewarded for their efforts (well that's a whole other issue). My belief is this, why can we not embrace kinect for what it is, get up, wave your arms around a little, pretend like it was exercise and kick someones ass at say ping pong or bowling and then get back to your actual game, L.A. Noire, Dirt, Crysis, whatever the flavor of the month is and if you have time download a classic like Riddick (imho)

  • Avatar
    Lee
    12 years, 9 months ago

    Me and my friends consider our selves "hardcore gamers" and we are not going to buy Kinekt or fucking PS move...You know why? Cuz there is something called a Wii that is gathering dust in our rooms..So why are you guys trying to sell something that another system has? At least Sony is not trying to shove there move up our ass....and Microfuck is asking other developers if their games will do Kinect...
    Or
    Will it kinect

  • Avatar
    M2D
    12 years, 9 months ago

    Both Sony and Nintendo had much better press conferences then Microsoft.

    I don't own nor will i get a kinect. There is nothing on kinect i want to play and nothing at E3 on kinect interested me. The problem is that kinect will be taken up developers resources as they create games for kinect as opposed to create or continuing promising franchises.

    As much as i HATED Fable 3, i'd prefer if Lionhead tried to create a new game off of the franchise without kinect. Maybe actually deliver on a co-op game. Offer the gamers a fully co-operative Fable story that actually works and is enjoyable. There are so many ways they could of taken Fable and improved on it - apply kinect was one sure fire way to push the franchise further off the cliff.

  • Avatar
    LostKing
    12 years, 9 months ago

    Looks like microsoft is taking the "if we lie enough, people will start believing it" route with their PR.

  • Avatar
    Brightbitsofshrapnel
    12 years, 9 months ago

    On a lighter note, there's a plethora of awesome stuff surfacing from all the Kinect-hacking that has been going down, which Microsoft has finally decided to endorse, probably to its benefit: http://www.wired.com/magazine/2011/06/mf_kinect/

    The minute sensitivity problems with Kinect's technology may be hard to swallow in the few experimental games that have been put out so far, but perhaps these current issues are less obvious with something like a 2D holodeck (yes, read the Wired article). For the sake of this discussion, try a change of perspective - while a Kinect dancing game may be cheesy, I don't think that I'd be alone in thinking that a holodeck (and extensions of such a setup) would be freaking glorious. I'm just going to sit here and wait for 1) Microsoft to gradually improve Kinect's technology (I think they've already done the heavy lifting in designing their infrared beam distortion module), and 2) some developer to develop an epic interactive 3D game. Have a little faith, everyone - I think this movement is just picking up momentum.

  • Avatar
    Yodaral
    12 years, 9 months ago

    Well considering I hardly ever plug in my 360 anymore ever since attaining a gaming pc and Playstation 3, having that smug type of approach to Kinect isn't going to get my money into Microsoft's pockets any time soon.

  • Avatar
    Semikami
    12 years, 9 months ago

    This is the reason why my friend said he was embarrassed to own 360. He's now planning to get a gaming PC before Battlefield 3 comes. The only reason I play 360 is all the japanese games that aren't on PC, and I don't have PS3. Shadows of the Damned, Deadly Premonition, Vanquish, Bayonetta, FFXIII, Nier…And Alan Wake.

  • Avatar
    s1yfox
    12 years, 9 months ago

    for the love of god microsoft move the f*ck on! all of this motion control pushing is really ticking me off...

  • Avatar
    Rendrak
    12 years, 9 months ago

    This motion control bullshit is getting embarrassing. It's still glitchy and gimmicky as hell. You CAN'T make a game to appeal to core gamers with the Kinect's technology.

  • Avatar
    SJ_1S8
    12 years, 9 months ago

    The first paragraph of this article, perfectly illustrates the situation.

  • Avatar
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    12 years, 9 months ago

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