| Netyaroze said: Hmm mainstream media saying good things means nothing all those non players and casuals will be in the boat if they played it and are not already satsified with Nintendo.
Only someone who doesnt care about 400 Dollar will go out and buy it without testing it. On the beginnig MS enthusiasts and core gamers will buy it. If the Add campaigne started early and non gamers were satisifed in the shops where they tested it then they might buy it also.
But I actually think 350 Dollar is a lot for those casuals who already have a wii and are not really into Videogames. And the userbase today of Xbox360 is not really casual. So existing users may buy it just because they have faith in MS. But there is one thing which could destroy kinect totally. Nobody will accept Kinect if the handling is harder then with a traditional Controller. Also misinterpretations wont be tolerated by noone probably the casuals and nongamers will be less forgiving there. I have seen it myself if nongamers have to be explained to long the controls and even if its their mistake and they make something wrong they just stop playing and dont care anymore. IF someone looses a game because kinect misinterpreted his actions it will be devastating for the device. Its a thin way for Kinect to be a success. it has to work 100% noone accepts a controller where one button work just 75% of the time. Wii controlls worked perfect and in a lot of games even better then the traditional controller. Eyetoy worked but it actually wasnt any better then a controller. Kinect has to be better and accurate.
The problem is look at motion capturing people have to wear suits with sensors. So the cameras can capture everything perfect. MS tries the same with a device which costs a lot less and with clothes on and with 2 people at once. And with variabel settings in light and maybe with people sitting around. And it still has to work almost as good. Maybe MS think people will be a little forgiving since they actually are allowed to play without a controller (which is a disadvantage IMO) people like holodeck yes thats cool but thats not playing games. Playing without a controller see eyetoy is exhausting and noone wants to play after one hour.
Nintendo made something with their controller there success was that it actually added to the videogame experience a lot and it worked very well. If MS is able to achieve that with Kinect then they could be lucky even that is no warranty for success since MS just doesnt have the family image and Nintendo has it since 25 years. I just cant pretend familys buying Xbox360 with kinect instead of wii to play with there kids. CNN knows nothing about it and MS is a important buisness partner for mainstream media since they advertise on their channels. If MS wants positive news they can get it without a doubt they dont even have to pay for it and they probably dont even have to ask for it. They are an American important company with allies in the Media buisness which are also there clients. And for the journalists its just the next fad they dont have a clue about videogames. Its just a toy and if they see there figure waving there arm when they do then they are satisfied and praise it as the new revolution. I doubt Nintendos success can be copied by Sony or MS. Sony goes the way that they produce the same as Nintendo but make it fit for the core gamer which are already their clients. MS makes a device to actually fight with Nintendo on their hometurf. And even if the issues we read the last months are just half as serious it will still kill the device.
When it works flawlessly and is easy to handle and MS finds an interesting way to implement Kinect then it could be a steady success not a short one.
MS tried to copy google. Which failed imo miserably. MS tried to copy Apple which also failed. And MS now tries to copy Nintendo they have a better name in the Videogames industry that could help them in the beginnig but the concept has to carry itself.
The problem is the definition of success. If you take a humble approach like 10-15 Million LTD it could happen but some of those claims I heard are ridiculous and a success similar to WII is simply not imaginable for me.
The incredible hype will lead imo to dissappointment nobody will be satisfied because the expectations are just too high. If MS can deliever then people already expected it through the hype so it wont be anything special but if not then they will be extremly dissapointed its almost a lose lose situation. I cant wait to have my hands on Kinect. To actually see whats so special about it. BTW why most of the Third party developer werent able to sell games on Wii ? Because they just dont know what the market wants. And MS now caters to this market with Kinect ? It will definetly be hard for MS. Nintendo created the market which MS now wants. And actually noone was able to recreate the Family Nintendo image. Sega MS and Sony had their own. A brand replacment is one of the most difficult things in the marketing world. Why are you all so enthusiastic ? because the core MS enthusiast preordered Kinect ?
What MS wants to do is not impossible but hard and there is no guarantee it will work. |
I cannot think of a single instance where a company dumps millions of dollars in marketing AKA hype and their product does not sell well. Not one single instance.
I went to graduate school with individuals who have a career in marketing. They will tell you that marketing is what brings the dollars in, while those in R&D are a bunch of asocial nerds who sweat like an NBA player during staff meetings with their heads down, hands in their lap, and a constant look in their eyes of "when is this going to be over, I want to go back to my R&D cave." I marvel at those in marketing because they have a real touch in interpersonal relations and have the tools to know people better than they know themselves in order to get them to buy a product they don't need and may not necessarily like.
As for disappointment, each new system and especially a visionary way of gaming such as the Kinect will inevitably lead to disappointment, mostly from "core" gamers who were skeptical all along.. Will the Kinect disappoint as much as the Virtual Boy did? Maybe, but I doubt it because Microsoft is not making and marketing this product for us "core" gamers who have more in common with individuals who attend Renaissance faires than the average joe who works 40 hours a week, goes home everyday at 5-7 pm and watches tv for a few hours before passing out into sleep. These average joes may know something about video games, but they do not know enough to hold an intelligent conversation about the strengths and weaknesses of the Wii, Sony Move, and Microsoft Kinect.
Personally, I will not buy a Kinect as a 360 owner, not because it doesn't intrigue me, but because I have a firm philosophy of not buying 1st generation consumer electronics. I have heard from friends and relatives too many complaints about the new iPhone, first iPod, and the like.
