Microsoft: “No Reviews of Kinect!”

[Reasonable]

Calmador said:

kowenicki said:

Wow... some of the reactions in here...

If people want to believe that MS are prepared to spend $500m on advertising a product that is crap and essentially doesn't work then fine.

It amazes me the lack of awareness of what is going on right now in gaming.  Even gaming journalists seem oblivious to what has happened in the last few years.

Despite what some would have you believe there ARE definitely different groups of gamers now at large (call it core and casual if you like - the title matters not).  The target audience for this initial launch of kinect is NOT your Halo, MW2, Bioshock, GT5 or FFXIII audience.  It is the Wii fit, Wii sports, Wii party perhaps even Mario Kart audience.  Review sites like this cannot help such a launch and can only harm it.  MS know this. We all know this... or at least we should know this.

MS are being smart, the best reactions for this will be from the mainstream media and from word of mouth.  The traditional gaming press will likely be very elitist about it and probably a tad negative.    

Thats my take anyway.

I agree, how can people be so ignorant?

There's no ignorance in believing a business shouldn't try and manipulate its press to be favourable. Kow's point is very weak IMHO.  It's like saying only let someone who likes cheesy horror films review cheesy horror films, or someone who likes heavy metal review heavy metal.  In a sense that's the worstapproach as it's a simple self confirming closed circle.  The whole point of general reviews is to provide different views and allow you to guage stuff outside your knowledge.

Why shouldn't I, a seasoned gamer, get to read reviews by seasoned gamers of what they thought of Kinect titles?  That's useful for me and allows me to get a feel for how I might find the titles myself.

If the games are fun then they'll get decent scores.  Will some Wii and Move titles have been panned those that are good from a more traditional gamer aspect aren't, and I don't see why MS should behave in a way to try and exlude a section of their potential purchasing community.

There are a lot of general reviews in every medium, with games being no different, and Kinect title's shouldn't be ducking them, particularly if Nintendo and Sony titles aren't.  An even playing field is better for the consumer.  And we should, as the buying gamers, be arguing for what benefits us - clear and consistent reviews - vs what is better for the business.

I want to be able to read someone like Ebert's take on Transformers as much as his take on The Third Man, and the same applies in gaming.