Is X1 forcing Kinect on us any different than PS3 forcing Bluray on us?

[Brutalyst]

Mr Puggsly said:

Thanks for the history lesson. I understand why they used Bluray and their big motivation was profits.

Bluray didn't do much if anything to actually improve the game experience and consumers had to shell a lot more money to have it. Something they may have not wanted or asked for.

You say Kinect is a dumb device nobody wants, yet motion technology like Kinect is growing. Not only did the original Kinect sell 20+ million units, Apple appears to be going the same direction now that they own PrimeSense.

Motion technology is growing... but to the contrary, physical movie sales are dwindling. DWINDLING!

I would argue that BluRay did improve the game experience, simply by not having multiple discs was an improvement for me. Probably not a deciding factor in whether I would buy a console with it over one without. But for me personnaly it was a huge plus to buy a PS3 over an XB360 at the time I did as I wanted to watch a higher definition movie's (and once I went from DVD to BluRay, my DVD collection was shown the door). Also back when I brought my PS3, streaming wasnt as easy an option as it is now.

It could be argued that it was pushed by Sony before its time, before the price to do so was affordable to most. But DVD's had become archaic as much as CD had before them (which pre-DVD were the standard media).

But there are alot of people who want to watch movie (its why its a multi-billion dollar industry, even before BluRay) and want to do so whilst getting the best experience. An experience they are always looking to improve on even today, with the slow emergence of 4k TV's. It could be said there was many people who simply werent interested in the BluRay player when the PS3 released and would have even preffered it not being on the console at all if it meant the console would be cheaper to buy than it was. But I also know quite a few people (one is sleeping in the room next door to me know) who brought the PS3 primarily because it had BluRay playback.

BluRay have since gone on to become popular (not as popular as DVD's back in the day, but thats partly down to things like Netflix, which is more affordable and now alot more accesible to many people compared to what it was) and if it wasnt necessary now, theres not a chance that Microsoft would put one in there new console unless they thought it was (will we be able to say the same about Motion tech in the future?). But now they havent got much choice, DVD's are not really an option anymore due to there limited capacit. Games like Killzone would need about 8 DVD's to store all the info. Also MS seem to want to push the XBox One as a media centre, and doing so without the ability to play whats now a common physical media, for many people where things like Netflix isnt an option.

Dont forget that when PS3 launched Netflix and such streaming sites were not that common, I watch alot of movies and programs and am quite upto date on those things and I didnt get Netflix until 24 months ago.

A better argument would be in 7 more years time, and if all consoles have a Kinect come part and parcel, we could look back and say 'yeah, Microsoft were right to push that' I dont see that happening though as it doesnt really bring anything needed as well as desired, BluRay on the other hand did bring something needed. Even if it wasnt needed back when they pushed, its needed now even if not that many desired it.

 

My own question would be, did Miscroft feel they needed to put in a BluRay player, or that there hand was forced because it had become the biggest capacity for delivering media. They could have made there own media (like Nintendo and Sega did in the past) but pushing XOne as a media centre for the living room when so many watch media on BluRay would have made that push harder.

 

Think I started to stray abit on the subject there :P

 

But to follow on from your last sentence. 

Media sales are dwindling, and thats due to streaming, downloading (illegally or otherwise) become such a common practise by todays standards, but neither was back when BluRay's first released. Though movie sales are dwindling game sales not so much, and to deliver the games we expect now on a physical media, there isnt really an option now other than to use BluRays. As for motion sensor's technology growing, I dunno maybe it is maybe it isnt, but I really didnt want a kinect (even though now I have one) and would wish they push that technology when the tech catches up with there intent on use. Plus if motion sensors were becoming more popular then they wouldnt have needed to force in with the XBox One, as people would just go and buy one seperate. The argument that they wanted to make it standard so that dev's who make games can make use of it knowing people have one, that doesnt wash for me. If enough people wanted it enough would buy, if enough people buy it the dev's would develope for it.... like they do with anything that sells.