Why isn't motion controlled gaming still a big deal?

[Salnax]

I think the key problem was that unlike shoulder buttons, analog sticks, online play, and so on, motion controls often came at the cost of other features.

So far, the main successful motion control options have been the Wii Remote, Kinect, and things like gyroscopes incorporated into hardware and traditional controllers.

The Wii Remote was great IMO, especially with Motion Plus, but it lacked input options like a second analog stick and many of the other buttons one found on other controllers. Even if we say pointing with the Wiimote makes up for the lack of a second analog, the Wii setup includes less buttons, often in places that are inconvenient, and a D Pad that can't be used along with the 1/2 buttons or the nunchuck. So even had the Wii been more powerful hardware, porting certain games would have been a problem.

Kinect didn't remove the basic controller, but it cost far more than the Wiimote. While your typical controller nowadays in the United States might cost $40 or $50 compared to the $60 Wiimote/Nunchuck combo, the Kinect on the 360 cost $150 on both the 360 and X1. And that was on top of the existing regular controller, meaning it's directly adding $150 to the price of entry.

Note that the last form of motion controls, incorporating them into regular controllers, was a complete success. Most platforms include or allow for this. And because of the lower cost and unobtrusive method, few people mind.