Recently, with their rampant advertising and strategic marketing, Microsoft is targeting the casual gamer with their new peripheral Kinect. Here is a perfect example. Just yesterday Oprah (courtesy of MS) gave away a Kinect and Xbox360 to every member of her audience, and this before any reviewers have even got their hands on one. The youtube clip of the crowds wild reaction:

This is interesting because until now the Xbox360 much like the PS3 has targeted primarily hardcore gamers with their line up of games and services. Meanwhile the Wii has been catering to the casual crowd with motion control and games for children and families. A clear division has emerged with close to 75 million Wii owners and 82 million PS360 owners. So we can assume that about half the people who own a current generation home console enjoy playing casual games while the other half enjoy hardcore games. Well, there are also those who own multiple consoles like myself and enjoy all types of games (though I personally prefer hardcore games), but the market more or less remains split down the middle. However, no one console caters to both. Each console maker is essentially ignoring 50 percent of the market of existing gamers.

Well, with Kinect, Microsoft is obviously aiming to change that. They are the only company that is trying in earnest to do what no other has accomplished this generation--create a console that can truly satisfy both casual and hardcore gamers. Sony too is making a slight effort with the Move, though they clearly are remaining more committed to the hardcore community. Anyhow, I believe this to be the natural progression of gaming and more importantly what the average consumer wants. Very few people will go out and buy two consoles if they can get one that provides both gaming experiences. Microsoft knows this and they are merely starting what all the next gen consoles will pick up on--universal gaming. But in being the first, they will reap the immediate benefit, granted Kinect is a success.

Personally, I believe Kinect will be a run away hit. The market for casual gamers is out there and many of these people are eager for the next big thing as we are already five years in to the 7th gaming generation. Moreover, with their marketing strategy MS is feeding the hype by treating Kinect like a new console launch, and backing it with 500 million dollars of advertising. People may rip on MS for suddenly catering to casual players but it only makes sense from a business perspective. Nintendo and Sony wont be ignoring half the gaming market for much longer either. This is the direction the industry is headed in my opinion.

What do you think?

I don't think there is anything wrong with catering to the largest demographic of potential gamers or any demographic of gamers, hardcore Sony players included.

The art side of casual games vs. hardcore games is a dead horse beaten 1000 times. We argue too much whether a game is hardcore or casual way too much. For me, a game is hardcore depending on how you play it along with the player skill development or lack thereof. In this sense, those who play Wii Fit or Wii Sports only or over 50% of their gaming time are hardcore gamers. Likewise, the 12 year old who plays every latest FPS shooter, while not consistently getting better from game to game no matter the time invested is a casual gamer. 

The business side, which the OP rightfully brings up usually gets muddled into a done 1000 times tired ass debate of casual vs. hardcore with each commentator (including myself) having differing definitions of casual and hardcore.

As for Microsoft and Kinect, it will be a smashing success in comparison to the Move. If compared to the Wii from 2006-2008, which I think is patently unfair as Kinect is a gaming accessory and the Wii is a console, Kinect will fail to sell what the Wii did. Yet, if the Kinect averages more than 100k units per week, then by the Move comparison it is a success.

Kinect and Move prolonging the generation? God no they won't. The Wii has seen decreasing hardware sales since it's peak in 2008 and Nintendo sure as hell ain't going to give the time to Sony to makeup for the PS3's disastrous first years with this generation lasting to 2014. Nintendo will kickstart the console race at E3 2011 or one of amid the TGS in late 2011 with a new Nintendo console in 2012.

Microsoft's made moves towards that casual before, and they've been met with mostly a dull thud (Viva Pinata, Avatars, etc) to the rare case of mild success (Netflix).  Kinect's certainly a bigger proposition than anything before it though, I really have no clue how it'll go long term.

If anything, I'd say 3DS is the 'platform' most likely to successfully capture both audiences.

well the wii already has both hardcore and casual audiences so a console that appeals to both has already been accomplished.

secondly i dont see how kinect will last when its so limited to working with only a few genres. Seriously where are the rpgs, platformers, shooters both fps and tps? aside from fitness games, some dancing games and that kinectanimals what else does it have to offer games wise? If you want to appeal to casual gamers you got to have a variety of games stretching from every genre and kinect cant do that if it can only work with a few genres hence why every adventure game is on rails but adventure games on the wii and ps move arnt on rails. Its like playing a game of basketball where you cant move around the court and whats the fun in that?

I know someone is gonna bring up racers but in all honesty who wants to play a racer by standing up and pretending that your steering a steering wheel? again its like playing basketball but with no basketball.

im not saying that kinect wont sell because when you have the most annoying ppl in the entertainment industry like Oprah and Justin Bieber advertising it, theres no way it cannot sell. But it will have limited appeal when ppl are starved for something new instead of playing the same generic adventure game, or jog in one place fitness games which makes up the majority of kinects library and since it cant expand since it cant even work with other genres because of it being "controllerless". I dont see kinect lasting that long. 

Reminds me a bit of the xb launch. M$ wanted the check on the gaming market for consoles.

And now they have established as one of 3 major console developers (not counting apple, home consoles). That's far from failing, bit it isn't what M$ wanted.

So i think Kinect will be comparable. It will be a major part of the motion-controlled gaming market at best, imho.

they'er only happy cause its free!