Coffee Talk #232: Will Kinect for Xbox 360 Be a Mass Success?

Kinect for Xbox 360 is shipping in two weeks and my industry friends can’t stop talking about it. A lot of them are dismissing it, saying that it’s too expensive, the launch titles are crappy, few enthusiast gamers give a damn about motion controls, and it’s simply…

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Kinect for Xbox 360 is shipping in two weeks and my industry friends can’t stop talking about it. A lot of them are dismissing it, saying that it’s too expensive, the launch titles are crappy, few enthusiast gamers give a damn about motion controls, and it’s simply impossible for some people to make Kinect work in their living rooms. I don’t completely disagree with any of those things, but I have a feeling that Kinect is going to sell like crazy. Here are three reasons why:

  1. Kinect has generated more mainstream interest than many enthusiast gamers think. Whether it’s Kudo Tsunoda on Jimmy Fallon or Oprah giving away Kinect units to her audience, the system has gotten ample mainstream attention. Hell, RPadholic N8R’s son wants one and it’s not like he’s on the Internet reading gaming web sites all day (he’s not, right Nate?).
  2. The pre-orders have been strong. Microsoft has been suggesting that Kinect supply could be a problem for the holidays. Some people believe that this is artificial, but the pre-order numbers are there. I was shocked to see that Kinect is #13 on Amazon’s videogame sales charts. This is a $150 product that’s not out for two weeks!
  3. The biggest reason I think Kinect will sell is that Microsoft is throwing a large wad of money at it. Product director Aaron Greenburg mentioned that it will be backed by hundreds of millions of marketing dollars. The word on the street is that between Kinect and Windows Phone 7, Microsoft’s entertainment and devices division will spend $1-billion this holiday season. The sheer amount of marketing should result in hefty sales.

Keep in mind that I’m saying all of this as someone that’s mostly uninterested in Kinect games (of which there are currently two I’m interested in). Most of my industry friends don’t care about Kinect and most of the people I “see” on the Internet don’t care either, but I have a feeling that it’s going to put up some nice numbers this year.

What do you think? Will Kinect be a mass success? Or will the hundreds of millions of marketing dollars be a waste of money?

Author: RPadTV

https://rpad.tv

27 thoughts on “Coffee Talk #232: Will Kinect for Xbox 360 Be a Mass Success?”

  1. I see it being successful to a degree, but I also said the same thing about the Wii. At this point, all we can do is sit back and watch what happens. God I hope this thing doesn't define the 360 in any way shape or form. I don't want a my 360 to turn into a Wii.

  2. At this point its all about the marketing and if the commercial in the other thread is any indication of their spots for Kinect I feel that they are on the right track for success. Quite a few friends on XBL are getting it due to kids or significant others. Lets play the waiting game, it should be very interesting.

    1. Very interesting to hear your XBL friends plan on picking it up. Most of my friends are writers or developers — you know, angry, jaded people. They're not into it.

  3. I honestly don't know anyone buying it. I'm out of the market because I sit way too close to my tv in the cave and the launch titles aren't interesting to me. Aren't there 4 titles that contain sports and 3-4 workout titles lol? No thanks.

    I'm pulling for the Rangers.

  4. I see Windows Phone 7 doing better at first…Kinect needs better games. It's as simple as that, and I think it will pick up after more good games come out.

      1. No I didn't get a chance to go this time, my fiance's uncle's funeral took up most of the weekend so I am hoping maybe this weekend we can make it or sometime very soon. I like being in any big city so I bug her about going to Chicago all the time.

        I really liked the G2. That phone was really easy to use and quick too. The screen was pretty responsive, and the keyboard was better than most I have come in contact with. And to top it all off the pricing for 2 phones with data+unlimited texting and calling was about the same price as Verizon for data+750ish minutes+unlimited texting- which is what we were planning on doing soon. T-mobile is looking very good right now, if only my fiance didn't sign sign another 2 year contract.

  5. No Ray… No he is not on the internet all day reading gaming sites. Give him a few more years for that.

    He will however read this page later today because he was referred to in Coffee Talk (Woo-Hoo).

  6. I just don't like playing games standing up. I play games as part of a mind-clearing, relaxation ritual.

    And honestly, if were confined to a wheelchair and on disability (knock on wood), I would be steaming mad at MS. Because if I were handicapped as I noted, I would probably play even MORE video games. Then they would be making this push to cut me out of the loop.

    You can still play Wii and Move from a wheelchair… what's up MS? No love for the handicapped? Even the handicapped Veterans? That's cold Billy G… cold blooded.

  7. You know, if it were just about me….there's no way I'd get this. But I have a 3 year old son who I could see loving some of these games (and I wouldn't have to worry about him breaking a controller). As such, I may have to pick this up.

  8. Oprah had Kinect on her show and gave out free ones??? Well that settles it this should easily sell the 4 million units this holiday season that Pachter predicted.

  9. This will sell like crazy BUT that isn't going to stop it from sucking. I feel like it is the going to sell to the uninformed masses. But this is the same thing I still say about the Wii.

  10. I believe it will sell really good at first due to the massive marketing campaign but it will die down quickly once it's in people's home and word of mouth gets out about it being crappy. I've read that MS still haven't sent out review copies of Kinect and games and won't do so until release day so that there won't be any reviews up for at least a week after Kinect's launch. That tells you something, when a company don't want reviews up before the game or product releases I feel it's because they are either hiding something or don't have confidence in their product.

    1. I hope you're right since I wouldn't mind trying the thing out if I could get one for $25 to $45 bucks on eBay. My wife would really love the dance and work out games.

      -M

  11. watched the first 15 mins of bad ass muthaphucken Afro Samurai. i wish i could watch more but i really have lots of work to do today but i know what i want to be when i grow up.

  12. I was just flipping through the channels (this is the first time my tv has been used for television in at least a month) and saw G4 had The Feed on, so I thought I would stop for a second. Then I noticed that the one channel that is supposed to be all about games (and I know it has already fallen far from that) had a special Gaming Edition of The Feed….really? G4 you have fallen so far away from gaming that they have to specify to their viewers when they are really focusing on video games. Like I said, I know they have fallen far from gaming television and should probably be called C&C TV (Cops & Cheaters TV) but this is just pathetic that they have dropped yet another rung lower on the ladder of my respect.

    1. I forgot that you can actually put html tags in here and I put ones in for RANT and /RANT, so they didn't appear. lol.

  13. in the 3 plus years ive been reading ray's articles ive only been mentioned one time in the article header (is that what its called?)

    and that was because i had the foresight to refer to brian leahy as an eggplant, im not jealous or upset or anything…..grrrrr Nate's son??? really?? BALDERDASH!!!!

    (of course im kidding, i just enjoy bringing up things that remind me how long ive been reading mr padilla's articles)

  16. Just watched Under the Red Hood. That was pretty good, I liked the Joker in this one a lot…that's more the Joker I prefer and the more I watch some of these animated movies with him in it the more I dislike Health Ledger's Joker.

  17. Pingback: How Kinect Rescued a Company (JDSU) From Demonic Hell | RPad.TV -- Raymond Padilla & friends talk games and geek culture

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