Kinect, game controllers aren’t the problem
To date, the Nintendo Wii has been one of my worst gadget-buying blunders. I was blinded by the promise of something different. At the time I was ready for different, and that somehow made me forget that I’m not a big fan of Nintendo games. The marketing worked.
Fool me once…
This year Microsoft is releasing their Kinect add-on for the Xbox 360 that pretty much turns your Xbox into a Wii-clone, only instead of waving sticks around in the air, you’re waving nothing but your arms and legs. Sony, on the other hand, is releasing their motion controllers that are pretty much the Wii remote, nothing too new there.
This shift to physical gaming has attracted a more casual audience…more kids, more women, more families, more seniors, and it’s great to see those people playing games…whatever it takes. But I’m not worried about them. I’m worried about me.
It’s all about the games
If there’s one grand lesson I learned from buying a Wii, it’s that a console is only as good as the games you play on it. Now honestly, I knew that before. It’s the same reason I never owned a Super Nintendo, N64, or GameCube. Shy of hacking my Wii so it could play retro emulators, my Nintendo Wii sits dusty and unused. And when it does get played, it’s for said retro emulators and the occasion romp through Star Soldier.
But beyond their narrow gaming catalog, the Wii had a few other limits, namely horsepower and graphics. Given its peers, the Wii is seemingly very underpowered and since it can’t output in HD, it looks pretty crappy on any modern big screen TV. I’m not an advocate of graphics making the game, they rarely do, but it’s no lie that it helps draw people in. So imagine if the Wii had the capability of playing massive, good looking games.
That’s what the Xbox 360 and Kinect has the chance to do. Kinect has the chance to fill the void that Nintendo can’t tread. Will they wield this new power wisely? I doubt it. Actually, I’m sure it will help. I mean, I am not the Kinect audience. Microsoft wants to lure the would-be Wii buyer away from Nintendo.
The Wii lets you bowl! Now the Xbox does too! Yay!
Combine the Xbox’s new physical gaming powers with it’s ability to be a media center for your home - DVD player, Netflix player, music player, and possibly a Hulu player - and the Xbox quickly has a lot to offer. It can be a hardcore system, a casual system, and a media system. Nirvana, right? Maybe if it had a web browser.
But why are game controllers a bad thing? I’ve seen the demos of Kinect up to this point and they all proudly tout the hands-free nature of the system. Just wave your hand and the page will turn, move your leg and kick the ball. I get it, and it does have a “wow” factor, but that seems like a lot of mental overhead if you ask me.
Buttons aren’t hard to use. You press a button and get a reaction. Wow. Hard, huh? It’s always easier to press a button. If I want to go to the next page, hit the button. There. Done. I didn’t have to think about what motion to wave my hand with or whether or not I’m in camera range. Instant and EXPECTED reaction.
Now I admit not all games make good use of the buttons provided, and there are a lot of buttons on the Xbox controller. In which case the problem is controller DESIGN not the fact that there is a controller at all. While it would just look like a half ass attempt, just design a new controller and sell it with a bowling game for $20.
But that doesn’t mean button mashing is fun
But hey, flailing around is fun, right? It can be. Playing the sports games on the Wii is fun. In fact, it’s a lot of fun, but that fun only lasts for so long. And lets be honest, some games just don’t lend themselves to motion controls. Bowling, hitting, kicking…sure, that makes sense. Gunning, driving and fighting, not so much.
- Will Kinect expand the appeal of the Xbox 360? I think so. It’ll get eyeballs and it’ll be a hot seller for the holidays.
- Will it get Wii families to buy an Xbox? No.
- Will it get non-gaming familes to buy an Xbox? Probably not, they’ll just get a Wii.
In the end, it just goes to show that being first to market with a new toy and then backing up that toy with great support, makes all the difference. Nintendo does that very well.
But if there’s some good news out of this whole Kinect thing, it’s that it means the Xbox 360 will be around at least another two years before the next gen consoles start poking their head out. And for those like me that have invested hundreds of dollars into their Xbox 360 already, the extended life of the 360 is welcomed news.
