At the height of the mobile touch screen device craze there emerged a select few titles that dominated all else. One of those titles was Fruit Ninja, a deviously addictive yet surprisingly simple swipe-all-over-the-place title where players slice and dice fruit to earn points.
Back when Fruit Ninja was still somewhat of a big deal in the mobile world, Microsoft introduced a Kinect version of the game called…you guessed it…Fruit Ninja Kinect. Much like the mobile title it was deceptively simple, but instead of swiping across a screen, players were waving their hands through the air like a madman. Unfortunately, because the Kinect's motion tracking capabilities were not very good, the game wasn't very good either.
Now that Microsoft has a more competent Kinect under the belt with the Xbox One's 2.0 version, it sounds like they are ready to give Fruit Ninja Kinect another try. This is according to several rumors and two separate ratings classifications for Fruit Ninja Kinect 2.
It all started late last month when the Australian ratings board released a classification for Fruit Ninja Kinect 2. Few were surprised by the news, mind you, but many found it strange that Microsoft hand not announced a sequel prior to the "leak."
And this week, the ESRB, North America's ratings board, also released a classification summary for Fruit Ninja Kinect 2, further proving the game's existence. However, Microsoft and original Fruit Ninja developer Halfbrick Studios have continued to keep quiet, even as evidence mounts.
While the prospect of an improved Fruit Ninja experience on the Xbox One's Kinect sounds all well and good, it's hard to predict how much demand their might be for a title like this. It's so early on in the Xbox One's life cycle that there's no telling how many casual or younger gamers (Fruit Ninja's key demographic) might actually own Xbox One consoles.
For that matter, Microsoft has already begun distancing themselves from the motion controller by offering a cheaper bundle without Kinect packaged inside. If Fruit Ninja Kinect 2 was in development before this non-Kinect bundle decision was made our heart goes out to Halfbrick, but regardless the viability of the Xbox One Kinect titles is waning.
Either way, if the game really did just get an official rating then gamers can expect an official announcement about Fruit Ninja Kinect 2 some time soon.
Are you ready for Fruit Ninja Kinect 2? Do you think the game had its time in the son?
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