We all have been waiting for the Xbox 360 Kinect with varying degrees of excitement and skepticism. Will it work or will it not? Are the titles and the gameplay going to deliver? Will it work when two people are sitting on a couch? We have heard and asked it all, but now Activision CEO Bobby Kotick has weighed in on the new device.
During an interview with Edge magazine, Kotick stated:
“With Kinect… I love it as an idea, but Microsoft has got to get the price down.”
Kotick was expressing Activision’s stance on peripherals and how their importance will not be lost when Kinect is released:
“If the fantasy is to unleash your inner rock star, you need a guitar, or you need a mic, or a DJ booth.”
And that is so very true. The greatest thing about games like the Guitar Hero and Rock Band series is all the crazy moves you make while using the guitar, flailing wildly on the drums, or holding your mic stand as a dancing partner. You won’t get that experience without peripherals.
I have to admit, though, that the idea of Kinect as a new peripheral is really quite compelling. One of the things that I love most about my Wii is the whole fitness craze. There are a few that I found that actually worked (EA Sports Active being the best), and I think the Kinect has a huge advantage in that arena.
Without having to worry about clunky controller leg straps, or inaccurate controllers telling you that you have made a critical mistake when in fact you did the movement correctly. Well, at least I hope that is the case, I won’t know for sure until I get my hands on it. Of course, there is no big upfront controller cost for the Wii fitness craze.
Then you look at more hardcore games like Halo, or really any FPS. I don’t know how I would feel about playing without a controller (or my beloved Wii Resident Evil The Umbrella Chronicles Shot Blaster which I use for all my Wii shooters), or even if you really could play without… Something. Even if you don’t mind the idea of controller free shooting, my Shot Blaster was only $20.00, what about Kinect?
And that is Kinect’s barrier to entry. Amazon is listing the price at $149.99 which is not chump change for an additional game peripheral or controller. Granted, it will work for more than once person, making its value far more compelling, but at the end of the day it is still a lot of money to consider for something that could be a fad. I think Kotick is right, the price needs to come down. I, along with many others I am sure, may hold off until a price drop or until more substantial Kinect titles come down the pipe.
What do you think about Kotick’s appraisal of peripheral market? Accurate or do you think Kinect will remove the need for controllers ever again? And most importantly, what do you think of the price? High? Low? Just right? Tell us what you think!
Source: Edge Magazine
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They obviously came up with the best price for them at this point. Sure it might drop eventually but it’s not going down before launch.
As always, Kotick is looking at the bottom line. At $150, widespread adoption is going to be slow, and publishers will be hesitant to throw their full support behind the system. Kotick said it publicly, but I suspect far more publishers are saying this to Microsoft privately.
If Kotick knows anything, it’s what kinds of games people want to play. Just look at Guitar Hero. I’m pretty sure that’s the most succesful music game out there right now, with DJ Hero close behind. Right?
I personally think Microsoft could have charged more and it still been highly profitable, so I’m not as bothered by it as some people are. Especially with holiday shopping.