Topic: Kinect $149.99 released November 4th 2010.

They'll certainly need to find a better beverage for cross-promotional content to reach their new target audience.

This ain't gonna cut it. Then again, I'm sure Microsoft already has a commission in place to find out what soccer moms drink.

Hmm... I agree that $150 seems expensive if you expect to play any single-player games, but suspect that isn't the target market for this device. (Will people really want to play that dancing game on their own? Maybe. Will they want to play at a party or together with friend? For sure!) In the same way that Microsoft doesn't support people sitting down to play Kinect games, they probably also want to promote it as a family or party experience.

I also don't think it's fair to start multiplying Wii controllers by 4 to get comparative costs. It's rare that you need to own 4 "full" Wii controllers for several reasons -- 2-player modes are more common than 4-player, games that do support 4 people often don't require extra add-ons, and (in the worst case) it's fairly easy to borrow Wii controllers for most people. So the hypothetical math about buying every possible accessory is disingenuous.

Is the asking price justified? I don't know. People pay similar amounts for Rock Band sets, and I think this falls into the same category of gaming accessory although with much more flexibility than plastic instruments. If Kinect has some good games and manages to sell well, then I guess it's priced perfectly. Personally, I would need to see a compelling game included to justify the price -- especially since buying a full Wii console with two games packed in is only slightly more at the moment (and rumored to be cheaper by November).

Anyways, I know there are lot's of sceptics about Kinect and it's games, price, injuries (LOL), etc.... I am kind of wondering if it's all that MS makes it out to be as well. But I'm not gonna knock it 'til I try it, and I was going to buy a new Xbox anyways, there's nothing wrong with mine, and I've had it for years and I play the living shi... poo (I don't need TBD editing my post for harshness again ) out of it. I just like the new design.

@Adam: that would be me, lol, jumping and flailing and busting out a light or something... if i had the money for that kind of setup and blah-blah-blah :3

Really, there is rumor of another price cut? That seems much too soon, not that anyone would complain. It already comes with what, a remote ($40), nunchuk ($20), M+ and Sports Resort ($50)? That leaves about $90 of console. They're getting close to giving it away for free, haha.

I haven't hit my head... but hand? More than once with Wii. Thankfully there aren't any jumping games [Edit: that I own] on the console, or I'd be in trouble.

I used to come dangerously close playing Warioware's "Bungie Buddies," or whatever it's called. That game was an absolute riot. Of course, you could just shake, but I prefer to actually jump, even in face of the risk, haha.

To take full advantage of Kinetic (whatever that may be), I think I'm going to have to do some shuffling of my gaming area. I have a rather large bonus room above my garage that I currently use as my "entertainment" room. Unfortunately the portion that has my entertainment center (tv/wii/xbox/etc) is in the part of the room that has the angled celing. Sometimes, even playing EA Active gets a little hairy with all the jumping and flailing about. I have to make sure I'm right in the center for fear of bumping my head on the part of the ceiling that angles or on the light/fan fixtures themselves. A pic would probably better help illustrate this predicament...

At any rate, the price comparison works for me as I only know 2 people with Wii's (co-workers) and no one who lives around me has a Wii. Everyone else I know either doesn't game at all or they have 360's. I only know one guy with a PS3 and he's also a co-worker. Most of my multi-player Wii experiences involve playing with my own family and there are four of us, thus four Wiimotes.

I suspect that (if the rumors are true) the contents of the bundle might be reduced. Maybe Wii Sports will be phased out or sold separately? Presumably Nintendo still wants to expand the M+ user-base and wouldn't remove that accessory. Then again, maybe Nintendo figures that the cost of pack-in software is worth eating, as that game has likely paid for itself many times over already.

It's also possible that this rumor is as useless as the "Wii HD" one.

The real question is how many 360 owners are casual gamers? How many casual gamers are going to shell out 450 to buy the console and kinect. Then why would they as they could spend the same and get ps3 with move and have bluray support as well. We already know millions of casuals own ps3. Will they now buy a 360 too?

"Millions" of "casuals"? Where are you getting this number from, and how are you defining this term?

Yes. This attracts the same crowd willing to drop 2Gs on a Macbook. Also the price was always going to be high because in theory the Natal is better tech then the wii and move. Its kinda like how without a contract most sell phones would be around $600 dollars.

Aslo speaking on the lack of a controller, i remember seeing a tech demo using the same type of tech from natal that allowed the camera to scan what was in your hand and they played a golf game with a real club.

Also to agree with adam what millions of casuals that was the reason it did so bad in the beginning because of the price that people didn't want to buy.

$150, seriously!?! Ha Ha Ha!!! There is absolutely no way that I am buying this thing at such a ridiculous price. I'll reconsider it if the price ever drops to $100.

My biggest problem with Microsoft's general marketing strategy is its condescension towards the customer. They target specific groups a bit too directly, and it comes off almost insulting: you have your tie-ins with heavily caffeinated beverages for all-night gamer dudes (gamer fuel!), and now your little girl playing with a tiger and Wii-sports-too with avatars like those things you had fun with on that other console. Every company does that to a certain extent, but when done so obviously, it gets annoying.

The difference between that and Nintendo is akin to the difference between Dreamworks and Pixar. In a Dreamworks movie, you'll have your kid-aimed corny characters and action and even bathroom humor, but then, so adults aren't bored, you'll get a few obvious nudges with innuendo, aiming a wink or two to the parents. It ends up being rather uninspired on both ends. Pixar, on the other hand, can often appeal to a wide range of age groups by not targeting specific content so directly, but by creating imaginative characters and animations that anyone can enjoy. Watch the first few minutes of Wall-E; children can laugh at his various physical antics, but adults will also be charmed by the sheer quality of those character animations and fresh inventiveness throughout. It's not one thing appealing to kids and another to parents; it's a level of quality that can bridge the divide.

Nintendo, at its best, is able to do that very well. They expect everyone to enjoy their major franchises, regardless of age, and only on the basis of the pure fun. Microsoft, on the other hand, is pumping out imagery and themes to target adolescent males, then also trying to also pull in families by somewhat mechanically cloning what they perceive to have been successful for that market recently. It just doesn't work for me, and feels dishonest.

Singstar is aimed dead at the casual market for Sony and has sold over 20 Million units.
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/36742/SingStar-sells-20m

The Buzz Series is the second highest casual sales for the Playstation brand, I cant find that link at the moment though, it has sold well into the multimillions as well.

Im not knocking the Kinect. The showing of Dance Central was simply amazing. I think its going to be harder to sell than some thing though, as lots of people have PS3s already and use them for mainly BluRay. Now that 360/PS3 both have motion control, and they see Kinect and think hey thats cool and look into a purchase and then see Move on the PS3. Well you looking at a $130 investment for PS3 and a $450 investment for Kinect for those that already have the PS3.

I get this theory from a article on www.pushsquare.com that reported that the number of people that own PS3 exclusively for BluRay was very high. I cant seem to find the article there though for some reason. Anyways its just a theory in my head, and Im no expert and dont want to be, just my opinion.

Well, maybe you're right, I wouldn't know, but I'll just say that I owned both of those games. I would hardly call myself a "casual" player. They both sat nicely next to MGS4, Demon's Souls, and Fallout 3 before I traded the lot in. I'm not sure what those sales prove about a supposedly "casual" demographic, if anything. Not trying to be hard on you, I just genuinely don't understand the term or the need for the term, as its usage varies from person to person.

I basically used the term as the article I had read said it. Basically just for the people that own the PS3 primarily for BluRay. It seems that they end up picking up these games and playing them. Not JUST them, but the article pretty much made a assumption I guess. It doesnt matter really, and Im not trying to prove a point because when it all boils down I really dont give a damn. If you want Kinect/Move/Wii then buy it and play it!

Im loving my Wii once agian and Ill buy Wii as Heavy Rain will be incorporated into it wich is why I havent really played it yet as Im waiting for Move to release and the Sly Cooper Collection will incorporate Move support and include new stuff only possible with Move. I would get Kinect if I still had a 360. But I dont and not buying another, Ill try to get to try out Dance Central through friends for sure though.