The KINECT launch line-up is a joke

[vizionblind]

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2010-10-18-what-games-are-at-kinect-launch

    * Kinect Adventures (Good Science Studio/Microsoft Game Studios) included with every Kinect sensor
    * Kinectimals (Frontier Developments Ltd./Microsoft Game Studios) $49.99 ERP (US)/$59.99 ERP (US) limited collector's edition. Limited collector's editions of the "Kinectimals" game packaged with a 7" plush toy that unlocks a new animal and toy in the game will be available at select retailers.
    * Game Party: In Motion (Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment) $39.99 ERP (US)
    * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 The Videogame (Electronic Arts/EA Bright Light), 49.99 ERP (US)
    * Your Shape: Fitness Evolved (Ubisoft), $49.99 ERP (US)
    * Dance Central (MTV Games/Harmonix), $49.99 ERP (US)
    * The Biggest Loser Ultimate Workout (THQ), $49.99 ERP (US)
    * DanceMasters (Konami), $49.99 ERP (US)
    * EA Sports Active 2 (EA SPORTS), $99.95 ERP (US) (Includes Heart Rate Monitor)
    * Zumba Fitness (Majesco), $49.99 ERP (US)
    * Kinect Sports (Rare/Microsoft Game Studios) $49.99 ERP (US)
    * MotionSports (Ubisoft), $49.99 ERP (US)
    * Deca Sports Freedom (Hudson Entertainment)
    * Kinect Joy Ride (Big Park/Microsoft Game Studios), $49.99 ERP (US)
    * Adrenalin Misfits (Konami), $49.99 ERP (US)
    * Fighters Uncaged (Ubisoft), $49.99 ERP (US)
    * Sonic Free Rider ($49.95)

fail

[The Grue]

Not sure what you were expecting and not sure how launching with 17 titles would be considered a fail..

[USMC Kato]

Thanks for your opinion.

[Razgon]

Kinect and Move has launched???

[Bob]

While there is nothing that I'm interested, it's what I expected.

Kinect is not being targeted to me. 

I do think there's too much overlap on those titles, but I don't know how much control MS could have exerted on that front without being anti-competitive.  3 sports games, 4 exercise games, and 2 dance titles.  At least, it let's everyone know where developers are taking Kinect.

[vizionblind]

Not sure what you were expecting and not sure how launching with 17 titles would be considered a fail..

did you not look at the list? nothing there sounds good at all. Wii rehash

[Nonnahob]

I agree with Bob on this one. Microsoft isn't immediately looking to target most of the gamers on this forum.

They're trying to get a chunk of the market that the Wii has enjoyed sans-competition for a few years now. Family friendly titles that all you to get up off your couch and play some games.

[Razgon]

Zumba Fitness (Majesco), $49.99 ERP (US)

I read that as Zombie Fitness - now that's a game I'd play!

[jztemple2]

Zumba Fitness (Majesco), $49.99 ERP (US)

I read that as Zombie Fitness - now that's a game I'd play!

Dead Rising 2 with the Kinect? Make it in first person view and you've got a winner!

[The Grue]

Not sure what you were expecting and not sure how launching with 17 titles would be considered a fail..

did you not look at the list? nothing there sounds good at all. Wii rehash

I did and I don't see anything wrong with it.  It totally caters to their target audience for this.  As for me, I will probably get Kinectimals for my daughter.  I guess I don't translate the fact that I am not clamoring over all of them to mean that others won't be interested in them either and therefore the thing will fail.  Christmas is coming and this will be the newest cool thing.

Edit to add that, as Kato pointed out in the other Kinect thread, Kinect has been on Ellen and will be on Oprah.  Lots of people will know about this and the target audience for those shows are going to be all over the fitness stuff.

[Knightshade Dragon]

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 The Videogame (Electronic Arts/EA Bright Light), 49.99 ERP (US)

I just think this would be better with Move.  *shrug*

[USMC Kato]

Kinect is really not my thing, but I would love to play a Kinect enabled fighting/action game that makes me say the name of the fighting technique to work. For example I would do an outrageous pose while saying ,"Flying Shadow Sword Attack!"

[Harkonis]

I see nothing fail at all about that launch list. It's a nice variety of types of titles and is pretty heavy in quantity as well.

[jersoc]

kinect itself is a joke.

this fad and the 3d fad need to die.

I see nothing fail at all about that launch list. It's a nice variety of types of titles and is pretty heavy in quantity as well.

The Biggest Loser Ultimate Workout (THQ), $49.99 ERP (US)

oh yeah, i expect nothing but greatness. variety? half of them are stupid shit like this.

[TiLT]

I still can't imagine any kind of conventional game that would be enhanced enough by Kinect for the price to be worth it. The only argument I've heard is leaning. Using only Kinect (no controller) I can't see how you'd control any kind of traditional game, while using the regular controller your interactions with Kinect are pretty limited again. What's the point?

The problem Kinect has compared to the Wii and the Move is that it hasn't shown us any significant way in which it will be a benefit to hardcore gamers. I can't even begin to imagine any way in which the Kinect would be useful to me. Voice commands? Bleh! I'd rather use the menus than talk to my TV and look like a total retard. Gestures? Sure, gestures can be a nice addition to gaming... if you have buttons as well! Without them it just becomes so limited as to be pretty much useless.

[The Grue]

look like a total retard. 

Look like a total retard to who?  Are there people in your house that judgmental?

[TiLT]

look like a total retard. 

Look like a total retard to who?  Are there people in your house that judgmental?

Me. I'm my own harshest judge.

[The Grue]

look like a total retard. 

Look like a total retard to who?  Are there people in your house that judgmental?

Me. I'm my own harshest judge.

LOL.  Hey, I guess you have to have standards.

[Bob]

look like a total retard. 

Look like a total retard to who?  Are there people in your house that judgmental?

I already think he looks like a retard. A Kinect would definitely complete the journey to total retard.

[Turtle]

There's titles I'd like to try for both motion controllers, but overall neither have reached that "critical mass" of interesting games that I'd get either one.

I suppose some Move levels for LittleBIGPlanet 2 would make me interested.

Likewise, Steel Battalion's virtual cockpit system, along with some of the other interesting Japanese developed games that were at TGS should be cool.

But yeah, this is kind of sad. The Wii got away with it since the whole Wii Sports thing was so new and interesting, they got away with having just as crappy a lineup. But no one is really that impressed now.

[rittchard]

Obviously I haven't seen the thing in action yet (aside for some goofy You Tube videos), but I think you guys are selling the concept short.  This is the coming of a completely new/different interface and way for players to interact with a game, so in the end I believe it will depend on whether or not creative software types can really make use of it effectively.  "Hardcore" or not, gaming is all about achieving good gameplay through a user interface that makes sense.

Clearly the obvious implementations are for sports and dancing/exercise games, etc.  Anyone who's played a fun game of tennis or bowling on the Wii can tell you it's a completely different feel to engage physically in the action and have some sort of reaction on the screen as opposed to moving a joystick and mashing buttons.  But now you've completely removed the physical "controller" so there's an extended degree of freedom that can be taken advantage of, at least in theory.

Next up I'd say would be like Kato says, fighting/action games where instead of sitting on the couch like a potato you are actually engaging in motions, building up a sweat and adrenaline.  How about something like The Force Unleashed, but in first person perspective, so when you put your palm up it looks like lightning is shooting from your hands, or you wave your hand the way Obi-Wan does and it tosses a stormtrooper into the wall?  Or a full on light saber fight with the motions mimicing your own?  I can imagine all sorts of cool things that might be possible with superhero games, making you feel more and more like you are the one with the powers, hurling energy bolts, dodging enemy blows, creating shields to protect yourself, etc.

So what if you look "stupid", it's the immersion into the game that counts, and anything that draws you in further at least has the potential to be a "game changer."  It's certainly closer to the whole "holodeck" concept of full 3D immersion.  Who knows, 10 years from now maybe what will look "stupid" is your old flabby ass sitting on the couch like a potato

[Jimmy the Fish]

Well, for better or for worse, I pre-ordered the damn thing, so if it sucks, then I guess the joke's on me. 

[Devil]

In here, only Nintendo is allowed to do new things.

If this was a Wii peripheral with the 87th version of Mario Kart attached, this place would be insane with drooling anticipation.

"THEY ARE TAKING THE WII TO THE NEXT LEVEL!!! OMG!!!"

Playstation Move, that everyone in here pissed all over, is twice the controller the Wii remote is, and I can play games in HD!!

Let's all settle down. Not everything is for everyone.

Fire away!!!
 


 

 

  

[Bullwinkle]

In here, only Nintendo is allowed to do new things.

If this was a Wii peripheral with the 87th version of Mario Kart attached, this place would be insane with drooling anticipation.

"THEY ARE TAKING THE WII TO THE NEXT LEVEL!!! OMG!!!"

Playstation Move, that everyone in here pissed all over, is twice the controller the Wii remote is, and I can play games in HD!!

Let's all settle down. Not everything is for everyone.

Fire away!!!
 


 

 

  

I think you're vastly overestimating people's attitude toward the Wii here.  I also think the same people who are deriding the type of games Kinect at launch are equally against Nintendo's current line-up.

[EngineNo9]

In here, only Nintendo is allowed to do new things.

If this was a Wii peripheral with the 87th version of Mario Kart attached, this place would be insane with drooling anticipation.

"THEY ARE TAKING THE WII TO THE NEXT LEVEL!!! OMG!!!"

Playstation Move, that everyone in here pissed all over, is twice the controller the Wii remote is, and I can play games in HD!!

Let's all settle down. Not everything is for everyone.

Fire away!!!
 

I think you're vastly overestimating people's attitude toward the Wii here.  I also think the same people who are deriding the type of games Kinect at launch are equally against Nintendo's current line-up.

I agree with Bullwinkle.  Many of us have been very critical of the Wii for the last few years, and I fail to see this supposed fanboyism around here (I only see one failed Wii game thread in the first two pages of this Console forum, for example). 

Frankly I think the Wii sucks, the Move is off to a poor start by mimicking it and I fail to see much potential for Kinect beyond these launch titles that don't really interest me.  Time will tell, but to me the simple fact is that without actual feedback these motion control systems don't provide anything like the real experience.  Sure, it might be good enough for some casual bowling but beyond that I'd rather just hit a button and know that a distinct action will happen.

[Devil]

You guys are nuts!

There is a Nintendo bias in here. Nothing wrong with it, but it's here.

I'm not saying everyone loves Nintendo and hates everything else. Just that they are given the benefit of the doubt in most cases.

I just like bringing it up. 

Go check out the Mario feety-pajama wearing crowd in the 3DS thread!

It's rare to get that type of blind loyalty for any of the other hardware makers.

[Bullwinkle]

The 3DS looks like gold covered moonbeams riding a double rainbow streaming out of a unicorn's butt.  That's not Nintendo bias, though.  That's literally every comment I've seen about the thing both here and in the press.  That does not equal Nintendo bias.  Take a look in the WAYBTW thread for this week.  Nintendo has a major release (Kirby's Epic Yarn) that has received nothing but hugely positive reviews (91.42% on GameRankings), but only myself and one other person even mentioned it.  Massive shrug.

[Ridah]

The only thing that is rehashed here is this thread. Here's the last Kinect thread this guy made. Another baseless thread with no argument for the case.

Tell us vizionblind, since you obviously have played all 17 games, what about each game is a "joke"?

[Purge]

If we look at launch titles to indicate success, none of our consoles should have lived beyond 6 months.

[Bullwinkle]

If we look at launch titles to indicate success, none of our consoles should have lived beyond 6 months.

Too, too true.  

And it's another spot where the 3DS is riding the golden moonbeam rainbow wave:

Spoiler for 3DS at launch:

Spring 2011
Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time 3D
Nintendogs And Cats
Pilotwings Resort (working title)
Pro Baseball Spirits
Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle
Ridge Racer 3D
Samurai Warriors Chronicle
Steel Diver
Super Monkey Ball (working title)
Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition

Unspecified 2011 (possibly launch)
Kid Icarus: Uprising
Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D - The Naked Sample

To Be Announced
Chocobo Racing 3D (working title)
Star Fox 64 3D
Animal Crossing (working title)
Dead or Alive: Dimensions
Paper Mario (working title)
Mario Kart (working title)
Resident Evil: Revelations
Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D

And now this
Honestly, is it any wonder people are drooling?