+bubble for bringing up an interesting side to the discussion. :-)
Nintendo, as a brand, is synonymous with family fun. Neither MS nor Sony have that same brand strength when it comes to child-friendly, family-targeted gaming. That, plus Nintendo's strong stable of characters, has given them an incredible advantage with that family market.
It's not so much a focus on casual gamers. Casual gamers aren't the sort to drop several hundred dollars on g...
And yet Kinect alienates people with lower-body mobility and balance impairments - people who can use hand controllers. For me, it's a 'game changer,' but only in the sense that if it becomes the new standard, my days of playing new-release games are over.
This 'dumbing down' has been occurring since the 90's - long before the rise in casual/social gaming. It's not a new phenomenon.
Mastering cabinet games like Donkey Kong and Pac-Man took an incredible investment of time, effort, and money (a quarter at a time). The people who achieved that level of mastery were "hardcore" gamers, if we define 'hardcore' by difficulty.
If today's gamers who call themselves 'hardcore...
That's one of MS's strongest contributions to console gaming, without doubt. I prefer offline gaming, but there's no denying the importance of online play for many gamers.
LOL@ your first paragraph. I'm sure there'd be a market for a custom Virtual Assistant. ;)
You do bring up a good point regarding a possible 'dark side' of Kinect, if it does become a new interface standard. I hadn't even considered that it could result in an MS monopoly. Bubbles for bringing that up.
All we can do is wait and see what happens post-launch.
I agree. This 'hardcore' vs. 'casual' mentality is too narrow-focused. Casual/social gaming isn't a threat to the industry. If anything, it can provide some much-needed revenue, which can then be invested in titles that appeal more to those gamers who consider themselves 'hardcore.'
I don't understand the anger directed towards the casual audience. Some casual games are true gems - great examples of how you don't need to spend tens of milli...
I play a lot of casual games as well. Hidden Object titles bring back my nostalgia for the 'Point & Click' adventure genre. There's something to be said for having games you can play that are fun and inexpensive.
What's the metric used to define a 'Hardcore Gamer?' To me, it's the amount of money spent per year on games, accessories, and consoles. The genre of the titles purchased means nothing. It's the money the gamers invest that is the ...
Remote-less navigation through device menus (TVs, for instance) would be a very useful application of the tech. No more hunting around for the remote.
If anything, the non-gaming aspects of Kinect's technology are far more interesting.
Then, unfortunately, I won't be playing games in the future. Full-body game control is only useful for people who can actually move their full bodies unaided.
I'll stick with controls.
That's the great thing about Atlus. They're willing to put out titles that aren't the same-old, same-old. 'Rule of Rose' is a perfect example. Not to mention the fantastic SMT series and its 'Persona' spin-offs.
If 'Catherine' is released in NA, it's a Day 1 purchase for me, no question.
I guess that makes me one of the 'Atlus Faithful?' :D
That's my plan, too. I'm not going to buy it until the games are released for it that I want to play. Still, it's great to see it doing well.
That was a great list. Some of the things were definitely pretty cool.
I'd like one of those bathrobes.
Great news for Atlus. They've been my favourite publisher for the past few years. It's great to see them succeed.
I was replying to testerg35's comment, simply to point out that disabled gamers do, in fact, exist, and to support the point moncole brought up - i.e. that people with certain disabilities can't use Kinect. That's all.
Never once did I say Kinect shouldn't be purchased by people who can use it. I merely mentioned that I can't use it. Nothing more.
Here's some friendly advice: If you're going to patronize someone, please ensure that...
I'm physically disabled, with balance and mobility impairments, and I've been gaming since Pong. So yes, disabled people do play video games.
I have no problem using game controllers, but Kinect is useless to me.
I'm one person for whom controllers are the better option, and I'm not the only one.
Given that both Kinect and Move are targeted towards very different market demographics, your comment makes no sense. Congratulations.
Why don't both groups of rabid fanboys, the XDF and SDF, stay out of each others' articles? Oh, wait. That would mean neither side would get the attention they crave or the chance to feel like they're the victims of the 'big, bad, other fanboys.'
Both sides need to grow up, frankly.
Not all women view Oprah that way, just so you know. ;-)
I don't watch Oprah, though I respect how she's worked hard to achieve her success. Placing Kinect on Oprah's and Ellen's shows will increase its visibility with a certain demographic - though I'm not sure it has Wii Fit potential to attract non-gaming women yet.
This holiday season will be very interesting.
I can't wait for this. What a great crossover. Both franchises are wonderful on their own, but combined? I now have a new 'most anticipated' game.
I agree on the importance of word-of-mouth advertising for both Kinect and Move. If MS has an Achilles' Heel with Kinect, it's the possibility of negative word-of-mouth getting around if the camera doesn't work the way people expect.
If people have to rearrange their living spaces to use the device, rather than just plug-and-play, I could see that having an impact on market perception. The post-holiday feedback is what will be critical for MS. Pre-sale hype is jus...