Home Gaming Microsoft doesn’t want the HoloLens to be another Kinect

Microsoft doesn’t want the HoloLens to be another Kinect

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Remember the Kinect? Remember how it was revolutionary technology that forever changed the gaming landscape and created a new way to play games? Remember how it made games more fun and not a frustrating exercise that looked like a deleted scene from a Zumba video? Hoo boy, I wonder what those Capetonians next to me are cooking, because there sure is a lot of smoke coming out of their kitchen…

On paper, the Kinect was a wonderful idea. Motion-free gaming where you could wiggle your arms to get results. In reality, it made me hate life itself and ponder defenestrating my console. While the Kinect that came with the Xbox One featured not that kak anymore technology, it was still a frustrating experience to properly use if you weren’t ten years old/a contortionist.

The original Kinect however, is a legend in buyers remorse. This was something that just didn’t work as a gaming peripheral. And that’s something that Microsoft wants to avoid with their augmented reality device, the HoloLens. During a TED conference (via Recode), HoloLens creator Alex Kipman demonstrated more of the HoloLens hardware, turning his stage into a forest, the moon and the surface of Mars.

All cool stuff, but not available to the general public. And it won’t be for quite some time, as the HoloLens will be done when it’s done. “When I feel the world is ready, then we will allow normal people to buy it,” Kipman said at the Vancouver event.

It could be as soon as we say ‘yes,’ and it could be as long as a ‘very long time.’

And that’s a lesson learnt from the early launch of the Kinect. Look, Microsoft wanted something to combat Nintendo’s Wii console at the time, which was a game-changer thanks to the motion-sensitive controllers that came with it. And that’s what the Kinect was, a quick piece of competition. It may have sold over 10 million units within 60 days, but the public quickly came to hate the device after realising that they’d just purchased some snake oil. Something that was “not a pleasant experience” for Kipman and co.

“If a consumer bought it today, they would have 12 things to do with it,” Kipman said about the HoloLens, which has a $3000 development kit.

And they would say ‘Cool, I bought a $3,000 product that I can do 12 things with and now it is collecting dust.’

Look, if I see that the HoloLens has a Kung Fu Panda game attached to it, I just know it’ll be something that I will want to set on fire. I’d really like to avoid that.

Last Updated: February 22, 2016

No Comments

  1. The only I ever enjoyed about the Kinect was the voice function in some games. But even that was a momentary thing. Pressing A worked just as well, if not better.

    Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      February 22, 2016 at 13:08

      Agreed, if I wanted to talk to myself even more I’d get a XBOX with Kinect. Luckily the medication is working

      Reply

      • Original Heretic

        February 22, 2016 at 13:12

        Do it in front of a mirror. Then you can say things like “Are you talkin’ to me? Are you talkin’ to me? I don’t see anyone else here, so you must be talkin’ to me.”

        And if the mirror answers back, then you might be in Narnia.

        Reply

        • Hammersteyn

          February 22, 2016 at 13:13

          Or I might be a queen, one that’s fairest of them all

          Reply

          • Original Heretic

            February 22, 2016 at 13:18

            A queen you say? I think you’d know by now if you were a queen!

          • Hammersteyn

            February 22, 2016 at 13:37

            XD

  2. Spy Master Tokashi

    February 22, 2016 at 12:38

    Will the HoloLens be able to make your e-p**is bigger?

    Reply

    • VampyreSquirrel

      February 22, 2016 at 12:40

      Only when used with PornHub applications 😛

      Reply

    • HvR

      February 22, 2016 at 12:43

      Nope for that you need to go buy a Playstation. You will be able to project a pretty large penis on the wall but then again a A1 size poster of Rince is only around $12

      Reply

    • Alien Emperor Trevor

      February 22, 2016 at 12:47

      Yes, but it’ll be a holo victory.

      Reply

      • Greylingad[CNFRMD]

        February 22, 2016 at 12:49

        Ooh, Schnapps….

        Reply

      • VampyreSquirrel

        February 22, 2016 at 12:52

        This lens to the whole punny thing… right?

        Reply

        • Alien Emperor Trevor

          February 22, 2016 at 13:01

          There could be a Kinection.

          Reply

          • VampyreSquirrel

            February 22, 2016 at 13:09

            WiiMote want to look into this more though

      • Hammersteyn

        February 22, 2016 at 13:07

        ROFL!

        Reply

  3. HvR

    February 22, 2016 at 13:01

    $3000 ….. think they should rather be worried that it isn’t another Microsoft Surface table edition.

    Reply

  4. RinceThis

    February 22, 2016 at 13:12

    Kinect was the bestest! I seem to remember some people on here saying that…

    Reply

    • miaau

      February 22, 2016 at 13:23

      It is a great piece of technology, I find. Is it great for games? Not for me, no.

      I love voice commands, though….. Wish Netlifx would just shutup and support them. Xbox Play and Xbox Pause work and that is about it.

      Reply

  5. Fox1 - Retro

    February 22, 2016 at 13:13

    Kinect was awesome in it’s time and still a great accessory for party fun. For core gaming though, it can take a hike.

    Reply

    • Manuel

      February 22, 2016 at 16:09

      ummmm…it was never made for serious games like halo and some of the bigger ones. it was made for a specific segment and reached that.

      Reply

  6. miaau

    February 22, 2016 at 13:24

    I still chuckle when I think of the youtube video I saw where people choose handles on the Xbox to screw with Kinect owners. Names like XboxTurnOffYes and so on.

    Reply

    • Pieter Kruger

      February 22, 2016 at 13:27

      Sadly it never worked….????

      Reply

      • miaau

        February 22, 2016 at 13:28

        It was amusing, is all I thought. But yeah, they tried Sign out and all sorts of things, to no no avail

        Funny, though

        Reply

    • Manuel

      February 22, 2016 at 16:10

      yea, more of urban legend. funny you wrote about it more than the video made me laugh! 🙂

      Reply

  7. Pieter Kruger

    February 22, 2016 at 13:24

    Kinect was a huge success and tons of fun! Still the only gaming application I would like for HoloLens would be for playing RTS games on my dining table!!!!!

    Reply

    • tridus

      February 22, 2016 at 15:01

      Kinect was such a huge success that they yanked it out of the XBox One and left it to die in order to save that console?

      Seems legit.

      Reply

      • Manuel

        February 22, 2016 at 16:11

        really, you think that’s the reason? it was yanked due to the price point that it was at when included. but that’s ok, I wouldn’t expect you’d get that sort of complexity in math.

        Reply

    • Deceased

      February 22, 2016 at 17:34

      3D Dungeons and Dragons Anyone?

      ( I think it would lend well to High-Fantasy RPGs as well ‘s alls I’ms sayings ) 😀

      Reply

  8. K1FF J1MB0B (sizzle edition)

    February 22, 2016 at 15:08

    Remember how Kinect 2 was meant to be Kinect “done right” lol.

    Reply

  9. BakedBagel

    February 22, 2016 at 15:08

    LOL. “Muh product”
    “Lets make it exclusive to one console only.”
    “YES. THAT WAY WE WILL SELL LOTS.”

    MS as much as i think you are “okay” you are seriously retarded.

    The only company that sells exclusive products while at the same time denying other customers of a different product you sell to.

    topkek

    Reply

    • Manuel

      February 22, 2016 at 16:17

      they did sell…uh, lots. millions in fact. do the math. more than you’ll make in you and everyone in your cities lifetime. ouch…if that’s retarded, then i’d hate to do comparisons.

      Reply

      • BakedBagel

        February 22, 2016 at 17:44

        Okay.

        MS is one of the main gaming platforms on PC.
        MS makes Xbox
        Xbox has exclusives. Hardware exclusives incl.

        Yet they ignore and kill Games for Windows – Live. They dont bring out exclusive Xbox games using the GFWL system. and ignore PC players.

        Sell it as a Xbox exclusive for 2-3 years and bring it out on PC in due time.

        Now they dont want there VR to be another Kinect? Another failed project that gets awoken ever 5 years?

        No need to be so angry. MS can suck my noodle :D?

        Reply

  10. Manuel

    February 22, 2016 at 16:07

    funny, judging from the lack of comments below, anyone who still does not enjoy Kinect is a minority.

    Reply

  11. Jonah Cash

    February 22, 2016 at 16:37

    The burn of the Kinect is still very strong with me! That fucking thing had so much promise or rather PR promise… And I fell for it hook line and sinker…

    Reply

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