Microsoft Ends Production of Kinect

Xbox One S Tip: Get Your Free USB Adapter for Kinect

Microsoft is ending production of Kinect, marking the end of an era that never was. The peripheral was created for the Xbox 360 but never truly found its home in the market and the company is now moving forward without this technology in its portfolio.

The device is one that showed a significant amount of promise with its ability to track people and objects by only using cameras but after selling 35 million units, Kinect is no more. Microsoft had lofty ambitions for the technology and even bundled it with the Xbox, which ended up being a mistake, but this also helped get the device into more households.

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The news comes from an interview with FastCoDesign where Microsoft acknowledged the end of the device’s production but I will say, it’s an overly positive piece about the hardware coming to an end. The author states “I don’t believe it an exaggeration to say that Kinect has been the single most influential, or at least prescient, piece of hardware outside of the iPhone.”

In my opinion, the Kinect was not a runaway success or even all that influential for what it achieved. Was it an impressive piece of technology for the time, absolutely, but as we look around the world today, we don’t see these types of devices everywhere or even their influence impacting much of what we do today.

That being said, the Kinect was a unique approach for Microsoft to explore interacting with computers without the need for a keyboard and mouse. The gaming aspect was a way to introduce the concept to consumers but it did not find significant success in the home as the novelty of jumping in your house quickly vanished as there are only so many different types of games that can use this technology.

Microsoft tried to show how this product could be used in many different places and scenarios such as in a hospital too but it always felt like a solution looking for a problem.

With the end of Kinect comes the end of another cycle in Microsoft’s pursuit of exploring new ways to interact with technology. I don’t think I could say that the Kinect was a success during its lifetime as it certainly was unique but ultimately it’s demise is cemented in the fact that the company is no longer building the product.

 

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  • MattHewitt

    Premium Member
    25 October, 2017 - 9:09 am

    <p>I guess I can finally disconnect that from my Xbox One and put it in a box now. Never liked it cluttering up my TV stand anyway.</p><p><br></p><p>I guess it will live on inside the iPhone X.</p>

    • iPhoneX

      25 October, 2017 - 10:27 am

      <blockquote><a href="#210040"><em>In reply to MattHewitt:</em></a></blockquote><p>You paged? I suppose you are right, just as I agree with the quote in the article that the Kinect was almost as innovative as the original iPhone. MS was ahead of its time as usual, but for once they got the technology right (as opposed to their initial tablets). It may have been a solution which never resonated, which posits the real question – why not?</p>

  • AliMaggs

    Premium Member
    25 October, 2017 - 9:17 am

    <p>I think it's a shame that they didn't just build a microphone array into the Xbox One S and the Xbox One X.</p><p><br></p><p>I have to think that, with very few games even supporting the Kinect in the current generation, that the majority of the usage of the Kinect this-gen was from voice commands which I found very useful myself. I mostly used the Kinect to pause video, search for content, and record clips and screenshots.</p><p><br></p><p>And with Amazon's Fire TV and the Apple TV putting a focus on voice as a way to browse and interact with media content, as well as IoT devices, it feels like another lost opportunity to win some mindshare with Cortana.</p><p><br></p><p>For what it is worth, I used to love playing Kinect games on the 360 generation, but there are next to no compelling Kinect games for the Xbox One.</p>

    • Chris_Kez

      Premium Member
      25 October, 2017 - 10:18 am

      <blockquote><a href="#210042"><em>In reply to AliMaggs:</em></a></blockquote><p>Many Xbox consoles are tucked away in media cabinets. Throw in the background noise from the famously loud Xbox and it becomes a challenging environment for a microphone. Could it be done? Sure, but it's easier and less expensive to just have an external mic.</p>

      • AliMaggs

        Premium Member
        26 October, 2017 - 3:57 am

        <blockquote><a href="#210102"><em>In reply to Chris_Kez:</em></a></blockquote><p><br></p><p>True about the media cabinets, but most people I know have their Xbox on a shelf in their cabinets (open front), rather than tucked away inside. Would it work as well as the Kinect? Probably not, but my Amazon Echo does a great job in my kitchen hearing me over the noise of the cooker-hood fans and running taps.</p><p><br></p><p>Even if it wasn't as reliable as the Kinect, I'd sooner take that solution than the one users are left with: a headset and mic. I'm not going to grab a controller, plug in my headset, and say "Xbox Pause"/"Hey Cortana, Pause" in the middle of a movie.</p><p><br></p><p>If they're serious about Cortana, they need a more elegant living room solution. Mics built into the Xbox would have been a solution (but they didn't do this), or building a new Xbox Media Remote (which I guess could happen) with a mic built in would do. But the current non-Kinect based solution is lousy. </p>

        • Chris_Kez

          Premium Member
          27 October, 2017 - 9:40 pm

          <blockquote><a href="#210545"><em>In reply to AliMaggs:</em></a></blockquote><p>I could see a nice media remote with actual buttons, including a light up blue Cortana button.</p>

  • JacobTheDev

    Premium Member
    25 October, 2017 - 9:18 am

    <p>Would love to see support for third party microphones come now. Or even first party, as long as it's just a simple microphone. The video aspect of Kinect was never what was interesting.</p>

    • evox81

      Premium Member
      25 October, 2017 - 9:46 am

      <blockquote><a href="#210043"><em>In reply to Jacob-Bearce:</em></a></blockquote><p>This. Everyone will point out that headsets can be used for this, but that's not really what we're after. A nice long-range microphone for voice interaction is what is needed. </p>

      • maethorechannen

        Premium Member
        25 October, 2017 - 9:59 am

        <blockquote><a href="#210069"><em>In reply to evox81:</em></a></blockquote><p><br></p><p>They could do what the NVidia has done with the Shield and put a far field microphone in the controller. On the Shield, if you've set it to US English you can use it to bring up Google Assistant like it's a Google Home.</p>

    • jwpear

      Premium Member
      25 October, 2017 - 10:37 am

      <blockquote><a href="#210043"><em>In reply to Jacob-Bearce:</em></a></blockquote><p>We use it for voice commands and automatic sign in via facial recognition. Still feel like they need both. Once you have this capability, it is hard to go back to old ways. Surely they can produce simplified designs that add these features for those that want it.</p>

    • gregsedwards

      Premium Member
      25 October, 2017 - 11:32 am

      <blockquote><a href="#210043"><em>In reply to Jacob-Bearce:</em></a></blockquote><p>Seems like Invoke/Xbox integration would be an ideal (if expensive) fit.</p>

  • Rob_Wade

    25 October, 2017 - 9:22 am

    <p>Well, I guess that settles it. The days of an Xbox in our house are numbered. We bought the original Xbox One with Kinect because we wanted a nexus for our home theater, one that did NOT require us to use a stupid controller. We loved the fact that we could use voice and/or gestures to do everything. Then Microsoft ruined the interface and gutted the Kinect, turning it into just a microphone, a Skype camera and a camera for recognizing who's signing in. Now they are completely getting rid of Kinect, which means support for those features will likely end as well. You'll likely only be able to use a headset mic for gaming, which we do NOT do. So, our choices are to use our current device until it stops working then go back to just the smart TV; use our current device until Microsoft once AGAIN kills features the make the Xbox useless before it dies; cut ties now and toss our Xbox in the dumpster and go back to the smart TV. I am so flipping sick of Microsoft starting something and not sticking with it. I would spit in Satya Nadella's face right now if he was in front of me.</p>

    • navarac

      25 October, 2017 - 9:36 am

      <blockquote><a href="#210046"><em>In reply to Rob_Wade:</em></a></blockquote><p><em>"I am so flipping sick of Microsoft starting something and not sticking with it"</em></p><p>Yeah.</p>

    • dontbe evil

      25 October, 2017 - 9:53 am

      <blockquote><a href="#210046"><em>In reply to Rob_Wade:</em></a></blockquote><p><br></p><p>if you meet nadella, spit him also for me please</p>

    • Chris_Kez

      Premium Member
      25 October, 2017 - 10:19 am

      <blockquote><a href="#210046"><em>In reply to Rob_Wade:</em></a></blockquote><p>"I would spit in Satya Nadella's face right now if he was in front of me."</p><p>Please tell me you're being hyperbolic.</p>

    • B Mallon

      25 October, 2017 - 3:15 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#210046"><em>In reply to Rob_Wade:</em></a></blockquote><blockquote><em>Classy…..</em></blockquote><p><br></p>

    • jjaegers

      25 October, 2017 - 4:04 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#210046"><em>In reply to Rob_Wade:</em></a></blockquote><p>I am a media center hold out and have an XBOX 360 in my living room just to use it as an extender… tried getting it setup with the xbox one guide but it was just too clunky… loved the voice commands though. Right now we have moved to a Roku TV… which I have to say is fantastic… especially since it is part of the TV… so you switch inputs right in the Roku menu… the input for our XBOX one and XBOX 360 are just "apps" in the Roku list… that makes it stupid easy for everyone using the TV to understand. So the TV is the hub and it is super easy to switch over to the other devices or use the apps (Netflix, YouTube, etc) right on the TV interface (Roku). Like Paul mentioned in one of his previous posts… the devices/services that specialize in one thing (Roku for TV, Spotify for Music, etc) usually are better than any of these "do all" types of devices. Now we just use the XBOX One for games and the TV for everything else.</p>

  • CaymanDreamin

    Premium Member
    25 October, 2017 - 9:25 am

    <p>I hope they come out with some type of camera replacement. There are games my daughter enjoys playing (mostly dance games) that utilize the Kinect. No camera option gives the PlayStation ecosystem an edge. A simple USB camera like PlayStation's would allow for game play without all the bells and whistles that the Kinect has.</p>

  • wolters

    Premium Member
    25 October, 2017 - 9:30 am

    <p>I knew this day was coming but until there is a better solution for voice commands on the XBOX (not having to use headset), I'll keep using the Kinect. I actually purchased a new Kinect and adapter to go with my XBOX One X when it arrives. </p><p><br></p><p>Primarily, we use it to change channels on the OneGuide. That comes in handy, even if it isn't always 100% successful. Next would be the added features that same games use. For example, ALIEN: Isolation can allow ambient sound your home attract the Alien. Or when you hide in a locker, you can move your body to look through the slits. Thirdly, we do play the small amount of Kinect games that the XBOX One does have. Sadly, the very best, most fun party game ever never got ported, and that is Kinect Party. It would be nice if they could port that over as a parting gift. </p><p><br></p><p>Zune, Windows Phone, Band, Kinect. All Microsoft devices I really liked and thought were amazing that have come and gone and we hardly knew ya. </p>

    • maethorechannen

      Premium Member
      25 October, 2017 - 9:56 am

      <blockquote><a href="#210049"><em>In reply to wolters:</em></a></blockquote><p><br></p><p><em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">Primarily, we use it to change channels on the OneGuide.</em></p><p><br></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">I'm surprised that OneGuide and the HDMI in port are still there.</span></p>

      • wolters

        Premium Member
        25 October, 2017 - 10:01 am

        <blockquote><a href="#210087"><em>In reply to maethorechannen:</em></a></blockquote><p>Considering the fact that we are once again considering dumping DirecTV, it would make OneGuide irrelevant. And yes OneGuide is yet another great thing about the XBOX that may soon be going away. </p>

  • navarac

    25 October, 2017 - 9:37 am

    <p>This will be the future of the HK speaker as well, I think. No staying power Microsoft, easily distracted by "the next best thing".</p>

    • gregsedwards

      Premium Member
      25 October, 2017 - 1:53 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#210059"><em>In reply to navarac:</em></a></blockquote><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">Honestly, the saving grace here might just be the fact that HK, not Microsoft, is building the Invoke. Microsoft can't just unilaterally cancel platforms that are connected to partner hardware. Although I'd agree HK, which is now owned by Samsung, could very easily abandon Microsoft. Maybe other hardware makers will jump on the platform in the meantime.</span></p>

  • rth314

    Premium Member
    25 October, 2017 - 9:50 am

    <p>The original Kinect was the most sold peripheral in the history of game consoles. But when you look over the leaked Fortaliza documents you realize how badly Microsoft botched their own goals. Xbox One isn't a very good console for kids. The kids games dried up after Microsoft scrambled after that E3 event to convince everyone that Xbox One is a hardcore gaming machine and they didn't care about Kinect and entertainment anymore. They couldn't walk and chew gum at the same time.</p>

  • ldsands

    25 October, 2017 - 9:50 am

    <p>Does anyone know if I could use some 3rd party camera with skype on my xbox one? My <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Kinect&nbsp;</span>is starting to die. Also, the only games my wife and I ever play are dance games are any windows hello cameras usable on Xbox one with those games?</p>

    • maethorechannen

      Premium Member
      25 October, 2017 - 10:12 am

      <blockquote><a href="#210081"><em>In reply to ldsands:</em></a></blockquote><p>Yes, though I'm not sure USB camera support has made it past the Insider rings yet (I think it landed for everyone with the latest update, but I could be wrong). It's not of any use with Kinect games, only Mixer and Skype.</p>

  • dontbe evil

    25 October, 2017 - 9:52 am

    <p>thanks nadella</p>

    • monkeyboy

      25 October, 2017 - 8:44 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#210083"><em>In reply to dontbe_evil:</em></a></blockquote><p><br></p><p>"Microsoft is ending production of Kinect, marking the end of an era that never was.&nbsp;"</p><p><br></p><p>My question to Paul, Mary Jo and Leo is this — why did they talk about Kinect for YEARS then? Anyone with commonsense knew that thing was dead on arrival. It, like the PlayStation Move, was only released around 2010 or so to artifically extended and try to explain that generations' overly long and ultimately damaging lifespan. With amazing games like this, how could Kinect fail? LOL </p><p><br></p><p>https :// www. youtube . com /watch?v=lg_FoEy8T_A &lt;—- Star Wars Kinect "Han Solo" Dance Scene</p>

      • monkeyboy

        04 December, 2017 - 10:49 pm

        <blockquote><a href="#210510"><em>In reply to monkeyboy:</em></a></blockquote><p>"My question to Paul, Mary Jo and Leo is this — why did they talk about Kinect for YEARS then?&nbsp;"</p><p><br></p><p>Because a true fanboy cannot possibly ever admit something is stupid idea when it's actively being pushed out to everyone.</p>

  • warpdesign

    25 October, 2017 - 9:55 am

    <p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">&gt; In my opinion, the Kinect was not a runaway success or even all that influential for what it achieved.</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The Xbox 360 sold 84 millions units worldwide. If Microsoft sold 35 million Kinect units it means almost 1 user out of 2 bought a kinect device. If it's not impressive, I don't know what it is.</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">That said, Microsoft failed to do something with it, and after the fail attempt at making it mendatory for the Xbox One, they stopped supporting it. No wonder production has now ended.</span></p>

    • Chris

      25 October, 2017 - 10:04 am

      <blockquote><a href="#210086"><em>In reply to warpdesign:</em></a></blockquote><p>Not all of the Kinects were sold with the Xbox 360 though, some were sold with the Xbox One, so it isn't 1 out of 2, it's something more like 1 out of 5, which still isn't bad, but still not good enough. I thought about getting one, but I couldn't justify the price, and there weren't enough games that used it that actually interested me.</p>

    • Winner

      25 October, 2017 - 11:48 am

      <blockquote><a href="#210086"><em>In reply to warpdesign:</em></a></blockquote><p>Weren't we supposed to be controlling surgical instruments with it by now? Oh the visions that never materialized.</p>

  • North of 49th

    Premium Member
    25 October, 2017 - 9:58 am

    <p>Brad, did Microsoft take any of the Kinect learnings and apply them into the facial recognition that the Surface has or is that completely different underpinnings? I know you are writing about the Kinect specifically, but I was idly curious. Also, the other big thing Microsoft introduced, at least in the Kinect 2.0 was the array microphone that will tune out volume coming from the surrounding speakers to hear your voice. I believe the Surface also does that.</p>

  • Chris_Kez

    Premium Member
    25 October, 2017 - 10:12 am

    <p>"…A<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">s we look around the world today, we don’t see these types of devices everywhere or even their influence impacting much of what we do today."</span></p><p>I think Kinect and its concepts were a precursor to things like ambient computing (e.g. Echo), non-password-based authentication (e.g. Windows Hello, Face ID), spatial awareness and mapping (e.g. Project Tango, Hololens' "inside out tracking"). To be clear, I am not saying any of these things are directly built on the underlying Kinect technology or sensors. <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Gaming was probably the least interesting thing they could have done with Kinect.</span></p><p>Microsoft originally planned to have a dedicated processor in Kinect. Rather than an Xbox accessory, Kinect could have been a stand-alone device. Put Kinect in a small-box form factor with a 6" screen and they could have had an Amazon Echo Show five years ago. They must have seen from telemetry that the most popular use case for Kinect was voice commands. How or why they never connected that to the idea of a free-standing Echo-like device is a mystery. Microsoft had purchased TellMe several years earlier, and had already been working on Cortana for more than a year. They had the Zune music service. They had MSN to serve up news and weather and sports. They had all the pieces and just never put it together. </p>

  • CaedenV

    25 October, 2017 - 10:39 am

    <p>I was sad to see it fail so hard on XB1</p><p>My hope was that we would see a consumer (non-Dev) version of the kinnect for PC to bring in Cortana and great low-light Skype capabilities. But now imagine how useful such a product could be! It could have helped with Win10's AR technology and provided Hello capabilities.</p><p><br></p><p>But the masses decided they didn't want it, and MS decided they didn't want to push the issue, so it is a dead product and now we have to hodge-podge these features on the desktop with inferior web cams and headset mics. Really a missed opportunity.</p>

  • gregsedwards

    Premium Member
    25 October, 2017 - 11:13 am

    <p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">This is another announcement that was in many ways telegraphed last year, when Xbox One S didn't provide a Kinect port and instead relied on a complicated mess of adapters to…ahem, connect. Also, Microsoft didn't even bother to address the obvious problem around room setups involving multiple Cortana-enabled devices, such as an Invoke and Xbox within earshot of each other (For the record, they still need to figure this out for PCs, phones, and other devices. Seriously.)</span></p><p>I am curious how this change impacts Cortana and Skype on the Xbox platform moving forward. Kinect may not have many in-game applications anymore (ever), but it is really handy for voice-controlling your console and for having video chats from the couch. I still use mine every day to turn on my Xbox &amp; TV, log in automatically, launch apps, change the volume, play music, ask questions, and more. Of course, I just bought an Invoke that handle some of that, and maybe they'll refine the ecosystem to better enable Cortana on one device to trigger actions on another device. I'd have no problem with telling my Invoke to turn on my Xbox. In fact, it may even be a cleaner overall solution in the long run.</p><p>The missing core functionality of Kinect as a video interface is a little more concerning. Since the 360, I've always had a Kinect attached to my console. I still have a handful of games like Dance Central Spotlight and Just Dance that actively use it as an controller interface. I know JD also allows you to hold a smartphone as your "controller" for a Kinect-free experience, but there's something pretty magical about being able to just step in front of the TV and play. Xbox+Kinect also understands many of the subtle nuances of multiple users that, frankly, today's smart devices like Echo, Google Home, and yes, Invoke, don't seem to grasp. For instance, when Kinect detects my kids are in the room (and hence, they're logged into the Xbox), it seamlessly filters Groove music, Movies &amp; TV, and even third-party apps like HBO Now, to show only age-appropriate content. That's pretty slick and requires a lot of thoughtful, delicate integration.</p><p>So, I'm hopeful they'll continue to evolve the experience. I'd be glad to transition to using a Windows Hello webcam, if it would let me continue using many of those features I've come to expect. So RIP, Kinect. Nobody ever really appreciated you, but you'll be sorely missed.</p>

    • maethorechannen

      Premium Member
      25 October, 2017 - 11:45 am

      <blockquote><a href="#210223"><em>In reply to gregsedwards:</em></a></blockquote><p><br></p><p><em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">I'd have no problem with telling my Invoke to turn on my Xbox.</em></p><p><br></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">I'd have a problem with that. For a start, they only sell the Invoke in the US. And it's on the expensive side of intelligent speakers. While those two problems could be solved, they can't solve the "too late" problem – I've already got an Echo.</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">I'd be happier with Alexa integration. </span></p>

      • gregsedwards

        Premium Member
        25 October, 2017 - 1:45 pm

        <blockquote><a href="#210242"><em>In reply to maethorechannen:</em></a></blockquote><p>Sure, that'd work, too. I guess my point was they really could/should open the Xbox as just another device into which other devices could integrate – be they Cortana, Alexa, Google Assistant, or whatever.</p>

    • wolters

      Premium Member
      25 October, 2017 - 3:11 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#210223"><em>In reply to gregsedwards:</em></a></blockquote><p>"I am curious how this change impacts Cortana and Skype on the Xbox platform moving forward."</p><p><br></p><p>Same here…I use Skype on the XBOX a lot to talk to family. I've used Kinect video chat since it was using Windows Live Messenger on the XBOX 360.</p>

  • Paul Dain

    25 October, 2017 - 11:21 am

    <p>We moved our Xbox One w/Kinect out of our main home entertainment center about a year ago and took it up to my office for gaming only. We found we were relying more on Apple TV anyway in that context, so made sense.</p><p><br></p><p>Funny thing happened last night. Our doorbell rings with a food delivery order while watching a show on Apple TV. My wife can't find the remote and instinctively yells "Xbox, pause!" out of frustration.</p><p><br></p><p>We laughed about it, but she (a typical tech consumer, not an enthusiast) said that voice command on the Xbox for TV &amp; video is the one thing she misses most. If Microsoft could bundle remote-less voice command (Cortana?) into a small form factor with content parity to Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV, I think they'd have something pretty darn compelling.</p>

  • Winner

    25 October, 2017 - 11:46 am

    <p>I can't tell you how many times I've been downvoted for commenting on Microsoft having all of these grand visions/products and then failing to deliver. Kinect was nice technology but Microsoft did not seem to be able to make it mainstream. It is also likely the reason that the first XBox Ones sold worse than PlayStation (due to added cost of Kinect) and cemented Microsoft as #2 in the latest generation of gaming consoles.</p>

    • monkeyboy

      25 October, 2017 - 8:48 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#210244"><em>In reply to Winner:</em></a></blockquote><p><br></p><p>Dude Switch is gonna easily outsell XBO and its 8 million versions. So MS will be #3, worldwide, yet again. They were only #2 with the original XBox.</p>

      • mariusmuntensky

        26 October, 2017 - 9:07 am

        <blockquote><a href="#210513"><em>In reply to monkeyboy:</em></a></blockquote><p>#3? Hmm not good. It would be a reason for that $$ obsessed CEO to say: "Why does the world need a 3rd console? Kill it now!"</p>

  • JustinMSalvato

    25 October, 2017 - 11:53 am

    <p>Rarely do I disagree with Brad, but he is absolutely wrong when he made this statement: "..the Kinect was not a runaway success or <em>even all that influential</em> for what it achieved." That "..<em>even all that influential.." </em>is what I disagree with. Brad adds "..we don’t see these types of devices everywhere or even their influence impacting much of what we do today." </p><p><br></p><p>Augmented Reality. Kinect paved that way for A.R.. I look at certain games for Kinect on the Xbox 360, like Kinect Party from Double Fine Happy Action Theater and what I see is Hololens. The game takes your environment that it sees through the camera and adjusts the "holograms" according to your room &amp; self. Take the lava bit of the game; the lava goes around taller objects and even stops at walls instead of just passing through it. It recognizes objects in the room. There's another bit with birds where they land on your shoulder or floor or even the top of a chair that you own. This is just the simple stuff, the game does a heck of a lot more complicated stuff.. Anyway, that's augmented reality with Kinect acting as the Hololens visor.</p><p><br></p><p class="ql-align-center"><img src="http://123kinect.com/wp-content/gallery/double-fine-happy-action-tv/kinect-party_screenlg6.jpg&quot; class="" height="259" width="462"></p><p><br></p><p>Kinect for the 360 wasn't great, but it was good and only got better with the Xbox One, but by then, everyone had moved on. </p>

  • glenn8878

    25 October, 2017 - 12:01 pm

    <p>What Microsoft failed to do is make a cheaper model that people would want to purchase separately to play certain games whether on Xbox or on the PC. It was an impressive feature and differentiator, but they let it down like everything they touch. </p><p><br></p><p>The usage scenario has actually improved with Hello, VR, and Skype. They just didn’t have a big picture outlook. </p>

  • BoItmanLives

    25 October, 2017 - 12:27 pm

    <p>Good riddance. Microsoft never bothered creating a killer firstparty title to showcase the damn thing.</p>

    • monkeyboy

      27 October, 2017 - 2:52 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#210274"><em>In reply to BoItmanLives:</em></a></blockquote><p><br></p><p>WHAT!?! DO YOU NOT WANT HALO 76 OR FORZA 93 OR GEARS OF WAR 34 OR MINCRAFT ULTRA 4K EDITION??? WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT!?!</p>

  • skane2600

    25 October, 2017 - 12:33 pm

    <p>IMO kinect was a natural evolution of a trend started by the Wii. </p>

  • M. S. Chan

    25 October, 2017 - 12:33 pm

    <p>"<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">the Kinect was not a runaway success or even all that influential for what it achieved."</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Not influential? What about Windows Hello? What about iPhone X (Apple bought the company that made the components for the first Kinect, which eventually evolved into FaceID)? </span></p>

    • monkeyboy

      25 October, 2017 - 8:46 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#210276"><em>In reply to chanms:</em></a></blockquote><p><br></p><p>Windows Hello? LOL …….. More like "Windows Huh?" …..because NO ONE KNOWS OR CARES about that.</p>

      • PeteB

        28 October, 2017 - 5:48 pm

        <blockquote><a href="#210511"><em>In reply to monkeyboy:</em></a></blockquote><p>Bingo.</p><p><br></p>

      • M. S. Chan

        31 October, 2017 - 11:58 am

        <blockquote><a href="#210511"><em>In reply to monkeyboy:</em></a></blockquote><p><br></p><p>Everytime I turn on my HP Envy and immediately logs me in without password or PIN. I guess you are right about no one cares about that – because it works so well it becomes second nature and you stop thinking about it.</p><p><br></p>

  • Chris Payne

    25 October, 2017 - 12:46 pm

    <p>Wow… big news. So how do they plan on accepting voice commands and control other home theater equipment going forward? AFAIK, the Xbox One doesn't have a built in microphone or IR blaster, right? That's a big hit to my home theater set up.</p><p>Also, what about all the dev kit and PC Kinect kits? I regularly hear about some researcher building some new innovative thing using kinects… is all that research getting killed?</p>

    • Ricky Myers

      25 October, 2017 - 4:33 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#210283"><em>In reply to unkinected:</em></a> The Xbox One Fall Creators Update b rought support for webcams, and it always had support for IR Blaster's and Mics. The Xbox One S, and I assume the X have the IR Blaster built in, and the Original Xbox One and the S have the IR Blaster port on the back.</blockquote><p><br></p>

      • SvenJ

        25 October, 2017 - 8:23 pm

        <blockquote><a href="#210428"><em>In reply to Maverick009:</em></a> Really? I wasn't aware of that. Does that mean I can hook a Logitech web camera to my Xbox and still use Skype? And Cortana? </blockquote><p><br></p>

        • maethorechannen

          Premium Member
          26 October, 2017 - 4:31 am

          <blockquote><a href="#210494"><em>In reply to SvenJ:</em></a></blockquote><p><em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">Logitech web camera to my Xbox and still use Skype? And Cortana? </em></p><p><br></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">My understanding is Skype yes, Cortana no (something to do with webcams lacking far-field microphones).</span></p>

  • Mike Brady

    25 October, 2017 - 12:57 pm

    <p>It's too bad. The few games that were out for it were fun, but I was terribly disappointed that more interesting titles did not materialize.</p><p><br></p><p>I'm going to jump in to VR one day, but not now. I'm waiting another year or two. Products like the Kinect are a good lesson why.</p>

    • Ricky Myers

      25 October, 2017 - 4:43 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#210287"><em>In reply to Mike_Brady:</em></a> I have been watching this develop and VR has been here for about a few years now with Oculus Rift, and the HTC Vibe. You also had the smaller entries with Samsung and Google. Fast forward and Sony has been on the seen with PS VR and Apple is now entering the fray. I think though this time Microsoft was more prepared as they been playing with HoloLens since really about the time Windows 10 launched, and now they are going all in with Mixed Reality and a bunch of OEM's launched headsets and decent starting prices (Yes they can go up in price with features and capabilities) and integrated support throughout Windows 10 With the Fall Creators Update. It also looks like Steam is looking to add full support too, so I think this time it will be safe. I personally like the Samsung Odyssey, as it had better specs and the AFK headphones, as an all in one solution and look to get that soon.</blockquote><p><br></p>

  • Rug

    Premium Member
    25 October, 2017 - 1:42 pm

    <p>One problem I had was that where the Kinect needed to be and where the Xbox was located was not within the length of the cord. This almost kept me from getting the Xbox One in the first place as it was a requirement to have it connected. </p><p><br></p><p>In my eventual other location, I sit too close to it and it didn’t work. When I did have it plugged in, it was inconsistent at best (at voice commands). </p><p><br></p><p>I personally loathe the Kinect for Xbox One. As a result of MS reducing the cost of the Kinect, they reduced the overall power of the Xbox itself. Not only that, it made the box cost significantly more. Arguably, responsible for them handing the baton back to Sony. </p><p><br></p><p>I wonder if Kinect cost Microsoft more than the 360 did, it’s just less obvious (all lost sales and momentum shift to Sony). </p><p><br></p><p><br></p>

  • Marius

    Premium Member
    25 October, 2017 - 2:16 pm

    <p>The Kinect was used for Running analytics (stride, posture etc.), but also this marked is abandoned to the iPad. </p>

  • Bats

    25 October, 2017 - 3:20 pm

    <p>Let's get real here.&nbsp;</p><p>This stuff was popular for a time, not by Microsoft, but by Nintendo. Like all things Microsoft, they came at the tail end of this technology.&nbsp;</p><p>When I think about it, I can't help but laugh at all of Microsoft's missteps. It's as if Microsoft had all these sharpened pencils in their hands and threw it all up onto the ceiling to see which one sticks and the only one that stuck are the three that were already there before, Windows, Office, and Xbox.&nbsp;</p><p>Make no mistake. Like it's Kinect relative, Invoke is going to fail big time and so will the Mixed Reality product.</p><p>LOL….I remember when Kinect came out, people were excited because it was supposed to be the better version of the Nintendo Wii's innovative gaming style. I remember how popular the Wii was.It was so popular that, for a while, stores were either low in inventory or ran out of stock. Fortunately, I was able to get one and had so many countless fun and laughs playing the Boxing with my family and friends. Then, the Kinect came out…..as great as it was, the Kinect kinda like killed the party.</p><p>Look, I had the Kinect as well and it was great, but….it's just so funny that's is already dead! Plus this was another one of Paul's miscalculations when it came to consoles, when he kept preaching value to people about the Xbox One vs. The Playstation 4.&nbsp;</p><p>Look, I am still a Microsoft fan. However, Microsoft is giving me more "life" value by making me laugh by all the missteps and misfires they make.</p><p>Microsoft is just so funny!</p>

  • tmbr

    25 October, 2017 - 5:12 pm

    <p>I think it's more logical that the functionality offered by the Kinect become more general purpose. I have the original Xbox One, and use the IR blaster, voice command, and login functions of the Kinect. The IR blaster has already moved to the console for Xbox One S.</p><p><br></p><p>Seeing that Xbox has recently joined WiSA (Wireless Speaker and Audio Association), it seems a better direction to go would be to continue to integrate with existing and upcoming technologies, such as skills for voice assistant devices. It seems feasible that some sort of general purpose device could work to recreate voice command functionality.</p><p><br></p><p>The gesture recognition and other Kinect-derived technologies may find a new home on future versions of the HoloLens or other VR/AR technologies.</p>

  • OwenM

    Premium Member
    25 October, 2017 - 9:59 pm

    <p>Interestingly I was about to trade in my Xbox One (first gen) + Kinect + disc copies of games for a discount on the Xbox One X. Now I'm wondering if I should hold on to my Kinect as a collectors' item.</p>

  • allanwith

    26 October, 2017 - 1:54 am

    <p>So, I think there is some interesting information in that article about how they have kept evolving the sensor technology and will soon be releasing v5, which will most likely be used in the next version of Hololens. It is interesting that they plan to release it soon… I mean to what will they release it? The Kinect as a stand-alone device is dead and the next Hololens doesn’t come out any time soon. The most likely answer, however unlikely, is a mobile device. I have been wanting them to put it in a phone and tablet for years, not for facial recognition, but for AR. I could see how a Kinect sensor on the back of a device could enable someone with a tablet or mobile device to participate in a Hololens experience, even if they weren’t wearing one.</p><p><br></p><p>Another application of the Kinect sensor technology could be outside-in room scanning for Mixed Reality. Inside-out is great if you are the only person using a VR headset, even if it can’t capture what you do with your hands behind your back. But say you want to interact with someone else who are not in the room and they want to see what is physically going on. Say they are wearing a VR headset themselves. In order for it to work, you need external depth sensors.</p><p><br></p><p>I have also been hoping that they would deploy it in the Surface Hub or as a stand-alone webcam. Being able to use it for meetings where it could recognize who was talking and track movement, could open up some interesting scenarios. Even recognizing people as they entered the meeting room and automatically logging on to the meeting.</p><p><br></p><p>Finally, three years ago I wrote a comment on someone else’s blog, where I said that I wish they would make a wireless version of the Kinect. One that you could interact with all over the house, give it voice commands, etc. Not too long after that, Alexa was introduced, but it would take a while until the Invoke came out… not that I am saying anyone read said comment, just expressing that I have been hoping Microsoft would do something like the Alexa for a long time. I didn’t quite think of it the way Alexa has been implemented, but there were a number of similarities.</p><p><br></p><p>Btw. they should market the invoke as a speaker for meeting rooms too.</p><p><br></p><p>It is not entirely too late for any of this, but as usual you get the sense that Microsoft is not moving fast enough to compete, even if they were ahead of competitors to begin with. Their R&amp;D is often great, but their track record of turning into successful products is far from perfect. Oh, and then there’s always the hope that what Microsoft is doing here is something else they often do, namely kill a product before they announce what’s to follow… creating a negative story and a lot of questions…</p>

  • rameshthanikodi

    26 October, 2017 - 6:13 am

    <p>Kinect was too good a technology for gamers to appreciate. Gamers will buy a gaming chair over a Kinect.</p><p><br></p><p>I hope Microsoft finds a better use for Kinect's technology.</p>

  • cawoodstock

    26 October, 2017 - 7:53 am

    <p>The feature I would miss having without the Kinect would be voice command. That has been a big part of the media consumption aspect to the way we use Xbox in our family. And with MSFT so interested in having Cortana grow right now, I'd be disappointed if they didn't see Xbox as part of that longer term.</p>

  • idaband

    26 October, 2017 - 9:39 am

    <p>So… Can we no longer use cortona on the Xbox if there is no mic?? </p>

  • chriswong13

    Premium Member
    26 October, 2017 - 11:51 am

    <p>Kinect on 360 was way better than on the One. Not just the game selection, but in that it actually worked better; on the One, gesture control was noticeably worse, and activating buttons, etc in games was flaky. Some of those first Kinect 360 games were great, and a couple of the fitness games got me back into a more fit lifestyle. Sorry to see it not succeed and continue with the One…</p>

  • Jason Honingford

    26 October, 2017 - 12:29 pm

    <p>One of many products Microsoft put out there and then failed to support.</p>

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    26 October, 2017 - 11:48 pm

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  • potzy1

    27 October, 2017 - 12:33 pm

    <p>Don't care what anyone says, the Xbone connect was great at first. I loved using the hand signals while getting my late night game fix. Specifically, when I couldn't shout out commands for fear of waking everyone up. Some of the games used it correctly, mostly sports, and I loved having my defenses switch to zone from one-on one with just a voice command. It still great when I can't find the remote and want to change the channel. The exercise app was fantastic, and I appreciated a good dance game from time to time.</p><p><br></p><p>But, like most MS products, it becomes worse than vapor are. You actually have the product and then they stop supporting it. </p>

  • Jogy

    Premium Member
    27 October, 2017 - 4:32 pm

    <p>For me, the Kinect was the unique selling point of the Xbox. It allowed me to do things (like playing fitness games) that I can't do on my trusty PC. Now with the Kinect gone I have zero interest towards future console offerings. </p><p>And Microsoft killing the Xbox Fitness last year was the reason I cancelled Xbox Gold subscription.</p><p><br></p><p>I don't think I will ever trust MS again for any consumer targeted technology …</p><p><br></p>

  • bluvg

    29 October, 2017 - 3:40 am

    <p>I used to control Netflix, etc. with Kinect on the 360–it worked *surprisingly* well, both voice and gesture, though mostly voice. It actually seemed to get quite a bit worse on the XBox One, but I was excited for the new Kinect games. Then Microsoft bowed to price pressure from Sony and never really released ANYTHING other than Kinect Sports 2. Honestly, that's bait and switch.</p><p><br></p><p>My friends and I spent many, many hours playing Kinect Sports and Kinect Adventures. Volleyball was a blast, and you could get quite a workout with some of the games (esp. Kinect Adventures, which was also very, very fun. </p><p><br></p><p>Microsoft just cemented the fate of XBox as one beholden to hardcore gamers only. Very sad to see. </p>

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    07 December, 2017 - 11:50 pm

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