E3 2011: Final thoughts on Microsoft

Microsoft, two years in a row, placed a major emphasis on Kinect and it bit them where the sensor don’t scan.  Almost every title was all about implementing Kinect features like voice recognition and minor motion control.  At times it almost felt like they were tacking it on.  Dr. Ray came out on the stage and talked about Mass Effect 3’s Kinect implementation but to us it came across like EA basically told Bioware that they had to add Kinect support and they only way Bioware could do it without jacking up their entire game was with voice stuff that can and should be done with a microphone.  Same thing for Ghost Recon.  There’s nothing added by Kinect to any of these games that a controller can’t do better.

It didn’t work for us at all.  Once again it feels like Microsoft is ‘diskinected’ from the core gamer audience.  There were a few neat things like the cute Sesame street game for kids and the Disneyland game, but the rest was filled with near-shovelware disappointment and two exclusive titles like Gears and Halo 4.  At this point, we’re worried that Sony might actually beat Microsoft this year.

Graev: It was (expletive) awful.  Gears was cool but it was mostly more gears (not a bad thing but still).  These pictures say it all for me.

Keen: For me the conference was all about Microsoft showing off Kinect and features that make the Xbox 360 about more than gaming.  Unfortunately, no one is going to get an Xbox 360 unless they want to game.  Instead of telling us how much they want their system to be at the forefront of every household’s entertainment unit, they should have made Kinect relevant to gamers.  Like Graev illustrated above with those pictures, it was mostly a circus.  That’s not the future.  Even Microsoft can’t believe they’re on track after that. I do have to admit though, Minecraft with Kinect has potential.

You can check out our live blogging for our complete commentary.

  • But Kinect now has scanning. Just think of all the penises that will now be on Xbox Live! Hell ya!

  • Normally i try to post something intelligent and civil when responding to blog posts.. but fuck me, what a box of shite.

  • The doctors over at Bioware should fall on their sword for the travesty that is now EA Bioware.

  • We’ll see what Bioware brings during the EA conference that starts in 20 min. Hopefully they can bring a little more than voice recognition to E3.

  • “At this point, we’re worried that Sony might actually beat Microsoft this year.”

    Why worry about this?

  • This is what happens when you have people that don’t play games, or understand what a good game is, running a console gaming company = stupid ass Kinect shit, which will sell well to Aunt Mildred and Grandma Jones, then show-up in the bargain bin in 30 days.

  • @Preston: If Sony does better than Microsoft, which it almost never does, even after their huge hack debacle, it means Microsoft is in big trouble.

  • Well this certainly was not one of Microsoft’s better E3 demo’s. The gifs there are just ridiculous hehe.