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[Macca]

Pretty smart marketing. Microsoft releasing all of these "juicy" quotes that will be picked up by the major blogs and all getting new threads here on GAF. Keeps Kinect in the mind and eyes of gamers, and when it's time to release they'll have decent mindshare.

Plus, the amount of money they're pouring behind this thing guarantees it will sell. The question is will it sell enough to match the investment.

 

[V_Ben]

I really don't think this will be the case. I think both will only appeal to a small percentage of the install base.

Agreed. But Kinect will sell more Day 1 than move, just because of the pure brute force of marketing behind it.

 

[borghe]

MS should just stick with whats guaranteed. It will outsell the Move by a mile.. In america at least.

umm.. Move is selling extremely well. the fact that the controller consistently sells out at most places combined with heavy traffic on used PS Eyes at gamestop and ebay should attest to that. I'm not saying Kinect won't sell more than Move... just contesting "by a mile".

Then again, are we really going to know? If Kinect is counted as a peripheral we won't probably get real numbers from NPD.

 

[Dunlop]

These press statements are so annoying. We get it, we've heard it before Microsoft. You don't have to tell everyone every 2 weeks how big this is.

It comes off as desperate to me. "Oh if everyone sees how excited we are and we tell them how many people are planning on buying it then they won't want to be left out and go buy it too". The sad thing is, it's going to work.

It's their job to do this and generate hype, how can this be annoying? Are they waking you up or calling during dinner?

 

[Sho_Nuff82]

Wait, how can a 360 peripheral > 360?

Bigger launch. What did the 360 do in it's launch month in Nov. 05 NPD?

edit: Fersis, I don't think NPD tracks accessories last I checked. Unless that's changed and I didn't realize it, accurate Move/Kinect numbers may have to get leaked or just come straight from MS and Sony.

Now that Kinect will ship with a game, Kinect Adventure sales will be tracked (as long as they are in the top 10/20). So sales to existing 360 owners will at least be known.

 

[V_Ben]

umm.. Move is selling extremely well. the fact that the controller is sold out combined with heavy traffic on used PS Eyes at gamestop and ebay should attest to that. I'm not saying Kinect won't sell more than Move... just contesting "by a mile".

Then again, are we really going to know? If Kinect is counted as a peripheral we won't probably get real numbers from NPD.

They could get it to count as something bundled with a game. We could end up seeing Kinect Adventures in the NPDs.

 

[Opus Angelorum]

Agreed. But Kinect will sell more Day 1 than move, just because of the pure brute force of marketing behind it.

It will definitely receive better (read: more) marketing than Move, however the price of Kinect is the issue.

 

[danmaku]

I think its going be a successful , not 'Wii' successful though.
Good luck MS.

Not even "Wii Fit" successful, but it can still move (er... no pun intended) a good number of units. Making money? sure. Changing the market? nah.

 

[h3ro]

This is starting to sound like one of those cases where if you say something enough, you start to believe it.

It's almost like they're trying to convince themselves about the device rather than letting the product do the talking.

Personally, I'm more excited for the dashboard UI update.

 

[sixteen-bit]

jesus christ... if this thing fails i fear for the xbox division.

Xbox lost like 2 billion dollars last gen. No big deal.

 

[Guy LeDouche]

So we can naturally expect people camping outside of Best Buy's etc. for their Kinect much like people did with the Wii that first season?

this is what I think of when I think of a proper console launch, midnight line-ups. Will Kinect have people lining up at midnight 100-deep?

having hype is one thing, having legs is another. I think once the novelty wears off, sales will stagnate, but what do I know.

 

[The Elite]

Wait, how can a 360 peripheral > 360?

Subatomic particles. That's how!

 

[DidntKnowJack]

I am the controller and I say NO.

 

[Dever]

this is what I think of when I think of a proper console launch, midnight line-ups. Will Kinect have people lining up at midnight 100-deep?

having hype is one thing, having legs is another. I think once the novelty wears off, sales will stagnate, but what do I know.

The people Kinect is aimed at won't be going to midnight launches.

 

[Kibbles]

These statements by Microsoft just keep getting more ridiculous.

 

[PSGames]

This is starting to sound like one of those cases where if you say something enough, you start to believe it.


It's almost like they're trying to convince themselves about the device rather than letting the product do the talking.

Personally, I'm more excited for the dashboard UI update.

This is from their Retail Partners though. And let's not act like 7000 retail stores would open at Midnight if they didn't anticipate demand.

 

[Angst]

I'm eagerly awaiting Amirox's impression of the Kinect. Thread will be epic! :lol

 

[Atomski]

Crush it? what are you basing that on? How is that a fact?

The Move launch was like tumble weeds blowing through a store in America. It sounds like it sold better in Europe though.. yet I haven't really heard any buzz about it from Japan at all. Sony really did not push it like MS is pushing the Kinect. Although will have to see the numbers whenever they come out.

Its just speculation but I feel like its a givin they will a ton sell more. The tech is just more interesting specially to a casual playerbase. 13 year old kids will be screamin for it come Christmas.

 

[[Nintex]]

The people Kinect is aimed at won't be going to midnight launches.

You're wrong, Don Mattrick will go to Oprah and fly the audience to the Kinect midnight launch.

 

[marc^o^]

Pretty smart marketing. Microsoft releasing all of these "juicy" quotes that will be picked up by the major blogs and all getting new threads here on GAF. Keeps Kinect in the mind and eyes of gamers, and when it's time to release they'll have decent mindshare.

Plus, the amount of money they're pouring behind this thing guarantees it will sell. The question is will it sell enough to match the investment.

This. Also Kinect is not a copycat product, for once they are innovating, which is something that will have a strong positive impact on the Microsoft brand as a whole. This is the bigger picture.

 

[confused]

What's with crazy PR month?

Everybody knows that by tomorrow nobody will remember this anyway.

 

[CrushDance]

The people Kinect is aimed at won't be going to midnight launches.

Do casuals like iphones/pads? 3DS?

 

[borghe]

The people Kinect is aimed at won't be going to midnight launches.

"the people" you are implying here already have a wii, and if they do already have a 360 as well will have to overcome a $150 sticker shock. I honestly don't see the casuals jumping on this in large numbers until after it shows some sort of success in the gaming market (re: not just numbers but some sort of word of mouth, like Wii Sports)

Do casuals like iphones/pads? 3DS?

you are comparing kinect to an apple or Nintendo launch of some of the most successful platforms of all time? Are you actually the author of the press release? :lol

 

[Sho_Nuff82]

It will definitely receive better (read: more) marketing than Move, however the price of Kinect is the issue.

A 360 4GB + Kinect is $299. The 360 has never really had trouble selling at that price point.

 

[Cesar]

Nothing like setting yourself up...

Kinect will be lucky to match Move numbers.

What are Move numbers actually?

 

[V_Ben]

It will definitely receive better (read: more) marketing than Move, however the price of Kinect is the issue.

Oh, I agree wholeheartedly. Its too expensive for my tastes, and there's nothing launching with it that interests me. I think it will still sell relatively well, but nowhere near the launch of a whole new console...

 

[danmaku]

Do casuals like iphones/pads? 3DS?

They do, but they don't go to midnight launches. Apple fans do that.

 

[Razgreez]

I'm not placing any bets either way.

I thought downloadable content would be DOA. I thought for sure that nobody in their right mind would pay for things like horse armor, and other useless virtual trinkets, or extra maps because all of this stuff had been free previously.

The stupid part isn't that people buy it - ok i'm fibbing it is. However the really mind numbing part is the amount of effort they put into attempting (and failing) to justify it. A lot like the "kinect enthusiasts" so yes you have a point

 

[Sidewinder]

I really don't think this will be the case. I think both will only appeal to a small percentage of the install base.

Alas I fear it will, all those rabid game news journalists and even worse mainstream media were raving about Kinect since last year. OMG look mom I'm playing with my body!! This is so much better than Move, which is almost inexistent in mass media because it's just like Wii and everybody already owns one.

Kinect will be plastered all over the world thanks to MSs unlimited marketing funds and mass media will pick it up like the next iPad/iPhone, mmw!!

 

[Cosmonaut X]

I'm eagerly awaiting Amirox's impression of the Kinect. Thread will be epic! :lol

Will it involve him trying to draw pictures of werewolf dongs using Kinect, shortly before dumping it in the toilet and taking a picture to show off at GAF?

 

[glaurung]

Will it involve him trying to draw pictures of werewolf dongs using Kinect, shortly before dumping it in the toilet and taking a picture to show off at GAF?

Hmm. I wonder if Kinect is smart enough to recognize the shape of a wang and censor it...

If yes, that would be a breakthrough. A paradigm shift, even.

 

[grkazan12]

Man what are with these Kinect threads every damn week, so many crazy quotes from MS in the past couple of weeks. Kinect could sell well around launch but if they don't do long term evergreen numbers like the Wii or DS then what would be the point of launching Kinect in the first place.

 

[CrushDance]

I meant that nobody will be lining up for it like a nintendo/apple

 

[The Technomancer]

I'm not betting either way. I personally don't really like Kinect, but I also know how huge the Microsoft machine is, and it seems like they could brute-force their campaign into working. Could go either way.

 

[Megadragon15]

Microsoft better have some backup plan when Kinect fails to sell what they expect.

 

[beast786]

Good for MS

 

[RedStep]

This is from their Retail Partners though. And let's not act like 7000 retail stores would open at Midnight if they didn't anticipate demand.

This.

Are you really expecting 7,000 stores to sit empty at the midnight launch?

Do you think that there are really only 16 preorders (from family of the developers, no doubt), and these stores are hoping that interest will pick up someday?

But if the casuals, the Wii owners, aren't interested... and if we're not interested, where are these preorders coming from?

The sales on this will be insane this holiday (for a peripheral, especially).

 

[Billen]

I am so utterly uninterested that it almost causes me physical pain whenever I read about it. It's as if I try to stare intensely at something that just isnt there. Straining my brain instead of the eyes.

My son and wife are just plain uninterested. Both love the Wii and are interested in the Move controller. Oh well, guess we are just weird.

 

[Opus Angelorum]

What are Move numbers actually?

We don't have any, but based on Sports Champion sales I'd say less than 150k.

 

[LM4sure]

Agreed. But Kinect will sell more Day 1 than move, just because of the pure brute force of marketing behind it.

Yeah, I don't see Move selling many units. Apparently it's already out. I didn't even know. I'm sure Microsoft will make sure everyone is aware when Kinect releases.

I still think overall it'll be a failure though.

 

[Shanadeus]

It can be bigger than PS3, 360 and Wii.

But it won't.

 

[Zeouterlimits]

Man, where're the Sony dudes saying overly dramatic shit like this about Move?

 

[manzo]

The more MS puts out these statements the more I want Kinect to crash and burn like a fucking asteroid. It's like MS is pissing on it's Xbox brand.

Man, where're the Sony dudes saying overly dramatic shit like this about Move?

They're wise enough not to bet their entire Playstation brand on a single add-on device.

 

[maniac-kun]

<philosoph raptor picture>
how can a addon sell better then the main product?

 

[PSGames]

The more MS puts out these statements the more I want Kinect to crash and burn like a fucking asteroid. It's like MS is pissing on it's Xbox brand.




They're wise enough not to bet their entire Playstation brand on a single add-on device.

I would really love to hear your logic on this :lol

 

[Dunlop]

It will definitely receive better (read: more) marketing than Move, however the price of Kinect is the issue.

I agree. I laughed when I first heard it.

Last week I went to pick up Move and realized that buying the SC bundle and another wand will cost me the same as Kinect. MS needs to get that point across to consumers (plus more emphasis on the voice recognition)

Now I am going to wait for either.

 

[darkwing]

hmm where did that phrase "too big to fail" came from?

 

[V_Ben]

Man, where're the Sony dudes saying overly dramatic shit like this about Move?

Sony has probably decided against being arrogant. Look where it got them last time. :lol

Move seems to have had what could be easily described as a "soft launch". Not much hype, but I've seen people playing with it in in-store kiosks, and picking it up afterward. Whereas Microsoft's strategy here is to get it to the forefront of every conversation. And by gosh, they're doing a good job of that :lol

 

[Monty Mole]

What was that in the NPD thread about Microsoft no longer having ridiculous Xbox budgets?

Anyway, Kinect is easy to market. It has a USP, something the Wii had and Move doesn't have. But in the long-term, word of mouth will be the big selling factor. And if the technology is as hopeless as we've witnessed so far, that's the big worry.

 

[manueldelalas]

Kinect belongs to Tvs, not consoles. Make it default in new TVs after the 3D fad dies.