Late last month we showed you previews for Child of Eden and The Gunstringer, two Kinect titles that Microsoft hopes will convince gamers that the device is more than just a gimmick. Microsoft isn’t content to leave it at that, though. Their Senior Producer of Interactive Entertainment Business, Kevin Unangst, spoke with CVG to emphasize the importance of more core experiences.
The focus on a casual audience at launch was a smart decision. “It was very intentional with Kinect to go out and deliver blockbusters like Kinect Sports and Dance Central—games that resonated with a broader audience,” said Unangst. Now the Kinect has sold over ten million units, many of them to early adopters who are still waiting for a quality game to justify their investment.
“There are many [hardcore games] coming,” said Unangst. “We’re going to do it in a way that’s organic and natural to the game.”
“We did not go out and say, ‘We’re just going to slap Kinect on and put that out there.’ We don’t want a bunch of add-ons—it’s got to make sense in light of the game,” he explained, suggesting that Kinect technology offers several avenues for core developers to add support. “There’s a whole host of things [for core developers], whether it’s voice control, face recognition and all the tech that Kinect makes possible.”
It’s good to hear some assurances from the company, and even better to know that more serious games are in development, but until gamers start seeing hard proof, the Kinect may be more of a slow burn than Microsoft wants to let on.
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