Once touted as the future of motion gaming, the Kinect has finally met its maker. Microsoft has announced that it would be ceasing production of the device.
Initially introduced as “Project Natal” in 2009, the device fascinated and intrigued many when it was finally launched as the Kinect in 2010. The Kinect used a depth sensor and built-in microphone to allow gamers to control their Xbox utilising voice and gesture commands.
Essentially, the device was Microsoft’s answer to the Nintendo Wii as more and more console companies, including Sony, wanted to get gamer’s off of their couches. Although the Kinect was a revolutionary device when it launched, it never reached its full potential and never took off as hoped.
With the release of the Xbox One, Microsoft decided to couple the device with the console. However, due to price considerations, they forced to introduce a version of the Xbox One without the Kinect.
While the popularity of the device might have declined in the past few years, Microsoft still sold around 35 million units.
Microsoft has stated that they will continue to support customers who own a Kinect, although they have not confirmed whether the developer tools will remain supported.
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Ya know, for all the hate, and it was justified, the Kinect had so much potential that was never realized. There were some great things people were doing with the Kinect, but for some reason game developers just never caught on to it.