seriously, you’ve posted this on the 20th Oct 2010, wow how very insightful of you. look interesting points, but I’ve been listening to the creators themselves talking about some of these ideas since last year. And you’re trying to claim credit for them….I hope for your sake James McQuivey is your alias.

@James – “the first user interface innovation not invented by Apple”? Seriously? You did just mention the mouse, right? And of course the window-ing OS… These both came out of Xerox, and there are other examples, too. I do agree with your meta-point, but comments like that do undermine your credibility somewhat.

I couldn’t disagree more. The install base of the 360 may be 40+ Million, but we aren’t talking about how many 360 are sold or how popular/successful the 360 is (can you say hardcore gamers). We’re talking about Kinect and its potential sales (can you say casuals).

Anyone with logical business sense would know that using the 360 as a launching place for the Kinect significantly limits its Success. It’s simple math really, the 360 platform’s 40m install base actually limits the number of potential customers, and therefore Kinect’s sales. (Even the best game/accessory has an attach rate of 10-25%,. There’s no evidence to suggest Kinect will do any better.) Why chase after 40million customers when u can try to sell to them all!!!!

The x-box/360 name similarly limits Kinect’s success. X-box/360 is synonymous with hardcore gaming. So why try to re-brand an already existing piece of exipment marketed at hardcore gamers than launch a new one. Why Microsoft thinks they can piggyback off of the success of the 360 name is a mystery to me. They would’ve been way better off dropping the X-box name all together and re-launching the entire thing as a stand alone system (something that incorporates Kinect and the essential components of 360).

Like I said before, if you want a revolution that puppy has to be in every box from day one, or better yet build it into the hardware. If Microsoft was smart they would’ve made it a stand alone plug and play type product that works on every TV, computer, etc. Otherwise, it’s just another cool accessory.

Tom, don’t know why you’re trying to construe product control as a failure of the device. Does apple send out iPads to people to try before the launch date? No. But Microsoft has let thousands of people demo this system at conferences — and I have the developer kit from PrimeSense that the kinect 3D vision is built on and I can guarantee you it works. Quite well, actually.

So maybe Chad was a bit raw in his language, but he is 100% right. Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. I have yet to see people try it and not come away awed by it.

In case you haven’t heard, Microsoft have issued a strict review embargo on Kinect and are refusing to send out Kinect hardware or Kinect games for review. Why would they do something like that? Because Microsoft know that their product is a faulty piece of crap and are trying to pull the wool over consumers eyes until launch day.

Kinect will launch to a unanimous “Yawn” and will likely end up being the most returned product in history.