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Again, Microsoft Wants You to ‘Kinect’November 4, 2010 – 6:34 pm |
 Abdul Fattah Ismail |
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Microsoft is looking to reinvent the way we interact with computers with it’s new device called the “Kinect”. The Kinect, as this report from Financial Times states, was originally intended to be an add-on with the Xbox. It will demand a lot from the user, as it uses motion cameras and microphones to sense physical movements. The Nintendo Wii began the trend toward motion response, but has a controller to manage movement. Kinect eliminates the controller and stimulates the user.
Microsoft had a strong earnings bump this previous quarter due to strong acclaim for Windows 7 with business IT departments, but its recent rollout of Windows 7 mobile phones along with Kinect show that the company is looking to regain market share in the public eye.
Kinect has been on an interactive marketing tour with an application on Facebook titled Kinect Central. The page has several video clips demonstrating the user experience and also a domestic map that is tracking a global demonstration tour. With Bing’s search map, one can zoom in and find the current destination of the promotional tour. This weekend has two destinations near Sydney and Melbourne in Australia and one in Helsinki. For the New Yorkers, the demonstration took place in Macy way back in July. You will have to go to an authorized Microsoft retailer to simulate the experience.
The synthesis of social media and a live tour is a quality strategy for Microsoft. Today’s gaming standards are changing for consumers in that they are demanding a multichannel experience to stimulate their imaginations. Social media allows for instantaneous feedback that can be updated quickly and a mobile journey puts the gaming on a tangible level. The Kinect Experience, for Microsoft, needs to be felt for the consumers to believe it. Some Wall Street Journal columnists talked about Kinect’s potential with consumers. Enjoy.
