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I’m the bearer of bad news, remember those dreams of being Tom Cruise in Minority Report? The promises of the floating keyboard that were made by many companies? Well today, that dream dies for Microsoft and the Xbox. In an interview with Windows, Central Microsoft announced yesterday that today’s “New Xbox Experience” update will see motion controls on the dashboard completely removed. The basis behind this decision is said to be because the number of people using motion control is “very, very low”. Microsoft also stated that voice control is still in operation on the UI and Kinect games will be unaffected by this decision.

Xbox One – The Kinect = True.

This is another nail in the coffin for the “new Xbox experience” lauded in E3 2013, and it is yet another backtrack from the console experience outlined in that conference. In recent memory we have seen Xbox One’s sold without the peripheral even though it was said to be impossible and Microsoft has been keen to distance themselves from the Kinect. It’s a sad end for one of the most promising, yet unappreciated peripherals in recent memory. It´s somewhat ironically actually. However, the fact is that the current Xbox One is exactly the system it should have been on release and is certainly the console that Xbox fans wanted.

Now that the Kinect is as good as dead, the question is, are you sad about it?

I own the original 360 Kinect and I must admit that it has been the source of good fun in my household, specifically the Dance Central series of games. I have lost many hours busting out my solid gold moves in front of my TV as well as the various (often very good) fitness “games” that utilize the peripheral. And while I’ve never been a huge fan of the device for core games (although Forza used it really well) I’m a little sad that it has ended this way. I suppose it’s dying as it lived, marginalised and to widely ambivalent reaction. Rest in peace, sweet prince.

Will you miss the Kinect?

Have you ever used the Kinect 2.0?

What’s next for Microsoft, is the Hololens a legitimate next step and is it really feasible for the general public?

Tell me in the comments below!

Source:
Xbox