2013/09/04 Microsoft Follows Intel’s Lead: No Cameras in the Living Room!
Microsoft recently capitulated to privacy concerns surrounding the always-on requirement for the Kinect accessory for the upcoming Xbox One. Microsoft, with its new console shipping with the Kinect included, previously made note of the requirement to always have the Kinect (which uses cameras) turned on, but recently removed that requirement. In the wake of the NSA spying scandal, privacy concerns have come to the forefront of many consumers’ minds, especially those who are technologically savvy. Intel itself recently disclosed that it will not be including a previously mentioned camera in its upcoming set-top box, so it seems that companies might be recognizing the hesitance of consumers to put cameras in the living room. Microsoft’s decision comes with some ramifications for the games being offered on the console as well as the future of voice and gesture control.
The original Kinect was a response to the success of the Nintendo Wii. New motion control features for the Wii propelled it to outsell both the PS3 and Xbox 360 combined in 2008, and both Sony and Microsoft were looking to counter the appeal of the Wii. Microsoft’s answer to the success of the Wii was Kinect for the Xbox 360. The device allowed “hands-free” motion control; the user was not required to hold a controller of any sort. But the byproduct of the “hands-free” design was that most of the games designed were limited to just motion input, there was no mechanism to move players within a 3D space at all. Most of the games designed for the Kinect had to be much simpler in design; hence most of the games designed for the Kinect are geared toward little kids. Kinect games for the Xbox 360 (outside of those bundled with the Kinect) have never really sold well in comparison with games from the other consoles because of this.
MRG Analysis:
By not having an always-on requirement for the Kinect, Microsoft has drastically altered the development of both voice and gesture controls. One of the more interesting features for the Xbox One’s Kinect was to have the Kinect’s microphone stay on in a low-power mode in order to listen for the command to turn the Xbox One on fully. Since the microphone is integrated into the Kinect itself, many users will now lose out on that functionality, along with the ability to use the microphone for voice controls and text input during general use.
Gesture controls are a different story than voice control, since the gesture controls on the Kinect require the cameras in question in order to function. They have proved quite popular with some consumers for navigating the menu and apps like Netflix.
Since many people will have the Kinect perpetually disconnected, perhaps connecting it specifically for games every once in a while, they will miss out on the chance to use gesture controls in the menu.
There is an important balance to strike with the imposition of potentially privacy-violating features in consumer electronics devices. Consumer electronics manufacturers have got to strike the proper balance when trying to implement something like having cameras in the living room area. Being up front about the uses, security, and privacy protections is a good start. Going further to make the camera an optional feature for those who are comfortable with it seems to be the ideal solution for now, as Microsoft has realized. It’s unfortunate though that so many potentially useful features, like voice-control are likely eliminated for many users in the process.
Multimedia Research Group, Inc.
