The History of the Xbox 360 Kinect | Past Mortem [SSFF] 

13:21 Hearing Peter Molyneux talk about how "They promised us this, but we got none of that and it was just a cheap, striped down version in the end" is almost poetic. I wonder if the irony ever occurred to him.

Only OGs will remember the title “Microsoft’s most successful failure”

Whenever I go to a thrift store to look for cheap games, there are almost always two consistencies. The Wii Balance Board, and the Kinect.

"Kinect adventures sold more than Halo 3" Huh? *One google search later* . . . Kinect adventures sold 24 million compared to Halo 3's 11.87 million. . .

So true story; I did Quality Assurance for Microsoft titles at one point (Nothing you would've wanted to have played, sorry) and we had to do what was called "Regression Testing" on 360 and XBox One titles. Even though the Kinect had been discontinued at this point, you still had to make sure all the features still worked, so a significant portion of our work days was playing with the Kinect. And let me tell you; NOBODY hates the Kinect like play-testers do.

The irony of Peter Molyneux, of all people, saying that Microsoft over-promised on what the Kinect could do, is hilarious as all hell.

Kinect before release - "It's like Minority Report!" Kinect after release - "It's like the Power Glove.."

I got a Kinect a few weeks back, haven't used it yet, but I like how it looks in my display with my 360 and other accessories. All in all I'd say it was $1 well spent.

The greatest issue with Kinect was space. We do not all live a church hall or have giant living rooms with the couch 10ft from the TV. It was so annoying and frustrating. Then lets not forget we all have to live on the ground/first floor. The device was not perfect but had its fun moments and tech interesting but without being top spec expensive it was always going to frustrate and disappoint.

My only experience with the Kinect has been in amusement parks and children's play rooms back when I was like 12 years old. I maintain my view that the Kinect is perfect for those places as it wouldn't have to deal with controller abuse from kids that have no clue how to treat electronics.

"Hey I'm Derek, it's me Derek!" Such honesty. Such happiness. Such joy. Never change, bro.

fantastic retrospective. thank you for this !

The fact that I use Kinect for full body tracking in VR is a testament to how innovative the technology was and still is.

"Steel Battalion...keep that in your back pocket." NO! I don't wanna! Give me back that behemoth of a controller!

At least we got the most incredible piece of software ever sold: the star wars dancing game

Even outside of Guru Larry's videos, Peter Molyneux is still a punchline.

"Never done before" Except for Eyetoy, the inspiration for the Wii.

Best thing about Kinect was when Nine Inch Nails used it to generate backing visuals during one of their tours

"Transcend precision" is the 2010 2011 version of "NEGATIVE LATENCY"

If nothing else, the Kinect was a great way to reduce the cost of research and development of all that tracking software and technology that would lead into devices like Hololens and other products.

Excellent video!! I remember I bought Kinnect on whim because it was on a Black Friday sale. We got Fruit Ninja and Just Dance with it. We played those games quite a bit at first. My wife loved Just Dance. But it quickly started collecting dust. It's fun and works really well, but just wasnt enough to want to come back to. Amazing info in this one! I love these retrospective pieces on various hardware and accessories! Merry Christmas Derek and Grace!

The best part of the Kinect was watching Netflix and saying "xbox pause" to get up and pee or whatever, then "xbox play" once you were back on the couch. It felt very futuristic at the time 🤷‍♂️😊

Ah Don Mattrick, the best salesman who sold me a PS4. He was so aggressive that I had to buy it. Sony should’ve given this guy a raise.

I miss the kinect on my Xbox One, if only because there's no real reason to aggressively scream "EX BAWX" at my hardware anymore

Kinect's writing was already on the wall. Spielberg thought Bug! for the Saturn would be a game changer.

Man, what a crazy story! Told as only Derek and Grace can!

Remember when Super Best Friends played games on Kinect and when Woolie went up to the camera it didnt recognize him because Kinect doesnt recognize black people

I was part of the hardware testing team Microsoft contracted (through Volt workforce solutions) and the Kinect got me lots of overtime. Its early builds were a total mess and every time a new one would be released we'd have to see if they fixed whatever bugs caused it to crash or red ring on certain titles. Hilarious!

First the gaming historian does his best video yet Super Mario 3 and now SSFF strikes with a Kinect Video.... This is the best week on RU-vid!!

As an engineer, I can tell you the Kinect was a wonderful tool for technical types. I cant begin to list all the projects that I saw in college alone that used the Kinect in some way. Never saw it used for games but plenty of other things.

"Claire has covered her face when Milo passed gas. Notice the natural movement. That wasnt scripted."

At a kids' science museum we went to in Kansas City (MO), one of the exhibits was a big sandbox with a topographical map display projected on it. As you built up or dug into the sand, the colors would lighten or deepen depending on how you contoured it. Naturally, I looked up above the box to see what was driving it all, and saw a Kinect staring back down at me. Well, at the sandbox, but you get the idea. And that's my Out-Of-Band Kinect story.

Hands down (pun intended) the BEST use of the 360 Kinect was for the voice commanded GPS in Forza Horizon. The nights coming home from work, putting on my Turtle Beach headset, telling the GPS "Show me next event" then having a direct line pop up in front of me then blast over there in my Ford GT listening to dubstep... MAGICAL

some of the justifications for the kinect sound eriely similar to stadia talking points

"Hello girlfriend." Huh. I could've sworn y'all were hitched.

Thank you for reminding everyone how audacious Peter Molyneux is. That Milo demo was mind-bending for me at the time. The exact commentary you included - the "she just naturally reached out and caught it" kind of stuff - is what still makes me excited about VR and AR, having people react in a naturalistic way to immersive art. Also I played Kinectimals with my kids on a *Windows Phone* back in the day. So good.

This is like almost full documentary quality. Fantastic job.

Quick note. "natal" is also the word for "Christmas" in Brazilian portuguese

3:36 Makes sense, we all remember those awesome films Spielberg insisted be displayed on invisible screens.

"2020 still looks like a year full of possibility."

SSFF changed the thumbnail 3 times. Their commitment to quality is dope

It's honestly funny hearing Molyneux saying someone else product fell short of expectations

I think this is one of your best videos of the year. A really great history with some sharp critical insight, all while keeping up the infinite enthusiasm. It deserves wayyy more views.

This Is one of your all-time best videos. Real, journalistic value and depth. Congratulations on a job well done. Can’t wait to see part two!

Great video, I'm really glad I stumbled across this channel this year. I can't wait to see the next part

You know, I still remember the Kinect as an integral part of the Xbox brand, despite having never used it. The power of marketing is truly terrifying.

really good vid man, v high quality and interesting. real bummer that you guys had some youtube hardship this year, but always stoked to see new stuff from you. looking forward to 2020!

Fantastic video. I had no idea the Kinect was such a success. I didn't watch any of the promo material back in the day and just shrugged it off whenever I saw it in retail stores. Microsoft tried to follow in Nintendo's footsteps the moment the Wii caught fire, implementing their own avatar ("Mii") system and the Kinect just seemed like an extension of that to me, so I completely blew it off. It wasn't until I got a Day One edition of the Xbox One that forced me to use Kinect that I finally tried it. It was honestly a terrible experience in its upgraded form. The gestures barely worked and everything was noticeably sluggish. It at least worked well as a webcam however when streaming via the Xbox One Twitch app, but that's about the most I can say about it in a positive manner. Some people found the voice commands useful ("Xbox, turn on"), but I've never been a "leave my console on all the time" type--I'd prefer to turn it on and off as well as get into my games and apps the old fashioned way. The removal of the Kinect port on more recent Xbox One units goes to show that it wasn't all it was cracked up to be, unfortunately. I would be interested to see the tech continue and improve over time, but I suppose VR via other platforms has taken its place.

The Kinect had one game that was truly worth it... Fruit Ninja. And you know what? That worked out so well... it worked even in VR. In a way, I kind of view the Kinect as the grandfather to body tracking that we commonly see used in VR today. In fact, my first body tracking setup was a Kinect and custom drivers.

Dude, this was great. Excellent content. Hope SSFF is going to keep going! I love what you do.

Excellent video, can’t wait for “next time.” I hope you still come back and make that Part 2 someday.

This channel is legit the only one I ever heard ''gangbusters'' being said on and I love it.

I forgot how popular this damn thing was at launch. I actually had to talk my mom out of buying a 360 just to get Kinect lol

What a great video bro. Such an interesting approach to a gaming piece of history almost never talked about.

Whenever someone says Microsoft has never had a foot in Japan, I always think of the MSX systems...

Fantastic video!!! Can't compliment you guys enough, you are SO good at telling VG stories my dudes. Such an interesting topic aswell, I think the marketing for the kinect REALLY paid off, it looks like it went all out! Makes me wish I was in the USA when that happened!

Bought a slim 360 with a 500 gig drive, Kinect and about 12 games for €50 some 2 years ago. Was pretty fun exploring the Xbox ecosystem for the first time, and the Kinect was very cool connected to my computer and messing with 3D scans. So yeah, as discounted consoles and hackable accessories go, this was really worth it.

That was a very good video Derek, you can tell the two of you worked really hard on it. I adore Past Mortem and this was another good one. Keep being cool

The Kinect wasn't really the first attempt at controller-less gaming. The Eye Toy was essentially the same idea years earlie on the PS2

Kinect was also the first step toward VR, as Oculus's inside out SLAM tracking, uses very similar math to skeleton tracking. (Bayesian Math) In Move's case, it actually became a fully featured VR controller late in its life-time, in the ultimate example of punching above its weight :)

Ryan Davis was a swell guy. Pleasant surprise to see that clip here.

We got Child of Eden for the Kinect! Even though it works with a controller too, and thats how I played it, I'm glad it came out at all. Also "Hello things that are not games" is going to be my new greeting. Thank you.

great stuff! do you still plan on continuing with part 2 of this vid? love your content

Have a great new year guys! Looking forward to more of your videos

Thank you for continuing to use Tomba music and giving me that sweet sweet nostalgia.

I work at a Science Centre and we use kinect in several exhibits. Including a a massive interactive room that tracts your movements and reacts to it. We use it to promote fitness and the importance of staying active.

I can't really talk about other markets, but kinect and just dance were made for each other and were great party devices. A friend I have still used her kinect and just dance in parties a couple years ago. And we all enjoyed it. I think the main reason just dance still appears on e3's is because the motion tracking and motion controls never really died, they just found the niche they were always destined to occupy.

You got the Mega 64 "WHUUUDAYA DOOOO WITH A KINECT" song stuck in my head, hahahahahaaaa love it!

Is part two still coming? I was excited for that, but it’s been a while, and Derek and Grace have squeezed out a lot of videos in that time, so maybe they decided to move on?

Awesome video! Well done! I like thus format.

27:00 “2020 a year of possibility” Me: Well...

Great video, guys. This took a lot of work and care, and it shows. I bought a Kinect a few months after it came out because of some bundle deal MS had going on. I think a year of Xbox Live was included too. Anyway, I tried Sports, a couple other Kinect games, and some that just used voice command. It just never quite worked in a way that enhanced gameplay more than it made you deal with using it accurately. In my experience anyway. Also, Don Mattrick always came off like a wannabe Trip Hawkins to me. He had the hairline but lacked the charisma, intelligence, or gift for public speaking.

This is the kind of quality content I subscribe for. Hey it's Derek it's you, Derek!

I feel like Sony just made the Move to please investors who wanted them to pursue the Wii market. They never seem too keen on motion controls while Microsoft went all-in on it (to their detriment.) For the 2nd half of the generation, the Kinect seemed to dominate the 360 whilst the Move was just an afterthought. And, just like the Wii did to the Wii U, the Kinect ended up sabotaging the Xbone.

I remember reading that somewhere around 70% of people regret buying a Kinect. Which is why it’s crazy they tried to bundle it in with the Xbox one.

Probably one of the biggest problems with the Kinect, was actually what it wanted to eliminate. Buttons and controllers are objects that you can feel, with resistance and weight to them. This is why a lot of motion controls and touch controls are still difficult for gamers to enjoy. With a button, you can feel exactly what you need to do to perform an action. With motion controls, especially without VR or holdable controllers, it's a lot more like you're just reaching into a void where nothing can be felt, rather then pressing something you can feel to still interact with that void. Rumble and haptic feedback can help, but once again, the Kinect can't rumble air. (Though that'd be super epic and definitely not dangerous)

The tech behind Kinect isn't lost or forgotten, just sitting dormant, the same way Wiimotes haven't been forgotten, just not by gamers, per se. In a few hardware generations, tech like Kinect 2.0 will be integrated into TV sets themselves, making menu nagivation and entering text from search bars MUCH better than current hardware allows. While I don't think its a complete replacement for the remote itself, it would make command inputs for stuff like Netflix, Hulu, etc., MUCH better than what's currently on offer. And, don't forget that there's huge untapped potential in the PC market. We all remember watching MINORITY REPORT, right? That future isn't so far off, nowadays.....

Can't wait for the followup. Great episode.

Only OGs recognize the background music

This miniseries about Xbox peripherals has been real good. Looking forward to the final part. Enjoy your break in January!

I'm glad that the Kinect has found another life thriving in the live digital arts and theater worlds.

I know it was beyond the scope of this video, and that the video was over a year ago, but I still remember fondly all the homebrew ideas that came from this. lots of people all over the world were messing with the tech for all sorts of different use cases, my favorite being motion-cap for a free-to-use anime dancing girl program live. MMD. I think the recent surge in vtubers might use something similar to a kinect as well for the mo-cap for the 2.5 avatars.

I was so excited to see that clip of Ryan Davis, RIP big man.

This is a really interesting series of videos looking into how Microsoft changed their approach to adjust the Xbox platform to appeal to consumers. Really great video, guys. Keep it up!

Nice seeing the Ryan Davis clip in here. Man I miss him

"2020 is still looking like a year of possibilities" Oh man... I've got news from the future

You've been crushing it, vid after vid after vid. Thank you

This whole video is extremely nostalgic for me! I never had a kinect, nor did I want one. But 2010 was when I was deep into 360 era gaming. Before I got my PC, and before I got my 3DS. This system means a lot to me.

Great video! Also the Castle Crashers music!

That clip of Ryan Davis made me so nostalgic and sad. why do you gotta do that to me, Derek?

Dude, this video was amazing. I can tell y'all put a crazy amount of time and effort into this. I remember I was super excited and pumped for the kinect, but it was such a let down. When I got my xbox one, I solely used the kinect for voice commands and to turn on and off the xbox or tv. Sort of like how I use Google assistant now. Lol.

Great and fascinating stuff, as always!!

The Kinect is pretty awesome for desktop VR. I've used both the 360 and Xbox1 Kinect for games like VRChat and Neos. It's much more useful for desktop applications in modern day than Xbox titles previously. Many users have one or the other for VR social games. The 360 can track legs as the 1 Kinect can track legs and hips and is far easier to set up. Some users even use PSVR headsets with the Kinect and Nintendo joycons from the Switch to have a complete VR experience for an affordable price. I wish Microsoft could realize the potential of the Kinect for the PC gaming and release a new version with that in mind. Traditional VIve trackers are very expensive for gamers and cumbersome to wear, as the Kinect is as simple as launching an application to use with Steam VR and standing in front of it.

I'll never forget the "See your avatar's foot" tech demo. That was stupid for all the right reasons

I remember using the Kinect at a demo setup at the visitors center at MS HQ in Redmond in 2012. Even setup in a space specifically designed for the demo it still sucked. The input lag was awful and it just didn't feel right, almost like you were fighting it half the time. Later on I was part of a small team working at a Fortune 100 company who wanted to use the depth features of the camera in the Kinect to be able to do virtual meetings where live video & audio of the presenter was overlaid into the presentation they giving without having to use a green screen or dedicated studio space. That way all you needed was a decent sized conference room, a laptop & the Kinect, which were the goals assigned to team. But the lack of extra processing on the Kinect meant you had to have what was then a high end laptop & ridiculously bright room with even lighting in order to make it work relatively well. In the end the project was scrapped and decided doing internal presentations that way was ultimately impractical.

Didn't even skip the 20+minutes of ads. I still enjoy my kinect lol!

7:38 *_"HELLO YOU! I'm guru Larry and I welcome you, to Fact Hunt!"_*

In 2013 Apple bought PrimeSense, the company who designed the technology behind the original Kinect. The same technology was used in FaceID for the iPhone X.

One thing I think that's never gotten proper coverage is the opportunity cost to Xbox 360 feature development that came about because of the Kinect. In late 2009 and early 2010, there were a lot of cool Xbox 360 console features being worked on. Expanding the friends list to more than 100 people. Clubs/groups. The beacons feature that came in late 2011. All of that work was in progress. But one by one, each of those teams got pulled off of their features, and moved over to Kinect. There are others I can't even remember right now. But Kinect became such a focus, it wiped all sorts of other things out, all for a console add-on that itself got gutted and prevented from living up to its full potential. And it still ended up working the Xbox team harder than anything had since the Xbox 360 launch, and drove a number of us out of there.

Hey, that star wars dance game is the best thing to come out of the kinect. Palpatine busting out those sweet ass moves, it's no wonder people turn to the dark side.