Not only is Microsoft's Kinect technology the Next Big Thing, its $150 price will assuredly turn your wallet into A Very Empty Hole.
News Blips:
Electronic Entertainment Design and Research Vice President Jesse Divinich analyzes the recently confirmed $150 price for Kinect. Calling the cost "appropriate," Divinich contrasts the peripheral's longevity on the market with similarly priced devices such as band kits."With the Kinect, however, there is the possibility of a wide array of games across a broad range of genres, potentially giving the Kinect a much longer shelf life than a typical peripheral," he said. Of course, none of that matters the moment my clumsy foot shatters the poor thing.
Eleven states support California legislation on restricting the sale of violent video games to minors that's under consideration by the U.S. Supreme Court. Attorneys general from Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Texas, and Virginia filed arguments defending the measure, stating that citizens "are vitally interested in protecting the welfare of children and helping parents raise them." Lawmakers, I'd like to introduce you to an often neglected group called the Entertainment Software Rating Board. [Gamasutra]
"If you're a hardcore gamer, then OnLive is not the place where you're going to play," said OnLive Chief Executive Officer Steve Pearlman. In fact, he'd be quite contented if subscribers chose to use the game streaming service as a sampling plate for potential title purchases. "We're super happy if people want to use us [as] a demo service, as a rental service, as a purchase service, and as a social network," he told CNET in an interview. "Some people have said the only way you're going to use OnLive is if you're buying games, and it's just a little bit silly." How about blending things -- can I use it as a blender?
With Starcraft 2 on the cusp of its release, Activision Blizzard has high hopes of making back the more than $100 million sunk into development costs. Surging past Gran Turismo 5's cost of $50 million, Starcraft 2 not only represents one of Activision's "pillars of opportunity," according to CEO Bobby Kotick, it's also one of the most expensive video games of all time. I wonder how many gatherers they needed to rake in such a boatload of minerals. [Wall Street Journal]
Update: The Wall Street Journal released a correction on 7/23/2010 stating that World of Warcraft, not Starcraft 2, cost Blizzard $100 million to make.
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