At E3 2010, we wrote that the show's usual software focus had been temporarily eclipsed by a flood of new hardware, from the Microsoft Kinect (which actually debuted a few months before at the Game Developers Conference), to the the PlayStation Move, to Nintendo's handheld 3DS console.
Since then, all three devices have been released commercially, each to great initial success and generally positive reviews. But, we've also noted, in anecdotally talking to people in and out of the industry, that a user's interest level in all three of these groundbreaking projects can drop off quickly in many cases.
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E3 and the video game bubble
E3 2011: Complete coverage Case in point: after moving to a new apartment a few months ago, neither my Kinect nor PlayStation Move have been permanently hooked up again yet (at least partially because of the logistical problems that come with using the Kinect in a small apartment). We've talked to many other gamers who also find that their hot hardware from E3 2010 is collecting dust.
The primary culprit seems to be a lack of must-play software. The number of new Kinect games slowed to a trickle almost immediately after the motion-sensing camera launched, and the same is true of the PlayStation Move (although that camera at least works with high-profile games such as Killzone 3 and SOCOM 4). The Nintendo 3DS, groundbreaking as it is, also suffers from a lack of killer apps. Big buzz games aren't here yet, nor are long-promised features, such as 3D video recording and streaming, although the built-in 3DS shop is set to go online next week.
So, our question here for you is: Of the big three hardware releases from E3 2010, the Xbox 360 Kinect, PlayStation Move, and Nintendo 3DS, which ones have you purchased but now rarely, if ever, use? … Read more
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