Microsoft Discontinues the Kinect
The Kinect motion-sensing device was ahead of its time when it was first revealed in 2010 for the Xbox 360. Fast forward seven years later, Microsoft has confirmed that it is halting production of the device.
Retailers will get no more once they have sold out their few remaining units, as the story of one of the most forward-thinking devices released to the consumer market comes to a close.
The device began as a bundled component of the Xbox 360 and was one of the first devices to combine a unique depth-sensing infrared camera, voice recognition technology, and Artificial Intelligence in one compact accessory. The device has gone on to sell about 35 million units since 2010, and until Microsoft has made the announcement via an interview with Fast Company.
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The Xbox team is turning back to fighting the dominant PlayStation console via more traditional gaming advances, which means more focus on controllers and graphics, and less on the more exploratory designs like motion sensing and voice control.
That means the Kinect might as well be a dead end for the development of the Xbox, starting from the time the company decoupled the Kinect from the Xbox One package in May 2014. The move permanently reduced the price of the Xbox One by $100 as well, according to Polygon.
This decision has proved popular, with the Xbox One managing to close the gap with the PlayStation 4 after shedding the Kinect. By 2015, the device was well relegated to the sidelines.
The advances introduced by the Kinect lives on, though, as Microsoft assured in a statement. "Manufacturing for Kinect for Xbox One has ended but it is not the end of the journey for the technology," a representative said.
"Kinect continues to delight tens of millions of Xbox owners and Kinect innovations live on in Xbox One, Windows 10, Cortana, Windows Mixed Reality and future technologies," the statement added.
