It looks like Microsoft is really killing off the Kinect. After years of debate over whether Kinect is truly dead or not, the software giant has now stopped manufacturing the accessory. Fast Co Design reports that the depth camera and microphone accessory has sold around 35 million units since its debut in November, 2010. Microsoft’s Kinect for Xbox 360 even became the fastest-selling consumer device back in 2011, winning recognition from Guinness World Records at the time.
The Kinect was a unique approach for Microsoft to explore interacting with computers without the need for a keyboard and mouse. In my opinion it was a device that brought uniqueness to the Xbox console even with the 360. There was no other device across Microsoft’s competitors that were like it. The Kinect was the only device where you can say “Xbox Record That” or “Xbox Take A Screenshot” and of course there were a lot of other gestures and voice commands you can use across the console.
Lately it has been clear that Microsoft wanted to kill off the Kinect as they took it out of the bundle when Phil Spencer took over Don Mattrick’s spot as Head of Xbox and with the latest Dashboard updates there were less gestures to do across the console.
With the end of Kinect comes the end of another cycle in Microsoft’s pursuit of exploring new ways to interact with technology. There were people who didn’t see the potential of the device and there were others that did see potential.
Source