Sony unconvinced by Kinect marketing

By Wesley Yin-Poole Published 13 December, 2010

Questions "ramming product at people".

As the battle for motion-sensing supremacy heats up this Christmas, Sony has cast doubt on the wisdom of Microsoft's blockbuster Kinect launch.

"I don't think it was quieter," Sony Computer Entertainment Europe boss Andrew House told MCV in response to criticism over Sony's marketing of Move compared to Microsoft's high-profile Kinect campaign.

"We know a marketing push is important around a launch window, but what will really drive adoption of new technology is going to be great content.

"We've got a whole range of experiences that serve the broadest audience and that is a far better long-term bet. You can only sustain a certain amount of momentum just based on trying to ram product at people based on a strong marketing push. It really will be content that defines it."

Move and Kinect are considered to be neck and neck in worldwide sales, with Move enjoying around a month head start.

Earlier this month Microsoft's 2.5 million global Kinect sales announcement was countered when Sony announced it had sold 4.1 million Move controllers across the globe since its September launch.

However, while Sony's announcement used the word "sales" in relation to the impressive number, it actually meant "shipped". Shipped relates to sales to shops, whereas sales relates to sales through to gamers.

House added that consumer demand for Move is 'in excess' of projections.

Picture of Wesley.

About Wesley Yin-Poole

Wesley is Eurogamer's news editor. He likes news, interviews, and more news. He also likes Street Fighter more than anyone can get him to shut up about it.

Read more articles from Wesley by visiting the Wesley Yin-Poole archive page.

You may also like...

Comments (65) Latest comment 1 year ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • the_merchant #1 1 year ago

    He sounds so jealous. He does have a point though; content is king.

  • chris_ace #2 1 year ago

    Post deleted at 11:55:13 13-12-2011

  • Psychotext #3 1 year ago

    Funny thing is, I've seen more Move adverts that I've seen Kinect adverts. I guess in part that's down to the channels I watch though.

  • Cronan #4 1 year ago

    I hope both do well, although I'll have a Kinect in my house this Christmas, and not any Move devices.

  • Mkwone #5 1 year ago

    I haven't seen too many move adverts. But the ones i have seen have been awful. I don't understand how sony can think that showing kids attacking cardboard cutout soldiers with a sword is going to sell hardware.

    I've said it before and i'll say it again, We need Butler.

  • DavoTheDiv #6 1 year ago

    My dad's bigger that your dad. Does any one care about this?

  • darleysam #7 1 year ago

    Seems to be selling alright though, so.. hey.

  • Quint2020 #8 1 year ago

    They're ramming their product in people? Matron!

  • Armoured_Gideon #9 1 year ago

    "I don't think it was quieter,"

    It was quieter.

  • reelbigkris #10 1 year ago

    The problem I've found with move, when discussing with the casual gamer audience is that because of the Move and the navigation controller, some are confused which ones they need to buy. They understand Kinnect more because you get the device and you are good to go. When you start discussing the possible control schemes for the playstation move I found it sometimes deters people from it.

    Even after you compare the move controll pad to the wii remote and the navigation controller to the wii nunchuck, they are still concerned about purchasing two move controlers for precision gameplay which would equal to around £70 per person! And then they have to by the camera as well!

    Kinect is easy to understand, easy to market. Move looks too similar to a wii when you watch trailers, and when the wii is dominating many houses in the UK, why would the casual gamer need something similar. Despite the move having more precision, they will not be able to understand that untill they try it themselves.

  • Widge #11 1 year ago

    Of course Kinect is easy to market, they've already been warmed up to the idea of a camera controller by the Eyetoy!

  • I\'mListening #12 1 year ago

    Hmmm...motion control as the next big thing. That takes me back...to 2006

  • richarddavies #13 1 year ago

    Every time I turmn my telly on lately I see that annoying move advert. I barely see any Kinect adverts in comparison.

  • GamesConnoisseur #14 1 year ago

    I wish both well and I got both, personally playing with Move a lotta more but family are dying for Kinect, its kept wrapped up until Xmas.

    I think Kinect just got more oomphs in the words of mouth stake but content wise I prefer Move over Kinect by a great margin.

    Wouldnt be suprised if that many felt similar, in my circle, Kinect gotta most excitements going, when its seem to be undeservingly so... like Wii.

    BUT product success is also about how its perceived and presented. Apple brands for an example!

  • WinstonChurchill #15 1 year ago

    SHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUP

  • FilthyPhoenix #16 1 year ago

    What move content? Heavy Rain tack on, tumble and a sports title. Don't spoil us Sony. After getting a move controller and nav controller, I only used it for a day, played tumble saw how inaccurate it was and not used it since.

  • Darren #17 1 year ago

    Well I'm unconvinced by either Move or Kinect as both seem to offer little more than the Wii beyond the ability to play these sub-standard 'party' games at a higher resolution, only it did all three years earlier! The fact that my Wii spends most of the year unused is proof enough to me that this technology is little more than a family-friendly distraction. Someone wake me up when there's some 'real' games with depth that make use of the tech...

  • StolenGlory #18 1 year ago

    Sony doesn't have to be convinced.

    I'm sure MS couldn't give a squirrel shit if they were or not.

  • Ultrasoundwave #19 1 year ago

    Sour grapes much Sony?

    Kinect (at the present time) is the superior product. Sony would be smart to stop criticising the opposition and concentrate on making some quality Move games.

  • ZeroAX #20 1 year ago

    Oh video game sites and your fanbait. What is the real difference of shipped and sold? If there are THAT many unsold Moves would retailers ever order more?

  • vmanb #21 1 year ago

    I don't believe how some people say they've haven't seen many if any kinect advertisements , are you watching BBC all day or something.
    Edited by vmanb at 14/12/10 @ 01:58

  • karooo #22 1 year ago

    I like sony

    but this is stupid, stfu sony and mind your own business

    kinect is successful you could have done better but made a wii rip off
    Edited by karooo at 13/12/10 @ 15:28

  • patch #23 1 year ago

    I see far too many of both tbh. We definitely need some Kevin Butler over here, dunno where Sony are going with their Move adverts!

  • metallicorphan #24 1 year ago

    does he think we can not make up our own minds?

  • Dave52 #25 1 year ago

    "Sony would be smart to stop criticising the opposition and concentrate on making some quality Move games"

    Like all those great Kinect games...? Mmmmkay... :)

  • GamerG #26 1 year ago

    Its weird that Sony are saying that, ive seen as many move ads and Kinect ones, perhaps they are talking about what is going on in the US?

    Anecdotally the Kinect is getting great word of mouth, it could easily end up being the next Wii imo while on the flip side I have not ever heard anyone mention the move.

    Edited by GamerG at 13/12/10 @ 15:33

  • patch #27 1 year ago

    On the subject of good games, can we have a Eurogamer rundown of upcoming Move & Kinect titles? Or has someone already done one?

  • moriss #28 1 year ago

    what a childish, petulant, unprofessional comeback from sony. as everyone here has already said, i think the sales figures are the only opinion worth taking notice of, mister sony man.

    FWIW, i have neither kinect nor move and have no interest in either. but kinect is selling more.

  • ronuds #29 1 year ago

    Sony's always sounding bitter about the fact that they can't spend money like MS. "We don't moneyhat" and all of that sort of thing. How's that working out for them?

  • Paulie_P #30 1 year ago

    Yeah I hate the Kinect ads but I hate advertisements in general and these don't seem any more prominent than other annoying ads (it still has a long way to go before reaching Go Compare levels).

    One thing I have noticed is that a lot of TV shows are offering Kinect in their competitions and even those that offer a Move controller with it, they're really focusing on the Kinect more when displaying the prizes.

  • darc #31 1 year ago

    I feel pretty much taken in by Move thus far, though I hope to be proved wrong down the road. I bought mine on account of GT5 head-tracking, which didn't really work at all (essentially just made GT5 $100 more expensive for me). And since then I've tried numerous games in hopes of justifying the purchase, but none have impressed much. The design and execution are just wanting IMO - the eye is too low res and works poorly in almost any lighting (which is presumably why you have to hold a lamp in your hand in order for it to serve much purpose) and the wand is just annoying, strangely oversized vs the sleek navigation controller, with that weird plastic ball shining in your face. Playing the Move "enhanced" version of Heavy Rain was simply more frustrating, and headache-inducing on account of a lightbulb being suspended in the air in front of my right eye. Who imagined this might be a good idea? Nothing about the design seems particularly intelligent to me.
    Edited by darc at 13/12/10 @ 15:49

  • Skooch #32 1 year ago

    I don't think it was quieter either, I know it was quieter.

    Whatever Sony say, advertising drives consumer awareness and that builds word of mouth which combined with an innovative product and Xmas helps keep momentum up after a launch. Move is always going to be a hard-sell as it is a Wii-too product so Sony have to work harder to make it successful and educate consumers. Just putting it out there isn't enough.

  • Power_n_Glory #33 1 year ago

    Sony isn’t convinced.

    Does it matter? It’s about the general public. I was sceptical about Kinect at first but I had a chance to try it out in a few shops and I had fun with the Sport game. Table Tennis and boxing were pretty good.

    If EA do a Kinect Fight Night then I’m sold.

  • slippysloppy #34 1 year ago

    He's right, content will define the systems. So Sony, where is your content because all I have is an update to Heavy Rain to use Move with, there's nothing else worth bothering with. At least Kinect had Sports, Dance Central and an impressive navigation system from day one.

  • joelstinton #35 1 year ago

    Its not the ramming of marketing that is going to unconvince people, its getting 'rammed with poor titles. This is going to damage all three systems and getting new causual gamers to stick with the medium. Period.

    Kinect and move expereinces so far havn't been great, and how when you producing new hardware and allow it to launch with titles like Motion sports, and the fight is beyond me.
    Edited by joelstinton at 13/12/10 @ 16:07

  • GamerG #36 1 year ago

    with regard to the games, if Move doesn't get into enough homes you can forget future support,

    I feel the Move has done so so selling to the hardcore sony fans but wont get an expanded audience past them and will therefore end up like the eye toy with no real games further down the line.

    meanwhile I feel the Kinect is building up momentum and can attract developers further down the line, time will tell I guess

  • Machiavellian #37 1 year ago

    I believe the key problem with Sony is that they do not know how to advertise Move. They talk about precision but that's not going to separate it that much in the consumer mind when you cannot visualize the advantage. From my Time playing games using the Move controller I really have not seen where the precision has added more fun to any of the move games I play compared to the Wii.

    Another thing, MS has done an excellent job of advertising Kinect to the right market. MS has spent their dollars wisely and the sales show for it. Currently neither device has enough content so far but MS has the casual Console seller in Dance Central where at the moment, Move doesn't have such a title.

  • chuck_bone #38 1 year ago

    More fanboy baiting I see EG.

    Oh, and Sales to Retail generally mean sales to people to, as I dont know of any retailers sitting on vast stocks of unsold Moves right now, and Retailers generally dont keep restocking without actually selling stuff first.

  • feistycheese #39 1 year ago

    Until I get something I can shoot, chop into little pieces, or go on an epic quest for, then personally I dont give a monkeys about Kinect or Move.

    Maybe kids and girls enjoy stroking pretty tiger cubs and jumping up and down to shite music, but that aint my cup o' tea thanks.

  • des #40 1 year ago

    Sony...kinect this,kinect that, kinect
    Sorry Sony,your shipped figures are not impressing anyone.Content?Uncharted 3 has move support,right?
    NPD was a bit hard to swallow

  • man.the.king #41 1 year ago

    "Sony unconvinced by Kinect marketing"

    Well, they would, wouldn't they? What do you expect them to say - MS is better at marketing than us?

  • GamerG #42 1 year ago

    Interesting article on gamasutra, it seems in the US all the Sony move games sold to date do not yet even total 200k sales , unless Sony get a killer app out asap, its DOA basically, no developer or publisher will bother

    http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/62...

  • Dizzy #43 1 year ago

    What battle? I thought it was already over?

  • Whatsfor #44 1 year ago

    I'll probably buy move for Killzone 3 and then use it for the back catalogue like resi 5 gold ed. and heavy rain etc. Not seen any Kinect games that appeal to me yet but if something good gets released then i'll likely buy it...

  • bladdard #45 1 year ago

    Personally I think MS would still have had a massive hit with a low key Kinect launch. Kinect is successful because it's funky new tech and perfect for casual gamers with ample space. These guys don't care if it's broken or laggy they just want to have fun.

    Sony will release a superior 3d camera add on out in about 3 years time but by then it'll be too late.

    PS. Just so I don't get accused of being an MS fanboy I'm getting move for Christmas but won't be buying Kinect until a significant drop in price.

  • davisorle #46 1 year ago

    Post deleted at 20:44:35 16-04-2012

  • SlackMaster #47 1 year ago

    @reelbigkris - That's very true... if you look at some of the ads or promos for the move you see someone playing archery with two move controllers but you only get one in the starter set.

    I think Sony should have included the navigation controller in with the Move controller. TBH I've never really though about it but how do you play most of the move games with just the Move controller? One handed?
    Edited by SlackMaster at 13/12/10 @ 17:41

  • melch #48 1 year ago

    got my kinect last week, im actually quite happy with it but with the current limited game selection i can tell the initial new tech wow factor will quickly die, seems to me its all about who can get out a few truely decent games the quickest now....

  • coolbritannia #49 1 year ago

    Sounds like they're getting their excuses in early. I bet Kinect has already overtaken them in terms of install base. Quite clever of Sony to break up the controllers into seperate bits, limits the damage when it comes to sales figures.

  • Cannibal #50 1 year ago

    I'm amazed with Rare being one of the main groups involved with Kinect that we haven't had Viva Pinata Kinect announced. The way the control scheme of that game works would be PERFECT for the Kinect and probably end up being more popular than the controller version.

  • KarlosFandango #51 1 year ago

    I got my Move a few weeks ago. I would say it's worthwhile for Sports Champions alone but I actually think Resident Evil is an excellent addition. I couldn't play it at all with the DualShock but the Move turns it into an excellent game. Can't wait for Killzone!

  • Machiavellian #52 1 year ago

    I'm amazed with Rare being one of the main groups involved with Kinect that we haven't had Viva Pinata Kinect announced. The way the control scheme of that game works would be PERFECT for the Kinect and probably end up being more popular than the controller version.

    Kinect Sports definitely is something easy for Rare to bring out and have at Launch but if they do provide a Viva Pinata for Kinect, I believe they would want to take their time getting it right. Also this could be a featured game for E3 so I would expect it to be announce at that time. MS is usually pretty close lips about their games until big events like E3.

  • sanctusmortis #53 1 year ago

    Thing is, I know a lot of people who what a Kinect is, and few who know what Move is. My mum asked me about Kinect, FFS, and she's in her 60s.

    They may feel it's too much, but only because theirs is too little.

  • el_pollo_diablo #54 1 year ago

    Having finally played both I'm more into the Move. Or to be fair more of a fan of the currently available games for Move. Kinect is clever, but there's something wrong with the experience for me - something not quite working there.

    But horses for courses and all that.

  • Bleemo #55 1 year ago

    "family are dying for Kinect, its kept wrapped up until Xmas."

    You're going to feel like a god-dammed amateur if they read this one.

    "They're ramming their product in people? Matron!"

    Ironically Move would be better suited for this task

    "I'm sure MS couldn't give a squirrel shit if they were or not."

    Why squirrel shit? that is so specific to me.



  • aphex187 #56 1 year ago

    As much as i love Sony you are totally sh** at advertising, nuff said!

  • zedzee #57 1 year ago

    So Sony didn't have the dosh for a big launch, but Microsoft did and look at the result:

    [link url=http://www.reghardware.com/2010/12/13/us_ps3_xbox_move_kinect_sales/
    ]http://www.reghardware.com/2010/12/13/us...[/link]

    Tough.

  • SniperZoz #58 1 year ago

    I don't mind move and i don't mind kinect - move i don't have (too similar to wii) but i did get kinect (which imo is good but still needs some decent games).

    Let's not forget that it makes more sense to divide Move sales by 2 and then compare to Kinect sales .... you only need one Kinect for 2 players - but you need 2 sets of Move controllers.

  • handsonhips101 #59 1 year ago

    It's working. The ramming.

    I work with a load of women. They are all buying kinect for their poor boyfriends for crimbo. Bet hubby/bf can't wait to play dance central or kinect joy ride after a few Xmas stellas.

    Even them whose fellas have ps3s are buying them a kinect, they don't know bless em.

  • coolbritannia #60 1 year ago

    It's stuff like this that makes me wonder if there will be a PS4. I'm an xbot through and through, as everyone knows, but it seems as if Sony are the weakest of the 3, not just in terms of sales, but on misjudging the market.

  • alcides #61 1 year ago

    there is nothing of interest for either device anyway. Till LBP2 / Killzone3 come out anyway.

  • handsonhips101 #62 1 year ago

    @aphex187

    As much as i love Sony you are totally sh** at advertising, nuff said!

    What happened? They used to make epic adverts, the alien girls, the second life, the golfers vs porn stars.

    None of this "start the party, dad you got skillz" shite.

    Do not underestimate the power of the playstation ftw.

  • GaryStew1980 #63 1 year ago

    He may be unconvinced but the proof is in the sales figures, at the moment Kinect at walking pace while Move lies on the ground and holds his shin Peter Griffin style. As for content is king this very website and a couple more have actually said if anything MS released too many for release and although hardly breaking the mould the MS games have gotten slightly higher reviews than the Move games.

    There are times where it would be wise for Sony to be quiet now and again. Move is already up against it and if i were them i would start trying to highlight the fact they have their four best selling PS3 franchises releasing sequels next year. Too many silly comments and cock ups have hit sony of late they need 2011 to be the year it promises to be at the moment. oh and any chance of proper chat on PSN??? i mean its only how far behind the 360 at this stage?

  • aphex187 #64 1 year ago

    @handsonchips101 Exactly m8! their 90's advertising campaign for the PSX 1 was amazing and also pushing the PS into Night clubs was a stroke of genius. Nothing better than sat in a chillout room playing Wipeout at 2 in the morning off your napper and your favourite DJ blasting out gems.

    Sony look back at those years because in all fairness that's when you were the coolest.

  • Ryze #65 1 year ago

    Sony NEED TO SHOW THE GAMES. It's nice that they have been marketing, but they really need to show the advantages over the Wii by demonstrating and displaying games using AR such as Start The Party.