Molyneux: Judge Kinect on "the next step"

Fable III and Project Milo head honcho Peter Molyneux has told gamers to judge Xbox 360 motion sensor Kinect not on its launch titles but what follows.

Some of Kinect's launch titles, including Kinect Adventures and Rare's Kinect Sports, have been criticised by core gamers.

Issues with lag and a casual-focus have dogged Kinect, due out in the UK in November, in the run up to its release.

But Lionhead Studios boss Molyneux will judge Microsoft's new tech not on its launch games, but "the next step", he told Joystiq.

"We can do core games with it, we can do totally immersive games, it enables us designers to do unique experiences that have never been touched before.

"But that takes us time, man. It really does. When we transitioned from the PC to the console with Fable, it took us five years to do that. And that's just going from a mouse to a controller.

"And this is like going from a controller to nothing. It just takes - for us to get that right immersive experience - it's just going to take a little bit of time.

"I'm sure that's going to happen. And I'm fighting for that to happen with Milo and whatever we do with Fable in the future. It just takes time.

"And this is one of the reasons why I'm absolutely vehement about not giving a release date for Milo. Because as soon as I give that release date, then I'm on this express train and it's gotta get finished.

"And it requires so much artistry and balancing and tweaking and polishing. Because - and I'm not saying this as a Microsoft person, I'm talking purely as a designer - I really truly believe that something like Kinect, changing that input device, could make us leap forward in the form of entertainment we make.

"But doing that in nine months? To be a launch title is very, very hard.

"And, actually, I've played [Kinect] Sports. I've actually played a hell of a lot of Sports. And it's pretty good. And [Kinect] Adventures is pretty good. Considering the amount of time, I think they're pretty good experiences.

"I think anybody that gets Kinect that and buys those titles, they're not gonna be disappointed. But they should really, really be excited by what comes next. 'Cause that's what I judge Kinect on, is what the next step is."

Kinect, which comes bundled with Kinect Adventures, will cost £130 in the UK.

Digital Foundry delved deep into the world of Kinect and returned with a compelling case.