On Sunday June 13, Microsoft gathered hundreds of journalists, retailer VIPs and even a handful of celebrities for its lavish reveal of Project Natal, which would soon be renamed Kinect during the show. We knew going inthat performance group Cirque du Soleil was crafting some kind of elaborate interpretation of the Xbox's motion-controlled device, but we had no idea it would involve an hour in line, an hour standing around and then an hour of baffling acrobatics that likened Kinect to the greatest artistic achievements of humanity.
All that opulence to show off Kinect Adventures? Time to put on our snark britches and take this thing down a notch.
Warning: This is a 30 minute video! Editors Charlie Barratt and Brett Elston, who attended the Kinect reveal, must relive the experience while watching this shaved-down version available for free on Xbox Live. Watch here, or load the audio and watch on your own TV - either way, please give us a comment or two and let us know how you reacted to this display of poncho-wearing wealth.
Above: Pure excitement!
At the very least, even though this was as overblown as a product reveal could ever dare to be, it was definitely a memorable experience. One that'll be talked about for months, if not years into the future during each E3 week. Good press, bad press, it may not matter - the point is we're talking about it. Drat, they win again!
June 25, 2010
