Microsoft has been strategically announcing products to harm potential competitors since ever. This one was timed to prevent Microsoft-happy companies from buying Apple's tablet (that wasn't announced on the corresponding Apple event, BTW).
Natal is another fine example: a special-effects-heavy video from a product that didn't even have a shipping date, with people assuming it would be a couple months later, timed to hurt sales of competing consoles. They didn't have a product and my bet is that they won't have anything close to what was shown.
Microsoft has consistently used vaporware over most of its history to promote a "let's not switch providers - Microsoft will soon have a similar product" attitude on its clients.
The downside of this is that the tactic has become transparent to most. A Microsoft announcement has little credibility these days.
Just a small correction (I'm a Microsoft employee). I've played on Project Natal, and (pardon my french) it's pretty fucking awesome. You've got to see it to believe it.
Can't say when it will ship (not sure if they announced that date yet), and I'm not sure how hardware constraints will make it different than what I played on, but if it's anything close to what I experienced, it'll be a major game changer (no pun intended).
If that is the case why did Microsoft and Lionhead opt to show video mock-ups rather than real product demos?
Last I heard Natal doesn't work for children, black people and fat people. People who turn too quickly, people who sit down, people who clap or just touch hands. People with too much hair. People who's arms aren't raised. People in wheelchairs...
In fact the Quiz application, as shown, is completely impossible for Natal.
Perhaps I was a bit too terse, but I was essentially making the same point as you. You and I are in violent agreement. I'm not at all surprised courier isn't going anywhere. The leaks were all about trying to assure pundits and tech decision makers that Microsoft is "on the job" so just waits little for their solution. The tech press dutifully lapped up the story. Whether or not anyone actually believes it is another matter.
Microsoft has been strategically announcing products to harm potential competitors since ever. This one was timed to prevent Microsoft-happy companies from buying Apple's tablet (that wasn't announced on the corresponding Apple event, BTW).
Natal is another fine example: a special-effects-heavy video from a product that didn't even have a shipping date, with people assuming it would be a couple months later, timed to hurt sales of competing consoles. They didn't have a product and my bet is that they won't have anything close to what was shown.
Microsoft has consistently used vaporware over most of its history to promote a "let's not switch providers - Microsoft will soon have a similar product" attitude on its clients.
The downside of this is that the tactic has become transparent to most. A Microsoft announcement has little credibility these days.