Kinect and more: 6 video game accessories that didn’t turn out so well

There have been many video game accessories that have become popular throughout history. However, there are also those that promised a lot, but that over time, or even in a shorter period of time than expected, ended up forgotten by companies.

Since the hitherto revolutionary Kinectto the innovative and sustainable cardboards of Nintendo LABOthere were many accessories that left something to be desired. And today Voxel brings you a list showing the main disappointments. Check it out!

7. Kinect

Microsoft’s motion sensor arrived as one of the biggest innovations in the video game industry. It was so successful that, in addition to selling out quickly, it caused those who already had an Xbox 360 to buy another console that was the same, but whose new version came with Kinect included.

In addition, several large companies invested in exclusive games for the accessory. Among them, there is mainly Ubisoft, which released versions of Just Dance were the best sellers precisely because of their compatibility with Kinect.

O Kinect do Xbox 360Source: Amazon

Given its success, a new Kinect was launched with the next console, the Xbox One. And although it had an even more refined sensor, it quickly fell out of favor, and it wasn’t long before the same companies that rushed to equip it with exclusive games literally abandoned the accessory.

The result was a complete neglect of the Kinect, causing it to stop being manufactured and included in Xbox One packages. Today, there are still gamers who keep their motion sensor at home, mainly to relive classic Xbox 360 games. But it is almost impossible to think that Microsoft will make a new version of the device.

The Xbox One Kinect was a huge disappointmentSource: Wikipedia

6. PS Move

In 2010, more precisely in the PlayStation 3 era, Sony was under pressure regarding a motion sensor. At that time, Nintendo dominated the market with the Wii and its innovative joysticks, and Microsoft was running a gigantic marketing campaign for the arrival of the Kinect, scheduled for November of that year.

Sony launched the PS Move, its own motion sensor, in September 2010. Interestingly, it mixed ideas from both competing consoles, that is, it featured a wireless joystick in the shape of a “lollipop”, which was guided by a camera that could map movements accurately.

The PS Move was the PS3’s motion sensorSource: Amazon

Although it had considerable sales, it did not come close to the popularity of its competitors. Starting with the number of games, which was much smaller than that of the Kinect, for example. In addition, the price was also not very pleasing, since it was only 50 dollars cheaper than the Kinect.

As a result, the PS Move was quickly forgotten by gamers and, especially, by Sony. The reason was clear in the lack of interest of companies in producing exclusive games, and of Sony itself, which quickly stopped mentioning the accessory at announcement events, such as the one it did at trade shows like E3 and Gamescom.

The PS Eye camera was used to capture the movements of the PS MoveSource: Amazon

5. GamePad Wii U

In 2012, in an era where tablets were becoming increasingly popular, Nintendo had the bold idea of ​​launching one “inside” the joystick of the then new video game: the Wii U.

In the promotional videos, it was hard not to be impressed by the possibility of playing games both on the TV and on the small screen of the console’s controller. However, in practice, the reality was far from it. Starting with the quality, which was much lower than even the simplest tablets released at the time.

The Wii U GamePad ended up being a huge disappointmentSource: Amazon

Furthermore, the touchscreen was not very efficient, and its size was considered excessive. Because of this, many players rushed to buy a Wii U Pro Controller, which was the “common” joystick for the video game, and which did not come with it in the box, only sold separately.

Nintendo persisted with the idea, but fortunately for everyone, the Switch learned from the mistakes of the previous console and brought a better quality screen. In addition, it also brought side joysticks that could be removed and fitted into a base, which made it clear that the company did not want to repeat the mistake of the “clumsy tablet” made previously.

The Wii U Pro Controller was an alternative to the “bulky tablet”Source: Amazon

4. Entrada HDMI IN do Xbox One

Although it is not considered an accessory, the Xbox One’s HDMI input for receiving signals has caused quite a stir. When the console was announced, Microsoft seemed to have already anticipated the “second screen” craze and decided to make this feature a native feature of its latest video game.

It worked like this: you could insert the HDMI cable from another device, such as a cable TV receiver, and plug it into the Xbox One. This way, you could play and watch the content of the channels on a small screen, on the same TV, being able to switch to the game being played at any time.

The Xbox One had two HDMI inputsSource: Microsoft

As innovative as it may have seemed, the feature was rarely used by players. To top it off, many thought it interfered with gameplay, since the sound from both devices, if not configured, was played the same way. To make matters worse, this second screen feature did not work with apps like YouTube and Netflix, which were already becoming popular at the time.

On subsequent consoles, the Xbox Series S and X, Microsoft removed the input. In addition, they now allow you to create a second screen effect with apps like YouTube, showing that the company has learned from its mistakes.

3. PS One Dance Pad

In the 32-bit era, arcades were still trying to survive in many places outside of Asia. And one of the main attractions of these places were the dance games and their machines. In them, it was possible to do unusual choreographies where you had to press the “button” and follow the rhythm of the music.

Dancing game machines were all the rage in arcades in the late 90sSource: Wikipedia

In an attempt to get in on the dance scene, many companies launched PS One mats that simulated these machines. It’s worth remembering that the console had a series of dance games in its catalog, some of which were the same ones that were popular in arcades at the time. However, the accessories weren’t even half as successful.

The main reason was quality, since even the “best” ones were not as precise as the original machines. Furthermore, the generic versions were less precise and still had fabrics that did not stretch properly — something that even caused beautiful sags.

The PS One mouse pads didn’t have the same precision as the arcade onesFonte:  Shopee

2. SEGA Activator

In the 16-bit era, SEGA had the idea of ​​launching a “motion sensor” for the time. So, it created the SEGA Activator, an octagon that was placed on the floor and that had infrared sensors to capture the player’s body heat. At the time of its launch, the accessory attracted attention for its boldness, and was considered by many to be one of the most “innovative” devices for video games.

However, in practice, it was not very accurate. In other words, a great sacrifice was required on the part of the player to execute efficient movements in games like Mortal Kombatsince it did not capture much of the movement. To top it off, its high price meant that it was just a luxury item, which ended up being exploited by arcades and other similar stores at the time.

1. Nintendo LABO

Combining sustainability with practicality, Nintendo took the bold step of launching LABO. It was nothing more than a set of cardboard pieces that interacted with Nintendo Switch games through the Joy-Cons. With this, it was possible to assemble structures such as pianos, fishing rods and even steering wheels, to play with the console’s mini games.

As successful as it was when it was first released, it quickly fell into oblivion. So much so that today, just over five years after its release, there are no more games coming for the accessory. In addition, many of those who purchased the cardboard pieces now see them damaged due to their fragility and age.

Nintendo LABO had a shorter lifespan than expectedSource: TecMundo

And in your opinion, which video game accessory was the biggest flop? Tell us on social media. Voxel!