But behind all that technology is always Software that watches you.
The analytic platform
In this post I try to cover more than the basic "OMG privacy" concern. I tell you what is possible, and even what will be possible in the future. And the most important thing, I tell you why I think Microsoft designed the new XBOX that way.I see you
The Kinect has a full HD Video Camera, that can also track 3D movements. It's not really great for gaming, and there are only a few games out there that actually make use it. When it was released everybody thought it is the next big thing. Playing First Person Shooter while pretending to hold a gun would be the future. But this never happened. The lack of people actually buying one was a huge problem. It's also not as precise as you would like it to be.
So why comes the new XBOX with a device that doesn't really work the way people wish and makes the whole package more expensive?
The answer is data. If you know who you are dealing with, it is easy to advertise to him. Since it needs a connection at least every 24 hours, it's no problem to upload that data.
Here is a little list that shows you just how much data could be gained by the XBOX One with the Kinect:
- Size
- approximate age
- Face
- Who is playing
- At what times
- How regularly
- Which games / movie / music does he/she prefers
- ~Gender
- Skin Color
- Room size
- ~ approximate earnings
- Microphone
- Who is speaking (voice profile)
- Gender of person speaking
- Loudness in room
- Are there sounds that I recognize?
- SMS
- Sound of someone shooting with a gun
- Internet Connection
- approximate location
- bandwidth
- other PCs in Network
- Game relevant information
- Is a game unbalanced
- Are people dying at certain parts in the game
- Are they getting frustrated (determined by gestures)
- Do people quit the game without ending it
- How often is it played
- While watching movies / advertisements
- Is the person looking at the TV
- Did he even see this ad? Do I need to repeat this ad?
- How interested is the user in the product
- are there any gestures that could be interpreted as reactions to the ad
- How many persons are watching
- Object Recognition
- recognize brands
- DVD Movies
- shoe brands
- T-Shirts
- Music CDs
- Electronics
This is only what could be possible. Since the XBOX ONE uses at least 3gb of Ram and has an high end processor, it would be no problem to calculate everything in the background. Modern Algorithm make many things possible. Think of all the data Google can collect only by tracking what websites you visit. Microsoft has its own sales agent directly in your room.
Scenarios
All this data can be used for good and evil. When I started gathering analytic data, the first thing I wanted to know was how challenging the levels of my game are. Are they even feasible? I first did some Beta test with friends and got all the data I needed to fix major bugs. But I couldn't go into too much detail. I knew that some levels were too easy and some others too complicated. Playing the game myself didn't solve the problem because I already became a pro while programming it.
The good
This is the good thing for consumers about analytics. They get better products based on their data. Even advertisement can become enjoyable. Instead of being lost in a Jungle of billboards, imagine being in a "candyparadise". You only see the things you really want. If Microsoft does a good job, you might even only see products that you can currently afford with your XBOX Points. The XBOX ONE could become your "Good-guy salesman".
The bad
Developer and Consumes in harmony. Nobody that tells you what you should buy, but you still get good choices of what you might want to buy. Developers find the right people for their products and consumers happily throw money at their TV to get the entertainment they want.
This utopia of advertisement probably won't become real, since you can use this data to get a lot of money. Selling it is one possibility.
When we look back in time, we might even find a platform that also collected a lot of data. Yes, I am talking about Facebook. The possibility of getting a lot of data and users that are always connected to the internet is the reason why cowclickers like Farmville were created. They give you something to do when you are bored, and only ask for a little money if you want to be special. We already know in which direction this is going, so there is no need for me to go on.
The Ugly
The other company that comes to mind is EA. Sim City was the inglorious start to Gaming 2.0. Since you have to be always connected, you are only one click away to buy another dlc. It would be possible to track every mouse move to determinate where the best position for a "BUY THIS DLC" Button would be.
EA started its big data collection with Origin. This is the client that you need for every EA game. But it wasn't always only a game launcher. When it was released it searched your whole computer for usable data. I watched it while it was looking at my private data. It searched for SMSs and even my Leaderboards in Trackmania.
Knowing your Enemy seems to be very important. With all this data EA knew what other games I had installed, how good I am in some of them, and even if I talked to my friends about a certain game.
TV 2.0
Television is all about ads. But TV 2.0 will be all about forcing the user to actually watch advertisements. Imagine watching a free movie on your new XBOX ONE. It's ad supported and will show you 2 or 3 ads every half an hour. Sounds nice so far. But why only so few? Because you actually have to watch them. The ad could repeat itself when you are not in the room. The full HD camera of the kinect could even track your head and your eyes. Are you really watching the ad, or are you browsing on your smartphone?I know you like it
The XBOX could create an advertisement profile about you. For example, it shows you a car advertisement. Since you really need a new car, you watch it very carefully. At the point were it shows you the price, you actually give it your full attention. So instead of lying on your sofa, you get up to get a better look. The XBOX could recognize this gestures. It will now show you more car ads. In the end, the advertiser gets all this information about his viewers and knows the prize was the most important thing in the ad.Conclusion
A console as a marketing platform? It's your decision if it is a good, a bad, or an ugly idea. Microsoft will do everything to make the XBOX ONE a success. It's great for advertisers, and (under certain circumstances) also great for customers.
My opinion
I don't think the new XBOX will collect many of these data points at the beginning, but I'm sure this will come sooner or later. In the current market situation, where many big companies battle against each other, data is the key to win the match. This is a trend that will surely go on, but not because consumers want it.
DrFritzi
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