• Los Angeles Times, Thursday, November 4, 2010 10:46 AM

Microsoft's Kinect, the $150 wireless game controller for the Xbox 360 that's equipped with cameras, microphones and other sensors, goes on sale today backed by an estimated $500-million marketing campaign. Among other things, now and in the future, Kinect lets players control the Xbox 360 with voice commands or hand and body gestures.

Alex Pham chats with Rob Matthews, the gm in charge of marketing for Kinect who worked at Nintendo for eight years and coordinated the marketing of the Wii launch. He says there's a big difference between then and now: "With Kinect, there's no gadgets, no gizmos. It's really just about you. Let's get the marketing out of the way and let the genuine experience come though."

Pham, to his credit, responds: "That's interesting. You're marketing a product that people aren't supposed to notice is there at all." Matthews, up to the challenge, says Kinect is all about what "marketing is evolving into. It's about igniting, empowering and amplifying" the consumer experience," he says.

Sounds like Kinect might be an expensable item for everyone from interns to CMOs.

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