[dayglored]

> This is not meant as an anti-Apple nor anti-Microsoft thread and it should not devolve into either.

Heh, best of luck with that.

I don't think it was just secrecy and NDAs that turned off the negotiations with Apple. I think they just weren't interested enough to pay a lot for it. Here's my take on it:

1. Not Apple's business. Apple doesn't sell a gaming console; the Mac is not the gaming platform that Windows is; and I can't imagine Apple coming out with a gaming-oriented console any time soon. Doesn't fit their business model either.

2. Apple sells systems that they design from top to bottom. Any purchased technology has to be integrated tightly into their system, not just bolted on. This would have been a "solution in search of a problem" on an Apple product.

3. Cool as it seems, a full-body controller is a gimmick, not a general-purpose tool technology. Apple has a strong bias toward elegance and simplicity, even subtlety, which this is not.

4. Computer nerds dancing, shouting, and waving their arms in front of their computer cameras has been done. It's an internet JOKE. It has a dodgy reputation, as Microsoft will find out when the bizarre, kinky Kinect videos start hitting YouTube. How long until users start doing... weird things... in front of their Kinect and recording the results. Apple is a bit prudish -- they may not have wanted to associate their product line with that.

Just sayin'... :)

[dangerdoc]

I think they thought that Apple would be interested because Apple has a history of turning technology into desirable products.

This technology has much more potential than just a game controller. In fact, it could have as much general use potential as the IR remote control.

The shame is that Microsoft is probably the worst company to develop this tech. I would have preferred seeing the tech in the hands of a general CE company.

[Swordmaker]

I don't think it was just secrecy and NDAs that turned off the negotiations with Apple. I think they just weren't interested enough to pay a lot for it. Here's my take on it:

There is another consideration as well. This involves technologies and disclosures of those technologies, perhaps on both sides. I would be very surprised if Apple engineers were not also working on similar tech. In fact I recall seeing demos of images of silhouettes of kids dancing on Mac screens mirroring kids dancing in front of said Macs years ago. Apple would want to protect themselves against a future patent infringement lawsuit from this company if and when their own independently developed products are released... A properly written NDA outlining current products, signed by both parties, regardless of the outcome of the acquisition talks would prevent that.