Microsoft’s CEO Steve Ballmer commented in a recent interview that he thought the Xbox “wasn’t a gaming console,” and continued to say that the Xbox “is a family entertainment center.” This was Ballmer’s response to a question about the Xbox and its competitors. What could this mean for the gaming market and gamers should the focus for the Xbox change?

I can see why this is happening. And it’s the same with almost every console out there. You attend a PR event/launch etc and the product managers and PR people are all pushing their console to be ‘more than meets the eye’. These days it’s all about ‘more bang for your buck.’ As gamers, do we really care? All I know is that I don’t regularly spend time wondering if my Xbox will play the latest movie/mp3 etc. So I guess I’m one of those peeps that thinks of my console as a gaming console, through and through.

With Kinect, there’s no doubt the Xbox gaming demographic has changed. Ballmer definitely has a point there. Now anyone can say they’re a ‘gamer’ and they wouldn’t be lying. Kinect has certainly opened doors to the world of video games for many people who normally wouldn’t even consider playing a game. I guess it’s the same way ‘Exer-gaming’ has taken off with mothers and children. When you look at it that way, I guess Kinect is kind of like a ‘gateway console’ for gaming – first you start with Kinect, the next thing you know, you’re teabagging noobs in Halo. Well perhaps not, but it’s fun to think about it.

You can read the continuing article here.