Microsoft Kinect NUAds: Introducing Gesture Based Interactive Ads

With the rapid ascent of technology in our lives, this was bound to happen one day.

Now the future is here and we can thank Microsoft for that; the Redmond based tech giant, considered by many to be a dinosaur in the current tech scenario, unable to evolve and change. They could not capitalize on the rise of the Internet, trying but failing against their nimble competitors, Google, Amazon and now Facebook. Then the meteoric rise of their old nemesis, the Steve Jobs led Apple made a phoenix-like return to become the undisputed leader of the tech space. Microsoft was left-clicking its heels trying to play catch-up, while two revolutions passed them by, the internet revolution and the mobile revolution.

But the giant has slowly awakened from its slumber, and it will not go down without a fight. Their stronghold on the corporate space remains tight as ever. The new Windows  OS for phone and for PC was widely praised and accepted. Slowly but surely Microsoft is making its presence felt in the Mobile space. And the mere hobby of a few years ago, their console and gaming business is actually flourishing. The Xbox 360 is a competent device and has sold pretty well through the years, and when Microsoft launched the Kinect, gesture-based motion sensing device, a worthy ally to your Xbox 360, which puts a whole new hands-free dimension to the gaming experience. Now suddenly everyone can participate, even your grandma. So the gaming console evolved and became an Entertainment unit, you can stream media directly through it, play games, surf the internet, even do some shopping.

Now we can add another dimension to this equation. Gesture-based interactive ads which Microsoft calls "NUads". Now, this opens a whole new level of possibilities. In the video below, an executive from Microsoft explains how this is going to work.

With one stroke of genius, they turned a passive medium into an interactive one. We love to interact, the entire web is a testament to that. But with TV we never had the opportunity to do so. Just sitting in front of the TV, consuming media, while the advertisers try to grab our attention in 30-sec slots. With the advent of the digital age, our behavior changed. Instead of watching the ad, we flipped the channel, or we just dove into our tablets/notebook/smartphone. We do everything but watch the commercial for which the companies pay millions. Now that has changed.

A new window of opportunity has emerged. The game has opened up. Irrespective of whether it succeeds, it is a big step forward. If Microsoft fails now, somebody else will pick up the gauntlet and run with it. The idea is too powerful to wither away and die.

Welcome to the future.