Maybe I'm missing something. Did Microsoft just show last year's E3 press conference? After all, last year it was all Kinect this and Kinect that and then nothing actually materialized except for the Kinect. Granted, the hardware sold well, but where were the games? This year it's all Kinect this and Kinect that, though I guess the script has changed a little bit. Last year it was all about the motion control. This year it's all about the voice control.

Now, I know I'm on the downward side of the hill of life, but I can't quite figure out this demographic Microsoft is targeting. Who are the people who actually are having fun screaming at their TV when playing games?

Here's what I saw in all the Kinect tech demoes...

A guy showing off a shooter (Ghost Recon) in which he spent most of his time in menus and his actual gameplay did not look fun at all. How is playing a shooter by flexing your fingers open more "immersive" than pulling a trigger? I'm firing a gun. Give me a trigger!

A Bioware peon showcasing voice recognition in Mass Effect 3 by blandly repeating the bits of dialog on the screen. Um, maybe it's just me, but I want to listen to the Shepard voice actor say the lines, not say them for him. Actually, it's worse than that, you say a sentence fragment and then Shepard says something completely different. Can we say, "Break immersion?"

Here's Microsoft's problem. They aren't focused. Nintendo has decided they are the kings of casual gaming and they're happy with that. Sony has decided they're the hardcore gaming company and they're trying really hard to appeal to that demographic. Microsoft is sort of just jumping all over the place.

Plus, they still haven't figured out Kinect. Look, the technology is cool. Kinect essentially turns your TV into a giant smartphone/tablet interface. But, it's lacking. First, there's no tap action. You can't "click" things on the screen so every game invents some different exaggerated gesture you have to make in hopes you "hit" the right button. Second, the smartphone/tablet interface is limited. There's only so much you can do with it. When games are designed within those limitations, they are fun. When they try to go outside those limits, frustration sets in.

Third, actually making your body "the controller" requires a level of fitness most gamers just don't have. I've played "Kung Fu Live" on PS3, where you have to perform punches and kicks in front of your PS Eye in order to play the game. I last about five minutes. I saw the guy jumping and slashing in the Star Wars game. Most gamers are only going to be able to play a few minutes before taking an extended break. Yes, it would be nice if those types of games encouraged an increase in fitness; more likely the unfit gamer will just get frustrated not being able to play for extended periods of time.

And then there was all the hoopla over watching video through your Xbox 360. Now I can watch badly pixelated, low resolution YouTube videos on the big screen through my 360! Yay? Oh, and what does watching "live TV" on my 360 mean? I can already watch "live TV" on my TV. What?

Again, Microsoft just can't seem to find a rhythm or style and careen from one banal announcement to the next. Maybe next year they should save themselves some money and just show this conference again. After all, they'll still be trying to sell the same tech.