Microsoft’s new motion-detecting game controller Kinect was the target of enthusiastic tinkering from the moment it was launched. Awards were announced for the first person to successfully hack the Xbox’s new add-on. Only a week after a 2000 dollar award was announced, someone delivered and took the bounty home by hacking Kinect so it could be used with a PC.

In an initial reaction, Microsoft voiced its disappointment in their user base. In an e-mail to CNet, a spokesperson confided that "Microsoft does not condone the modification of its products. Microsoft will (...) work closely with law enforcement and product safety groups to keep Kinect tamper-resistant."

This reaction mirrors Microsoft’s usually strict attitude toward modding the Xbox 360. Users of a modded Xbox 360 or gamers logging into Xbox Live that play pirated games face a ban from Microsoft’s online playground. 

Interestingly, Microsoft spokespeople changed their tone of voice in later statements. In an interview with the US public radio NPR, Microsoft said it intentionally left one USB port unprotected so the community could hack and mod Kinect.

In academic circles, Kinect is also very popular to use for research. Being able to mod it increases this research potential. People from MIT’s robotics department, for example, have used Kinect to create a 3D mapping functionality for robots. Reflecting that Kinect now has value beyond the Xbox 360, Microsoft adjusted its tone and invites users to creatively work with developers and make the most of Kinect in all kinds of scenarios.