Hindsight · review build · data not yet validated
…but there is a surge of interest in the new “air” controllers in which you create music by moving your hands, feet, mouth and other body parts.
Grader A: partial
Body-motion controllers did surge, but for games, not music creation. The Wii (2006) and Kinect (November 2010, 10 million units by March 2011) made motion control a mass product; dance games were a main use. Making music by moving hands and feet in the air stayed a niche for experimental performers and hobby hacks.
Test: Motion-controller ownership: Kinect 10 million units in 4 months (measurable share of gaming households). Use for music creation: well under 5% of musicians.
Grader B: partial
Gesture-based music-making reached consumers, but not as an instrument category for musicians. Nintendo's Wii Music (October 2008) had players mime instruments with motion controllers and sold 2.65 million copies by March 2009, below Nintendo's hopes. Kinect (2010) led to hobbyist gesture-music experiments. Musicians did not adopt 'air' controllers in large numbers. Consumer interest was measurable, not a surge among music creators.
Test: Test: 5-20% of music makers use body-motion 'air' controllers. No musician-adoption data. Consumer proxy: Wii Music, 2.65M copies worldwide by March 2009, a small share of the Wii base.