Xbox One without Kinect will sell more consoles, but kills any potential the Kinect had

Yesterday Microsoft broke my heart and the hearts of early Xbox One adopters around the world. In case you missed it, Microsoft announced a Kinect-less version of the Xbox One will be offered for $399. That’s $100 cheaper than the current Xbox One SKU. That Xbox One sans Kinect will be available on June 9th in all regions where the Xbox One is already available. That bright future of the Kinect with the Xbox One that Microsoft promised last summer is now dead.

Melodramatic much? Probably. Bitter that I feel burned as an early adopter? Undoubtedly. My gut reaction is that this is a bad move for the original vision of the Xbox One. Of course, we’ve already had those DRM policies, and periodic internet connection requirements dropped last summer after heavy backlash. I still dream for that future where up to 10 friends and family members could access my Xbox One game collection anywhere in the world. Maybe someday that’ll come back when we’re all ready for it, but Microsoft has killed any future with the Kinect.

The Xbox One is the most expensive system for the eight generation of consoles. It’s launched in November for $499 and had to compete with Sony’s PlayStation 4 which retails for $399 around most of the world (sorry Canada). Nintendo’s Wii U can be picked up for $299, though it’s really struggling this generation. For all intents and purposes, the Xbox One is competing directly with the PlayStation 4.

Microsoft bungled the Xbox One message for the better part of 2013. They failed to communicate their vision for the Xbox One and the result was an uphill battle that they caused. Unfortunately, it looks like it’s the early adopters that are going to suffer the most with the decision to remove Kinect from the Xbox One.

We’re going to look at the good, the bad and the ugly for Microsoft’s decision to axe Kinect in a new Xbox One SKU.

The Good

Look, I can’t be overly negative about the whole situation. It’s not good for my health, and I’m doing my best to leave my emotions out of this. When I do that it’s easy to see the ‘good’ in giving the Kinect a backseat.

Despite launching a year before the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, the Wii U has only been able to move 6.17 million units. That’s less than the 7 million moved by the PlayStation 4 and a little bit more than the 5 million pushed by the Xbox One. Of course, Microsoft’s real competitor for the living room isn’t with the Wii U, but with the PlayStation 4.

Consumers are going to go for the system that’s cheaper. We’re only six months into the battle between the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4. We’re years off claiming a victor, but the PlayStation 4 has managed to grab an early lead. Microsoft doesn’t want to cede any ground to Sony’s camp. Dropping the price to $399 for an Xbox One will undoubtedly make buyers think hard about going with a PlayStation 4.

The good in dropping the Kinect (and therefore the price) from an Xbox One? More systems will be in living rooms. The gap between units shipped will close between the Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

Another potentially good move for dropping Kinect? Broader availability of the Xbox One. Right now Microsoft has to work hard to make some of the features of Kinect available to local markets. The localization of features is why things like Cortana won’t be available to everyone around the world at once. Dropping Kinect means Microsoft can potentially speed up the time it takes to make the Xbox One available in some regions. For example, sell the Kinect-free version in a new market and don’t stress about killer Kinect support at launch. Bring that Kinect support once you offer the Kinect as an optional accessory in that territory. The move could potentially see the Xbox One showing up in sooner in new markets.

The Bad

Dropping the Kinect was a short-sighted, knee-jerk reaction from Microsoft. A year hasn’t even passed since the launch of the Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

Remember last summer when Microsoft said they’d never offer a Kinect-free version of the Xbox One? Oof. There better be some execs eating crow in Redmond right now. Early adopters have been burned and left with an accessory that probably won’t get any action going forward.

The bad? Microsoft looks willing to change their stance after vehemently defending it. That’s a flip-floppy attitude and one that doesn’t install faith in customers. I’m happy more folks will get an Xbox One because of the move, but I think Microsoft should have stuck to their guns a bit more and dragged consumers into the future. Kinect was the future.

And the Ugly

Kinect is dead on the Xbox One.

This move signals that Microsoft has no faith in Kinect on Xbox One. The future of Kinect was written on the wall at launch. Microsoft failed to deliver a compelling Kinect experience and they haven’t done so in the six months following.

I’m disappointed because Kinect on Xbox One had so much potential, but that potential just hit a brick wall.

In June when the Kinect-less Xbox One goes on sale there won’t be a compelling reason to own a Kinect. Right now there’s not one game I own where Kinect is used on a regular basis. I guess Kinect really is a gimmick when it comes to gaming. Nobody over the age of 8 gets excited about Kinect Sports Rivals, and that’s the best use of Kinect in a game available on the Xbox One right now.

You’d think that Microsoft would have had a title available at launch or shortly after launch that highlighted the strengths of Kinect. That would have helped justify the bundling of it with every Xbox One. Microsoft failed there, and now early adopters are getting the shaft.

Less than a month from now the majority of consumers will start to buy Xbox One consoles without Kinect. By the holiday season, I wouldn’t be surprised if those without Kinect made up the majority of Xbox One owners.

The potential that Kinect had for gaming on the Xbox One? It’s gone. Third-party developers aren’t going to want to target an experience that only reaches half of the install base. Whether that happens by the holidays or not won’t matter, at some point the majority of Xbox One owners won’t have a Kinect. This is Kinect on the Xbox 360 all over.

The Future

The only one that can fix this mess is Microsoft. Was it a good business decision to axe the Kinect? Most definitely. But they also sent the wrong message to early adopters. Over 5 million Xbox One owners now have a Kinect, but no compelling gaming experience to go with it.

Microsoft has said that they’ll make the Kinect for Xbox One available as an optional accessory. This is so those that pick up the $399 Xbox One can someday later buy it if they want. But are they going to want to? It doesn’t seem likely.

We haven’t seen any indication that third-party developers are building killer Kinect experiences for the new generation. It’s going to be up to Microsoft and their first-party studios to create gaming scenarios where users actually enjoy using the sophisticated motion detector.

It’s a shame too because Kinect on the Xbox One is so much better than the original. The new version has greater accuracy with three times the fidelity and is capable of tracking without visible light thanks to an active infrared sensor. Its field of vision was also widened by 60 percent and is capable of detecting a user as close as 3 feet. It can track 6 skeletons at once, detect heart rate, facial expression, the position and orientation of 25 individual joints, speed of player movement, and the weight placed on each limb.

Microsoft should be working hard to take that technology and create a compelling game.

Your turn

Are you bummed out or excited now that you’ll be able to pick up an Xbox One without Kinect? Take our poll and let your emotions out in the comments.

Reading this in our app? Head to Internet Explorer to take the poll: m.wpcentral.com/xbox-one-without-kinect-will-sell-more-consoles-kills-any-potential-kinect-had

477 Comments

Maybe the Xbox and Kinect should have been smaller...
And faster...
Wouldn't have expected that coming from you lol
Maybe Microsoft should have thought hard beforehand and came up with a more powerful ("faster") hardware in general. "Flip flop" attitude, when you have made a major boo-boo like Vista, is a must. People weren't going to buy the XB1 because it was a friggin' $100 more expensive and had inferior hardware. The guys who made the decisions in the first place, to force customers to have access to the Internet all the time (well, once in 24 hours) should HAVE BEEN FIRED. Microsoft has (had?) this arrogant, "Applish" idea of themselves as the "king". They think they can pull off what Apple does, if they put a premium price tag on their products or force people to accept what they think is best. Apple never made Windows ME. They never made Windows Vista. They never decided on a whim that a menu 90% of the world relied on every day should be replaced with something so unresearched, it had to be modified every 6 months to gain part of the functionality of the original thing that'd been removed. Almost every move Apple made, was the right move. Every segment they enter they are a game-changer. They didn't sit on something as ridiculous as Windows Mobile for years, refusing to change until 2010, years after Apple had changed the game and Google had gotten the clue. And now, they realize they have made a PRIMARILY GAMING SYSTEM that is supposed to be there for say at least 5 years, that can barely support even today's video resolution demands. It's like they are blind. Makes me furious.
Apple always done the right move and almost bankruptcy in the past. Say thanks to Microsoft if the still alive
Yes. They fixed it by FIRING THE GUY, and bringing back the guy who knew what he was doing.
Now they don't have the guy again
+1
Why is it people have no clue that esram is the future?! They didn't make an inferior HW. Resource files are the future. In terms of if HW specs it seems inferior but in reality it's actually more powerful than PS4. That 32mb of esram is able to off load 6gb of texture getting up the systems ram. On a PS 4 if you want to load a lots of textures it'll eat up the systems team and processing. On X1, the esram can free up the resources on the system. The issue is its new and developers still haven't learned or received updated SDK from MS. In fact from what I read you can pretty much run 1080p at 60fps just from the esram. TRs is the future and it will better implemented with direct x12..
Why? Personally I wouldn't have even remotely considered buying an xbone without connect, I bought it almost purely for the voice commands. I played deadrising to death, and the next time a good zombie game or gta comes out ill use it for gaming again, but until then its an accessory to turn to tv on and off for me :D (I do use it for Xbox music as well actually)
you realize a 5 dollar mic would have done what you want. why not put the other 95 to do things like, o man god forbid computing power for better graphics? say 1080p? or say, dare I say....60fps?
What? The current limitation to 1080p at 60Hz gaminig isn't due to the fact Microsoft wanted the Kinect 2 to be integral part of the system (when they said that before launch.). No, that's currently a limitation of the developer tools, as the APU is the same as the PS4 (except for a slight difference in GPU RAM frequency.). And I've seen no decernable difference between the PS4 and Xbox One playing COD or Battlefield. And I prefer the overall experience with the Xbox One.
wrong. about 10% of the xbox power is reserved for kinect. no kinect = 10% boost. will that take us to 1080p? I can't tell you that. But one thing is certain, there is about a 50% higher performance on the PS4. IF they can get that to 40% they are 10% closer to 1080p than they were before. Remember kinect doesn't have a processor. it isn't a magical box. the sophisticated image processing it does taxes the system. thereis no free lunch. http://www.dualshockers.com/2014/05/14/kinect-less-xbox-one-could-earn-performance-boost/
One microphone wouldn't pinpoint sound sources and cancel noise like the array of microphones on the Kinect would.
and you don't need all those cameras to have your array then. ok make it 20 bucks for the mic array at best. 80 bucks left for more gaming power.
Take the PS4, remove the slant it has, and its the same size if not larger then the Xbox One, plus MS wants that "Modern" look, like Windows 8, Square... Aside that, I have a Xbox One, love it, still love PC more then anything though, but if I ever need to get another Xbox One for any reason, I would still buy it with Kinnect. No way I would buy it without.
Fanboy much? I like the Xbox but we all know it's bigger than the PS4 -_- Posted via Windows Phone Central App
I don't need to fanbou, at the moment, the PS4 is thinner, why? Because its on a slant. Does size matter for consoles? Not like your carrying it around in your pocket... It sits there... Usually just under a table or something... Look at PC, they can be anywhere from bigger to smaller then consoles. Yet is a billion times better. Screw both consoles, no console van ever beat PC.
And thus has more room to breathe, meaning less chance of overheating.
Kinect sux
Making it mandatory was a bad move to begin with. The only potential it has is to be used as a webcam with mic. It sucks for games.
Basically, Kinect is now a really expensive webcam.
ha ha. I'd say it is also a pretty decent skype box. I mean it follows you around and all. plus I must admit, the sign in feature is nice. However...ain't worth 100 bucks. I would much rather have seen then take that money, load up the xbox with GDDR5, more streaming processing units, more RAM. blow the freaking doors out that PS4 thing and make them sony spec fanboys cry :)
Have you tried it? Because it really doesn't. Peeking around corners in Battlefield was a gimmick, sure, but it worked and once you got used to it it worked well. The same goes for the integration in Dead Rising and Forza.
Really disagree on the Forza integration. The head tracking was awful, and doesn't map to your movement (you lean side to side to tilt your head one screen? Gimmick)
Exactly! I tried it on all the games that had Kinect "support", and it sucked.
Voice commands worked really well in FIFA, brought forward a shit tonne fo functionality that otherwise would of required stopping play and finding the command.
Head tracking was WAY better on the 360 with V1 Kinect. WAY Better. I find it unusable on this version.
I'm not sure it was a bad move, just maybe too optimistic. The fact is that core 360 consoles didn't kill devs making games that require a hdd. Dropping the kinect won't kill master stroke games that come up with a truly original idea to use it. It will simply delay them and reduce their scope. triple a titles won't (and maybe never will) utilise kinect, but indie devs will still come up with killer games.
Yeah, it was way too ambitious a move for Microsoft to make. The only way they could get away with mandatory Kinect is if it didn't result in a major price increase, or if they had exceptional Kinect functionality at launch to make people want it. But of course, Microsoft did neither. Kinect is a nice bit of kit, but nowhere near nice enough to ease the pain of paying three years worth of Xbox Live subscription for...
Yall are crazy, an expensive Skype box.. The Kinect is worth more than $100, I turn on my system by talking, it signs me in, I don't know where my cable box remote is half the time. I change the channel, nut the tv, turn up the volume.. Yall are crazy talking about a Skype box.. If apple were to release a machine that did half what the Kinect does it would sell for 299 and half of the world would be praising it
This!
So you've spend 399$ for remote control... Nice deal :)
You know, Microsoft probably sees it when you 'nut' the tv. Ewww.
I dont use Skype, I know where my tv remote is, and I'm perfectly fine with pushing a few buttons to watch Netflix and play a game. So where is the value in Kinect for me? Why should I have to pay 100 extra dollars for something I'm never going to use? This was a great move by Microsoft and will make my decision much harder when I finally have to decide between PS4 and Xbox One.
Indifferent. I for one love the voice commands and motion for when playing games.
Yup, I was really hoping to use it when I started developing. Shame ( ._.)
What stops you from integrating Kinect exactly? It's not like Microsoft is revoking Kinect APIs.
Maybe the fact that the market will be drastically reduced?! Or are you expecting many people to buy kinetic just for the sake of it?!
It's not like Microsoft basically killed any incentive to buy the Kinect. Oh wait.
Major Nelson broke into my house in the middle of the night and smashed my Kinect with a baseball bat.
My uncle plays his banjo while eating a pickle
The sales of the ps4 camera are enough to prove that the Kinect isn't dead. Wounded maybe but certainly not dead.
No, dead. There is a rather big difference between the PlayStation camera and the Kinect. In any case, making it optional means the incentive for developers to integrate it into mainstream titles goes away. Why spend all that time and money adding Kinect support to their PlayStation and/or PC port when the installed user base is even smaller than the already smallish console market.
Do we know of any games since the launch of Xbox One that really integrated Kinect? Any solid rumor/leak even? Up to this week we all thought it'll be a mandatory part of the console, yet not a word on any developer commitment anyway. Mean while, the extra 100 dollar is barring people from buying the machine, because they don't want to pay 100 for something that they don't use much, and this is hurting the overall platform. Future games, if MS is committed enough to invest, can have certain levels or modes that fully integrate Kinect, making it something that people want to buy independently if they want that experience. This is overall a good move for the platform.
Fifa did a great job at integrating voice.
So did Battlefield 4.
By "big difference" you mean the Kinect is a lot better than the PS camera, right? Currently there are 5 million Xbox One's in the wild with Kinect, and 0 without. I would think this is a large enough install base for developers to make money from their kinect title. I would think even 1 million in sales would be considered successful for a kinect title. And not everyone will buy the cheaper version, some will prefer the premium version of the console with kinect. This keeps the pressure on developers to make a game people feel is worth buying kinect for. If they deliver the game, people will buy the kinect.
It's a shame that the developers just can't envision a really practical use for the Kinect. The same as version one on the 360. I'm going to have to agree with you on this.
I disagree, and I disagree with the WPC article. Kinect is far from dead. Completely the opposite in fact..
By making Kinect part of the package initially, MS have milked Xbox one fans and early adopters to already have an installed Kinect base of 5m.
By end of this year I reckon that will be more like 7m.
That's a massive developer opportunity and secures the Kinect future.
Now Xbox One is cheaper and with new markets, I reckon it will power ahead on sales.
It is a bad move. PS4 is still more powerful for the same price. X1 is going to be a Halo/Titanfall machine.
I'm quite interested whether DirectX 12 will do something about that!
I'd rather be a gimped winner than a whole loser.
Would you like to be a gimped loser? Because that's also an option with high probability right now. Who's really happy with Xbox at this point? The ones who never wanted Kinect still point to a console that is weaker than PS4 and leaders who flip flop and are untrustworthy. The ones who want Kinect are straddled with a console with poor developer support and leaders who flip flop and make deeply dishonest promises. They've alienated everyone to some extent. The only way for them to come back from the abyss is to deliver new innovation and must have software. They've let everyone down, and I mean truly everyone.
Now is the time for developers to step up and make some truly inventive games that use Kinect.
Speak for yourself.
They haven't let me down so it is everyone-1.
It's an unfortunate move, but they had to make it. It's sad that innovation is constantly being hampered by cheapskates and people that can't handle change.
No doubt, I loved Win8 back then too and when everyone started talking shit about it, I just couldn't see wut they were talking about...i never even used the start menu, everything was on the desktop or taskbar. This is just a redo
They didn't have to drop it this early in its life. MS has the cash, so what they should have done instead is 1) drop the price to 399 but KEEP Kinect and eat the lost - this would at least give the X1 the appeal of value (hey you get more than the PS4 for the same price, instead of the current "WTF it's the same price as the PS4 but it's weaker hardware"), they should at least give the Kinect another year before killing it. 2) MS must lead and not sit on its arse - they need to make the first killer must have Kinect-only/Kinect-deep integrated game
It's an all round, knee-jerk bad move that's only interested in the short term bottom line with no long term vision.
Woha! That's a lot of loss to eat! They are probably already selling the console with a loss. Same goes for Sony. They always do an Terry to get the cash back afterwards via games and subscriptions.
If Microsoft sold the current Kinect setup for $399, it would certainly be a hell of a deal and I think it would be at least on par with PS4 in sales. Personally, I would still buy a PS4 though because Xbox doesn't currently have a fully fledged MLB game. I like my baseball games :P
Agreed. Microsoft has killed Kinect. I'm kinda angry and I don't have an Xbox One.
Why are you angry?
About them birds? Lol.
Kinects rubbish any way don't see the point to have it
Rubbish to you but gold to me. I love being able to give my Xbox commands when using it. I use the damned thing every day. This is the future even if you don't agree.
+920!
To me its a gimmick that almost never works properly. The only entertainment it has brought into our house was had by my wife as she watches me and the kids try to have it do what its told. I would like to see Cortana on the One, but id guess that would require the divisions within Microsoft to work together.
You said it already, if Microsoft themselves couldn't make any compelling content for the Kinect the potential was already lost. And its been true even on the 360 so this really is just Microsoft dropping the ball again.
That's right.
Kinect was never truly integrated with the A+ Games, Except for FIFA14 and RYSE.
I use Kinect everyday and love it, but I know not everyone shares my love for Kinect.
So to this end it's good news.
Hd,
I think your right on the money. Microsoft is on a roll the past two years and I have seen smart moves all over (list is to long to point that out here) but I guess you should have mentioned the word YET after your love for Kinect. I am one of the people that received the one on day one and thinks that the Kinect is a must have. I think it is a smart move from Microsoft to have an option without Kinect so parents that buy this ONE (and don't care about the Kinect) do not have to cough up an extra 100$. If I look in my family that has about 10 kids under 16 we talk about 4 parents buying an Xbox one and I hear them say often I wish the Kinect was not included or at least optional and maybe I buy it later.... I think Microsoft is banking on those families and I think they are right. He'll, I can give the Kinect at the next birthday to one of their kids. Microsoft learned the hard way (look at WP) fighting an uphill battle is not easy.... Game developers (or any developer) develops first for the big boys and they can't lose that battle again. Microsoft has my blessing of selling Kinect separately because it's the smart thing to do I do feel/understand your pain btw Sam but rest assured Microsoft it's a smart moving company the past two years and their products are FANTASTIC. I own most of them so I know what I am talking about :)
Problem is, it's only 6 months into what was a 10 year plan. And now we have no idea if Kinect will ever have true potential.
don't get it... with kinect attached to every system, then everyone was on the same level. devs could produce a game and everyone could play it. Look at the PS4's playroom...... requires the camera that you have to buy separatly. while not everyone may use the kinect (or have an insane level of paranoia about the NSA spying on you), it doesn't mean it's far from useless.
Every Kinect is on the Same level. Unlike the Xbox 360 (no hard drive or Kinect). Every Xbox One console has a Hard Drive built-in so Developers need not worry (If Customers want Kinect they'll get it later).
It's a tough move but I blame the "catastrophe" at E3 2013 (those exec's needed to be axed for the "poor announcement". This New Xbox excec have to correct those errors' before moving on to bigger and better announcements at E3 2014.
Now, let the Games begin.
Kinect has become more of a voice remote than a replacement input for gaming.
They need apps that use the Kinect. Maybe not so much games but like fitness apps or an app to help some of us guys color code clothes better.lol
Bingo
You mean like Xbox Fitness or Zumba Fitness?
Kinect was unnecessary, it's just a gimmick. I'm a PS4 fan but I'm not interested in the Playstation Camera either. It's just not needed, end of story.
The PS Camera is selling like crazy because gamers like to steam their games and have their face on screen. I suspect the Kinect will sell as well if not more well than the PS Camera.
Your needs do not equal my needs. Kinect even with its flaws is pretty neat.
Sam, I love ya but I think you are over analyzing this a bit. I was under the impression the Xbox with Kinect is still an option right?
Yes, the point is who's going to buy it. I can pull at least 30-40 players out of my 99 player friends list who doesn't even have a Kinect plugged in. They're furious because they would have purchased a day one WITHOUT Kinect. At least Deva knew if they produced a Kinect game that all consumers had one. Now l, less than 1/5 of users will own one after the holidays, GUARANTEED.
What makes you say that? That 1/5 statement seems way off. 70% of PS4 owners own an Eye, so why would owners of a superior peripheral be less likely to use it?
Agreed Jas
As a fellow day-one owner, I understand Sam's points and concerns but gotta agree with Mamacita. I love the Kinect, and for me voice controls are the must have feature. Many people are still going to want the premium version of the console with kinect, and others will upgrade from the cheaper version after they learn of the benefits of kinect. With 5 million consoles out there now, all with kinect, there is plenty of an install base for kinect titles to be profitable. Unless you're like me and using voice controls and entertainment stuff is enough to justify it, there are no must have kinect games out there now. What this does is keep pressure on developers to deliver a game worth buying the kinect for. When that game is delivered, and eventually it will be, more people will buy it.
You hit the ball out the park! I could not have said it better!
At this point MS is saying they would rather have more people buying an Xbox One without Kinect with the possibility of buying one at some point than less people buying the Xbox One with Kinect
Aside from saying the odd Xbox snap etc I never use the kinect and nothing has been released to make me use it :-/ Posted via Windows Phone Central App
What do you mean by odd? And there's quite a few games out there that use voice commands or use the Kinect, I would check again.
I'm ok with giving people the option to buy it with our without the Kinect. Make a compelling game for the Kinect and it will sell like the last one did, also you could bundle that game with the Kinect, MS again, is ahead of our time.
Again what's the point it has no relevance all you do is look like a complete dumbass jumpin around like a schizophrenic with a sugar rush lol
To you. I use Xbox Fitness, play Dance Central and use voice commands religiously. As soon as I walk in my house after work it starts with "Xbox On"
I rarely, if ever, touch my controller if im not gaming... Kinect was the future... WAS
It's people like you that just plain slow down innovation. While your at it why invent the airplane? We where fine walking anywhere. Did it miss the mark? Yes. Is it useless? Hell no. I have an absolute blast with the dancing and party games that the Kinect uses and so do my part guests.
leumas85 you live a sad, pathetic life.
NO VISION. ALL FOR THE MONEY...SO MUCH FOR THIS NEW CEO...WOW!
Have you considered that maybe he just knows when to cut losses?
Decisions like this take 18 months to 2 years to filter through. It would have been Balmer that planned it, not Satya. Which means Xbox execs knew at E3 2013...
They are going to have to offer some sorry of incentives for developers to come out with exclusive content for Kinect if they want any sorry of adoption. Or drop the price as an add on significantly. I hoped they wouldn't have done this, but I can understand why in the paranoid NSA state we are living in.
A true double edged sword. You make some good points. I got the day one edition, and probably don't get as much out of it as I could. But volume down is great once you get used to it. Recording is great but obviously that ability will be assigned to the buttons, which I like, as I have missed some great moments when it has not picked up my voice. Skype is a revolution with Kinect though. Kinect Fitness is also damn good. What MS needs to do is chuck some cash at several developers. Hold a Kinect development event and start splashing some cash on some promising ideas. The original one has been out for years. There must have been countless good ideas thrown about that just needed improved tech. Surely the Kinect 2 can now make some of them a reality. Child of Eden was critically well received, but didn't sell. Could they do an updated version of that? I would hate to see it die and become just something I speak at to alter the volume.
"I’m happy more folks will get an Xbox One because of the move, but I think Microsoft should have stuck to their guns a bit more and dragged consumers into the future. Kinect was the future." IMHO, it isn't the future. If it was, more people would've warmed to it by now. They haven't. Dragging customers kicking and screaming doesn't always work.
"IMHO, it isn't the future. If it was, more people would've warmed to it by now. They haven't. Dragging customers kicking and screaming doesn't always work." Couldn't the same have been said about tablets in 2009? After a decade of Microsoft pushing tablet PCs pretty much by themselves, consumers never warmed to the concept. Then the iPad came out in 2010 and now tablets are on the verge of outselling PCs on an annual basis. Kinect is the future and many people at MS know it is the future, but unfortunately Microsoft may not have what it takes to realize that future. Six months ago Apple bought PrimeSense the creators of Kinect. It's likely they will integrate Siri with this sensor and beat Microsoft to integrating Kinect with Cortana. MS runs the risk once again of seeing the future but being unable to walk the path to get there. As a Microsoft fan, watching this play out once again is deeply disillusioning. They knew the importance of wearables with SPOT watch, they knew the importance of smartphones with Windows Mobile, they knew the importance of tablets with TabletPC/UMPC, they knew the importance of voice recognition with TellMe, they knew the importance of automotive integration with SYNC, they know the importance of 3D camera sensors with Kinect. After everything we've been through this past decade can you honestly say that Microsoft failing with a product means there is no market for it? Sadly Microsoft succeeding with an innovative product has become the exception to the rule. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kz40vwcTGFo "Neo, sooner or later you're going to realize just as I did that there's a difference between knowing the path and walking the path." - Morpheus speaking to the One
Well said, and exactly what I was thinking. This just screems lack of vision, just to get buyers. Look, not everyone can afford a $500 system, let alone two. So I get the financial reasons. But, the gamer in me is so pissed off by this move.
Voice commands are great as is Skype on it as well. Those who buy a Kinect-less version of the console are going to miss out and Microsoft is sure to improve it as time goes on. If they can't afford the extra $100 let them suffer with less features. I use the Kinect ALL the time and couldn't imagine going back to using an Xbox without it.
Considering that they had a problem with it that the NSA had to sort things out because rumors spread out saying that Microsoft watches you through the Xbox One Kinect.
It is ridiculous that that people have gotten so paranoid. Even if it were true. I could give a rats ass. They can watch me pick my nose and talk about sex. The NSA is being put in their place again. Lets move on.
I love the how people here seem to be okay with NSA data collection but not Google data collection.
So where is that can of Trollbuster 5000 I had laying around here... Oh, here it is...
A little too dramatic. Yes, it will be up to Microsoft to make owning a Kinect compelling. Still haven't bought an Xbox One yet, but I when I do, it will be with the Kinect.
I think many will end up spending more in the long run, buying it separately.
Its rumored to only cost $60. So no, they wont.
Wasn't impressed with the first Kinect, still not impressed with the new one.
You are really only saving $50. Anyone with any sense just buys the titanfall bundle, regardless of whether or not they want the kinect. Now if the xbox one with no kinect had titanfall, for sure $399 would be worth dumping the kinect. The kinect survived the 360 without being included in all systems, so the same should happen here. I rarely ever use the kinect, so honestly i wouldn't miss it. Make it a $125 add on and let the people choose with their wallets if the kinect is to survive.
Sorry, no way I'd go without Kinect. Nothing like navigating the entire UI by voice, automatic sign in, chatting without a mix etc. OR "Xbox, record that" how on Earth could someone go without that?
Easy, by pressing the on button, the os signing me in and using the controller to move about the UI... Basically what we've been doing since the psx.
Not the same at all lol. Kinect auto signs in me and my girlfriends or even my brothers when they come over. Easier than finding our profiles and signing in & waiting for the UI to sign in then repeating 2-3 times. I can turn my Xbox On from the kitchen while I'm cooking dinner with my hands full of food for me and my GF, then just say "Xbox Watch HGTV" and walaa in 15 seconds I turned it on and tuned. And don't get me started. Game DVR interaction WITHOUT Kinect is horrid. Couldn't ever imagine playing with something snapped just to record.
And walaa, another heinous misspelling of voila.
Umm. That's why I wanted an Xbox and not a ps. Your point was irrelevant. All the ps has is more muscle. No innovation there.
Never owned a PoS. And why would I? I work fulltime, and though I consider myself a "core gamer" there are many nights where I come in from work I simply say "Xbox, on... Netflix. Profile 2.... select 1." while I'm in and out of the room, and while I unwind and unpack for the day. Never had to touch a controller, tell it to sign in or anything. Then of course while I'm playing Titanfall or Forza 5 I can shout out "Xbox, record that!" at epic moment or "Xbox, snap TV" when a game is gone. Even if these types of things were the only use ever for Kinect on Xbox One I wouldn't go without it. Otherwise it just seems... flat.
These things were all developed by Microsoft and will still be there in the future. In fact, if MS wants to make money selling stand-alone Kinects, they will continue to improve it's integration in the OS. I think people like you have nothing to worry about with this move. People who still think there are great games just waiting to come out for Kinect if enough are sold are the ones who should be mad. MS has sold 25 million Kinects, and they think developers are holding out on all the great games until they sell a few more, and this ruins it.
I'm in the same boat TheStarstrider after having the Kinect I'm now spoiled. Voice commands are awesome. Nothing like ripping someone out of their titan and saying "Xbox record that". Or the OS navigation. Give me the Kinect any day.
I agree with you. Besides, games like Just Dance, Sport Rivals, Zumba fitness are really cool and demand kinetic. Have you tried fastfowarding a netflix movie on the contoller ? Using gestures on kinetic is so much faster and cool, skype is a must... I think microsoft is going for both worlds, people that see kinetic important are still going to buy it. I got my x1 for 449 with Forza, thats good enough for me compared to PS4. Having X1 without kinetic was a good move, installed base is more important than a "vision", Windows Phone has a great vision but installed base is killing it.
Apple will do their motion sensing AppleTV and Microsoft wil be left in the dust ...like ALWAYS!
Won't apple be late to that party? Microsoft has had Kinect for quite a few years now. And won't they be late to the tv party as well?
No, Microsoft has confirmed they are not a company to be trusted with home entertainment, its only a matter of time before they remove media features from the XBone ... time to look at Apple TV more seriously
Hahaha...fucking drama queen. :)
Little over the top, but im pissed off at what Microsoft has done to the initial idea for the Xbox One, i want a product that has a company behind it that has an actual vision for their product... not one that will change it on a whim if enough people troll
Plus, like usual, Apple or some other company will get credit for the "innovation" of it. Everyone will forget what Microsoft tried to do and then blame them for being copycats when they come back to it.
Microsoft doesnt deserve the credit though, they bought the technology from someone and have completely squandered it. Let a company like Apple come in and show them how to truly believe in something you create. Microsoft is a lost puppy that keeps discovering cool things but then instead of picking them up and running with them, just pops a sqaut and shts all over them
MS have a bad track record in selling tech vision and then either not backing them properly or canning them before they've had the chance to take hold. This just happens too many times. In the end it means that people are less likely to be early adopters on future innovations and this is more likely to happen again. I wonder how long it will be before my windows phones will be sitting in the same dusty box as my Kinect and Zune HD...
... and my HD DVD player, and my Surface RT....
that would be warner that killed HD DVD dureing CES after sony threw fat bags of cash at them. Got nothing on RT....... that is all MS.
The only thing holding me back from the Xbox one was the requirement of Xbox live for most basic app functionalities, but now that that's been eliminated, when I buy an Xbox this year it'll be a Kinect bundle. Don't need or want Gold, though. Never had a problem with Kinect or the price point.
I totally agree! The best point I've read all day in these comments!
A little more bummed now that I read this article. They could redeem themselves if they just come out with a compelling reason to drop the extra $100 on the Kinect. I do love Skype on it though, my family are all like how does your camera keep tracking you? That's crazy/creepy!
My Logitech cam on my PC tracks me if its enabled. Also it can record in the background if it detects motion. For a sense of security.
My family uses laptops for Skype. I personally have never been satisfied with PC webcam setups. Not nearly as satisfied as with new Kinect IMHO.
My only issue with Skype is one or the other as in the internet service I have or Skype itself. If I'm on it for a little while it starts to get bad and then everything is way out of wack. But I do enjoy my webcam. Its logitechs higher end one. Though.
That's good you found one that works. Does it also discern who the speaker is when more than one face and focus on that one? I've been on a Skype call on my XB One for over an hour with no issues
Can't really say on that as I'm the only one who uses it. Its funny though, I find myself moving my head around to watch it follow me haha.
I know what you mean. I love that kind of stuff. I think I may love "her" LOL
God f'n damn it. Can this company ever follow through with what they say or try to push through something more than 3 weeks? This is exactly what is wrong with the Surface, Xbox Music and Video, Windows 8, etc.
And with WP
+928
RIP KINECT
About Time long live the CONTROLLER the only way to game
We need to go back to 16 bit architecture too, long live Arcades!!!
God. I just love all you ignorant folk.
They should never have dropped Kinect, they should have eaten the cost of a price drop, or get some good exclusives
"Microsoft looks willing to change their stance after vehemently defending it. That’s a flip-floppy attitude and one that doesn’t install faith in customers." So sick of this. If I am not hearing about how Microsoft sucks because they ignore their customers and won't give the market what it wants, I am hearing about how Microsoft sucks because they are reacting to the market in trying to give the market what it wants. Smart companies realize that the customers, in part, decide how their product is going to be used and rather than fight that, they work with it.
dont undersatnd this either, MS's view for the xbone was complety wrong and out of touch. What they are doing now is good for their customers and their brand. Is simple as that, so waht they flip flop, they made a huge mistake that destroyed any momentum built from the xbox 360 and potentially falling behind by a larger margin down the road. Companies made mistakes and they are owning up to it, if they are changing their stance from before, so what, companies change and decisions are made based the market. What this does now is focus on the games, the console with the better games and online experience will be top dog which it always should of been.
BS, their initial view for the Xbox One was more closely related to Steam than consoles... a move in that direction would have been monumentally positive. Microsoft had an amazing concept, but zero backbone to see it through. From day one they screwed up the narrative of what they were trying to achieve, its why Microsoft will NEVER be as successful as Apple when it comes to hardware, they are too scared to have a real vision.
Agreed. The original vision was awesome. They could've used some adjustments but awesome nevertheless. Btw used game market=piracy which is why people cried about it so much on the XB1 launch. Yes it is. You never own the game. You only have permission to use what is on that DVD.
I never understand why people think the current system is "DRM free" Disc based DRM is HUGELY restrictive, much more restrictive than the Digital DRM that was introduced by the original announcement. I hope the Xbox One bombs enough over the next two years that they are forced to start over and really give the Digital XBox a chance to show people what theyre missing by hanging onto the past so dearly. While the ignorant portion of the gaming community remains the loudest console gaming is stuck in a rut
Agreed. It seems Microsoft is damned if they do and damned if they don't!
I'm I correct in guessing the Kinect from the 360 is incompatible with the ONE?
Completely different. The new Kinect is light years ahead of the 360 one.
I agree 100% that Microsoft should have stuck to their guns and dragged people into the future. It's not like Xbox One's weren't selling and wouldn't continue selling. But yup, now developers are much much less likely to develop for it because why cut off your user base before your game even launches? Including Kinect with every Xbox was the best thing Microsoft could have done for it, taking it away, the worst, so sad. I'm not disappointed that I have mine, I'd buy it anyway. The voice commands work wonders. I only touch my controller if I'm playing a game. I don't have to touch my TV controller. Gosh people, so much greatness. You wanted the future of consoles right? Well good job, you just killed it. Maybe by the next gen everyone will be ready. Very disappointed.
I don't have the time to explain how terribly analized this situation is. No, not Microsoft's decision, the reaction toward it.
It was a broken promise from the very beginning.
I don't think it's that they don't have faith in Kinect it's just that it was too expensive for most. What they should've done is found a better and cheaper way to build it and the Xbox SI they could sell it for less
Agreed!!! They will hurt kinect with this move. Developers will stop developing for kinect if some people don't have it... What's the point... Bad move MS
I don't understand why they didn't see this from the beginning. Kinect was dead the moment it was forced on the consumer at an extra $100 over PS4.
Because most people have it but never use it me included used It once never again
Good move by microsoft, bad move for trying to make it mandatory to purchase. I have the original and the new kinect, it isn't anything special to me. The voice feature is "nice" to have, but not necessary. Kinect should of been an option all along, give people the choice of having the camera, in the end, it may be beneficial as more people stream through twitch and having the camera and mic will be great, but it should of been a choice. After the years of having the original kinect, i dont see anything different from when i first got it. The games are limited, the games arent that great and kinect is not a system seller. On the xbone, same thing, kinect is not going to sell the console and clearly it hasn't. Whatever "potential" kinect had, it would not be fulfilled, i dont expect a kinect game changing game, controllers will always be king. Whatever MS's vision was, it was not good. It was bad of them to try to put drm and always on as mandatory while their competitor didnt do that. Just out of touch view by MS and their executives and perhaps Mattrick's view. All the flippity floppity they have done, is for the good of xbox in the long-run, IMO.
Maybe its the consumers and media that are out of touch. We say bring us the future and when we see the future we ask for the past back. Story of Microsoft's life these past couple of years. Are we truly ready?
Consumer out of touch? Am i out of touch to not want restrictions on the games and not be foced with a camera peripheral when i can get a competitors product cheaper and just play games? Im pretty sure im not out of touch nor the consumers. When leaks were coming out that detailed MS's plans, most people didnt like it and shift their purchase to the ps4 and it did. What MS is doing now and the start of this next gen clearly shows MS as out of touch. MS was out of touch to even think they were in a position to change the industry standard on gaming policies. They paid for it and will continue to pay for it for at least the rest of this year. What they are doig now is a start on the right path. This is no different when PS3 released $200 more than the xbox 360 because they thought they were in the position to sell the ps3 as a premium product with blu ray, after mountains of consoles in store, it only took them like 6 months to officially price drop the console.
Umm. Yes.
Bring us a better future.
Just another fuckup from Microsoft, say whatever you want but its the truth. Time and time again Microsoft sets a goal, works on it and makes thousands (millions) of consumers invest on a product just to see Microsoft change their minds and trash their plans. I think their getting ready to sell the whole Xbox crap.
The kinect isn't dead..its a sale plan plus name any good fame GAMERS not causal players can play on Kinect... Kinect sports is a family fame not may people have families
I like the idea of Kinect and speaking to my Xbox and when I pick one up in will be the bundled version with Kinect. Microsoft needs to push developers to use the Kinect in their games, maybe offer discounts of some sorts for each game that does.
There is really nothing wrong with not including the Kinect. The only thing Microsoft needs to point out is the features you will be missing with out the Kinect. Market Kinect as an upgrade the opens more features, but the need to improve on the Kinect speech command. I say, put Cortana as an unlock feature if you buy Kinect. It would be cool if Cortana would answer when you ask her to watch TV, asking you what channel would you like.. Kinect is not a lost cause, developers who develops with Kinect in mind just need to work harder to make it compelling, a must have. With out Kinect, you lose features that allows your Xbox to feel complete. Its an upsetting decision, but they have to do something to compete. Also and this is a big one. Microsoft needs to push games 1089p, 60fps. I realm hope that DX12 will boost Xbox One
This article sounds like they're getting rid of Kinect all together. All they're doing is introduce a new SKU without the Kinect for $100 cheaper for those that want things á la carte. They will still be supporting it and will sell the Kinect stand alone. In fact, Phil Spencer hinted that the stand alone Kinect will cost more than $100. So getting in early and getting the package as an early adopter might be a blessing in disguise.
They need to allow for people who preordered the initial XBox One to receive a full refund for their purchase. The fact that there isnt a class action lawsuit against Microsoft for the XBone debacle is beyond surprising to me. The console they announced at e3 compared to the nerfed crap they actually released is night and day. I was promised something innovative and since its release theyve made the console worse and worse. Xbox as a brand is done, time to abandon ship, just like Microsoft has done
What's so bad about the xboxone?
Its basically a slightly improved XBox 360 that is way less powerful than the PS4. I preordered the XBone the first day it was available because i was promised an Xbox branded SteamBox, which offered digital sharing and digital access to all of my games without the need to take discs with me everywhere... what they released was a travesty compared to what they promised me.
Reading this ancient comment just DETONATED my mind with your ignorance and stupidity. The PS4 is merely an upgraded PS3. The Xbox One is Microsoft trying to improve and integrate new systems into a truly Next-Gen console. Look at the hardware even. From what I remember seeing there isn't a dramatic difference between them, and I have no idea where these playstation fanboys are getting "50% stronger" from. Also where the hell did you even read that the Xbone would be a steamBox stand-in? SteamBox is basically an overly limited windows pc with a custom controller that can only run steam and games on steam. Get a fucking HDMI cord you shitwick and wireless mouse/keyboard if needed if you desperately want to use Steam on your TV. Not only that but you can use the whole damn PC on the TV instead of just steam, and probably save loads of money instead of buying a steambox model that ranges from 1980's quality and crashes from PONG textures, to Alienware and completely unneccessary overpriced. I'm going to need to bleach my eyes to unsee that horror of a comment.
You're full of shit. They didn't lower the price AND keep Kinect. They don't owe you a thing. They're introducing a new SKU WITHOUT Kinect. They can still buy it separately. It's the same thing Sony did (but from the get go).
They never delivered the console i was promised at e3... i got some garbage PS4 wannabe. Where is my digital familty share or digital games access? Still not an option, even though they promised they were looking in to ADDING those features... Oops, nope they just removed more
Your nothing but a troll. You can argue that the PS4 on paper is slightly more powerful, sure. But to say that the XB1 is "way less powerful" is an exaggeration and hyperbole at it's best. Games look nearly identical on both consoles regardless of what you or the rest of fud masters would have people believe.
Im a troll because Microsoft lied to me since last years e3 and it pisses me off? Sure. FUD is what ruined the console in the first place, if Microsoft wasnt run by a bunch of spineless rejects we would have a Steambox right now instead of a slightly updated XB360. Microsoft promised an innovative future with the Xbox One, a future i bought into... They have now 5 months later taken that future out back with a shotgun and went Old Yeller on it. Microsoft has completely screwed over its loyal customers who believed in their initial vision for a digital future...
You could be taking it out on the wrong people. The vocal minority killed those features.
Microsoft Killed it, because they backed down on something special because they were afraid of a bunch of internet trolls who never had any intention of buying the XB1 in the first place... i hope these mistakes bring Microsoft down about 1000 pegs so they can start acting more like Apple and believing in the things they create
Like how they stuck to their guns for never making an iPad Mini or a large screen iPhone? Before you know it, they will release a touch screen Mac.
Youre correct, they change their minds and ADD to their products, but they havent ever released something, did a complete 180 on it and the 5 months in removed another feature... THAT is the BS only seen at Microsoft. If they stopped believing in the XB1 (clearly they have) then scrap it. Try again, and this time maybe believe in your idea
MobileMe is a great example of an atrocious launch for an Apple product. It was such a monolithic failure on so many levels that they ultimately scrapped it altogether. When they kicked off iCloud, they used Microsoft and Azure to host it. iCloud is literally running on Windows. Removing digital sharing and turning the Kinect into an optional accessory is chump change in comparison to how bad that was. To this day, Apple has avoided web services like the plague. They also promised and never delivered an open standard for Facetime. Do you remember the PowerMac G4 Cube? Didn't think so. They abandoned that thing as quickly as they could. It just fell off the radar. This is hardly a complete reversal on the vision for Xbox One. It's just a slightly different path to get there. And let's face it - it's just a consumer product. Here is some light reading on MobileMe. http://gizmodo.com/5033128/mobileme-not-up-to-apples-standards-says-stev...
So they released a garbage product and scrapped it? Funny, Microsoft realeased a garbage product and are just making it worse. Id say Microsoft should scrap the XBone before it gets any worse. Id challenge you to go watch the announcement for the Xbox One on May 21st, 2013 and tell me that the XBone were stuck with isnt a COMPLETE reversal... it is. When you release a garbage product you dont double down by making it worse
Clearly, many of those features were important to you. I'm sure that many others feel the same way. I bought a Day One on the first day that it was released for pre-order as well. To me, it was a cheap HTPC with a great back end, voice control, and an IR blaster. I also play games on it but I spent substantially more on a new HDMI receiver than I did the Xbox One. As it turns out, I also play Forza on it every once in awhile. I've probably bought 5 or 6 games for it but that's the one I go back to. My expectations weren't really off the charts though. I actually see Xbox One as an Azure connected terminal of sorts. I could see this or something like it being much more than a gaming system. Microsoft is very good at using their IP across their product stacks. But as with anything like this, it's baby steps. For me, it has been a great system but everyone has their own opinion.
I do agree with you. The listened to some Internet trolls who were going to find a way to have a problem with Microsoft no matter what.
I don't really care about Kinect. Now its a harder decision between a ps4 or xboxone.
Go with the PS4, Sony hasnt removed a single feature from the PS4 since its first announcement... Microsoft has done nothing but backtrack. By this time next year id be surprised if gaming was still a feature of Xbone
My advice. Wait to see what happens at E3.
Not exactly good advice... Look at what Microsoft promised at last years e3 compared to what we actually got
What's bad about it?
Wait to see what PS and Xbox are going to have then make a decision. Sounds pretty reasonable.
Wah wah... If the Kinect was worth it, there wouldn't be a backlash to help MS with the decision to remove the requirement. An always on, always connected camera and mic, even if you cover the camera and tape over the mic input, are huge turn offs for a lot of people. Kinect's power has and always will be in practical applications (fitness, fashion, projected 3d online meetings, etc). It will live on through 3rd party support on PC just as the previous iteration did. That or integrated within a Xbox TV set top box. It's just not for games.
Too many young kids grade 2-8 for example have Xbox360 with no migration path to XboxOne due to price at this time. The price must drop lets face facts sooner than later. To that extent, Kinnect is $99 extra and a distraction from the purpose of a game console. Parents can buy the kinnect accessory later making MS and retailers more $ later. This is business 101, the prior MS regime (win8/xboxOne) really was out of touch with it's audience.
Except people that buy the Kinectless version will find the dashboard and a lot of the features a pain in the ass to use and leave bad reviews, which doesn't help business in the long run.
as opposed to the many people that complain about commands are not working as well? queue "it works flawlessly for me!"
Sometimes I play games with my son with the Kinect on the 360. Maybe one day there will be that great game that everyone wants and that works great with kinect
My thing is without the Kinect we just have a less powerful system with half the features it started with for $399 they can have they I'm bummed about the Kinect kinda wanna see how far it could have went but for what I use it for its fine for me, voice commands, auto sign in, Skype, don't play too many games my old lady plays just dance and Kinect sports, I play a little along with fitness
If not for the new Kinect, this mom wouldn't have ever asked for an Xbox One for Christmas. I use it to Skype with several far-flung family members (sometimes at the same time now, thank you, Microsoft!), and since the latest Xbox update it has replaced our Harmony One universal remote with it's broken-and-not-replaceable screen. I love being able to Skype on the big screen without having to hook up my PC. I'm not a gamer, but I do want to check out Xbox Fitness, too.
Sounds like our home all the way down to the broken Harmony Remote!
kills the potential of kinect? the potential was dead before it even launched.... kinect was never anything more than an attempt to get the "Wii" monies. I mean, it's been nearly 5 years since we were introduced to the kinect and we still are waiting on the "potentialz?" Come on, even Microsoft never gave a rats ass about the "potential" because the most effort they put in was a wii sports competitor for a market that no longer cares about motion controls. It was Microsofts burden to show the burden/potentials of the kinect and they even failed to lead by example.
I'm definitely going to buy the Xbox One more sooner than later now since I won't be forced into a shitty Kinect. I've got a Kinect for my 360 and literally used it probably 5 times. It could have been a great thing if they would have stayed with the original vision of it. Oh well. I will enjoy my cheaper Xbox One just the same, if not better :)
Saying 360 Kinect and Xbox One Kinect are the same is ignorant. Xbox One was designed for Kinect whereas it came out on 360 much later in its lifespan. Remember all the people complaining about Xbox One's hard to navigate dashboard? Those were people not using Kinect.
Umm...I never said they were the same. I simply said and meant that I never use my Kinect for my 360 so why would I use it for the Xbox One? And by me saying that if they would have stuck with the original idea (referring to project NATAL) that it would have been epic. You misread my comment completely. Congratulations.
Once people buy the systems and realize on what they are missing out on as time goes on they will buy, kinda like that extra controller a lot of us put off for as long as possible but we know we will eventually get one
Awesome news, I can now part with my hard earned cash knowing I will get exactly what I want for my money and not end up with a $100 dust collecting paper weight!
Yay, console gaming stands still for another decade... lets all celebrate the halting of progress!!
yes, because kinect progressed gaming oh so much lmao. wait fir the potentialz!!! just as bad as the cell bs last gen
Im going to assume you dont have an XBox One if you dont think the Kinect is massively improved in version 2.0... typical ignorant troll
You'll lose cable box, tv, and audio equipment control without the connect as it's the IR blaster. I would still recommend the Kinect to anyone getting the XBox One.
And it is one hell of an IR blaster.
I already have a cable box and a remote that changes channels and adjusts volume. I also don't use Skype and am perfectly fine with pushing some buttons to turn on the Xbox so I can play a game. So why should I be forced to pay $100 extra dollars for something I'll never use? Now people that only want their system to play games and like the Xbox exclusives over PS4 can justify buying one now. The value of Kinect simply isn't there for many people.
It never had any potential on the games front unless you count DDR. Everything usefull I've seen from Kinect had nothing to do with games. Everyone I know of that actually likes it only likes it because they find the voice control usefull. Again this has nothing to do with games.
Recording clips, snapping, and streaming without pausing the game has nothing to do with games? I thought the whole point of those features were to use them with games.
Sometimes I wonder why this is named "windows phone central"
If Devs in house or their party really took a look at what the Kinect could offer the next ten of gaming, then I would be mad. But for me, I've got a Skype messaging, voice activated, wired speaker phone with recording capabilities.
The only thing MS has done is lose faith and trust by customers/consumers for MS products - Zune, WP7, W8P, Surface, various OS. Personally I will never buy MS products as I just don't trust them for support for there products! You can see the gradual decline and support being dropped for Kinect (though MS won't admit it!); and the worse thing is MS has totally destroyed the whole idea of all-in-one console. XBOne will now be a graphically underpowered console compared to PS4, at around the same price without Kinect or anything that excels it from PS4 - and I hope MS considered the PS4 price drop to counter attack MS not to far down the road!!!
They had to get to $399 at some point this year and this was the quickest way to get there. I don't see this being a issue 2-3 years down the road as the new platform matures.
Lol matures? Maturing in XBone world means removal of features
It has been on sale for $399 and $450 a few times with Kinect.
Well I honestly think if Kinect was is to survive it needs to have games and possibly more physical controller types (IE guns, swords, bows) to utilize when playing. But the problem with that is that its not like duck hunt. And today the people across the world will complain and hinder that experience claiming its to realistic and therefore is bad for the children. To me that's rubbish nonsense. But people are to weak in the back bones anymore. It is the only way though id look into connect is if the game play was more realistic. More involving in that sense. Not just a few voice commands and head peaking. But full out body tracking in game with additional controller types.
Doesn't every Xbox One game use Kinect? Pretty sure I recorded at least one game clip in every game I've played.
You missed my point.
Over here!!!! I use it all the time to kill zombies!
Sorry Sam, but I disagree on many things you have said. Not going to say all, but an example is when you said Kinect is dead on the X1, and Microsoft has no faith in it. Microsoft said in that video announcing this, that they still have a huge vision with the Kinect.
Okay, another thing that I disagree with is when you said Kinect Sports Rivals makes best use of the Kinect in a game. I think CURRENTLY, that goes to Xbox Fitness. And another thing, most devs won't think of it as an afterthought. Same goes with Project Morpheus...
As long as games continue to use Kinect voice support and Microsoft doesn't dumb down the dashboard for dinguses that think Kinect is a gimmick, its fine by me.
I think the "Kinect is dead" stuff is hyperbole and stupid. Here's the deal though, Xbox has completely given up on innovation and leadership. The Xbox team is in full on follower mode. The new head of Xbox, Phil Spencer is simply copying everything that Playstation does. That means Apple and it's new acquistion PrimeSense (the original Kinect makers) have my full attention. That's a big change for me. I am not an iOS guy at all, but Apple is in a position now to make Microsoft look completely incompetent once again. iOS 8 will multitask like Windows, have a better app ecosystem, the iPhone will have multiple screen sizes, the iPad increasingly has an acceptable selection of tablets, iOS has in-car integration with Siri, and now the final piece of the puzzle they are expected to deliver an Apple TV with PrimeSense that potentially fullfils the promises that Microsoft and Kinect are starting to abandon. Is Kinect dead? Absolutely not, but Apple and PrimeSense are now poised to exploit it's troubles. Microsoft looks set to play the fool again. Just as Windows Mobile was so myopically focused on beating Palm and BlackBerry, Xbox is myopically focused on beating Sony and Nintendo. In the end it's the one they didn't see coming that's really going to kill them.
Do tell when did Apple make Microsoft look incompetent? You're crazy if you think iOS has a better app ecosystem than Windows. Do recall that Windows has a desktop.....and programs that use that UI. Hundreds of millions of them. I also find it funny that you praise Apple for doing things that the rest of the tech industry has been doing for years. Apple has dropped an innovative product since Jobs left us. They pushed devices with minor upgrades and have been playing catch up. Apple was nothing before Jobs came back and that I where they are heading again. Just this time the have several billion banked to cushion, slow, and/or try to prevent the fall. They didn't have that the last time Jobs left their ranks.
Apple hasnt*** commenting via the wpcentral app sucks.
They did what the people wanted. If you want a Kinect then go buy it separately for $100.
Yea, Microsoft should have dragged people into using the Kinect, just like they were so successful with forcing PC buyers into adopting Windows 8. Microsoft should be credited with being flexable and setting the Kinect aside, for the sake of Xbox One sales. They can still offer the Kinect as an add-on later.
No, Microsoft should be credited with being the biggest pussies in tech.
They will offer it as a separate purchase. It's just another SKU option. People are acting like they're killing it all together.
It DOES kill it though, nobody will develop anything worthwhile for an accessory that might not be available to EVERY gamer. This absolutely dooms the Kinect to irrelevance
By your logic Sony's VR helmet is dead on arrival.
Probably a true statement, Not many games will incorporate it in any meaningful way as it will be an expensive add on that only a small percentage of people will own, similar to the now murdered Kinect 2.0 ... so yeah, i agree with that line of reasoning
In the end Sony must be upset with MS decision. Anyone sitting on the fence between the PS4 and XB1 and wanted to save some money went PS4. Now Sony will lose a good chunk of that market. Sony is struggling financially and MS will continue applying the pressure.
Probably not, the PS4 is still a much better console, plus when you buy it today you know that it wont get worse in 5 months... Microsoft proved that they are more than willing to cripple their vision for the console time and time again.
A better console that can't play music CD's, doesn't have DLNA, doesn't support MP3's, no Skype, way less apps and whose ecosystem absolutely pales in comparison to the XB1.... Ok. Preach on!
But unlike the Xbox One, sony hasnt shown an almost compulsive desitre to continuously nerf their product. Sony actually believes in their product and stands behind it... All of those features can be ADDED, something that seems to be a dirty word for Microsoft these days, all they know how to do is REMOVE. That being said im getting out of console gaming, nothing but trash available
Give me a legit list of things they removed. In fact, they have been updating the XB1 every month whereas Sony has been fiddling their thumbs waiting for who knows what.
1. Digital Game Sharing. Being able to share my games library with any person in my list of 10 "family" members without having to physically hand them the disc. I have friends all over the country, mailing a game to them just so they can borrow it is absurd.
2. Digital Game Access from ANY console using my Gamertag. This speaks for itself. Again, freeing ourselves from restrictive disc based DRM. 3. Cloud based physics/rendering. 97% of people playing XBox are constantly connected, by removing that requirement you only really make a TINY fraction of your userbase happy, while taking away a feature that would have brought the XBox One on par graphics wise with the PS4. Not to mention it delayed Titanfall because they had to fix it to play without that advantage. 4. A commitment to the Kinect. Obviously they have decommited themselves from the Kinect as of June 9th and it will become another unused and never optomized peripheral, Kinect is dead. 5. Steam esque sales in the store... Do you know why Steam sales occur? because they are done digitally. The whole obsession with physical based DRM needs to stop, NOW. Steam has proven that digital is the future, Microsoft tried to follow that, then somehow people cried about how poor little gamestop would be hurt by the decision (you know, the company that sells you a game for full price and would at most give you $14 if you tried to return it same day, yeah that greedy extortionist company) Microsoft had the potential to move gaming forward, they just absolutely bungled the narrative. There is no reason to recommend an Xbone to anyone at this point.
Well done. Now Xbox execs are saying they might let developers disable your Kinect entirely so they can squeeze out a few more pixels. I mean they're practically screaming for a class action lawsuit. Could they have sold this console anymore dishonestly if they tried?
I feel like i was completely led astray by Microsoft when i purchased my XBox One, they promised one thing and released another. Its completely reprehensible and they need to be held accountable for their completely false representation of their console. Somebody needs to open up a lawsuit ASAP, id be more than willing to join in on it.
I see that Sony fanboys also feel threatened by these changes as well as Sony.
Nah playstation people just waiting for it to be reasonably priced
Well considering the Xbone is less powerful, being the same cost doesnt make it reasonable... it should be cheaper than the PS4
"Over 5 million Xbox One owners now have a Kinect, but no compelling gaming experience to go with it." I'm not sure why you're making a big deal out of this. By your own admission, those same 5 million haven't had a compelling gaming experience to go with it since launch. Meaning this announcement changes nothing for those 5 million. This announcement doesn't change the state of development for games using Kinnect either........its pretty clear many of the devs didn't care from the on set. I agree the Kinnect is being under utilized and MS seems to have botched the chance to leverage the Kinnect (again), but this announcement doesn't change those facts. Seems more to me lil MS is acknowledging the mistake and moving forward to ensure they stay viable in the market. Maybe they'll leverage the Kinnect to great effect next generation. I cannot blame MS fully either......people are buying PS4 just because they're cheaper. To me that says that many consumers are too cheap to pay for innovative products and those consumers must be catered to also.
Except we bought it on the promise that they WOULD add compelling reasons for the Kinect... this proves that they lied yet again
I don't recall a promise ever being made. You assumed it. This doesn't stop them from adding a compelling reason. Just gets more people on the system now. Who knows, maybe that compelling reason comes in a year and then people will go buy a Kinnect. Not saying that will happen, didn't with the 360. Just saying mist people don't buy a product that they aren't compelled to buy. You did, deal with the consequence. Me? I'll be getting the bundle with the Kinnect because the voice commands are enough for me.
So basically what youre saying is no matter what they say on stage at e3 i should just assume that they are lying? Sounds reasonable and definitely what im doing this time around. Fool me once, Microsoft... wont allow that to happen again.
No, what he's saying is you're too famed presumptuous and immature to really be concerned with... What?! Seriously, dude. Lay off the yayo... =/
Yeah Microsoft definitely knows what theyre doing, theyve managed to piss off EVERYBODY with their terrible console, even people who actually bought the initial idea they had. The XBone has become a console by committee, its a joke and a sham. Calling it next gen is farcical.
In over 20 years of business, when have Microsoft ever told customers the truth? Yes, they lied again. Seems it's part of their strategy.
I just hope some of the developers start bringing lawsuits against MS. Especially sympathetic to small developers who may go out of business because of this sudden change in commitment by Phil Spencer. Either way I think Xbox is done for at MS with the guy they currently have in charge. Plus ValueAct just bought a ton more stocks of MS and they want Xbox dead. By extension I think once you kill off Xbox at MS the MS Stores will all have to be shut down. MS is being forced to become IBM.
Do ValueAct have a seat on the board? Last thing I heard was they for fighting for one. Killing off Kinect could signal the Xbox dept. being spun-off.
At first I hated the thought of this Kinect but since day one, I've love it! I'll buy next one with Kinect for sure and believe me I ranted about it alot
Ugh...the tears over this are ridiculous. Developers weren't making use of the Kinect as it was. Even Microsoft's exclusive titles were barely getting Kinect functionality (Ryse, DR3, Forza 5, then Titanfall and Sunset Overdrive aren't getting it, and nothing's been said about it with Quantum Break). The thing's just not enticing when Sony's not forcing it out there as well, I imagine. Why woudl a third-party developer add extra developement cost and time for only one of the 3-5 platforms it's developing for? Sorry, Microsoft's making no effort to integrate the Kinect into the gaming experience, and too many gaming experiences don't have a meaningful way to make use of it.
I like the move simply because of the price. .i now would look at buying it where as before I was thinking going playstation I like to game it but not enough to splash $500.00 on
If Microsoft was really smart, they would have released the system with Kinect at 399.... This hopefully would have led to more people siging up for Skype, Xbox Music and Xbox Video... they could have made their money back that way.... Get people into the cloud ecosystem.... as a former PS Fanboy.... owning a windows phone has caused me to switch sides to Xbox and use a surface
Yeah it baffles me. Sony was unwilling to sell PS4 at a loss, but their company is in serious financial trouble so that makes sense. Microsoft could've taken this opportunity to sell below cost again and try to run Sony out of the business. Instead MS also tried to sell the Xbox One above cost. Internal politics and pressure caused them to miss a chance to bury failing competitors. You look at Sony's financials and you think if PlayStation loses money this company goes under or possibly puts PlayStation brand or it's creative studios up for sale. Microsoft played it greedy instead of going for the jugular.
Let's do the math here. Let's say they cut the cost to $399 and throw in Kinect. Instead of making $20 a console at $499 they lose $80 each. Let's multiply $80 x 10,000,000 XB1's sold in a year. That nearly a Billion Dollar loss each year. Yah...that'll work.
Don't be so gloomy. Kinect will have a huge installed base, and once a killer game comes out for it, it'll be a great thing to own for those who don't have it. There will be millions of Kinect owners out there willing to shell out bucks for a great game.
I hope you are right, if you're wrong I don't think I can deal with MS anymore. They fed us a lot of lies and false promises. Their commitment to Kinect and their vision for the future aren't clear at this point. If they disappoint at E3 with support for Kinect I'm going to start moving away from using Microsoft products.
I love the XBOne and my Kinect... Would purchase the combo again in a heartbeat...
I am really happy Microsoft is willing to cede mistakes and shows that they can demonstrate humbleness and respond quickly to market demand. Yes, a key title using the power of Kinect would have been nice at launch but it wasn't there... Let's focus on the future and build content and market share...
Microsoft should have stuck with it. By making the Kinect as an add-on, developers won't add it to the games. If Nintendo had made the Wii controller an addon, the number of games that used it would have been much smaller. Even games that don't use the Kinect as a main input, would have added small gestures because they know the Kinect is there. By not making it a default part of the package, games won't add even little things. I love having the Kinect. My wife can walk in and use just her voice to watch whatever channel she wants. I use the Kinect for Fitness (yeah, I'm about the only one). My kids love some of the Adventure games. (mainly on the 360). I will always recommend getting the Kinect. Microsoft, if you're listening, this is a bad move. Stop taking steps back. You can't make everyone happy, if they want games without the Kinect, let them buy an XBox 360!
"Microsoft, if you're listening, this is a bad move. Stop taking steps back. You can't make everyone happy, if they want games without the Kinect, let them buy an XBox 360"
The main problem is that people end up buying the PS4... not the Xbox 360.
Cause its better
I love your enthusiasm but here's the thing that sent me over the edge... Xbox execs are now saying they may allow devs to disable your Kinect to get more power for their games. What developer won't be tempted to kill your Kinect functionality to make their game look better? If they go forward with this plan I really think we need to start organizing a class action. I love Microsoft but the guy running Xbox couldn't care less about the first 5 million customers, he's only thinking about catching up to Sony. He doesn't care about the previous promises or the reasons you bought an Xbox. The Xbox plan right now sounds a lot like eating your young to survive. Their disregard for the people who are already invested in Xbox One is appalling.
Okay obviously the commenters on here don't have children between the ages of 5-12, because that's where the original Kinect made their investment. I don't look at the Kinect to assist me in Battlefield or Titan Fall, but what I do expect is to elevate the entertainment experience. Not so much the gaming experience. Dance central is one of my favorite games because its something I can play with my nine year old daughter withtout worrying about ESRB ratings and things like that so much. The Pixar game, and Kinect Adventures are great games that I find myself enjoying a lot. What I like most about the potential of the Xbox One Kinect is the skype function which allow me to play Titan fall and skype at the same time. For those of us who remember Windows messenger, it's a welcoming site. I don't think the Kinect is dead in anyway, MS just put purchasing it into the hands of the consumer.
Exactly. It hasn't reached its potential, but there's no reason ot can't do so yet. Xbox One will be with us for a long time, and if a developer releases a compelling title, it will sell as an accessory.
Honestly Mike, they're talking over 10 years of functionality and awesomeness! =P
I'm sad about this too, really no big developer will risk their budget on potentially what, 5 million users?
Sam you really need to proof read these mate. I can now pick your articles by the typos. Great content just needs a little more attention to detail.
Hey, he's just feeling a little Verklempt right now... We should probably just talk amongst ourselves for now. =[
LOL I sympathise I really do I was at the XBox One launch picking ours up. He deserves the right to type passionately and that probably explains the odd typo but a little time checking would be great. The content here is second to none and I like Sams posts and follow his twitter feed. Its just the typos detract and reduce the effect is all Sorry Sam not trying to be offensive - keep up the good work !
Come down off that ledge GeneralSham!
Sam, haven't you played Tomb Raider? That is the future of gaming. Simply shout at your tv and she equips the weapon you tell her too. You can also pause the game with your voice. Awesome. NBA 2k14 also uses the Kinect to make plays and call for a pick and roll. You can also get a foul if u keep cursing at your screen. These are not "Kinect" games so to speak but I love how it was used.
Why you incapable of pushing a button
Why push a button when you can say a command? Are you incapable of accepting change? Innovation? Choice?
Why are you incapable of moving into the future?
The media and headlines like this do more harm then
good because its the uneducated consumer (meaning product knowledge) who only reads headlines and listens to rumors or their dumb friends. Kinect & its potential should not be effected for a few food reasons & ill give you two.
1. You miss out on the full entertainment experience if you have no Kinect or don't use one. 2. Sell it separately for less than $99 so the people who want it but can't afford it at the time of purchase can go back later and get it. Look at Kinect 1.0 & how it flew off the shelves
Good, i hope the XBox One completely flops so they have to restart from the ground up
Honestly, I still had friends who still thought the console was still as they announced it, when it couldn't be further from the truth. It's always misinformation and outright bias that is killing Microsoft. What can they do? It's First Amendment stuff... =[
The Xbox One would be 1000x better if it were still the way they announced it, lets not kid ourselves.
Well said Sam, my thoughts and feelings exactly. Majority of us no doubtably will agree. However I am trying to stay positive and optimistic.
This was the one thing that made Xbox unique. A Kinect-less bundle is a terrible idea and potentially destroys any new innovation along with it. Sure, maybe Microsoft can woo customers back to their revolutionary camera in the future, but now that future seems bleak. I share Sam's undoubtedly sour disapointment in what could have been something great. I understand the decision from a sales perspective, but as a person who loves new and innovative technology this is extremely disappointing for me. What's even worse is that there is nothing setting it apart from the PS4, it might as well be one now. On a side note, being that i'm a Microsoft fan, i've found it tougher to remain as one being Canadian. I was disappointed not to have those One Guide features that my American neighbors were enjoying on Xbox One. Although I still eagerly awaited for them and for new and exciting things that Microsoft could do with Kinect. What does that mean now? I also started to think about why I own a Windows Phone while on hold for an appointment during phone call. As I listened and waited I heard an advertisement about an app for their company being available for iOS and Android. Once again (yet unsurprised) I am annoyed that Windows Phone marketshare is so low. In Canada it is even worse, as no one I know owns a Windows Phone. Every place here has an app for iOS and Android, it's the same thing over and over. Yet i've been patient, but for how long? Don't anyone take this the wrong way, I still love Microsoft, Xbox, and Windows Phone. I just happened to be reminded of disappointments today with two of Microsoft's platforms.
I'm not sure if they abandoning it. They could sell two versions in stores.
Which is akin to abandoning the Kinect as an integral part of the system... which completely ruins the Kinect
My mistake, I just edited my post. I didn't mean abandon all together. I know they will release bundles with and without Kinect. I'm just one of those people who think that releasing Xbox One without Kinect is potentially terrible for future innovation for it. What they are abandoning is their old policy of "Kinect is Xbox". Which clearly is no longer the case apparently.
Xbox has always been about games. Anything else should have come second. They should have done this in the beginning. Show the games then show its potential capabilities. More or less should get buyers to consider Kinect. Now it's like going backwards. Still I think buyers will want it at the end. They could have sold Kinect for $150 as an accessory. Too late now.
I think you're thinking Xbox is Kinect by your statement, but if Kinect is Xbox, then you should know what is for when you see it on sale on its own. See? The first means the former is useless without the latter, but the second statement implies the association for the device...or whatever. =P
xbox isn't in the same sad state WP is. They are just in the state apple is: they used to be dominant and the competitor they mocked used their hubris to their advantage and trashed them. But still early. MSFT could pull a google against sony in the software and services layer. After all, if you look at the mess the PSN and sony dashboard are...you get it: sony can't make software. All they really do is make a specsheet their audience digs, and release yet another unispired UI. However we still see some of the MSFT stupidity that caused this mess at work. where is the xbox app sdk? build came and went, they even told us xbox would be more open and let app developers submit any app, instead of the current process which is...basically MSFT must want your app on their ecosystem for you to even be considered. Its like a freaking elite lunge of lack from the same old names, instead of a vibrant ecosytem of apps. Sony will no doubt come out with apps, and they will likely be android. MSFT better get a move or it will end up in the dust with the xbox.
I feel your pain with Microsoft products in Canada. I gave up on expecting any attention from Microsoft and it's partners to to the Canadian market. I have been waiting for a phone to upgrade my Lumia 920 to no avail. Bought a 1520 on eBay but can't unlock it. Even the government is making apps for iOS and Android and even Blackberry but never for Windows Phone
Good for complainers and those looking for used at cheaper price. Bad for no one I guess as it gives people choice as to whether they want or not. I'm a little saddened though Devs lack the vision to create games for it. The majority of them are so entrenched in the fps games. Imagine a "punch-out" style game you can play online.
Right on Sam. If anything I'll at least still be able to do voice commands even if I waited with baited breath for those great Kinect games
My wife loves the dance Kinect game on XBOne. She played it at the mall when I picked up my surface @ a Microsoft store.
Xbox pause....i got take a leak....i come back....xbox play. Kinect is pretty awesome and its only the beginning. You people are way too emotional about this haha
Hahaha! +1020
You nailed it.
Ha! Ha! That's seems to be how I use it too. People are too serious..chill.
Excluding the Wii U is similar to excluding WP from the OS market, I disagree completely. That's all.
Fair point. Well said.
I'll tell you why it isn't wrong: MSFT has many business ventures and remains a dominant force in the OS game. Nintendo is basically a one trick pony and it is running out of cash. MSFT can keep giving WP life until such time as a new CEO kills it. And mobile is far to valuable for MSFT to ignore. I bet they will go as far as to create their own android compatibility layer and dalvik VM implementation to run android apps, or out right base windows phone on android if it will mean they will stand a chance. MSFT is quite crazy when they are under the gun. They just needed ballmer out.
If Microsoft come out with a VR headset like Sony's Morpheus and Oculis Rift. Kinect will play a big role in that and I feel Microsoft will have a major advantage over the competition with Kinect + VR. Secondly we already have Kinect for PC with sdk for Developers. Open a Xbox Store (App Store) so independant developers can provide there own apps and experiences on your Xbox using kinect. All is not lost people, if people have a good reason to use Kinect they will spend the money and get a Kinect.
Lol why would ANYONE trust Microsoft enough to buy another expensive add on? Theyll just abandon it 5 months later
good question, but sony will do this so MSFT has no choice if it wants to be relevant. and let's face it, their relevance is being called in to question far too often for their linking. At least I hope they are worried, but some of the MSFT guys I know act like they are walking on water while in fact they are just on thin ice without knowing.
The XBox brand is essentially dead in the water at this point, not quite as bad as Wii, but damn close to it. Sony is laughing their way to the bank on this generation because they know they just won the next decade of the console war... unless Microsoft does the intelligent thing and hand over the XBox brand to Valve who knows how to run a game company.
Dude... LOL...You sound like a fanboy on a mission to dispense more crap than a hog farm. We're five months into this. MS is doing great in sales (Not Awesome like PS4), but to say XB1 is dead is simply stupid.
Why? Microsoft has no vision for their product, it would be MORONIC to actually buy an XB1 at this point.
There are a lot of reasons to get a PS4 and a lot to get an XB1. To say there's no reason to get an XB1 now is simply uneducated and wrong.
Valve is doing a good job? I mean they are basically a middle man milking gamers and OEMs alike and they are basically a non event in mobile with the app store and play store completely rendering them irrelevant. Valve has a hold on PC gaming which is a fraction of the gaming market mostly dominated by mobile at this point. so don't tell me valve isn't fighting for survival. that steambox doesn't seem like it is going anywhere fast either.
Sony is laughing their way to the bank?? Now you truly are a blind Sony pecker hogger. Did you see Sony's latest financial report?? They are losing so much money it's not even funny. Heck, even their most "successful" division (Playstation) posted a loss. Come in now.
I love having the Kinect for Xbox Fitness. Worth it for me right there.
Xbox fitness is great.
Kinect capabilities should be made available in all MSFT hardware as best is possible. And native to Windows 8 software if possible. Its a differentiating technology. MSFT should be using it as a loss leader to sell tablets, phones and laptops.
This has always been the biggest problem for Microsoft. They are always ahead of competition in terms of features. Kinect is gar superior than Go, voice command and a complete media package, apps to use on XBox One, cool navigation using Kinect. They are so ahead that people don't have anything to compare them to and hence don't think as much about them. Same happened with Windows mobile, windows 8's touch optimized UI.
If I had wrote this article I would be being crucified now for proclaiming the death of the Kinect. lol I'm glad they dropped it. I've always said they shouldn't have imposed it in the first place. Nothing that the Kinect did for those in the US (and the few places where it's localized) really matters. It's a gimmick. Record and share games? 1% of console owners do that. Take Skype calls? During a game? No way. And if we want to Skype we have the PC, the phone and the tablet. Voice controls...meh. Who's gonna go around shouting to the console? Well the same people that are nuts enough to talk to Cortana, Siri or Google Now in the middle of the street, the coffee shop or alike. But fear not. I've seen the Kinect 2 put to good use...on Ghost Adventures. As for it on consoles...no one ever cared. That's why Sony barely promoted the PlayStation Eye at all. And people who really want to play games with movements go for the Nintendo Wii and Wii U. Bring back this sort of gimmicks when you can project holographic screens etc. Then I can see the use in the Kinect technology.
I still don't see a reason that still couldn't happen...MAN I wish you would just go away... Excuse me, while I just go over here and cry myself to sleep. (runs away sobbing)
Perhaps because they haven't developed that technology to the point of commercial availability yet? Now go. Sleep well and cry all you want. The harsh reality will still be waiting for you here in the morning.
OMG yes ghost adventures. But I think it was kinect 1. Glad to see somebody else knows about the one use for kinect: ghost hunting ha ha.
I share your sentiment completely
Microsoft released a development platform with every imaginable tool available but developers have to make use of it. If developers NEVER took advantage of Kinect, it was all for nothing. And frankly, many developers almost completely lack vision. If this sells more consoles, that is a good thing. Sometimes, you have to go back to the basics to move forward. Either way, the Kinect is an incredibly useful tool that adds to the experience as a whole. For those who want nothing more than a gaming rig, they can have that now. This isn't that big of a deal. The future is still on the horizon. It just may not look like what we thought it would.
I submit that almost NO ONE has the vision or imagination, just listen to the ones that say they never saw the use for it... We did not have the need for smartphones yet now users desperately cling to them. I fear for this generation... =[
at the same time, how many failed "innovations" were just plain bad ideas. you don't glorify those huh? It isn't that this generation is worse. The problem is that kinect ain't all that hot when you see an oculus rift.
That depends on how you intend to use it. For me, a VR headset isn't really a must have accessory. I could see how gamers would be really interested in it but it doesn't have an IR blaster so it doesn't really do much for me. :)
Kinect 2.0 while a huge improvement over the original is still NOT ACCURATE enough for AAA games. If they used it in any meaningful and essential way it would just hurt the game, drag its scores down and make less money. Kinect is really cool technology, but they should be pushing it somewhere else. The motion gaming fad is over.
I don't doubt it though I haven't really tried mine for gaming. I could see more commercial and enterprise applications than gaming.
So this means in two years Apple will release a controller-less, $700 gaming console with heavy DRM. It will take the U.S. by storm and be hailed as innovative and ground -breaking.
Apple hasn't exactly been knocking them out of the park lately. Besides, who will subsidize the cost of their iConsole? Without that, it's going to be a tough sell.
No one subsidizes the MacBooks, Air, iPad, iPods and iMacs...what are you talking about?
That would probably explain why sales for those products are flat or in decline.
exactly. I just saw one of the stats put apple at just 10% marketshare. they are about to dip into single digits!!!. If windows gets an obituary written when it can't match its own success against its older products, what is up with apple getting a pass after dropping nearly 60 points in 3 years. And while the iphone sells well, it simply isn't growing against android. the ipad also had a decline for the first time. Apple has a lot of cash, but unless it outright buys google, it is pretty much skydiving without a parachute. At least MSFT had the enterprise to fall back on. What does apple have other than ipads and iphones? zero. nada.
Apple will only get a free pass for so long. I just read an article on 9to5 Mac where they explain the drop in iPad sales. To sum it up, the iPad is too expensive and the market is saturated. For some reason, having a really big iPod doesn't seem to have lasting appeal.
The Kinect is not dead. Nothing beats the "Xbox Go To [game]" or "Xbox Record That" commands. Or auto sign in with facial recognition. They are giving the people an option which is great. Kinect will live on and when people see how cool it is, they will buy it separately. Early adopters will have bought the entire package for less money in the end.
Nothing beats them except Microsoft saying they may let developers disable Kinect entirely to give their games more resources. In other words you may one day find yourself saying Xbox record that or Xbox Go To and nothing is capable of happening. Besides they're redoing the interface for controller so you don't need to use that silly Kinect thing they made you buy and lied about their commitment to.
Controller pretty quickly switches tasks RELIABLY. Auto sign in with kinect? Just plain old auto sign in beats that. I'm happy that it's optional now, more of my friends will actually buy it. I only have an XB1 because I bought extra consoles during the XB1 and PS4 launch and flipped them to subsidize the XB1 and PS4 I'm keeping. I wouldn't have paid $500 for an XB1 + kinect and no game.
Thank you Satya Nadella for having absolutely no long term vision when it comes to the growth of gaming.
I have so much to say about this. First off, I have to say that I'm disappointed in Microsoft's unwillingness to retain any level of confidence in its original vision for Xbox One. I'll agree that Microsoft did little to justify its intial direction with Xbox One, so I can't completely fault everyone for coming down so hard on Microsoft for it. Still, I wish that Microsoft had stuck with its original vision for the console, because I do feel that Microsoft could've made it work, and I do feel that digital distribution could've really taken off for consoles had Microsoft played its cards right. That said, the only reason that I'm disappointed to see Kinect become an optional purchase is because it's the last remaining thing that really makes the Xbox One unique. Furthermore, I was hoping to see Cortana integrated into Xbox One before Kinect was relegated to its new status as an optional purchase, because I truly do feel that Cortana was meant for the Xbox One user base. Given the fact that Xbox One users don't need Internet connectivity due to the Xbox One policy changes, however, I'm not surprised that Microsoft wasn't overly keen on rolling it out to Xbox One users first. Still, the Halo audience is on Xbox, and it still strikes me as odd that there wasn't more interest on Microsoft's part to make Kinect more appealing before taking it out of the box. I wish Microsoft would've done more to entrench itself in its path toward a digital distribution future. I could take or leave Kinect, personally, as I realize that it doesn't work so consistently in all situations. Furthermore, most developers tend to use it for voice control and little more, and you don't need such an expensive setup for that. I would've loved to see a Kinect-less Xbox One with the old policies in place, maybe even lacking an optical drive. That would've forced Microsoft to stay the course and make it work or fail so miserably that they would've just hopefully realized that they weren't intended to be in the gaming market. That brings me to the last point that I'll bother making in this post: Microsoft should've taken the TV portion of Xbox and integrated that into a cheap set-top box and subsidized the pricing for it through cable providers. I see more of a future for Kinect in making technology more accessible to people who generally wouldn't want to give it a shot. Coupled with Cortana, we could have the new wave of WebTV, but it'd actually be really solid with support for HD resolutions and streamlined control of your entertainment. As a $500 purchase, though, I don't see Xbox One having that sort of mainstream support.
Microsoft absolutely failed at explaining their initial vision, only people who actually read about and understood it were truly able to appreciate what they were trying to do. Valve probably sht themselves when they heard what Microsoft was trying to do, they basically presented the long awaited Steam Box to the world, but failed to explain anything about it. In 1-2 years Steam will release an identical system to what the XBox originally was supposed to be and they will sell millions... hopefully they can come in and take over console gaming asap
I just don't get what was so hard for people to wrap their heads around? Microsoft's only problem I have felt for the past 5+ years is trying to give people more credit than they are worth, a thinking and enlightened group which sadly couldn't be further from the truth. Microsoft is a bull being skewered by the Matador that is the consumer... =[
It didn't help that there was a pretty huge smear campaign against Xbox One on various social networks, and the people who were demanding change didn't have the decency to point out that things had changed for the "better" once the changes had been made. This left the brand with a stigma attached to it.
Yep because that smear campaign was always political from day one. It was always about what can we exploit to make Sony number one again. What surprised me is how readily social media took the bait. Sony has always fought dirty though, sadly the new MS does fight the same after the DOJ got involved.
I'm surprised that you haven't realized that their vision was a delusional one. The motion gaming fad ended years ago and the Kienct 2.0 isn't accurate enough for AAA games.
I wasn't referring specifically to its gaming functions. While I understand that you don't necessarily need a camera for what I consider to be most effective, I do feel that Cortana could make Kinect much more appealing for Xbox One users. Thing is, Cortana depends upon two vital parts of Xbox One's original vision (Internet connectivity and Kinect), and not everyone who owns an Xbox One is guaranteed to have either of those anymore.
They could've bundled a $10 microphone array for voice control. They an still make one. Or put a microphone in the face of the controller.
I agree to some extent, although it's worth nothing that the camera does allow for more flexibility in how the console and Cortana could identify and interact with you.
Microsoft has lost it backbone over recent years
I disagree. In the past few months they finally stopped being total idiots.
by crippling all of their products? No, theyve just begun to be idiots
Nope, they've finally released a SKU of the XB1 that people actually want to buy. XB1 isn't crippled without Kinect. The Kinect is hurt by not forcing people to buy it but the damage it's doing to the XB1 is worse. The motion gaming fad is long over and the voice commands just aren't that important. They're also still available to people who want to pay for them. They're giving people the option of using the start menu on Windows 8. There is NO HARM in giving them the option. Even if those users are just stubborn and the start screen works fine, it's hurting Microsoft. It's just good business practice to give the option. I know the things people say are ridiculous like they're super multi-taskers and having the start screen pop up is so incredibly "jarring" that it ruins the OS. But it doesn't matter, it's hurting. They're definitely headed in the right direction. They should've gotten rid of Ballmer and company long ago.
The Xbox One was crippled since last years E3 completely destroyed their initial vision... this simply puts the last nail in the coffin. Compromising your vision sets the company and its progress back, They looked like they were headed in the right direction but clearly are still the same spineless company whose afraid of innovation
Here is how I see this scenario. As an early adopter (which I find not accurate, because I was buying an Xbox One day one, no matter what it had), I do not feel slighted in any way. If all you bought an Xbox One for was the potential of Kinect and its future, that may have been a little short sighted. The Kinect adds to the overall experience by a large margin, but I never feel like it is the sole reason to own an Xbox One. MS is pushing for services to differentate themselves from the competition.m Those apps like Skype, Netflix, Xbox Music, Internet Explorer, really have no connection or hold on Kinect. Could you use Kinect to navigate those apps? Yes. Could you also use a controller? Yes. If MS was completely sold on the idea that Kinect was going to power EVERYTHING on the Xbox One, then why did they release a Media Remote? Couldn't they just say that the Kinect is all the media remote you need? Ever since MS bothced their intial lanch campaign for Xbox One, nothing I felt was set in stone anymore. It was all up in the air. From the DRM policies (which I was all for), to the sharing abilities and so on, they had to change because they themselves messed up their own marketing. With that the damage was done, they may have defended it by saying, "We will never sell Xbox without Kinect.", but that's exactly what defending is; defend until you either win or lose the battle. Right now they are losing it (well only slightly) to Sony and their sales lead. MS clearly isn't in any mood to give up any ground in hopes that the Kinect will eventually be THE system seller. The reason why was pointed out in this article; there are no games showcasing the Kinects abilities. When you can look into other fields, whether that be research, arts, development and see the use of Kinect far exceeding what us Xbox onwers are using, thats a problem. The Xbox should be THE platform for Kinect. The technology is there, but the execution is slow. In the meantime, their best move is to capture the other audience that would never buy the Kinect, use it or have the setup for it. Why not? Forcing the Kinect would have been a great move, if it was justified with major integration and use. I personally find the Kinect amazing and use it every single time I turn on my Xbox, record something or navigate Netflix. For me I can;t imagine a day without it. However, thats me and clearly the masses haven't felt the same. If they were to come to my house and see its use, then they most likely would be sold, unfortunately MS hasn't really educated the public on WHY the Kinect is something they NEED. As for its future, I say its actually brighter. Why? Because now developers are going to REALLY have to show why ayone would step outside and buy another accessory for their console. If the reason is compelling enough and good enough, there won't be a fight. People will just line up and buy it. Having the Kinect on every system was allowing some developers to release literal gabage packaged as a Kinect game, tarnishing its real abilities. Games like Fighter Within (Seriously, how did that game leave the drawing board) did EVERYTHING to make doubters point and say, "See! The Kinect is a utter waste!" See, those games would have been more prevalent because developers KNEW everyone would have a Kinect and could potentially make some money on what was really just an overall terrible game. Now, developers have to put in work. Truly, show people why they need a Kinect and why its something that can enhance their gaming experience. The technology is there, it comes down to the application and how far developers are willing to push. FPS games should be at the forefront with abilities of calling teams or using motion to signal your squad. These areas are what MS should be focusing on for upcoming titles like Halo or future Ttanfall's. As for the price, thats always helpful. Even though I argue that if $100 is breaking the bank at $400-$500 you should probably continuing saving or wait to buy it. That's my opinion though. For some that $100 is all they needed to justify a purchase. If more consoles are in more consumers hands, then the potential for more Kinect integration is greater. If MS pushes for added languages, gesture control, higher accuracy levels, sped up perfromance, then overtime they won't have to convince anyone. They'll be convinced just by seeing its application. Right now, their not too convinced. So, the ball is in MS court to justify to cost of R&D to create the Kinect and that's how it should be. They were resting (a little) on their laurels with Kinect, knowing everyone had one. If their losing money on systems at $399.99 then they definitely will kick into high gear before the Kinect is sold seperately to show off it abilities. Until then, I will continue to enjoy my Kinect, if all it becomes is a very accurate voice navigation tool, then I'm good. If it taps into a few potential games, good. For me, the control over the system is what sld me, not the gaming side. However, the gaming side has the chance to shine. Let's see what they do now.
MS said the Kinect was bundled to make sure developers knew there was a standard to develop to. We're now 6 months post release and there isn't a single game that uses the Kinect to enhance the game play. MS grossly miscalculated the effect of the $100 price difference in the sales decision and now they have once again shafted their most loyal customers (Windows Phone 7, XBox One) by changing course shortly after release. The Kinect is dead on the XBox One (early adopters will still use voice control, etc) since developers can no longer count on the Kinect being there and few people will buy it as a $100 accessory. They may sell some in a discounted bundle (e.g. Holiday Bundle 2 games and the Kinect for an extra $50). I am not an early adopter for gaming (our Xbox 360 used to be a gaming machine - single player only - never got back into FPS or other massive online RPGs or RTS). It is possible down the road we may buy an XBox One to replace the 360 for accessing XBox Video content otherwise have very little interest in the One or PS4.
Not only did they miscalculate the effect the $100 would have, but also the weaker hardware and the power of the Kinect 2.0. The Kinect 2.0 really isn't that great.
Tell me again how you plan to Skype without video? =/
For me I can;t imagine a day without it. However, thats me and clearly the masses haven't felt the same. If they were to come to my house and see its use, then they most likely would be sold, unfortunately MS hasn't really educated the public on WHY the Kinect is something they NEED.
Sorry but no. Kinect really just isn't THAT impressive. I have a bunch of friends who have used my XB1 and Kinect and they were just as unimpressed with Kienct as I was. They just don't care for it at all and were waiting for a price drop to buy XB1. Maybe they'll buy it now.
I got the xbox one w kinect. If it was not developed any more than where it is now, I'd still feel fine w where it is. Swapping apps with my voice, using my hand as a controller through the OS, controlling the volume via commands, all that stuff, it's not going anywhere the value of kinect is still there. (Now if that did happen then I'll pull out my pitchfork!) It might've been said elsewhere and while wo the cameras motion control development will most likely fall away, the voice control is still around because they aren't taking out the microphone, so improved voice control is still on the table (unless there're other technical barriers totally possible). I'm happy with the kinect. For games? Yeah, limited. But the XB1 is more than games and the kinect greatly adds to non-gamer related functions. The XB1 replaced my HTPC because my wife can deal w the xb1. It does Skype, has OneDrive, XBox Music, Hulu, Netflix, I can record game video, twitch is better on xb1 by most accounts I've read, and while the graphical power is less it's already closing with big strides already known and in place for the future. For me, with Microsoft finally getting around to syncing and aligning so many of their consumer facing products, I'm more than happy with xbox one and kinect and I believe people will eventually get around to buying the kinect.
+920 Well said. Slow clap for you. People seem to have this idea that there isn't going to be a bundle with Kinect. They are just offering choice. Quite frankly, as you said...I'm very happy with Kinect at the moment. Underutilized? Yes. But for Voice Commands, Skype, Smartglass, and Motion Control I use it every day. People seem to forget for a full Smartglass Experience you need the IR blaster on the Kinect and with the way the Beta is going they are making some good ground on that app. The experience w/o Kinect will be quite gimped, so I'm happy I have it. Even if it is nothing more than a "glorified webam". I will use it everyday. MS will be able to play up the benefits of having it while offering a less expensive option for those that don't want it. Plus if these Fortaleaza Glasses are coming...you need Kinect.
Microsoft never said they would "never" sell a kinectless Xbox one as your article states. They said they had no plans to do it, which left the door cracked open for it.
Props to this one for recognizing the Microsoft way... =P
I'm disappointed really, but should have expected that after experiencing the same thing with the Kinect 1
Money talks, MS saw where sales were at compared to the PS4. I rather they had dropped the price to $399 with the kinect, even if just for a summer sale. But I'll get an Xbox One once the drice drops June 9. The reason for this is my Xbox 360 bite the dust and I was going to get another 360 as I have no interest in the Kinect but now things changed.
It was not wise to make kinect mandatory, in the first place, this is the main reason why xbox one cost 100 dollars more than the ps4, causing Microsoft to lose in sales. The other problem is that many gamers don't see the need to have kinect as many gamers don't like motion control games. I think kinect could have been better, having to shout across the living room to perform functions is not very productive and makes you look like an idiot, they could have made it in such a way that the microphones are placed in the areas. Of the room that are closest to the person so the person will not have to shout. So far i have only used kinect to redeem codes, on the whole kinect could have been implemented better
You did not set it up right, there is no need to shout at Kinect, it was made for a conversational tone... It simply got its feelings hurt and no longer likes you for being u unreasonably mean. =/
Not sure about the Kinect system, but I'm not sure if this is the end of motion-gesture and voice control on Xbox, at least in the long-term. This technology will scale and it may eventually find itself integrated directly into a future version of Xbox (we're seeing this general technology find its way onto Smart TVs and streaming boxes). Sure, it won't live up to the full potential of Kinect, but the core stuff (e.g. voice controlling channels, summoning apps and games, etc) can be retained and improved.
How can you blame the new CEO of old Xbox One issues ? Man get real .... I guess its because he is from India the reason why you bash him
Ahh, making it about race... A sign of the less evolved since, well forever. Maybe theyre going after him because HE would have to be the one to allow the Kinect to be removed... Ballmer has been gone long enough that this decision can rest solely on the guy in charge RIGHT NOW. Indian or not, hes a moron for allowing this
The Kinect is the 1 thing my wife loves about the Xbox One. She doesn't play games on it at all. She just like saying things like Xbox pause because we often can't find the remote. The funny thing is that the price isn't what was keeping my sister from buying it for my nephew. It was the lack of backwards compatibility. My nephew has a library of games that he still plays and the idea of spending $500 to not to be able to play those games was too much. Even at $400 I'll doubt she'll pick one up. I know that backwards compatibility isn't easy but if they could figure that out I can almost guarantee at least my sister would buy one and probably get it with the Kinect. On a side note being able to just say, "Xbox, record that" is just awesome and well worth the $100 IMHO
I can usually sell that story with the HDMI passthrough feature, I now have 2 growing libraries of games and all the cool extras that come with both... Of course, I know all too well that having 2 systems make very little financial sense for a working family. You could be an exceptionally kickin' uncle/aunt though! ;p
Actually that's a good idea. I always forget about the passthrough.
Look, I get it...games, games, games, but honestly CHILDREN daddy wants some killer future tech RIGHT NOW! Xbox One was, is and will be the Future, whether the little rugrats of this community want it or not. You want to play with toys or with the big boys? Supposedly gamers are growing up and want their systems to come with them, but they sure as hell don't act like it. >=[
The XBox WAS the future, until they removed all of the innovations from it shortly after E3... then it became the present when it launched as a slightly improved 360 with a lot of cool features. Now, its the past. Valve needs to step up and take its place in the Console world, they would have the balls to push the future Microsoft pretended they were working towards
Microsoft is making a huge mistake...by first not releasing any Kinect games except Kinect Sports. I agree Microsoft has killed the Kinect..They should have dropped the price to $399 and taken a less profit. The things people will miss without the Kinect...Walking into the room, and Kinect saying Hi (Your Name). If there are more then one person...Xbox Show My Stuff and it switches to your dashboard. Just too sad.. :-(
Take a bigger step back from the picture and all companies simply rushed everything. Nintendo, Sony, and MS... In some mad dash to get units on shelves. Yeah, they all sold millions, but last Gen hardware easily could have coasted another year on their own. There's a lot of 'next gen' promises that aren't a reality and needed more time. I go over to my buddies house and he's freaking playing Peggle 2. I visit my nephews and the only thing they boast about PS4 is PS Plus has free games....then they load up Steam on a PC and we laugh about Goat Simulator. Next Gen consoles were rushed and it shows. The games many are boasting about... Its like boasting about tap water in the middle of a desert.
I didn't think I would like Kinect until I got an Xbox One. I can't go back.
Same.
Doesn't the Kinect enable the Xbox One to interact with a/v receivers, cable boxes and tv's ? I use this feature alone, each and every time that I interact with my entertainment system, whether that be watching tv, watching a blu-ray, or playing a game.
Is this the same writer from the verge? What a useless opinion. The old xbox was sold without a kinect, and people still purchased it. In fact i believe that it was said to be one of the fastest selling devices ever. The bottom line is, Kinect is fantastic. If someone doesn't want a Kinect than why shouldn't MS offer a cheaper xbox? There will always be paranoid people who don't want it for various reasons. Just the other day i helped a person with their laptop, they had tape over the webcam. So you'd rather see MS not make a sale than force people use kinect. Sometimes, I just don't get where they dig up these writers. Would it ever hurt to have an open mind?
He was correct... Microsoft could have just lowered the price to $399 and that would have solved all the issues. They mentioned they were making profit from day one. They just finishing running the Xbox One with the Kinect and Titanfall for $449. Remove that extra $50.00 and remove the game and poof they are at the PS4 price tag. The people screwed DRM idea MS had in the beginning sharing your games collection with your friends... now that is gone too.. :-(
Your faulty opinion means nothing to me :)
If it improves, it will sell. I use the voice commands more for recording stuff on the fly and then pausing and playing hulu or netflix, which is pretty handy when I can't find a controller or its dead. The benefit I see from them unbundling the kinect is getting more people to buy into the system sooner. You still have developers pushing games for the 360 because of the huge install base that still exists on the console compared to the next gens. The Borderlands Pre-Sequel is coming on out last gen consoles only due to this fact alone. When you have 10 years worth of consoles sitting in public, it makes more financial sense to develop for that market over a new one that has a limited install base. If Microsoft can push 10 million consoles by the end of the year, You may have that start to change. And it actually benefits Microsoft if the PS4 sells consoles as it is, because between the both, you will have a significant number of people who have migrated to next gen and its easier to port games between the two systems now due to the similar architecture vs last gen's Cell vs PowerPC. It just makes sense, regardless of the feelings about the Kinect 2, for them to push more consoles into homes at this stage of the game to get everyone on board for developing for the new hardware rather than the old hold outs that are still putting resources into the dinosaur consoles.
Well, if someone wants a Kinect there's no one stopping them from buying one, sooooo....
Anyway, I personally couldn't care less about it and look forward to being able to save $100. The price tag due to the added hardware was actually holding me back from purchasing as I am not that heavy a gamer or TV watcher and didn't want to pay for something I didn't consider a value add.
I agree with you on this one. Since they are at the beginning of the console lifecycle, it makes more sense to have both options available. I still want the system with Kinect when I do jump to the next gen (ps3 now).
Yeah, the whole "dragging consumers into the future" philosophy didn't do well for them in regard to Windows 8, so maybe this is simply a lesson learned from another platform which drove this change. Better to do it now than wait until Sony's lead became insurmountable IMO.
Basically, if you've kept with gaming, everybody wants VR, nobody wants to jump around like a moron in their living room any more. MSFT made the right move by ditching that thing. Yes, it helped put the 360 over the top against sony, or at least tie. But ultimately like the wii, nobody used it. The voice commands is all that it is good for, and a simple mic array without the complex optics, and CPU/GPU tax would have done the trick. Better yet, not cost 100 bucks. Get those "fortaleza" glasses out. That should have been the big thing about the xb1. if oculus rift is any indication, MFST needs to get in the game of VR soon.
Nobody actually wants VR, they want the magical and impossible future of VR that is decades away. They want the Matrix essentially. Nobody wants to put on a blindfold and bash into things in the middle of their room because they cant see. Also, that VR you are asking for wouldnt be possible with a device like Kinect
Drama! This move portends nothing for Kinect and Microsoft's commitment to it than a burning bush is a signal from an Almighty. This is good for the platform. 5 million people already have Kinect because of their original position. Does that mean that the Kinect has any more traction? No. It will remain an accessory to those that view it as such but now aren't forced to own one. Investing in their product and encouraging a growing ecosystem for it will determine its fate, not whether or not it is force fed. The technology is brilliant but Microsoft is not Nintendo and though they want to capture more of their market, it isn't one that is ready to accept readily an XBOX that is for the Family Oriented (read: infantile /juvenile whatever it is that Nintendo exudes). It doesn't look so great that they back track if you deal in absolutes as the Sith do. But if a company claims to be listening to their customers, they will consider their demands seriously and perhaps place them ahead of their vision. This is a minor setback at worst for Kinect, but a huge win for poor XBOX lovers or those that just don't want a creepy motion detecting voice processing surveillance unit on their console.
No doubt on the drama. Wow. Besides, now they will be able to report on Kinect sales as well as console sales. The market analysts are probably licking their chops.
5 million Xbox One's with Kinect sensors sold! - Installed Base completed! Telling my Xbox when to turn on & off, when to change channels, game dvr, launch games & apps by voice - Priceless! Microsoft selling 5 million more kinectless XB1 & streaming apps not requiring an Xbox Live Gold subscription on June 9th - Winning!
Nobody wins here
I'll still buy it with the Kinect. One way or another I'll enjoy Kinect 2.
Didn't read the whole article, but didn't have to. You're missing the point of Microsoft doing this. This sku was produced solely for China. They don't have voice control ready, and this lets them push the console into areas that aren't voice control ready yet. It's business homeslice. Business...
Id believe this if it was ONLY available in China, but theyre also selling it stateside
It's unfortunate that Microsoft has to stoop to the lowest common denominator to try and generate sales. I bought the XBO because it is truly a next gen console. If I wanted a 1990s gaming paradigm with better graphics, I would have gotten a PS4. My only hope is that developers and Microsoft continue to develop up and include the power of Kinect. I know I enjoy the auto login, Skype, voice navigation, etc., and the potential is incredible.
Sam, I am sorry. For the million of us unitiatied readers, the ones that do not have an Xbox and are interested in buying one because of the the Kinect, among other things, need to know why this matters. I had to read through a dozen paragraphs of your essay before I understood the real reason. As I understand it, the Kinect is not currently a central part of the Xbox experience, it is only peripheral. To make it more central, Microsoft really needs to commit to it. If that is what your argument is, why don't you say that in the first paragraph? Not buried in the bottom parargraph of the fourth section of your essay. 90% of your essay has nothing to do with this argument, which happens to be the basis of your attention grabbing headline. If you want to convince me, the unititiated reader, that this is a bad thing, please spend more time on your core argument. Right now, I am unconvinced.
It doesn't really matter. The Xbox One is great with or without Kinect but the $100 premium is well worth it in my opinion.
My most used Kinect app is Xbox fitness. It's a lot better than Wii fit and whatever PlayStation equivalent there is. I think when Xbox one is opened up to Windows app developers there will be a lot more Kinect oriented apps.
I agree its going to be great for console sales, but completely disagree that it will kill Kinect. All it will take is one incredibly compelling game and Kinect bundles and add one will sell just fine.
Disagree. Kinect isn't for masses. It has some amazing applications but for now hardcore gamers need their physical controllers.
Also as the years go by, Kinect will mature. It will also come to desktops and phones. It isn't dead. It just isn't off to a roaring start. XB1 isn't off to a roaring start for that matter. I'm looking down the road for good things to come.
Im hoping Microsoft sells off the XBox and Kinect to Valve... Microsoft is to incompetent to handle the technology they own, and they proved it with this move
Thats funny ... what will valve do with their current console once they purchase the Xbox Business?
It's kind of a shame they would have to do this. Maybe they should have sold X-Box for 30 or 40 less from he beginning. But honestly this is the world we live in now. Everything is dominated by fanboyism and blogs filled with people posting opinions and giving advice when they don't have a clue what they're taking about. This is the new world of consumer products. Everyone knows every little deal about your products before they come out, and all it takes is a handful of people to decide your product has to have or not have a certain feature, and you're pretty much stuck with it. It could smply be a leak of some ideas that are just being kicked around.
I think it was a stupid decision to do this. Being able to walk into a room and say "Xbox On" and everything power up, TV, receiver, etc. is worth $100. I think Kinect while not critical to the system, is like icing on the cake. Cake is fine without icing, but it's soooooo much better with it.
The problem with this is that many people, Including myself, just aren't seeing the value in paying 100 extra dollars to be able to open Netflix and games with our voice. I buy my game systems to play games and watch Netflix. Pushing a few buttons to do so is no big deal. This should end up being a great business decision for Microsoft.
If you still want the Kinect you can buy it seperately. If it's working for PS than it'll work for XBOne.
+920
It will be a no brainer-resurrection in the future. No worries. It will happen, and it will make sense to folks, and it will be great....or at least it will be implemented into the next windows computer (here's hoping).
Bottom line is that the functionality of Kinect doesn't justify the price. Also the Xbox one is a freaking brick, while the PS4 is significantly smaller. This is what really hurt Microsoft.
With irony being what it is, this guy used Kinect v1 with Oculus Rift to create a truly immersive VR experience. Imagine what he could do with v2. http://techcrunch.com/2014/05/14/clever-kinect-hack-brings-this-guys-ful...
I am a relatively newcomer to hardcore consoles coming from a Wii to XB1. I am fairly tech saavy but still get overwhelmed sometimes by RB, RT, A, B, X, Y, LB, LR, etc. I don't use my XB1 as a game console only. I use the voice commands to navigate via Kinect whether its the XB1 main menu, TV or control the streaming video from my Surface. I love the Kinect. I enjoy my Kinect Sport Rivals. And Dance Central via Kinect is goood exercise. I didn't want a gaming system; I wanted a media system. It is great that my partner can use the traditional Comcast remote to channel surf thru the XB1 while I use voice commands. Yes, the XB1 and Kinect should have been a bit smaller but I understood it was version 1. They should have just lowered the price, ate the loss up front, and expanded the title options to make money for game / disc sales.
I just want to know when they are releasing the Kinect 2 SDK and USB3 adaptor so I can put my kinect 2 to actual use.... www.brekel.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YVmB0AIrvw Heck, I'll probably buy a second Kinect 2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1vKrJ9JNu0 Kinect 360 + Brekel + Softimage | Motionbuilder = amazing what that $100 device delivers!
Yeah if they let me use my XB1 Kinect on PC I'd probably put it there. I don't care for Kinect in gaming. I use it for Xbox Fitness though.
I love the new leadership at Microsoft.
Im assuming you own stock in Sony then?
Not at all. Microsoft is giving people what they want which means Microsoft gets more money. Simple really.
Microsoft compromises their vision yet again to the point where their next gen console is a joke compared to the competition... Yay backwards progress!!!
Just stop The drama.
It wasn't the greatest of moves. I dislike the fact that it has such potential but developers now are going to ignore it because not every person has one. It's like Sony removing the touch pad on their controller, they would instantly lose developers making dictionary for that specific feature. The kinect is great, the motion tracking is brilliant and the voice is perfect from my experience, but her maybe I'm not some fat gamer that mumbles all my words.
Great. Now this console is nothing more than an overpriced, underpowered rival to the PS4. This console lost all direction, and has nothing going for it anymore. Goodbye heartrate sensor, face expression sensor, voice commands. All because Microsoft couldn't execute this without confirming and somehow parading EVERYTHING consumers feared about the console since before it was even announced. Which just goes to show how out of touch they are. This company does a lot of things right, but a lot of things horribly wrong. And the Xbox One is a great example of that.
Great hardware, great vision, great direction. HORRIBLE execution. They know damn well what consumers DIDN'T want, and instead of listening to that, they tried and failed miserably to twist it around into positive light. The Kinect had some really compeling features that now most devs probably won't even bother to use anymore. This generation of consoles is now nothing more than a rehash of the previous generation. And thats being nice considering the fact that 6th months haven't even passed and they already can't even push 1080p/60fps. Might as well stick to your 360/ps3s.
The only console that has anything going for it at this point is the Wii U and thats just because its been out longer so has more compelling games for it. The touchpad was a great idea seeing as dualscreens worked wonders for the DS/3DS but incompetent devs don't seem to be utilizing it as much as nintendo had hoped. But they still are to a certain extent. Which makes it a tad more interesting than "MOR GRAFFIX!!!! MORE BROWN AND BL00M!11 MOAR FPS ON A CONTROLLER11!!
I personally never use the Kinect for gaming so I understand why anyone buying an Xbox one primarily for gaming might not see an added value in Kinect. That Said,I use the Kinect every time for Skype.in fact I only Skype on the Xbox one now even for business video conference calls and I see the potential of this in enterprise (like during a board meeting that gets broadcasted). I also use the voice commands all the time when watching Netflix. So I think Microsoft should focus a lot on the non gaming related uses of Kinect and develop it further into other entertainment and productivity apps. Also,getting rid of the voice commands and implementing natural user voice interaction like Sirri will be a great plus.
It would be a better option for those people who can't use their Kinect because Microsoft haven't released an extension cable yet http://forums.xbox.com/xbox_forums/xbox_support/xbox_one_support/f/4275/...
I was confused why they required it in the first place. The kinect is a novelty item. No one actually wants to MOVE when they play video games.
Will it really or are you regurgitating other bloggers opinions. Is that what you feel?
When calculating those sale numbers you have to take in mind that the Xbox hasn't been released in all markets in Europe yet. It will be in September. If dropping the kinnect means that the adoption of the the localization of the kinnect has failed I'm going to be really disappointed.
I'm one of the early adopters in a market the Xbox hasn't launched, but I still love the system, even with the kinnect being just in English.
Dropping kinnect will be the worst thing the company has ever done, but at the same time the best move ever. It all depends on how they decide to move on from here. They will have to make this up with posting developers to create kinnect specific changes and release then under their own flag, they have to lead the way now and show what it can do. It's only been 6 months since release, and I'm not surprised they do it now rather than later.
IMO, XBOne has been out for quite a while !, if developers wanted to write games for kinect, I think they would had already done that !. Kinect is an awesome product !, it works 95% of the time for me, and I'm not even a native speaker !. But the other 5% is what makes me want to wait till Microsoft releases kinect 3. Set-top box should had been the main selling point of this Xbox . kinect should has waited till G3 !.
Kinect is worth it to me for the voice control alone. I have a feeling the adoption rate will still be higher than it was for 360. MS will continue to support Kinect which is where most of the support would be from anyway. If some 3rd party developer has a bright Kinect idea they will still have a good market. If someone comes up with the killer Kinect app or if/when Kinect integrates with AR there will be more Kinects sold. I do think a big part of the decision though was so they can more easily sell in China without Kinect.
XBox One = Kin
We can pay more if we want Kinect right?
When I buy an Xbox one, I'll probably pick it with Kinect. I care more about the media features and less about gaming. I can't blame Microsoft because this decision is only driven by the consumers and the big part of the consumers is driven by the price. And if someone wants it, there will still be a bundle with Kinect.
Good. Kinect sucks anyway.
It's MSFT'S own fault. If Kinect worked well it would have caught on more and sold consoles. I'm in the minority that use my Kinect everyday to pause, mute, control volume ect, and I admit that its voice recognition isn't up to par for the everyday user. The hand recognition is even worse, even after they got rid of the false positives in a patch. It's miles away from anything minority report. Cortana's void recognition is way better Kinect. So how many years do we have to wait for Cortana to make its way over to Xbox? Is it "one" MSFT now?
Finally theydid it
I think it is a smart move Sam. And no. I do not think Kinect will be dead any time. It's a smart move because more Xbox will be sold in price sensitive markets. the main difference between gaming consoles and other devices is the chances of you rocking a Xbox or ps4 highly depends on what your friends are rocking. And Kinect can be attached later. So those who bought Xbox "will" purchase Kinect after some time. Instead of spending in single shot, it is much preferred to spend in double if the price is same. Also people will end up buying Kinect if any of their buddies have one. Kinect will be dead if and only if Kinect cannot be attached to the cheaper versions. Since it is not the case here, your ugly scenario won't happen. And whatever way you see it, 5 million is a big number. Many consider Xbox premium over ps4 and after the cheaper version, many will consider Xbox with Kinect premium over ps4. If a game company makes a good Kinect specific game, it can sell it to 5 million potential customers. It will be a quick hit with the targeted audience as it is a differentiating factor between their "premium" consoles over "ordinary" Xbox. This will increase the chance of Kinect bought as an optional accessory. So the real question will be whether MS be able to convince a few gaming companies for good Kinect specific gaming titles. I guess(or hope) a big yes there. Heck, MS even has potential to create a few by themselves. So I just say you worry more.
This will certainly hurt the developer community more than anyone else. Microsoft, have less Xbox One without Kinect in stock at all times.
Disappointed in Microsoft. As a developer for Microsoft systems I have had to deal with the flighty attitude they have toward their supposed directional choices. For eample, one year for new programming paradigms and APIs, a few years later they dump if for something else, screwing many of us who invested time and expense. This is the same with the Xbox One and the Kinect. I get that they are probably doing this for lack of support for regions like China but it just butt hurting us that thought they had a vision. I don't think it really will make that much of an diffrence is sales in the US with the bundled packages already making the Xbox One really $440+ included game. They should, as many have mentioned, just took the Kinect as loss leader and drop the price to $399. But, this is just the first step, today they say they fully support and will continue to add. But, we all know history is not on the Kinects side. In a year the updates will slow, Cortana will be delayed and delayed again. Then games, even by Microsoft's own studios, will lack any added any special/optional support for the Kinect in games (e.g. Halo) let alone make anything family oriented, that the Kinects shines at. To be honest it just lives a bad taste in my mouth and find that I can no longer see a need to feel excited about any gaming tech from Microsoft as it will be tossed aside quickly if it does not catch fire. Now we know that they never had a true direction and all they were was just throwing excrement on the wall, hoping something sticks as has been their history. Now with this change we might as well admit that like the PS4 it is just a console with somewhat faster chips and couple of updated apps. In fact, we can't even say it is updated from the 360 as it still missing items that the 360 has today. No longer can we just make fun of the PS4 and jokingly call it PS3.5, we know must admit that the Xbox One is now just Xbox 360.1. Gone are what were the unique features, first the complete drop the ball as they rid the system of the friends sharing option. What should have been an easy fix, just allow those digital downloaded games to share via friends, but noooo they go and get rid of it all. This would have been an incentive to get people to buy the digital versions. Now the Kinect is alone in the corner with wearing the dunce cap. Gone (OK not gone but as a main feature it has been relegated to back of the bus.) Now there is no incentive to develop for it in any significant way. Strangely, as person who thought SteamOS was going to be a fail I am willing to admit it might be a possible success when competing against the PS3.5 and Xbox 360.1. If they can do things like the true games share option (not their one login at a time version they have now) and with their currently ability to fully understand selling digitally (unlike Microsoft) it may be a winner. That is if systems can had a resonable priced. Of course there will be no Kinect but 2 out 3 items which Microsoft no longer has a stomach for or lacks understandinfg for is better then nothing.
I bought a day one in the UK, voice controls didn't work, gestures either. No TV integration, no changing channels, no TV guide. None of which are still here. No Sky Go or BT Sport, bith now coming to PS4. Am I glad I sold it and bought the Sony. They promised the world and delivered nothing, and I mean nothing worth a shit in the first six months, with the exception of Titanfall they still havent, unless you live in the US. Now they have dropped their one differentiator. I just don't get MS sometimes. Same mistakes again and again.
I never disagreed more on an article at wpc.
Six months in "Xbox on" still doesn't work. Or any other command other than "Go to Netflix." If you're going to charge more for an accessory, you have to make it compelling - they didn't and haven't.
They might as well have done this at the point that you no longer had to have it plugged in to use the console as that's the point the developers could no longer rely on it being there.
I will be going out on launch day here and getting one. It was a mistake and atleast MS is fixing it. There's a reason why XBox has a new leader. The old one was responsible for this and not he's not there anymore. I was saying from day 1 that this day was coming and here it is. Moral of the story is never be an early adopter for MS products. I got a day 1 WindowsPhone and a day one Surface RT. My rule will be to either wait a few months on a MS product or just get something else.
Either Microsoft is stupid enough to do this or something big is coming for Kinect users!
Due to the original price, it was unlikely I'd have bought an Xbox One. Now? Never buying one, good job Microsoft. Glad I went with the PS4.
they can integrate the XBOX ONE and the kinect into one 'box' and sell it for the same price
One of the most popular Kinect games was Dance Central. I've seen people playing it at parties and at game arcades. I have all 3 versions of it for my Xbox 360. I hope to see Dance Central for Xbox One soon.
By the way, I am primarily a PC gamer. The only reason I bought an Xbox 360, and later an Xbox One, was Kinect. Now because of Kinect, I started to prefer to buy the Xbox versions of games instead of the PC versions.
Kinect should be optional, and I understand the install base issue. But who uses the Kinect now on 360? Well look at the games, fitness buffs and casual gamers. It is still to imperfect for hardcore games. So what do developers do they give you extra features if you want to use them... Like Skyrim. I like my options and so does the masses. I would love to see everyone own a Kinect but truly not everyone would use it. Especially most of the hardcore gamers I know. COD, Titanfall, and Halo gamers just have no need for it NOW. Developers can change this with a killer option but there is not one NOW. As far as the Kinect being dead, no, it is an awesome option to have and there are many reasons mentioned above like Skype and content controls. But there are many Xbox 360 games out now the utilize the 360 Kinect and new games all the time that sport that purple case. Options are good people. If you have buyers remorse... That is a different problem but you could put your Kinect up for sale and use the profits to get another game. I love my Kinect on both systems and when I have the option to use it, I am glad for it.
I believe the IR blaster is in the Kinect sensor too, so this is also a big dent into their quest to make XBox be the 'Input 1' device.
History repeats again Microsoft first launched Zune media player but It didn't got any success and It closed any many still ask what was zune. and a year later or so Apple launched IPod and it became a success . Same will happen I guess with Kinect if Microsoft takes steps like this :( . Apple has already started working with the company who was behind behind the Kinect Technology and surely if Microsoft does anything like this apple will take advantage and Bam!! something by apple similar to Kinect and It will gain success. Microsoft do something to hold on to something innovative like this develop stuff so people gets attracted to Kinect
For me, the Kinect 2.0 already has made a HUGE positive impact on my household. For me personally, I don't play games with the Kinect, I primarily use it to navigate around the OS and apps (Netflix etc) with my voice! And it works perfectly! Especially considering the fact that with the Kinect 1.0 I didn't even have voice support (Netherlands...of course)!! So even if they don't make games for it, I wouldn't mind. But that's my personal thing about it.
Expecting to buy an XBOne in Q3 2014. I will buy one with Kinect, as I find the Skype capabilities really compelling. Another benefit would be the type of games for Kinect that are good for my nephews and nieces, and also for casual gaming with friends. If the Kinect gaming experience will not be provided to an acceptable extended till then, I will be happy to have the console visually recognising me and providing me Skype in the living room. Nokia has done great things when it comes to app support for the WP platform. Why can't MSFT do the same for Kinect games for XB or at least getting feedback from the games developers before making such a decision? Market share is not all to make consumers happy, especially not after only half a year!
Cortana and easy app store publishing will likely give Kinect features far more compelling than its use in traditional games. Even so I hope/wish more would be done there too. Need Happy Action Theater One : ) Oh, come on, it's fun enough, unless you are some sort of too cool grump.
Yessss Kinect sucks a$$. This will mean MORE real games and LESS gimmick games for brainless retards.
MS is making a bad habit of listening too much to their critics, which means they end up backing on their bussiness vision. This needs to stop.
The true is that everyone who wanted next gen bought PS4...
Microsoft has no idea for the Xbox and for the gamers.
While I remain a Kinect user, I think giving everyone options is great. The most important thing is driving a large install base and having the best exclusive games Selling a Premium Edition and pricing it aggressively will ensure there is still a very significant audience. Microsoft failed to capture the market with a hardcore game that utilised Kinect and controller, until that happens nobody will follow lead and develop. If and when that game happens I bet my left nut the Premuim Edition will sell more than the Basic Edition because there will be a real reason to do so.
I'm too used to saying 'Xbox Record that' and 'Xbox On'.. Kinect has become integral to my experience.
I'm sorry but the Kinect should have been optional to begin with. There is no reason to shove that thing down peoples throats. Xb1 is FINE without it. As a matter of fact I keep it unplugged. Its a very cool accessory but that's all it is. An accessory. Tragic that people like myself were forced to buy it when it hardly serves a purpose.
This is really just another example of the recent trend of Microsoft going BACKWARDS. Update 1 to Windows 8.1 was largely a big step backward because of the ignorant people refusing to let go of the old desktop way of doing things. Windows Phone 8.1 was also a big step backward, to the horrible days of Windows Mobile and also embracing the ugliness and chaos of iOS and Android. This is no different. Personally, I don't think they'll gain enough sales to the goofballs who only want to play games on a console and have no other forward-looking ambition for what a device like the Xbox One can do--and will do in the future. Now that future is likely to be hobbled because developers will see fewer people getting the Xbox with Kinect, thus losing desire to push the platform to new capabilities. And these same people who insist on not having Kinect with the Xbox are the same foolish people who will sell their parents to get the next iPhone or iPad. Senseless.
I actually like the idea. I hated the fact that the Kinect was always listening.
Kinect never had potential as a gaming device/controller.
Without the Kinect, the Xbox is *just* a gaming console, in a shrinking market segment. I fully expect the division to be spun off into its own seperate company, away from Microsoft proper, and maybe eventually a sell off down the road.
I was originally mad about this. But taking a step back, the vast majority of 3rd party developers are trying to milk the most value from their investment, seeing as Xbox didn't dominate early sales, best case scenario those developers are developing for both ps4/xbone. Since Microsoft has allowed the xbone to be used without Kinect since before launch, it seems developers are no longer forced to use kinect(obviously still an option). That means we were only going to be truly seeing Kinect games from 1st party from the beginning barring Xbox domination over the ps4(which with $100 less at launch and without the mess of pre-e3 confusion, they might have had the chance). Now there are millions of kinects out there already and developers from 3rd pay that want to target it can do so without much trepidation.
Sam, I could not agree more. As a Day one Xbox one owner, I kind of feel that possablities of the Kinect will fade away. This COULD of been amazing what it could of added to future games, with devs knowing that every Xbox one came with it, they would be more apt to add Kinect features. Time will tell with the push on it will do, they will still release games for the Kinect, as most systems have the kinect but, this will change over time. Something needed to be done for MS here, having a system that is $100 more than the PS4 really has shown in sales. Sales were not as high as the PS4, so they needed to hit the price point and this is the only thing they can do for it. As for the 10% of the resources reseved for the Kinect, not sure if this will change any bit. As the Kinect is still a item on the system, if the system comes with it or not. The option is there to use it if one choses, buy disabling it, it causes possable problems with people using it, and Microsoft will never do that. What Microsoft needs to do here is FIND the resources to get this 1080p thing fixed once and for all. Seeing the same games come out for the PS4 at 1080p and see Xbox one games coming in at 720/900p is a problem. Sure most gamers wont see the difference and in some cases it could look better but, when it comes to it, people are about numbers, higher is better (think of why 4K TVs are selling when there is no 4K content). This is what it is and the press makes such a big deal of it so it's not going away any time soon. If anything that comes from this, more systems will sell, but, in the end it will cause fragmentation of the systems, lacking the possaibilty of games with features. In the long run it should be good for the Xbox one as long as we still see reasons why people would WANT a Kinect but, the lack of games show that. Personally for me, it's about the games, I picked up a Xbox one for the games, no tv, no dvr, no other features, just the games and being able to play with others. Isn't that the main point of a game console, to PLAY GAMES ?
There IS no potential. It is a gimmick and will never be able to achieve gameplay like a conventional control game.
This is mostly Sony's fault. They are the antithesis of innovation. Whereas Microsoft truly developed a next-gen console that had a ton of potential, Sony went the cheap and easy route: a half-hearted, boring spec upgrade just so they could sell it cheaper. Cheaper always wins out, unless it's not an option. Status Quo Theory tells us that people resist change (hello Windows 8, a superior OS to Windows 7 in every way and people are eschewing it because it's different), and that's especially the case in technological adoption. It has to be the only option and it has to be shoved down people's throats until development takes off and people realize it's awesome. Microsoft was doing that, and I applaud them for that. But boring Sony forced them to renege. I'm really starting to loathe Sony as much as I do Google.
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Oh, here is an article I agree with. You hit upon pretty much every aspect I thought about and then some. I've been mainly a PC gamer my entire life, starting with Barnstormer on the Commodore 64. Why did I finally decided to buy the XB1? Mainly because I thought it would be more fun to be engaged in a game using my body and voice as the controller. We've been using essentially the same controllers for what, over 30 years? The future is only better graphics, higher resolution and higer framerates? That's it? Dating myself again but do I just buy Tim Allens recliner/toilet and continue to play games the same way as we always have? Nice breakdown and looking at all the angles, Sam. And yes, though I don't like it, I see why Microsoft had to make the move they did. It's all about market/mindshare
5 ways Xbox One Kinect failed Microsoft and stiffed early adopters - http://bit.ly/1grQGR6
Microsoft should've put an SSD in the Xbox One, cut out the disc drive and gave it full SD/Micro SD and USB storage expansion options. That way they could've pushed a discless console future. Games on SSD > all else
The move seemed a bit premature to me. At least, they should have waited until the holidays. The only thing that really made the One stand out from the PS4 was the Kinect. All the great features they showed off at E3 were using the Kinect. Now, the Kinect is going to be reduced to a niche product with only a few games using it. Bad move, Microsoft.

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