News - Microsoft to unbundle the Xbox One Kinect sensor from 9th June

[HEXUS]

Makes the starter console cheaper, but some developers aren't very happy.

Read more.

[Jowsey]

This is a comically sized U-turn if I ever saw one...

But we continue to get the living snot kicked out of us when it comes to pricing.

A quick google gives a USD to GBP rate of .59. On that basis an equivalent pricing would be £235. Meaning there as an additional £115 mark-up for purchasing in the UK. Is that really all taxes ?! *shakes fist*

[Jowsey]

Actually, just looking at it, VAT is 20%. So even if we include taxes it should be around £285. £65 mark up for buying in the UK.

Is it not cheaper to just import these things? Or are they region locked?

[squirrelz]

Given the failure rate of Xbox 360's would you want to take the risk on not having a warranty?

[MrRockliffe]

It's priced at 350GBP here in the UK, making it more expensive than one with kinect and titanfall. I was going to get one until I saw prices.

Pretty sure they are region locked, but only the discs.. You'd have to pay import taxes, which according to Amazon would be close to 80 usd, bringing price to 493 usd.

[Jowsey]

*sigh*

Not really a problem. I'll just stick with PC gaming!

[Odeas]

Knew it would happen but will take a while before pricing settles to a normal level, seems to almost have a premium on it for some strange reason.

Obviously currently it makes much more sense to buy the bundle with the kinect & titanfall. You can ebay the kinect if you really didn't want it to offset the price. (ebay currently around £30-£50)

[HMS_Victory]

Actually, just looking at it, VAT is 20%. So even if we include taxes it should be around £285. £65 mark up for buying in the UK.

Is it not cheaper to just import these things? Or are they region locked?

Its just that Microsoft thinks people in the UK will spend more on the console so they put the price up because they can

[SvDKILLSWITCH]

Good for (some) consumers, terrible for (some) developers, and just means there's one less thing to differentiate the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One except for "muh resolution" and "muh framerate". Yes the Kinect was terrible for motion gaming, at least in the games that have used it so far, but it's the other potential uses of the Kinect that had me hopeful; facial and emotional recognition, heart-rate monitoring, and other similar features that, while not inherently useful for flailing your arms around in front of the telly, may have found interesting uses in more "traditional" games. Seems all of that potential will evaporate quickly as attach rates for the Kinect plummet, leaving little incentive for interested developers.

More so, it leaves people like me confused as to just what Microsoft's vision for the Xbox One really is - if there is one at all by now. First it's a digital future, with deep Kinect integration and all-in-one entertainment. Now it's just continuing the status quo, will sell without a Kinect, and is lessening the spotlight on its entertainment features in order to promote "games, games, games".

And I don't see how this is a better value bundle; here in Australia this will cost $500. Say you plan to get Titanfall and Forza 5 too at a minimum, that puts the price up to about $690. Why would you pay that much for the console, a controller and the two games when the very same "bundle" with a Kinect is retailing for $600? You get $90 spare for another game too, if you like, providing of course you wanted Titanfall and Forza 5 in the first place. Of course, I'll leave the rest of you to squabble over pounds and pence; my example doesn't mean much to you.

TL;DR, this is a confusing announcement from Microsoft. No more Gold paywall is a plus for everyone though, regardless of the fact that I keep my XBL topped up fairly regularly.

[krazy_olie]

Now suitable for normal sized rooms

[crossy]

According to GAME's email last night, the new XBone is now £349.99 or, in other words, the same price as the PS4.

I'll not be rushing out to buy an XBone at this price because - to be frank - if I've got to start a console gaming collection from scratch then the PS4 is a nicer looking machine anyway, albeit one with controllers that aren't nearly as good as the XBone's. I'm sure that a lot of folks will appreciate the cheaper cost of the Kinectless machine, but if you then find that you need it to get some (essential?) game features then it's false economy surely? I'm assuming that the cost of XBone+Kinect > Kinect/XBone package - but that seems like a safe bet.

If Microsoft seriously wanted me to "upgrade" to the XBone then I'll need some way to bring at least some of the old XBox360 titles with me. They keep dribbling on about how powerful the XBone is versus that "obsolete" XBox360, so lets see some kind of emulator...

I'm also very hacked off that Microsoft discontinued the Family Pack in favour of having individual XBL accounts. The Family Pack worked well for us since it meant a single payment covered the whole household. On the other hand I can't see any point in paying £35 for an annual XBL subscription for someone who might play a handful of hours a year.

[shaithis]

For me the entire console market has become a greed-fest this time around.

All now making money on the consoles, consoles have a much lower spec (relatively), PS now requires a sub, XBL changed subs plans to get more money, games prices are ludicrous.........and the biggest slap-in-the-face: They are now PCs yet we will still see a glut of exclusives.

US > UK price conversions are the last thing I would be getting annoyed at.

[The Hand]

I'm wondering if MS are engaging in reverse psychology; as in make the standalone XBO as expensive as the Kinect XBO and make the latter appear better value?! If I was in the market for an XBO, I would just hold out for the Titanfall Kinect XBO to reappear in the £340-£350 range rather than go for this.
No doubt MS will have price cuts lined up for the standalone XBO over the next 6 months.

[davesom555]

Perhaps they are changing direction, how hard would it be to use kinect with a VR headset? Both PC gamers and PS4 gamers have upcoming VR devices. Maybe Microsoft are shifting to go down this route... But still kinect combined with a VR headset could be cool? Perhaps putting your hand movements into a VR game? If so that could be a lost opportunity due to some online moaners

[Makzilla]

Yep, as I said in my last thread discussing Xbox One, They really need to get on the ball.

[Saracen]

Perhaps they are changing direction, how hard would it be to use kinect with a VR headset? Both PC gamers and PS4 gamers have upcoming VR devices. Maybe Microsoft are shifting to go down this route... But still kinect combined with a VR headset could be cool? Perhaps putting your hand movements into a VR game? If so that could be a lost opportunity due to some online moaners

Nothing will be lost to "online moaners" if they make Kinect optional. Those that want it, opt for it and pay for it. Those that don't, don't.

On the other hand, I'm an existing X360 owner that simply will not buy an XBOne, not least because of mandatory Kinect. I have no interest in it, don't want it, don't want to pay for it, and WILL NOT put a device with those capabilities in my home. Ever. Even with a webcam, I can unplug it.

So, MS have a choice. They can go Kinect-only, and lose buyers like me because, in large part at least, of Kinect. And if that's their chosen route, it's fine with me. I'll just stick with the 360, or if/when I upgrade, go PS4.

Or, they can offer a Kinect-less version. In which case, I might get one when I upgrade.

Either way is fine with me. So I, at least, am not moaning. I'm just pointing out that Kinect, in a built-in and physically unconnectable version, WILL prevent me buying into XBOne .... and of course, the entire games ecosystem that relies on it.

Do MS care what I think? Nope. But this announcement suggests they believe there is a VERY substantial number of people taking the same attitude, or they wouldn't be going this route.