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[RetroStu]

This is good news in that it will keep developers from forcing kinect into their game. I just started playing Dead Rising 3 out of desperation for a next gen game and as soon as I realized it had kinect integration I immediately felt anger that I could not resell my used digital download.

I find it very surprising that xbone has yet to release a game like Kinect party. A simple VR game for kids. I've tried a lot of kinect games and that one is the only kinect game my kids have any interest in. When I saw the ps4 had those little robots, I just assumed Microsoft would have something too. Instead they have some horrible sport game that is EXACTLY the same as the one on the 360.

If the kinect fails at launch, nobody is to blame but microsaoft for it's lack of creating any use for it besides logging in.

You don't have to use any of the Kinect features in Dead Rising 3.

 

[Nymphae]

Remove kinect, include very cheap microphone/IR blaster array, TV functionality and voice commands work exactly the same way while saving likely $60 - $65 BOM

What's the problem now?

Yeah, that would probably work. But they'd still be heavily criticized for flip flopping once again (not that that really matters at the end of the day). It would also make Kinect look like (perhaps rightfully so) something no one wants. If you can replace it's core functionality with a cheap mic/ir blaster, it says something about the device does it not?

 

[gunstarhero]

This is inevitable. Unless MS pulls out some miracle numbers in the next few months, this is happpening.

MS has shown they're not afraid to knee jerk.

At this point it's a full blown convulsion.

 

[rokkerkory]

Just take a nose bleed on h/w MS!

$449 with kinect and forza!

 

[x-Lundz-x]

Just take a nose bleed on h/w MS!

$449 with kinect and forza!

Still not going to work, they need to be at or lower than Sony.

 

[jelly]

Price is one of many issues.

Xbox Live Gold needs adjusting to appeal to consumers who aren't online gamers. Microsoft gets a nice revenue stream but one that is limited to a small base of consumers. They can't possibly grow beyond that segment when everyone else offers those services for free. Sony was right to keep media apps free, Microsoft is holding on to their warm gold blanket like there is no tomorrow and it will only hurt them in the long run and has done already. The 360 had possibly the best streaming selection of apps worldwide outside of a PC/iPad but what was the most used Netflix device, the PS3. Microsoft could have stitched up media streaming with no pay wall and cemented their position with Xbox One if they focused on streaming apps rather than the TV/Cable Box nonsense. Xbox Live Gold is for gamers and absolutely nobody else. Microsoft need to free up media services and then some to attract more consumers. Making apps for Xbox 360 with a user base of 70 million but only 20 million will actually use them. Completely short sighted and stupid.

 

[SwiftDeath]

Yeah, that would probably work. But they'd still be heavily criticized for flip flopping once again (not that that really matters at the end of the day). It would also make Kinect look like (perhaps rightfully so) something no one wants. If you can replace it's core functionality with a cheap mic/ir blaster, it says something about the device does it not?

It would certainly be the final death note for the kinect if they did as such. In essence what must happen at MS over the next 3 - 4 months is to decide from a very high level if they are 100% behind kinect because if they are not, if they themselves have doubts about it being the future of the living room etc. I cannot see why they would keep it. It may be a big f you to early adopters but at the same time it may save the XB1 from irrelevancy [although not entirely convinced the XB1 wouldn't still garner an "ok" install base regardless]

Basically tough choices will certainly have to be made at redmond no matter what

 

[shone237]

You don't have to use any of the Kinect features in Dead Rising 3.

thanks. I was hoping that was the case.

 

[Bacon's Love Child]

Can't see it happening unless they completely overhaul the UI.

 

[The Albatross]

As someone who bought an X1 already, I hope MS doesn't do this. The kinect is basically a $100 peripheral for turning on your TV and changing channels... somethign that I would have never, ever bought, but something that I like having now that I have it. I don't really want it nerfed anymore than it is.

 

[avaya]

They will only compete in the US whatever they do. PS2 times have returned to PAL. Europe is Sony 4-1 land.

 

[mohsinkhan]

Its not a matter of if I buy a xbone its a matter of when. Price cut or not. Right sony just has a better product on the shelves and thats why thay got my money.

 

[broony]

£350 with a game and I'm probably in. Any more and I'm happy to stick with my PS4.

 

[Jburton]

Price equality with PS4 is still too expensive, cheaper or no deal.

Not paying like prices for inferior hardware.

 

[The Abominable Snowman]

IMO, $449 with Kinect and Kinect Adventures or Kinect Sports or Just Dance, and $349 with just a 1 month trial + free Xbox Live game of the month. Or port over the first Halo Anniversary and make it free.

 

[badcrumble]

I think that if the Xbox One were just given out for free, Microsoft would definitely win the market share race

 

[Freshmaker]

I can't see them dropping Kinect. The whole console was designed around it. Dropping it would be admitting that basically the entire philosophy and vision behind the One was wrong, and I don't think the One can survive or stand up to the competition as a standalone, games-focused console, even with a lower price point.

It's not like they're dropping the HDMI passthrough.

 

[DrM]

They will only compete in the US whatever they do. PS2 times have returned to PAL. Europe is Sony 4-1 land.

Couldn't said better

 

[Biker19]

You know nothing about the how public corporations actually work and their relationship with investors, much less anything about the business of selling consoles. The first half of the console cycle is loss leading to sell hardware while the second half is profitable as costs go down and license fees go up. The xbox one is no different. The PS4 is no different. They will lose money in the early years and make money in the later years. The investors that matter (the ones who control millions and billions of dollars in MSFT stock) i.e. not people like you, understand that consoles lose money in the early years. The idea (and this is all this is, an external idea by wall st analysts and activist shareholders that has never come out of the mouth of any MSFT executive) to spin off the xbox division is a strategic question of whether an enterprise software company should be selling videogames and tablets at all. It has nothing to do with whether it loses or makes money, and especially nothing to do with if a console loses money in the first year, which it is SUPPOSED to do. In fact companies spin off divisions that make a lot of money all the time if they are not strategic.
On a different note, the broader question for MSFT and Sony is are the second half profits justifying the losses? And it is looking more and more like the answer is no, unless they find more revenue streams for the second half of the cycle. At this point Sony has the better hardware, but if both are still in the game in 5 years my money is on MSFT innovating and finding those new revenue streams even with an inferior box. If those revenue streams don't exist this is surely the last generation of "consoles" as we know it so just enjoy them while we have them.

Dude, they've been making noise about the Xbox brand not making any huge profit for quite a while. Even if what you said is true, how long do you think that they'll put up with it? They've already been putting up with this for now 13 years.

 

[EGM1966]

A Kinect-less XB1 that's cheaper would likely help in the US, but I doubt it would move the needle everywhere else.

It would a huge step down for MS though, arguably more humiliating than the 180s the XB1 has already endured as an ecosystem.

They'd better sort out the GUI to be a hell of a lot more usable without Kinect than it currently is too before removing it IMHO..

 

[TheJollyCorner]

I wonder what would happen with all of the (assumed) development departments and projects that have been & are being developed with Kinect in mind?

Doesn't Project Spark use Kinect in a fairly critical way?


Man... I just can't even imagine completely restructuring so much of what was assumed to be the 'foundation' of the X1 within the first 6 months of being on the market. Must be a lot of extremely pissed off shareholders and execs at MS right now over all of this.

 

[GeoMatrix]

This will happen in order to compete, Kinect will still be bundled and they are going for the $399 mark. I smell announcement at E3

 

[kaching]

Doesn't Project Spark use Kinect in a fairly critical way?

Project Spark is a cross-platform title, so I don't think it relies on Kinect in any way. May take advantage of it if it's available, of course, but not dependent on it.

 

[OneUh8]

This will happen in order to compete, Kinect will still be bundled and they are going for the $399 mark. I smell announcement at E3

We may very well find something like this or at least a price cut at E3. Would not surprise me at all. No matter what they do, they need to price it at $399. Only way to compete imo.

 

[Fehyd]

I wonder what would happen with all of the (assumed) development departments and projects that have been & are being developed with Kinect in mind?

Doesn't Project Spark use Kinect in a fairly critical way?


Man... I just can't even imagine completely restructuring so much of what was assumed to be the 'foundation' of the X1 within the first 6 months of being on the market. Must be a lot of extremely pissed off shareholders and execs at MS right now over all of this.

That's a very good point. I honestly can't imagine how much stuff in-development has to change if they axe the kinect as a pack-in.

 

[Pancakes R Us]

So, to those of us not in the know, what is the deal with cboat?

The deal is that this person seriously needs to fix up their grammar and punctuation.

 

[SwiftDeath]

Project Spark is a cross-platform title, so I don't think it relies on Kinect in any way. May take advantage of it if it's available, of course, but not dependent on it.

Project Spark uses the kinect for "personalized" voice and motion capture

http://news.xbox.com/2013/08/gamescom-project-spark

Players can capture facial animations, body motion and voice and sound to create custom character animations, dialog or even cinematic cut scenes.

Express yourself with facial capture technology and record dramatic scenes, make your own attacks, and much more. In addition, you can record your own sayings or sounds using the Kinect microphone, bringing the audial customization of your living world to an all new level of fun.

Voice and motion capture enables:

• Facial Expression Capture – Users can record their face and have it applied to an in-game character
  
• Animation Recording – Do a new attack, full body motions, gestures, etc.
  
• Record audio and modulate – Speak a line, singing, etc. Modulate the sounds in a variety of ways

The result is being able to make your own animations or even cinematic cut scenes when you combine all three (face + body + voice).

So yeah dropping kinect doesn't kill one's ability to play Project Spark

The only games that seem to depend on kinect in a absolutely necessary kind of way are kinect sports rivals and maybe maybe D4

 

[Syphon Filter]

They will only compete in the US whatever they do. PS2 times have returned to PAL. Europe is Sony 4-1 land.

I doubt any system will be "PS2 times".

 

[SHADES]

I think you'll have fun playing it. It's fast and furious.

I'm not saying I won't get it just at this point XBone doesn't appeal, I'm not in PC gaming but if the 360 reviews & public reception is any good I'll gladly give it a go.

 

[Arthr2ShdsJcksn]

Just take a nose bleed on h/w MS!

$449 with kinect and forza!

$50 more than the PS4, with a camera I don't want and a game that is designed to suck additional money out of it's players? No thank you.

$400 with a year of Gold included and a digital copy of Halo 2 Anniversary. Then I'd be in.

I'd also like them to confirm that the Games with Gold program is going to continue on the XBox One.

 

[miDnIghtEr20C]

Isn't there a Rivals demo though?

Yes... but it's only the Wave Race type game. And that's some good fun.

 

[SwiftDeath]

Yes... but it's only the Wave Race type game. And that's some good fun.

lol that's the only thing I've seen of rivals that looked like fun. Although I'm mad because the version of it they demoed in stores and in the truck thing had the option to use a controller Ugh

Why would they remove that feature?

 

[Usobuko]

• 360 won NA and UK (compared to PS3)
• Kinect sold like 25+ million units
• Gold memberships reached north of 35 million
• 40% of 360 usage was non-game

They got arrogant thinking these elements, particularly Kinect and the multi-media functions, indicated the Xbox brand worth a lot more to consumers than when 360 launched.

What baffles me is how they missed the part where PS3 caught them worldwide with a higher price. It's like it took them a whole generation to figure out it's because of all the games and new IP.

Nicely put.

 

[ZehDon]

The deal is that this person seriously needs to fix up their grammar and punctuation.

Joke? Not sure. I thought this was common knowledge by now. In any case, If I remember correctly, CBOAT writes like that to prevent anyone from figuring out who they are. You can't use their writing style, grasp of the English language, or inferrals to piece together information.