Kinect is not required to be plugged into the xbox one

[Cyan]

The big difference this gen is voice control of the entire system. It could be quite compelling when people get it in their living room and it becomes required second nature control mechanism

Voice control, IR blastering, allowing people to use Kinect while they are lazily sitting down, etc etc.

They should pull a Nintendo; go with it no matter what, give some personality to the hardware. Nintendo never dropped the Wiimote, nor they are going to drop the WiiU's tablet.

Perhaps bkillian can shed some light on the subject, but I sense they never considered a Kinect-less console.

 

[Rangers]

Yes, they wouldn't dare! Not even core gamers are that cruel.

A Kinect-less Xbox One would destroy the console, and would destroy SHAPE. All the R&D investment would be gone. What's the point?

SHAPE probably wasnt that expensive in the scheme of designing a console things, and would still be a kickass audio chip.

That and under no circumstances would MS likely EOL Kinect, at WORST we'd be talking about kinect/no kinect SKU's+kinect sold as accessory. Basically what we have now. So SHAPE would still get use to make every console "Kinect ready".

Kinect won't go until we're 2+ years into the system. That Xbox probably won't have a HDMI input too- your barebones gaming console for cheap. We could even see the DVD drive go.

With the current "overengineered" SKU? Nope.

HDMI input seems necessary to me to control your TV. Dont see it going...

But then again not sure how that would look in this theoretical kinectless future.

It seems like I'm arguing Kinect should be tossed, I'm not. Simply saying there are rational scenarios to remove it.

I think for now the plan is 499, Kinect, full speed ahead. But this move opens it up to change, but only imo IF that change is needed.

Another possible scenario imo is staying with Kinect and doing a hefty early price cut if sales falter. In other words 399 with Kinect.

 

[Nisaaru]

The big difference this gen is voice control of the entire system. It could be quite compelling when people get it in their living room and it becomes a second nature control mechanism

Really? I hate talking while playing. It's a waste of energy, breaks the concentration and hurts the immersion. The only use I can personally see is some emotional state feedback to the game and it wouldn't require an infrared cam to get such biometrics.

 

[Tchock]

I think for now the plan is 499, Kinect, full speed ahead. But this move opens it up to change, but only imo IF that change is needed.

Another possible scenario imo is staying with Kinect and doing a hefty early price cut if sales falter. In other words 399 with Kinect.

Yeap- of course. What I meant was a Wii Mini situation possibly happening in the future, where if they threw away Kinect they'd be wise to throw away a few other things as well.

 

[GrimThorne]

Kinect won't go until we're 2+ years into the system. That Xbox probably won't have a HDMI input too- your barebones gaming console for cheap. We could even see the DVD drive go.

With the current "overengineered" SKU? Nope.

Dropping Kinect and HDMI input after 2 years makes no sense. What would dividing their install base a second time accomplish? I'm also thinking that if Kinect was the one thing that was keeping anyone from buying an X1 then they probably weren't going to purchase one anyway.

That's what really concerns me about Microsoft's constant back peddling. What if they're making all of these changes for people who never intended and still don't intend to purchase an X1? You strip down your machine for a consumer that's never coming to the retail counter.

 

[brasnial]

Microsoft really seem to have got there act together lately .
They seem to have realized that there is a very vocal group of Microsoft haters out there .
Who are more than capable of kicking up a stink online about nearly every little thing that some people may have concerns other .

Just look at the official Xbox one YouTube channel and see the amount of hate in the comment area .
Most of it is just hate very little of it is constructive or genuine in my opinion .

Someone at Microsoft seems to have realize the easiest way to deal with this kind of hate is to take way there talking points .....nothing has really change in regards to
Kinect except you can now turn it off or unplug it and your Xbox one will still function .

This should have been the policy from day one so that those who genuinely fears about privacy issues were covered.

They seem to have learned that yes there are people with genuine worries about some policies but these genuine concerns are a launch pad for the Microsoft hatters to jump on.

Come on there's a post on another site about the video of the Xbox one new controller ......now this post over there is full of hate because it doesn't have a rechargeable battery build in .
Kind of proves my point there's a agenda amongst fan boys to try and influence the sales of these machines by finding something to bash Microsoft over .

Bad press on line can hamper a products chances of success short term but in the end live demos in peoples homes and shops will decide who's machine captures the public's imagination far more than online ranting .

But at least Microsoft have realised you need to take away negative talking points with simple changes to policy to keep the negative stories at a minimum as it takes away the soap box for the hatters to stand on.

My god its a funny world this online one exspecialy when new machines are about to be released it seems to bring out the fan boys of both sides .........I admire there passion I just wish it was spent more constructively like ending world poverty or saving the planet .
Not trying to save or destroy one or the other corporate company .

 

[BadTB25]

I think it's overall good news that it is not required to be plugged in, but will still be bundled with every system sold.

It definitely helps out with a lot of the gaming tournament concerns of organizers out there for fighting and fps (Halo, CoD, etc) games.

I have no issues with mine being plugged in and on all the time, but for the few out there that said a Kinect plugged in requirement was a "no go", this news should alleviate their concern. They'll probably come up with another reason to not buy the system though.

 

[-tkf-]

The people that don't want Kinect 2 because Kinect 1 "sucked" are basically complaining that they didn't like Laserdisc, so DVD must be terrible. They see no potential in it because they seemingly do not understand that technology can advance year by year. .

The universal truth? Of course it could be that the Kinect 1 over promised and under delivered to such a degree that people feel burned. Hey wait, that is me! If Kinect 2 was included i wouldn't buy it, so for Microsoft it's a clever move if they want to convince me, and others that it's a technology worth using and supporting..

Btw, Laserdiscs ruled supreme until DVD's was around, bad analogy..

 

[Arwin]

I think it's good that Kinect is bundled with all systems IF it's really good and gets great software and features. Of course, if it isn't, then it will weigh down the system, especially for the audience that is willing to buy into the Xbox One at 499, and there will be a lot of pressure on releasing a version of the Xbox One that does not include Kinect.

I'm hoping Kinect is good though, and that it will be a success, in which case the default inclusion in the system is likely warranted.

 

[Deleted member 7537]

I don't think this a decision they wanted to make, but several EU countries said that an always on Kinect would be violating their internal privacy laws (Germany for example). That's why i don't think they are going to remove it from the bundle.

 

[dumbo11]

I don't think this a decision they wanted to make, but several EU countries said that an always on Kinect would be violating their internal privacy laws (Germany for example). That's why i don't think they are going to remove it from the bundle.

Interesting... my own assumption was that kinect2 may violate privacy laws, regardless of the always-on requirement (due to upload of profile data). The always-on requirement was just a bit spooky for some people.

 

[Silenti]

People would be more accepting of the inclusion of Kinect if they could see a benefit worth the price tag. I doubt most consumers would disconnect the camera and microphone systems in their mind, as I do, when it comes to cost/ benefit. What we are being told is to take it on faith that the Kinect enabled features are worth the 100+$ that it adds to the cost. Throw in the 40-60$ year for Gold to enable at least some of those features. I will not take it on faith. It needs a piece of easily understood killer software. Something the public can see and go "dayuuum. I want that!" They get that and a lot of people will shut up about it. To date, I have not seen it.

 

[BoardBonobo]

It strikes me that MS can't afford to loose the Kinnect as it will cripple their greatest USP over the PS4. Otherwise they have an overpriced set top box for managing regular TV when the world and it dog are moving over to streamed media. And it's gaming credentials have been seriously undermined even though it made a relatively good showing at E3.

There is some serious diskinnect with the image that MS are portraying.

 

[Bigduo209]

The universal truth? Of course it could be that the Kinect 1 over promised and under delivered to such a degree that people feel burned. Hey wait, that is me! If Kinect 2 was included i wouldn't buy it, so for Microsoft it's a clever move if they want to convince me, and others that it's a technology worth using and supporting..

Btw, Laserdiscs ruled supreme until DVD's was around, bad analogy..

There's that too, how good of a job will MS do explaining to the existing audience of 360 Kinect users the benefits of moving on to the XB1 Kinect? Not to mention doing that at a fairly high price where the previous Kinect was optional and the 360 (bundled w/ Kinect or not) was cheaper later in the console's lifecycle. There will people who'll wonder why can't take their existing Kinect and use it on the XB1, or why the new Kinect won't work on the 360 they already have.

It's trying to grab several different audiences: People who have the 360 Kinect that are content with it, people who won't know the stark difference between the Kinect for the 360 and One, people who only have a passing interest in the Kinect, and people who only see it as a gimmick.

The easiest audience to convince are the self-educated evangelists who are well invested in the Xbox Live ecosystem, and those who adamantly support MS's product vision without question. But everybody else is going to require way more effort in the form of mass-marketing and product education to make it work.

 

[kots]

It strikes me that MS can't afford to loose the Kinnect as it will cripple their greatest USP over the PS4. Otherwise they have an overpriced set top box for managing regular TV when the world and it dog are moving over to streamed media. And it's gaming credentials have been seriously undermined even though it made a relatively good showing at E3.

Of course they won't let go of the Kinect - that would be silly . It's the - only ? - advantage they have over their competition . If it's gone , then they are left with what ?
I hope they will not do it .

 

[Rangers]

Of course they won't let go of the Kinect - that would be silly . It's the - only ? - advantage they have over their competition . If it's gone , then they are left with what ?
I hope they will not do it .

Price could be a pretty big one. If you field a console at 299 while the competitor is 399, even if it's more powerful, lots will go for the 299 "good enough" one.

This ignores other factors like imo the best in class Xbox controller..

Once they get those SOC's churning out at a good rate in a year or so (they could have early issues with ESRAM if we follow conventional, if unproven, wisdom) I think they'll have a significant BOM edge due to DDR3. But as stated, Kinect kinda ruins that.

I envision if Xbox One initial grand plan from MS somehow turns out a grand failure, they will have to market it as an inexpensive but still powerful stripped down gaming box, and I think it would do well in that role. At least they have this option unlike the Wii U, which doesn't have enough power to attract really at any price (imo imo imo imo imo, so lets not start a firestorm here).

 

[AzBat]

Major Nelson, Albert Penello & XboxOneDev on Reddit have all reaffirmed that they are not removing Kinect from the bundle. Good for them. Likely we'll see an Xbox Live subsidized bundle to bring the price down.

Tommy McClain

 

[Dave Baumann]

Another sudden outbreak of common sense?

Or pandering to a total absence of common sense.

I don't think today's news is all that different....

All a lot of these changes (i.e. Kinect, Online requirements, etc.) is demoting base system level expectations to disclaimers on pretty much every game box ("Requires Kinect", "Requires Internet Connection").

 

[NRP]

aye , so many people think they are winning something with MS changing these things but all I see is another 8 years with us stuck in in 2005. Its quite scary for me but at the same time the pc is starting to take off again with the rift on the horizion so maybe it wont be that bad

I get the feeling those who think this is a good idea wouldn't buy the XBone anyway.

At any rate, I guess so long as every console comes with Kinect there's a good chance 3rd party devs would still target it.

 

[Johnny Awesome]

In the end it will all boil down to whether or not Kinect 2 is awesome or not. If it doesn't deliver the goods, then MS made a big mistake. If it does then they will have a serious edge against Sony.