Xbox One and Kinect won't be sold separately (1 Viewer)

[Kevin Collins]

Originally MS said that the XBox One would require the Kinect to play XBox One games. Then they reversed that decision and said that you wouldn't need to have a Kinect hooked up to play XBox One games. Well, that seemed to imply that maybe you didn't need to buy the Kinect at all, like with the XBox 360.

Well, the Xbox One is only being sold as a bundle with its Kinect sensor accessory. This was confirmed in an interview with Microsoft corporate VP Phil Harrison at Gamescom in Germany.

The PS4 isn't only selling a bundle. Will price become the differentiating factor in the console wars this holiday season?

 

[Morgan Jolley]

So this is the one policy that they have not reversed or changed. No surprises there.

 

[ElectronicTonic]

I really wish they would un-bundle it. I guess as long as it works without it, I'm good. In my current setup, I game in two separate rooms, but only using one Xbox. If the Kinect has to be on, it won't work with my secondary room.

 

[Carl Johnson]

I can't imagine that bundling the Kinect costs Microsoft more than a few bucks. I've not seen any Kinect function that appears to be a game changer but there isn't much to lose by including it.Sent from my SPH-M830 using HTF mobile app

 

[Aaron Silverman]

I might consider an XBone if they put out a super-deluxe version of NBA Baller Beats for it.

 

[Chuck Anstey]

Why would they not include it? They obviously want developers to use it to enhance the input to their games and differentiate the XBox version of the game from the PS4. Saying MS should sell an XBone without a Kinect is like saying Nintendo should have sold the WiiU without the separate screen/controller. MS did fix their huge mistake of requiring the Kinect to be active to use the console at all, even for things that don't use it for input or the user doesn't want to use it as input.

As far as trying to push the Kinect as a viable and differentiating additional input device as a good idea, that still has to be determined.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

I like their commitment to the device because games can have new features by using it. But the problem is that the number of good Kinect games can be counted on one hand. And I haven't seen a single XBOne game that is using Kinect for anything that the $60 PS4 camera can't do that I'd also actually want it to do.

 

[SmartCat85]

With Kinect, Xbox One will turn into sport machine. Cannot wait to see the games that support this feature.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

If that was true, why didn't that happen with the 360 and Kinect? The original Kinect was the most successful add-on product in console gaming ever (I believe they sold more Kinect units than the original Xbox console ever sold, somewhere over 30 million) and the games released for it have mostly been crap and unsuccessful.

 

[SmartCat85]

Wait until you see Fighter Within from Ubisoft, you might change your mind, although only a bit. LOL..

 

[Aaron Silverman]

The Fight: Lights Out for the Move didn't get great reviews but is a lot of fun.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

It's one thing for a game to be good and another for it to sell well. The idea of motion sports games has been around since Wii Sports in 2006 and hasn't been too successful. The games are probably relatively cheap to make (like Just Dance) so they don't have a high sales target to reach profit. And really, shadow boxing my TV doesn't sound fun.

That said, I don't know a single person who actually wants an XB1 for the sports games and Kinect games. It's usually for the non-gaming features, the promise of Halo, and carrying over their 360 profile info.

 

[Aaron Silverman]

What about shadow boxing your TV while Danny Trejo swears and taunts you?

 

[Sam Posten]

Ummmm....http://www.fastcodesign.com/3020934/the-xbox-one-has-a-wee-dong-problem?partner=rss

 

[Morgan Jolley]

Ehh, I think what you're seeing in that video isn't actually what he says it is. It's probably just a weird pants crease. Besides, its literally impossible for the Kinect to see through clothing like that. At best, the IR could read body heat and possibly see shapes but not with 3D depth, like the video shows.