Microsoft backed out. No more Kinect! | Forums

[BigSh0tRob]

Kinect will still be there for the people who want it.
All Microsoft did was give the consumer a choice wether to use kinect or not and thats a good thing.

The always on, mandatory kinect was an Orwellian nightmare.
i find it disturbing that so many people were willing to go along with it.

[johnsalis]

That's good news. Kinect is an amazing piece of technology but until I see some amazing games for it, I don't wanna have to use it with my console.

It actually releases around the same time I start senior research. Maybe I'll end up making some cool software or something useful for it if I can come up with something.

[D2Dahaka]

Not great for standardisation, but Kinect is a PoS that noone wants a anyway so good riddance I say

Kinect is now much better and it was already great for the first on, but I just hope it will have better games than before, and that was the problem about the Kinect 1 on 360.

That's great for people who want it, I'm just glad I'm not forced to use it as I have no interest. As I said it's great for consumer choice, but not for standardisation - which impacts consumer choice.

[D2Dahaka]

But that's not exactly what happened. Many people were pissed off because it wasn't exactly what they wanted so they took to the internet. The loudest voices are the ones that are heard, and angry voices are typically the loudest.

Actually, the noise was about genuine concern about such a drastic change with so little explanation. Horrible DRM, no explanation of how this affected game ownership and how long games would be supported or what happens to them when no longer supported. There is so much more I could list, but I don't care to.

The mistake they made was underestimating the early adopters who are the ones that will get them to critical mass. We aren't the iPhone crowd and aren't paying iPhone money for throw away games. They also underestimated the amount of distrust towards them, which is even greater now.

Thank goodness some people were loud about it. It wasn't just about a bunch of entitled whiney gamers crying because they weren't getting exactly what they wanted.

They failed to adequately explain the benefits of their system and how it was going to better the user experience. Why were the changes needed etc etc etc Instead what people got was marketing double talk, which in the end pissed them off even more.

It's sad that we wont get rapid innovation, but i'll take the status quo over handing over my ownership rights without knowing the whole story first. Either way the inevitable has only been delayed, here's hoping the transition to all digital is handled with more care in future.

[SleepyCatGamer]

Consumers: We don't want always online!
MS: Ok, we'll get rid of it.

Consumers: We want used games!
MS: Ok, we'll let you play them!

Consumers: We want a packed in headset!
MS: Ok, we'll add that in!

Consumers: We don't want to have to use Kinect!
MS: Ok, we'll change that too!

Consumers: You guys are spineless for caving to our demands!

I don't understand how people can be so angry that their wishes are being fulfilled. It really seems like some people got into the habit of bashing them and continue to do so when MS seems to be bending over backwards to do what they can to make you happy. I was happy with the progression that MS was willing to try during the reveal and I am a bit upset that they have changed things, but I am from a broadband saturated area so some of the requirements made ZERO difference to me.

I would have enjoyed to not have to swap/insert discs for retail games. I also understand why they wanted the check-in times.
I would have enjoyed for Kinect to be required as it would have pushed the software development for 3D spatial awareness technology in games.
I would have enjoyed letting friends "borrow" games, even if for only a few hours while I still have my disc and the ability to play.
The only *positive* change, if you call it that, is the inclusion of a headset, which I won't use anyhow.

The thing is, they don't need all those restrictions to make everything you just said possible, the kinect is still in the box, and everything else is just software, they can still do it if they want to, but what they were doing was riding their wave of success with the 360, and trying to see how muh they could get away with, the same exact mistake Sony did when they revealed and released the PS3, too much confidence, turns into arrogance.

They were living in their own bubble and consumers popped them right out of it, you might think that some of the reactions to all of this are pushing it with the hate, and i agree, but all the concerns were real, their wholle strategy was a bad idea from the get go, plain and simple corporate greed, and they should fire the ppl responsible for coming up with that horrible strategy.

Cos those ppl might have just cost all the ground the Xbox gained with the 360, in a matter of months. Or even weeks...

It seems like nobody has any kind of faith or trust in the Xbox brand anymore...

They pointed a gun at their own foot, and even without pulling the trigger, they were still able to shoot themselves in the foot.

[Blastergamer]

no blaster it is a gimmick and ruined some games, devs also shuv it in for the sake, it's a pety distraction, kinect 2 would need to be much better.

Kinect is Garbage. Kinect 2.0 is Garbage 2.0

How, how how would you know it that Kinect 2.0 is garbage when you didn't test it? I shouldn't have said Kinect 1.0 is great, because I stopped playing Kinect games because they are boring fast and don't have much content. I do agree Kinect was very annoying, sometimes it doesn recog. you, sometimes it doesn't want to calibrate, sometimes it faces up for NO REASON etc. etc.

On what I have noticed on Indie games that there is a Kinect category, but without any Kinect games. Does that mean we should be able to make own Kinect games?

[Barrybarfly]

I'm still leaning heavily towards a PS4, but I do think this decision is good news for everyone. It makes the XB1 a more attractive proposal, allowing a slightly more even playing field. And competition in the sector is good for all of us. If M$ have any sense they will now do a bundle WITHOUT kinect at the same price as the PS4 and really make a competition out of it. I can only see that as a good thing.

If nothing else, maybe it will lead to more exclusive titles, making the consoles a little bit more "individual". I'd rather we all make a console choice based on the games available, than on poor marketing As has been the case for many so far.

But each to their own. Just take a look at the upcoming cross platform games, choose a console you want and chat with mates about how much drool you secreted looking at game trailers!

[willyums]

If M$ have any sense they will now do a bundle WITHOUT kinect at the same price as the PS4 and really make a competition out of it. I can only see that as a good thing.

I think they will almost certainly sell a kinect-free bundle at some point, just not for the near future.
Because if they announce a cheaper, kinect-free bundle tomorrow - everyone will just get that one instead of their 'standard' bundle, which they wouldn't want to happen.

I wouldn't even expect a kinect-free bundle to be announced before xmas, unless initial sales are horrendously bad.. but I'm sure it will get revealed eventually.

[Barrybarfly]

If M$ have any sense they will now do a bundle WITHOUT kinect at the same price as the PS4 and really make a competition out of it. I can only see that as a good thing.

I think they will almost certainly sell a kinect-free bundle at some point, just not for the near future.
Because if they announce a cheaper, kinect-free bundle tomorrow - everyone will just get that one instead of their 'standard' bundle, which they wouldn't want to happen.

I wouldn't even expect a kinect-free bundle to be announced before xmas, unless initial sales are horrendously bad.. but I'm sure it will get revealed eventually.

I agree, which is unfortunate imo. As a gamer/consumer who isnt interested in Kinect, that has always been the second biggest block to the XB1 for me. I cant help feeling it may be for quite a few others as well. I just wanted nextgen to be a really hard choice and its only recently that its become remotely close. I think that bundle would make it almost entirely down to games (and maybe trust issues!) which would be the scenario I always hoped for tbh.

[RetiredRonin]

Wednesday, 14 August 2013

UPDATE: Upon hearing the news that the Xbox One will be entirely functional without the Kinect even plugged in, many of you assumed that it would be only a matter of time before Microsoft flip-flopped on it's decision to include the motion-sensing camera with all consoles for a whopping £429.

Not so, says Microsoft, who shot down this popular theory in a recent Reddit thread. When asked if the console manufacturer was considering a Kinect-less SKU, Xbox Live director of programming Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb replied, "We have no plans for that. We are 100 per cent all in on Kinect."

So there you have it. Of course, Microsoft could change its mind again - it's been known to happen - but it seems like it's pretty steadfast about this one and it's going to be £429 or bust I'm afraid.