While I think forcing the Kinect wasn't exactly a good move, I don't think it's as bad as people think it is. In terms of just gameplay experience and nothing else, Kinect is what separates XB1 from PS4. While Xbox360 and PS3 were electrically very different, they overall ended up playing the same games at the same detail level. XB1 and PS4 are now almost electrically identical, where neither console will have any advantages over exclusives. This is where Kinect comes in - XB1 can get a decent chunk of exclusives because it has a sensor that the other consoles don't have.

Good. I didn't want the console to become useless if the Kinect needed replacement. Kinect-less SKU would also be awesome but for me it is not important.

I'd be more interested if it wasn't a forced purchase with the console. Being able to unplug it is fantastic, and it should have been that way from the start. If I was to buy this console I'd never use Kinect, so why am I forced to buy it at added expense?

I'd be more interested if it wasn't a forced purchase with the console. Being able to unplug it is fantastic, and it should have been that way from the start. If I was to buy this console I'd never use Kinect, so why am I forced to buy it at added expense?

Because MS wants something to separate themselves from PS4. Sony happens to get a lot of exclusives just because they're an old brand with what I'm assuming is a license developers like. That's also why in the pre-Wii days, Nintendo had a lot of exclusive dev companies. Microsoft never got many exclusives and pretty much the only memorable character MS made is Master Chief. By forcing Kinect on people, it encourages game devs to make games that rely on Kinect; if it's a piece of hardware everyone owns, then they're not catering to a minority. That's the potential risk with things like 3D TVs or 7.1 surround sound - they're cool technologies but only a select few people actually own them, so it's not in the interest of developers to make an effort to use them. So, developing for Kinect really comes down to "eh, why not. Might as well use it if we have it". And if enough games can take advantage of it even in the smallest ways, it'll gain enough traction to earn exclusives and be a product people want.

Because MS wants something to separate themselves from PS4.

If that's the genuine reasoning behind it, they should have looked at doing it in a different way in my opinion. The fact is the PsEYE for the Playstation 4 has very similar functionality and is a cheaper and more importantly optional device. Microsoft should have focused on giving a more robust console with optional extras, which is how they went about it with the 360. The moment they made Kinenct a non-requirement for playing games was the moment they flushed their gimmick and made it no more than a cost increasing non-optional toy. If it's not required for use we'll not see it used outside of exclusives and the dime a dozen party games Kinect already gets.

If that's the genuine reasoning behind it, they should have looked at doing it in a different way in my opinion. The fact is the PsEYE for the Playstation 4 has very similar functionality and is cheaper. Microsoft should have focused on giving a more robust console with optional extras, which is how they went about it with the 360. The moment they made Kinenct a non-requirement for playing games was the moment they flushed their gimmick and made it no more than a cost increasing non-optional toy.

While I am no fan of MS by any means, the PS Eye is utter crap compared to the new Kinect, and is still worse than the old one. But optional extras is exactly my point - nobody will buy it if only a few niche games support it, and devs won't care to make anything (good) for it if nobody owns it. The only way to end the problem is by forcing the technology on people, much like how Apple forced their customers to stop using floppy disks, or PPC based applications. The original Kinect is a prime example of why you DON'T want to make such a pricey device an optional accessory - as far as I'm aware, the majority of its sales were for non-gaming, or even non-Xbox related purposes, and from what I heard, most of the exclusives for it were terrible. I'm not saying Kinect is even a good idea for gaming, but IMO it's nice that MS is trying to separate themselves from their competitors, because without Kinect, XB1 is basically a slightly underpowered PS4 with a different OS. Even the controllers are very similar.

Because MS wants something to separate themselves from PS4. Sony happens to get a lot of exclusives just because they're an old brand with what I'm assuming is a license developers like. That's also why in the pre-Wii days, Nintendo had a lot of exclusive dev companies. Microsoft never got many exclusives and pretty much the only memorable character MS made is Master Chief. By forcing Kinect on people, it encourages game devs to make games that rely on Kinect; if it's a piece of hardware everyone owns, then they're not catering to a minority. That's the potential risk with things like 3D TVs or 7.1 surround sound - they're cool technologies but only a select few people actually own them, so it's not in the interest of developers to make an effort to use them. So, developing for Kinect really comes down to "eh, why not. Might as well use it if we have it". And if enough games can take advantage of it even in the smallest ways, it'll gain enough traction to earn exclusives and be a product people want.

Complete bollocks, sorry. MS has been back pedaling since their announcement of the Xbone. They realised they made a monumental screw up by trying to force their crap on people and people retaliated by simply not buying it except for the MS Fanbois that is. Sony gets exclusives because they dont swindle developers out of their money by insisting on taking a cut to offer their product on their services, unlike MS. I'm now waiting for the next inevitable announcement of a model shipping without Kinnect for a $90 price reduction. This has been a cluster fcuk from MS from the start.

While I am no fan of MS by any means, the PS Eye is utter crap compared to the new Kinect, and is still worse than the old one. But optional extras is exactly my point - nobody will buy it if only a few niche games support it, and devs won't care to make anything (good) for it if nobody owns it. The only way to end the problem is by forcing the technology on people, much like how Apple forced their customers to stop using floppy disks, or PPC based applications. The original Kinect is a prime example of why you DON'T want to make such a pricey device an optional accessory - as far as I'm aware, the majority of its sales were for non-gaming, or even non-Xbox related purposes, and from what I heard, most of the exclusives for it were terrible. I'm not saying Kinect is even a good idea for gaming, but IMO it's nice that MS is trying to separate themselves from their competitors, because without Kinect, XB1 is basically a slightly underpowered PS4 with a different OS. Even the controllers are very similar.

The issue is, the majority of games are multiplatform. Most dev's are not going to go to the added expense to add kinect only features, so it'll end up only being used by party games and the odd exclusive. They've done nothing but tack on added cost that many people do not want, which makes me inclined to agree with Alasander. Give it a month and they'll declare a non-kinect version of the console. All they've done by announcing it can be unplugged is prove to people that it isn't really needed, which makes the gap between the Xbox One and PS4 seem even larger in terms of value for money. I'm not anti-ms or anti-console by any means, don't get me wrong. But I feel MS have screwed the pooch in regard to the Xbox One and I believe they did it out of arrogance. They expected a wealth of support from the community and they didn't get it, thus the back peddling we've been seeing. The problem is that some of it actually makes them look worse, such as this announcement that Kinect isn't needed (yet you have to buy it anyway).

I really hope they release a standalone xbox at a cheaper price to me this Kinect is useless and would rather have a better price. will probably buy a ps4 anyways after my experiences with the ps3/360

The problem is, the majority of games are multiplatform. Most dev's are not going to go to the added expense to add kinect only features, so it'll end up only being used by party games and the odd exclusive. They've done nothing but tack on added cost that many people do not want, which makes me inclined to agree with Alasander. Give it a month and they'll declare a non-kinect version of the console. All they've done by announcing it can be unplugged is prove to people that it isn't really needed, which makes the gap between the Xbox One and PS4 seem even larger in terms of value for money.

I wouldn't be surprised if you're right. Again, I'm not saying that this was a GOOD idea, I'm just giving my take on MS's reason for forcing Kinect on people, and in my opinion, MS needs to do SOMETHING to separate themselves from Sony. It's too bad MS is the one forcing Kinect and not Sony, as porting Xbox 1 games to PC would be relatively effortless without it.

I wouldn't be surprised if you're right. Again, I'm not saying that this was a GOOD idea, I'm just giving my take on MS's reason for forcing Kinect on people, and in my opinion, MS needs to do SOMETHING to separate themselves from Sony. It's too bad MS is the one forcing Kinect and not Sony, as porting Xbox 1 games to PC would be relatively effortless without it.

I'm of a mind that they already had a solid fanbase to draw on. They didn't need a 'thing' as their brand already had support. A robust well priced next gen console with a few optional features would have been much better received by the community at large. I understand the direction they're trying to push, but at the end of the day people that want those features mostly already have them. I feel they're potentially doing the right thing but at the wrong time, as in a good few years earlier than I think is prudent. Gimmicks don't always sell a console, The WiiU is proof of that, as is the PS4 from the other side of the fence - which looks to do fantastically well for simply aiming at making a solid gaming device for a respectable price. Which I firmly believe is what people looking to buy this sort of hardware at the moment want.

I'm of a mind that they already had a solid fanbase to draw on. They didn't need a 'thing' as their brand already had support. A robust well priced next gen console with a few optional features would have been much better received by the community at large. I understand the direction they're trying to push, but at the end of the day people that want those features mostly already have them. I feel they're potentially doing the right thing but at the wrong time, as in a good few years earlier than I think is prudent. Gimmicks don't always sell a console, The WiiU is proof of that, as is the PS4 from the other side of the fence - which looks to do fantastically well for simply aiming at making a solid gaming device for a respectable price. Which I firmly believe is what people looking to buy this sort of hardware at the moment want.

Well because MS has a fanbase, that's probably why they thought they could get away with it. Besides, the original Kinect sold relatively well - what MS should have paid attention to is why Kinect sold well, because it wasn't for Xbox reasons. There were Windows, Mac, and Linux drivers for kinect before MS decided they'd make a PC SDK for it. So yes, it could very well be a failed gimmick. I think Kinect has plenty of potential for games, but much like Wii, Wii-U, or touchscreen tablets, it is not by any means an ideal "controller" for the average game.

I wouldn't be surprised if you're right. Again, I'm not saying that this was a GOOD idea, I'm just giving my take on MS's reason for forcing Kinect on people, and in my opinion, MS needs to do SOMETHING to separate themselves from Sony. It's too bad MS is the one forcing Kinect and not Sony, as porting Xbox 1 games to PC would be relatively effortless without it.

As both platforms are now going to be using what is essentially an X86 architecture, there should not be any excuses not to port to PC except from the usual piracy claims. MS were supremely arrogant from the start, they basically said to the gaming and console community, this is what you are getting, take it or leave it. and were surprised when we said screw you and left it.

Well because MS has a fanbase, that's probably why they thought they could get away with it. Besides, the original Kinect sold relatively well - what MS should have paid attention to is why Kinect sold well, because it wasn't for Xbox reasons. There were Windows, Mac, and Linux drivers for kinect before MS decided they'd make a PC SDK for it. So yes, it could very well be a failed gimmick. I think Kinect has plenty of potential for games, but much like Wii, Wii-U, or touchscreen tablets, it is not by any means an ideal "controller" for the average game.

it all boils down to this. MS massively dissapointed us wih the XBone, we were expecting an updated 360 with better graphics and faster processing but what we were shown was a set top cable box with voice commands. the whole community was like " WHUT????". If they had done as Sony had done which was to show the gaming aspects of the machine and said " Oh by the way it also does this", there probably wouldnt have been any backlash, just a few people grumbling about always on and Kinect. It's going to take a ****load of screen doors before MS regains the consumer confidence lost in recent months, first with the Windows 8 debacle and the XBone.

M$ finally realizing how much they screwed up with Xbox one so far so EVERY week you hear something being scraped/changed. Best thing i've heard on the radio today was: sony is slowing down pre-order amounts due to a possible shortage for the holiday period, as they haven't expected so many pre-orders. This basically shows how good sony is doing with PS4 and how M$ screwed up. That's why MicroBUCK are changing stuff every week, pre-order amount must really suck if they are doing this.