XBox One with no Kinect for $399. No more paywall for media services (Netflix, Hulu, etc)

[simonnyc]

Delivering More Choices for Fans

[FONT=wf_SegoeUI]Since the beginning, we have focused on delivering great games and entertainment experiences for you. Your feedback matters to us and it shapes the products and services we build. Your feedback showed up in the Xbox One console we launched back in November and in the monthly updates we?ve delivered since.

Today, we?re excited to share more ways your feedback is impacting the products we build.

First, beginning on June 9th, in all markets where Xbox One is sold, we will offer Xbox One starting at $399*. This is a new console option that does not include Kinect. For $399, our new Xbox One offering will continue to deliver access to the best blockbuster games like ?Titanfall,? ?Call of Duty: Ghosts,? ?Forza Motorsport 5,? ?Dead Rising 3,? and the upcoming ?Watch Dogs,? ?Destiny? and "Sunset Overdrive." You will also be able to access popular entertainment apps, such as Twitch, YouTube, and Netflix, as well as watch live TV and use OneGuide. Finally, you will continue to be able to use many of the unique features of Xbox One including the ability to get game invites while you watch TV, switch between games and entertainment apps, enjoy Twitch broadcasts, and upload your favorite gaming moments.

Next, we?re bringing more value to Xbox Live Gold members and offering all Xbox 360 and Xbox One owners access to entertainment apps whether or not you have an Xbox Live Gold membership. In early June, here is what you can expect from the new generation of Xbox Live:

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• Free games with Games with Gold**. Since Games with Gold launched on Xbox 360 a year ago, over 12 million people have enjoyed great free games, resulting in nearly 200 million hours of free fun playing Games with Gold titles. We?ve been learning from your feedback and have focused on making improvements each month to the selection of titles. To celebrate the one-year anniversary of Games with Gold for Xbox 360 and as a thank you for helping shape this program, members will receive an additional free Xbox 360 game in June. The Games with Gold titles for Xbox 360 in June are ?Dark Souls,? ?Charlie Murder? and a bonus game of ?Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition.? We?re pleased to bring Games with Gold to Xbox Live Gold members on Xbox One in June. Members will have subscription-based access to free games ranging from top hits to breaking indie stars. The program will launch on Xbox One with ?Max: The Curse of Brotherhood? and ?Halo: Spartan Assault.? A single Gold membership will get you access to the free games for both Xbox One and Xbox 360.

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• Exclusive Discounts. Deals with Gold will also launch for Xbox One in June, delivering discounts for great games each month, with significant savings for Xbox Live Gold members. The first titles offered in June will include ?Forza Motorsport 5,? ?Ryse: Son of Rome,? and a few other surprises. In the coming months, we will offer significant savings of up to 50 ? 75 percent off certain titles. This program will continue to be available for Xbox Live Gold members on Xbox 360. And new on Xbox One, we will launch a virtual VIP room exclusive to Xbox Live Gold members where we will feature free games, monthly deals, and other great benefits.
• Popular entertainment apps will be available for all Xbox 360 and Xbox One owners. Xbox 360 has been a leader in delivering entertainment experiences for years, with over 170 global entertainment apps and experiences available today. We?re constantly adding new partners and experiences to the growing catalog on Xbox One. Coming in June, anyone with an Xbox will be able to access popular entertainment experiences ? whether or not you have an Xbox Live Gold membership. This includes great gaming apps like Machinima, Twitch and Upload, popular video services like Netflix, Univision Deportes, GoPro, Red Bull TV and HBO GO, sports experiences like the NFL app for Xbox One, MLB.TV, NBA Game Time, NHL Game Center and more.*** Microsoft experiences including Internet Explorer, Skype, OneDrive and OneGuide will also be available to all Xbox customers.**** You can find a full list of apps and features that will be available below.

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[MobileVortex]

Xbox One without the Kinect on the way.

Microsoft to release Xbox One without Kinect - CVG US

"Beginning on June 9, in all markets where Xbox One is sold, the company will offer Xbox One starting at $399 USD."

What do you guys think? Do you wish you would have waited? Would you still buy the version with it? Is this good or bad for the platform?

 

[MobileVortex]

lol GG sir GG

 

[ncxcstud]

Isn't it weird that for all signs based on their past 2 console launches - the XBOX One has been the fastest selling console that Microsoft has made thus far... now this...

I love the Kinect - people are going to miss out on how the system was designed without it.

I'm saddened that developers have even less of an incentive to branch out and think about what Kinect can add to their games.

I'm excited that people will stop complaining about it now...
I'm curious as to how much this could/will boost sales of the XBOX One.

 

[anon(7900571)]

Re: Xbox One without the Kinect on the way.

$399 :0 yes I Will buy one , I can manage with Xbox controller :smile:

 

[Reflexx]

Re: Xbox One without the Kinect on the way.

I think it's a bad idea because it devalues Kinect and changes it from a primary component that developers know is there to an accessory.

They just told developers that integrating Kinect features into their games will mean that those features c cannot be used by all customers.

 

[Rhody#WP]

Isn't it weird that for all signs based on their past 2 console launches - the XBOX One has been the fastest selling console that Microsoft has made thus far... now this...

I love the Kinect - people are going to miss out on how the system was designed without it.

I'm saddened that developers have even less of an incentive to branch out and think about what Kinect can add to their games.

I'm excited that people will stop complaining about it now...
I'm curious as to how much this could/will boost sales of the XBOX One.

I agree with you about developers being unwilling to push the boundaries of what Kinect can do for gamers.

However, this is all about Microsoft's desire for the Xbox One to be a media machine. There is no reason to have Kinect on a media machine other than the IR blaster. It is better with the voice commands, but the cost makes it so much more expensive than Roku, AppleTV, and Amazon Fire that people just won't see the Xbox One as an option. The same goes for the Xbox Live Gold pay wall. Why would someone choose an Xbox One over a Roku when it's four times the price and requires a monthly fee just for the privilege of using Netflix and Hulu Plus apps?

If Microsoft wants to overtake PS4, they have to get every one of those media consumption customers.

 

[HeyCori]

Ain't mad. I've gotten use to Kinect and can't go back. I'm always recording clips, jumping back and forth between apps, doing searches, Xbox Fitness and multimedia controls. I think I'm getting my money's worth. I honestly didn't think they would unbundle until later this year, but meh, more sales equals more support. Microsoft must of realized that developers still weren't jumping on board and figured it's best to cut their losses.

 

[Keith Wallace]

Sorry, but for all this talk about how the Kinect was going to grab developers by being an "integral part fo the system," it's not happening. Titanfall didn't use it. Sunset Overdrive will not. Forza BARELY does (isn't it just a little head tracking?). Ryse has a little bit of voice communication, as does Dead Rising, but those features could easily have been made headset features (NASCAR 06: Total Team Control did something like that on the original Xbox). There really aren't new titles giving you a real use of the Kinect as it stands, while that price is certainly holding some buyers back, if not outright pushing them to the PS4.

I mean, I like Kinect Sports Rivals, and I've used the Kinect for voice commands more than I expected, but I still would have preferred to have gotten the console without the Kinect, saved $100, and gotten a different game than Rivals, along with getting another game or two because I saved money on the initial console purchase. It's overall not been a good deal, IMO, and the lack of developer interest is probably as much a factor into this as the public backlash.

 

[ncxcstud]

What makes me really curious is that this announcement today seemed like a perfect announcement for e3. So, what does Microsoft have planned for e3 that makes this announcement pre-e3 worthy.... Hmm...

 

[Reflexx]

Sorry, but for all this talk about how the Kinect was going to grab developers by being an "integral part fo the system," it's not happening. Titanfall didn't use it. Sunset Overdrive will not. Forza BARELY does (isn't it just a little head tracking?). Ryse has a little bit of voice communication, as does Dead Rising, but those features could easily have been made headset features (NASCAR 06: Total Team Control did something like that on the original Xbox). There really aren't new titles giving you a real use of the Kinect as it stands, while that price is certainly holding some buyers back, if not outright pushing them to the PS4.

I mean, I like Kinect Sports Rivals, and I've used the Kinect for voice commands more than I expected, but I still would have preferred to have gotten the console without the Kinect, saved $100, and gotten a different game than Rivals, along with getting another game or two because I saved money on the initial console purchase. It's overall not been a good deal, IMO, and the lack of developer interest is probably as much a factor into this as the public backlash.

It's not something that you'd get short term. All titles in the first year or so we're going to largely be traditional.

In order for serves to buy on they would have to truly be convinced that Kinect was a standard feature; and MS would have needed to take the lead and show them with a top selling game.

Instead, they succumbed to short term thinking and failed at their chance to truly advance user UI in games.

 

[HeyCori]

I personally see this as a sign of better things to come.

DirectX 12 support
Apps unbundled from Gold
Lower price point
Games with Gold
Gold discounts

All sounds like things that will increase sales thus increasing developer support. And 5 million sales, at $500, in fewer markets than the PS4 is not bad. It's not bad at all. But MS clearly doesn't want to let Sony extend their lead. I highly doubt mass consumers will care that MS is "backtracking" on their Kinect vision. Kinect wasn't the main selling point for the general consumer. The biggest barrier was the cost and now that's been reduced. IMO, this moment will live in infamy... for a few months... mainly by forum posters and a handful of obsessed tech bloggers. Now MS needs to give me hard drive support. Plus allow the XO to be used as a dev unit so the flood gates can really open. The only thing I'd really hate to see Microsoft backtrack on is cloud processing. That, to me, was one of the more intriguing features of the XO and I hope it grows over the coming years.

 

[Keith Wallace]

It's not something that you'd get short term. All titles in the first year or so we're going to largely be traditional.

In order for serves to buy on they would have to truly be convinced that Kinect was a standard feature; and MS would have needed to take the lead and show them with a top selling game.

Instead, they succumbed to short term thinking and failed at their chance to truly advance user UI in games.

1. Why would that be the case? If this was the beginning of Kinect, you might have a point, but I imagine that developers knew for a decent amount of time that Microsoft was going to be full speed ahead with Kinect. There wasn't an issue of introducing the hardware like the first iteration, which launched during the last generation (as opposed to the beginning).

2. The problem is that Microsoft didn't seem too interested in a "top-selling" game for Kinect. Their own studios minimized functionality with the thing, and the third-party exclusives did the same or less. Microsoft wasn't pushing the Kinect itself, so it makes sense to unbundle it. It's not like Microsoft was trying but failed; they weren't even trying.

 

[thundr51]

Excellent news. Hopefully they'll add auto sign-in on the next update.

 

[Coreldan]

Disappointed. Now developers wont have incentive to develop with Kinect in mind, it'll be another accessory for a marginal group. It's one of the best things for me in the entire Xbox One. Without it, it's very close to "just another gaming console" and outside game and controller preference, PS4 might just be better at being "just another gaming console".

But probably good for the market share. I'll keep enjoying my Kinect and will get a new one if this one breaks, can't live without it anymore. Most important for me is that the console is succesful and gets support from MS and game devs in the future too.

 

[MobileVortex]

I think it will be interesting to see which SKU sells better.

 

[Coreldan]

I think it will be interesting to see which SKU sells better.

I'm pretty sure it will hands down be the Kinectless one. It's really hard to sell people into how awesome Kinect is before they've used it for weeks/months, but 20% lower price is attractive to everyone instantly.

 

[paulxxwall]

Sorry, but for all this talk about how the Kinect was going to grab developers by being an "integral part fo the system," it's not happening. Titanfall didn't use it. Sunset Overdrive will not. Forza BARELY does (isn't it just a little head tracking?). Ryse has a little bit of voice communication, as does Dead Rising, but those features could easily have been made headset features (NASCAR 06: Total Team Control did something like that on the original Xbox). There really aren't new titles giving you a real use of the Kinect as it stands, while that price is certainly holding some buyers back, if not outright pushing them to the PS4.

I mean, I like Kinect Sports Rivals, and I've used the Kinect for voice commands more than I expected, but I still would have preferred to have gotten the console without the Kinect, saved $100, and gotten a different game than Rivals, along with getting another game or two because I saved money on the initial console purchase. It's overall not been a good deal, IMO, and the lack of developer interest is probably as much a factor into this as the public backlash.

I think we talked about this months ago.....sucks to say I told you so to a alot in here that didn't believe me when there were rumors of kinectless Xbox one coming out in the summer. Now I think it was more of " I hope it doesn't h happen"!

 

[smoledman]

I don't think it will make any difference. At $399 the PS4 has better graphics and positive press. Micorsoft's name is basically mud. Outside the US, XBox One sales are dead.

 

[michfan]

Microsoft forced this on themselves. They launched X1 with mandatory Kinect, while at the same time two games that were originally being developed for Kinect on X360 launched on X1 with no motion controls (Ryse and Crimson Dragon). The only motion controlled games at launch were Just Dance, Fighter Within and a Kinect Sports demo. Six months later, only one additional motion control game has been released (Sports). I only know of two confirmed Kinect games in development at this point (D4, Fantasia). Developers seem uninterested in Kinect -- X1's biggest titles this year (Titanfall and Sunset Overdrive) aren't even using it. Voice controls don't require a $100 peripheral with cameras, so while it's a cool feature it could have been done without Kinect and probably would work better that way (I refuse to tell my family to be quiet so that background noise goes away and I can reliably issue voice commands to Kinect).

Much like MS has failed with Windows RT due to a lack of quality app development, they are failing with Kinect due to a lack of quality software development. They keep waiting and hoping third parties will support their hardware the way they did Apple's. Sad to say it's not happening. MS either needs to lead or say goodbye to these technologies.

Being an owner of both a Surface RT and X1, it is very frustrating to see them floundering when there is so much promise.