Microsoft Nukes Rumors of Kinect-Free Xbox One

[stevejnb]

Honestly, this is a "if you don't like it, don't buy it" type situation. I've seen so many good peripheral ideas come and go because they were just that - optional peripheral. When software makers were planning on making a game, they were likely to at most pay lip service to pieces of hardware that could have seriously enhanced the games because, if the game required something that only 10% of the user base owned, no-one was going to use that item seriously.

The first XBOX was a good example of this with the built in hard drive. Great idea and one which everyone emulated and led to console OS advancement like there had never been before because it was worth it - every console could benefit, not just he few who adopted an extra peripheral.

Like it or not, voice and gesture control in games and, probably even moreso, in the way we interact with devices is going to be a good thing in the future. Taking the "buy it if you want it" approach will hamstring the advancement of voice and gesture controls in games and general console interaction because... Well, why invest in fully using a technology which only some users of the device will have?

Last gen Sony forced Blu-ray onto everyone with their console and it hugely sped up the adoption of Blu-ray as a standard as a result - and I *constantly* see Blu-ray applauded here at Tom's, among other tech sites I visit. Thing is, it cost Sony the bank as people whined and complained last gen that "Oh, we don't need Blu-ray, we don't want it - why should we pay for it?" Who knows - ten years from now, if voice and gesture controls become more common and actually pretty good, we may well have MS's move here to thank for it, at least in part. And even with that being a possibility, they are probably going to hurt their sales a fair bit for that extra $100 in the price.

Blu-Ray is absolutely amazing~!

But still, most serious gamers want to relax on the recliner or couch and have a wireless controller in hand, not wave your hand around and scream at a microphone xD. Or is that just me....?

Agreed - that's how I like to play games. But, you're exaggerating with comments like "scream at a microphone." The potential of this technology is to say "XBOX, save game and quit" and "XBOX, play Terminator 2 movie," or "XBOX, Skype call mom" and have it do it - or scroll through menus with the flick of finger instead of clicking cumbersome controller buttons to get through them, or even having to reach for a mouse or keyboard. The functionality of something like the Kinect wont require you do away with the controller, but add to the convenience of using a console/computing device tremendously. That is, of course, if we were to pretend like there isn't potential for motion sensing as a primary control interface for certain types of games - which would truly be a pretense.

Liking old control methods - controllers, keyboard and mouse, whatever - doesn't mean you have to pretend like there isn't tremendous potential in things like the connect to at the very least tremendously supplement the ways we interact with consoles and computers.

And as you said, Blu-ray is awesome... And would likely have taken years more to pick up if Sony didn't charge a premium and cram it down peoples' throats with the PS3 in order to get hardware and movie makers behind it.

 

[HyperionLight]

What is the point of bundling a worthless accessory with a decent console?

You find it a worthless, “accessory”? The only accessory is the ps eye, because you know it is an accessory which you have to buy separately and why only 10% (or less) gamers/consumers will buy, so how many games do you think will be made specifically for the eye if it doesn’t sell? And they're probably selling it at a loss just to push it out the door, imho.

And about the new kinect being worthless I don’t think so, but you are free to think and believe whatever you’d like. A couple of reasons as to why it “might” be worth your while:

• Kinect can use its 1080p HD camera to automatically recognize you when you enter the room, know what controller you’re using, and sync your controller to your user account
• That 1080p HD cam will also come in handy for skype video calls and other video features
• A new set of Kinect Gestures allow you to easily advance through menus and games
• Voice activation lets you both control your television and give gameplay commands, creating a new, exciting, convenient, and immersive experience
• Kinect Real Vision greatly enhances the experience by expanding the viewing range, adding IR technology which allow it to see in the dark, and using 3D technology to determine small details like whether you’re standing off balanced.
• Kinect Real Motion lets your Xbox One detect the smallest of movements from users, so even things like squeezing your hand can be incorporated into navigation and gameplay
• Kinect Real Voice improves audio detection, noise cancellation, and noise isolation with a multi-microphone array, making voice commands much more accurate and responsive

And here I give you an interview with Jenova Chen (co-founder of TGC the makers of the psn game Journey) in which he talks about the new kinect and the possible future uses of the technology.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_tcdd3B_BM


And here is another guy or two with some cool ideas about gaming with the new kinect

http://gizmodo.com/the-xbox-one-requiring-kinect-is-a-great-thing-for-cont-512772774

http://cramgaming.com/kinect-2-games-could-be-mindblowing-7182/

That is why the XBOne costs so freaking much!

I seriously don’t understand why are people so baffled by the price? Doesn’t the ps4 cost $400? And how does the xbox one costing a $100 more translates to “so freaking much!”?

And btw the price difference in Australia is “only” $50. And the eye costs $90. So basically the ps4+eye costs $40 more or if you allow me to use your words “so freaking much” xD

https://ebgames.com.au/ps4-154706-PlayStation-4-Console-Not-guaranteed-for-launch-day-PlayStation-4
https://ebgames.com.au/ps4-162944-PlayStation-4-Eye-Placeholder-price-PlayStation-4
https://ebgames.com.au/xbox-one-156131-Xbox-One-Console-Day-One-Edition-Xbox-One

If they made it an accessory that you can buy on the side, I am sure $100 or so would be knocked off the price tag and create better competition between Sony and Microsoft.

Maybe, maybe even more than a $100, but how much would the new and improved kinect cost if sold separately? The original kinect sold for $150 and its still selling for $100. And some developer even said that new kinect costs as much as the new xbox to make.

http://www.extremetech.com/gaming/161365-xbox-one-dev-claims-kinect-costs-almost-as-much-as-primary-console

And who knows how much money did MS invest into the R&D of the new kinect so it’s not weird for them to include it with every xbox one to at least partially cut some of the production cost. But if sold separately and for a price almost as high as the Wii U is currently selling…well, I honestly don’t think there would be that many adopters.

Honestly, I play PC above all but I might get this and a PS4 just for some exclusives...

And I do too.

I never even considered an xbox nor did I consider a playstation, but the new kinect is one of the main reasons why I would buy an xbox.... well that and a bunch of exclusives. After all, Microsoft is currently investing $1 billion into games, and who knows maybe even more in the future?!

And as you said, Blu-ray is awesome... And would likely have taken years more to pick up if Sony didn't charge a premium and cram it down peoples' throats with the PS3 in order to get hardware and movie makers behind it.

Agreed.

The human species is a funny one, we want something new and different all the time, but when the new and different comes we back away as far as we can and then throw stones at it.

I’m still waiting for the “Minority Report” kind of future technology and the new kinect, oculus rift, emotivs epoc etc. are bringing us one step closer to that future.

 

[John Bauer-1363825]

Honestly, this is a "if you don't like it, don't buy it" type situation. I've seen so many good peripheral ideas come and go because they were just that - optional peripheral. When software makers were planning on making a game, they were likely to at most pay lip service to pieces of hardware that could have seriously enhanced the games because, if the game required something that only 10% of the user base owned, no-one was going to use that item seriously.

The first XBOX was a good example of this with the built in hard drive. Great idea and one which everyone emulated and led to console OS advancement like there had never been before because it was worth it - every console could benefit, not just he few who adopted an extra peripheral.

Like it or not, voice and gesture control in games and, probably even moreso, in the way we interact with devices is going to be a good thing in the future. Taking the "buy it if you want it" approach will hamstring the advancement of voice and gesture controls in games and general console interaction because... Well, why invest in fully using a technology which only some users of the device will have?

Last gen Sony forced Blu-ray onto everyone with their console and it hugely sped up the adoption of Blu-ray as a standard as a result - and I *constantly* see Blu-ray applauded here at Tom's, among other tech sites I visit. Thing is, it cost Sony the bank as people whined and complained last gen that "Oh, we don't need Blu-ray, we don't want it - why should we pay for it?" Who knows - ten years from now, if voice and gesture controls become more common and actually pretty good, we may well have MS's move here to thank for it, at least in part. And even with that being a possibility, they are probably going to hurt their sales a fair bit for that extra $100 in the price.

Blu-Ray is absolutely amazing~!

But still, most serious gamers want to relax on the recliner or couch and have a wireless controller in hand, not wave your hand around and scream at a microphone xD. Or is that just me....?

Agreed - that's how I like to play games. But, you're exaggerating with comments like "scream at a microphone." The potential of this technology is to say "XBOX, save game and quit" and "XBOX, play Terminator 2 movie," or "XBOX, Skype call mom" and have it do it - or scroll through menus with the flick of finger instead of clicking cumbersome controller buttons to get through them, or even having to reach for a mouse or keyboard. The functionality of something like the Kinect wont require you do away with the controller, but add to the convenience of using a console/computing device tremendously. That is, of course, if we were to pretend like there isn't potential for motion sensing as a primary control interface for certain types of games - which would truly be a pretense.

Liking old control methods - controllers, keyboard and mouse, whatever - doesn't mean you have to pretend like there isn't tremendous potential in things like the connect to at the very least tremendously supplement the ways we interact with consoles and computers.

And as you said, Blu-ray is awesome... And would likely have taken years more to pick up if Sony didn't charge a premium and cram it down peoples' throats with the PS3 in order to get hardware and movie makers behind it.

You know a problem it's gonna have?
When you're playing a game, someone pokes they're head in, and shouts "QUIT GAME" while you're playing.

 

[stevejnb]

John, while true, that's not that much of a stretch from walking in and just hitting the power button on a console. Just so happens my brother used to play that little trick on me...

 

[HyperionLight]

You know a problem it's gonna have?
When you're playing a game, someone pokes they're head in, and shouts "QUIT GAME" while you're playing.

Indeed that is or at least it was a problem.

But with the xbox one it seem that they resolved that problem.

http://gizmodo.com/kinect-2-full-video-walkthrough-the-xbox-sees-you-like-509155673

An excerpt from the article abow

“Kinect 2 doesn't just see you, though; it can hear you too. In fact, it can hear your voice, specifically, through whatever ambient game and/or movie noise that's going on around you. Want to give a command in the middle of a particularly loud concert video or melee? You don't have to shout for Kinect 2 to listen and comply.”

 

[SilverWolf9000]

I see the potential and perhaps it is not worthless. I just feel like it should be just an ACCESSORY so if people want it they can have it and if people do not want it they are not forced to pay an extra $100 for it.