Retailers Guess $150 Price for Kinect

[Logan Westbrook]

Retailers Guess $150 Price for Kinect

Three major retailers have taken a guess at Kinect's price point, and come up with a penny under a hundred and fifty dollars.

Amazon, Best Buy and Walmart are all listing a price of $149.99 for Kinect [http://www.amazon.com/Kinect-Xbox-360/dp/B002BSA298/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1277994915&sr=8-1]. These prices are currently educated guesses, and are subject to change, but are in line with rumors [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/100957-Natal-Expected-to-Stab-Gamers-in-the-Wallet-at-149] that surfaced back in May. They are significantly higher than analyst Michael Pachter's predictions [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/98485-Analyst-Puts-Affordable-Price-on-Project-Natal] of $50-$80 however.

I must admit, I'm hoping that the guesses prove to be on the high side. I'm rather taken with the tigers in Kinectimals, but I'm not sure I want to drop a hundred and fifty bucks to be able to get one. Not to mention that for another fifty dollars you can buy a Wii.

Of course, there's going to be more to Kinect's success than just price. Communicating Kinect's capabilities in a way that resonates with people is going to be just as, if not more, important. Personally, I think adorable tigers are a good start, but we shall have to wait and see.

Source: Industry Gamer [http://www.industrygamers.com/news/kinect-placed-at-14999-by-major-retailers/]



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[scotth266]

These $150 guesstimates just don't make sense, especially for a peripheral (no matter how awesome said peripheral may be.)

I'm betting that the price point will be somewhere around $70-90. That makes more sense: it's costly, but still affordable.

 

[WrongSprite]

Yeah, no way this'll sell for £100, I could get a console for that price.

 

[Baby Tea]

I can't imagine it'll be this high.
Sony's Move is $100 with a game to get started. And it's coming out a whole 2 months before Kinect. I can't imagine that MS would price it at $50 higher two months after their big competition comes out. It doesn't make sense. But, to be fair, Kinect will allow you to do two player games right out of the box, where as you have to spend another $80 to get a second player move controller ($180 in total).

However, I still think $150 isn't the right price and MS will announce it to be lower.

 

[the_pleasure_is_mine]

I wouldn't buy this for £100...

 

[Gunner 51]

I wouldn't pay more than 30 quid for a peripheral. And Kinect is indeed a peripheral device for Wii Microsoft branded shovelware.

 

[Jared]

A bit much...I'll be skipping this for a long time me thinks...

 

[scotth266]

But, to be fair, Kinect will allow you to do two player games right out of the box, where as you have to spend another $80 to get a second player move controller ($180 in total).

Isn't it more like $60 for the wand, $20 for their version of the nunchuck? And what about the camera (you do need to buy the Playstation Eye, after all!)

/quibble

I actually hadn't taken the ability of the Kinect to do multiplayer right out of the box into consideration. Still, I don't think it really merits much of a price hike, and I maintain my own $70-90 guesstimate (though personally I hope the thing isn't higher than $80.)

 

[Baby Tea]

But, to be fair, Kinect will allow you to do two player games right out of the box, where as you have to spend another $80 to get a second player move controller ($180 in total).

Isn't it more like $60 for the wand, $20 for their version of the nunchuck? And what about the camera (you do need to buy the Playstation Eye, after all!)

It's $99.99 for the 'starter bundle', which gives you the camera, a wand, and their version of the nunchuck. And then it's $60 for another wand, and $20 for another 'Move-chuck'. $80. So, for two players, you'll spend about $180 (before tax).

 

[Not G. Ivingname]

150 dollars for a controller? Come on... if the 3DS is anything over that price point, people will rage.

 

[scotth266]

'Move-chuck'.

Heh. Move-chuck. I like it.

But yowza, Sony's really hitting people where it hurts, eh? $180 for a two-set of controllers before games even come into the picture is... well, let's look at it this way: the Wii's controller + nunchuck goes for $46 a pop on Amazon ($92 for a twofer, - tax.) That's a large price difference.

Heck, when you can get a Wii, with a Wiimote, Nunchuck, MotionPlus, and an additional game (other than Wii Sports Resort) all for $250-260, that starts looking like a much more reasonable alternative, especially for a customer new to the market.

Sony/Microsoft are going to have to really push their stance on getting more "hardcore" (blech, I hate using that term) titles out with their motion systems for them to gain any ground, IMO.

 

[chinangel]

Oh look, a new powerglove.

 

[Tarakos]

By itself it'll probably be $150. But I'm thinking they'll make a bundle with the new "slim" model. $375 for the new model + Kinect + whatever bullshit launch titles they decide to launch with Kinect. Reasonable. For Micr$oft.

 

[Lillowh]

i was considering Natal (Now Kinect) but why would i pay $150 for a contorller with .5-1 second control lag as well as a device that doesn't have it's own processor (one of their strategies to keep the price of the equipment down) so that it takes away from the xbox's processor and slowing response. If it had it's own processor and less control lag $150 would still be overpriced but still somewhat fair. $50-$80 is what it's worth now

 

[UltimatheChosen]

In a way, I hope it DOES end up being $150 so that it flops. I mean, it'll suck for the people who worked hard on it, but I still strongly dislike motion controls, and I don't want to see more games incorporate them.

 

[EnzoHonda]

If it's over $100 it's out of the "large-ish impulse buy" area. Most people don't mind dropping $100 on something, over that and they start to think. Microsoft doesn't want people thinking about this purchase.

 

[Baldr]

Still cheaper than buying 4 Sony move controllers.

 

[cathou]

which mean in canada we will probably have to pay 179.99$ to 199.99$

plus the fact that i dont have enough space in my living room to use it...

plus i have to talk to this thing to play and i'm not english, and i'm not sure this thing will understand either french or my crappy english accent...

and i already have a wii and a balance board...

the chance that i buy one is pretty weak