Xbox One to Get Kinect-Free Version for $399 in June

[Something Amyss]

So now you're not paying a hundred dollars extra for an inferior system, you're paying the same. well, progress, I guess.

'The Kinect is integral to the use of the console'

*6 months later*

"Here's a Kinect-less version, please give us your money, we really need it."

The funny thing is, I kept hearing speculation and the response was that it'd be too soon.

I guess not....

Whats the deal MS? You told everyone in no uncertain terms that the Xbone will NOT work without Kinect. Yet it does?

We knew that, though. You've been able to unplug The Kinect since launch and it'd function.

Man I almost can't wait to see Microsoft do something appealing and decently good and still see it being called "weak" and "desperate".

I'd be pleasantly surprised to see them do something appealing and decently good. It'd be a nice change of pace. It has nothing to do with this, though. They were being dicks who tried to strongarm us into a product with lies and berating comments. And they got what they deserved and people are saying "well, good."

I suspect we'd see different results if this weren't an artificially created problem manufactured by Microsoft.

The power of hate prevails I guess?

I'd say it's the power of sales. Just like with the DRM fiasco.

Microsoft rode out the hate, but the fiscal burden appears to be another thing entirely.

Finally. It wouldnt be so bad if Kinect was amazing and their were loads of amazing software for it. But there isnt, every game has been shit apart from Dance games. Im sure they had high hopes for the kinect, but it just hasnt worked out the way they hoped. Good they are ditching it.

I just saw a post on VG Chartz wherein they OP was mourning the death of innovation. It was weird to think that anyone actually thought this was innovation. I'm yet to see anything that would make it worth the cost of admission. And I'm glad MS isn't trying to force it on the market anymore.

 

[Nazulu]

Well, that was the last of my problems with the box. Now if it gets a library of games that interests me I don't mind investing money in it. Or do they still have that hard drive space problem?

if by hard drive space problem you mean only 500gb HDD of which 137GB is reserved for OS - yes, they still have that problem.

Yeah, that's exactly the one. Jeez, you can really write.

Any way, I also remember reading somewhere that the games could use up to even 50gb of that space. Do you know if that goes for many games? What ever the average is.

Oh, and I also remember hearing that you could only use the one hard drive on the Xbone. Is that really true?

Sorry if I'm over doing it

 

[Reaper195]

Head of Xbox changes person. Community? "Took you guys long enough." Implying that the people who decided this were already in a position to affect the decision.

Kinda over this bullshit with the gaming community. No one wants to look beyond the surface.

 

[Strazdas]

Yeah, that's exactly the one. Jeez, you can really write.

Any way, I also remember reading somewhere that the games could use up to even 50gb of that space. Do you know if that goes for many games? What ever the average is.

Oh, and I also remember hearing that you could only use the one hard drive on the Xbone. Is that really true?

Sorry if I'm over doing it

Titanfall takes up 50 GB due to its uncompressed audio sillyness and COD:Ghosts have a bloated file size for whatever reason (as well as bloated system requirements that were actually false and were made with sole purpose to make people b uy console version). Other than that i dont know any games that are really that "huge". ~16GB and more has become sort of a standard now, so if you consider that huge, thats that.
the up to 50 GB rumor was there because Blue-Ray disc has 50 GB of space, this means that the game installer can theoretically take up to 50 GB, and the developer were touting that "The only restriction now is disc size" so people took it to mean that they are going to cram 50 GB of data into there. Turns out that the consoles arent powerful enough to bother.

 

[Something Amyss]

But that only makes his point, why be consistent?, once they change for the better why?.

Here's the thing:

Anyone whose sole objection to the Xbone was the Kinect should remain consistent and pony up for one, assuming that they haven't already bought a console where they budgeted for only one. If that was the only constraint, then there is no obstacle.

However, if it's just one of a laundry list of issues, especially if some issues still persist, there is nothing inconsistent with still not buying a Kinectless bone.

Right now, there's little in the way of positive reasons to buy an Xbone. They merely removed a couple of negative reasons not to. I mean, if you really want one of the handful of games truly exclusive to the Xbone, I guess that's a reason. If it's all your friends own, I guess that's a reason. But the list seems to end about there. Otherwise, you can get better versions of the same games on the PS4 in a lot of cases if you want a console, or you can go PC. The reasons are pretty limited right now (especially given the lack of exclusives), so there's no reason to assume people who aren't throwing their money at Microsoft are being inconsistent.

Oh I did, dunno about you but I was expecting a tune to change, not the same old bile, but hey you proved me that this will never change, even if MS did because it's kool to hate.

Microsoft didn't change. This is still consistent with the company as it was.

 

[Nazulu]

Yeah, that's exactly the one. Jeez, you can really write.

Any way, I also remember reading somewhere that the games could use up to even 50gb of that space. Do you know if that goes for many games? What ever the average is.

Oh, and I also remember hearing that you could only use the one hard drive on the Xbone. Is that really true?

Sorry if I'm over doing it

Titanfall takes up 50 GB due to its uncompressed audio sillyness and COD:Ghosts have a bloated file size for whatever reason (as well as bloated system requirements that were actually false and were made with sole purpose to make people b uy console version). Other than that i dont know any games that are really that "huge". ~16GB and more has become sort of a standard now, so if you consider that huge, thats that.
the up to 50 GB rumor was there because Blue-Ray disc has 50 GB of space, this means that the game installer can theoretically take up to 50 GB, and the developer were touting that "The only restriction now is disc size" so people took it to mean that they are going to cram 50 GB of data into there. Turns out that the consoles arent powerful enough to bother.

Oh good, that clears that up. Thanks

I read through a couple of articles about the removal of the hard drive and how it would void the warranty, and at some point Microsoft would eventually update the box so you could remove the hard drive like the PS4. Though they haven't brought it up for months.

I also found a small list that showed most games were around 10 to 15Gb, some going up to 30Gb, and it also said some of them had big updates which made a difference.

They really screwed up. How much did it cost Microsoft making all these changes? Revising all the practices? I wonder

 

[Lightknight]

At least with the Kinect 2 they could have argued that it combined with the XBO machine warranted being more expensive than the PS4. Heck, it cost Microsoft around $475 to make and ship the $500 machine. But now that they've dropped the kinect that cost almost as much as the console itself there's no excuse for claiming that a 50% weaker console should cost the same as the 50% more powerful one.

Still, I also anticipate a further price drop as a big reveal since they stand to make about $100 on every one of these kinect 2 free boxes.

 

[Roofstone]

Ugh.. I..

Ugh.

I hate microsoft. Better late than never I suppose.

 

[ryessknight]

Nice to see microsoft pull there head outta there ass abit and make one good decision. But its to little to late for me. I still wont buy a xbone. Dont trust them anymore plus its still a weak next gen with shitty exclusives and has the worst versions of multiplatform games. Also still think the whole multimedia focus instead of game focus thing there doing is stupid.

 

[purf]

Xbox schmexbox. I'd just like to know why it takes them so long to release the Kinect for Windows as they should have figured out that this is where they can sell the thing (from my point of view and what I can gather from around here).

 

[ShinyCharizard]

Excellent. This was the main thing keeping me from getting an Xbox, and with Sunset Overdrive looking fucking awesome, I'll be picking one up fairly soon. I've always liked Xbox exclusive games more than Sony's offerings.

 

[ShinyCharizard]

I'm sure this'll now mean that everyone on the internet that said "I'll get it when they get rid of the Kinect, stop requiring Gold for apps and all that" will now turn round and buy it, especially at the new price.

Right guys?

Or will they turn round and go "Too little, too late"? Because why be consistent.

Anyway, looks like Spencer is having a big impact, which is good to see.

Well not me at least. They got rid of all that and now I'll definitely buy it.

 

[doxydejour]

Oh Microsoft, the problem was never the Kinect. Sure, it didn't help in the slightest that technology that failed catastrophically during the last generation of gaming was now being forced on people during the current generation of gaming for $100 extra, but it was never the problem. The problem is your attitude towards your fans.

You insisted that always-online DRM was necessary for your games. Your spokespeople insulted gamers who said otherwise, one of them going so far as to ignorantly assume that everyone has access to the internet. Then, after the backlash, you phased the DRM out and made a few pathetic bleats about how your customers were ruining your vision.

You then insisted that the Kinect was an integral part of the system and could not be removed, and again ignored those gamers who questioned it being a necessary component due to the poor reception of the Kinect with the 360. You forcefully told the market that the Xbox One would always come with the Kinect, and that it was the future of gaming. Then, after poor sales figures, you once again scrapped an integral part of your 'vision' and, again, blamed your customers for its failure. (Read the statement - it smacks of "you made us do this, you meanies witholding your wallets!").

The problem wasn't the Kinect. Or the DRM. (Although the DRM issue was a huge problem). It's your attitude. It's the fact that you hired people who smugly insulted your long-time fans, smirking into cameras and laughing at anyone who disagreed with them - see the Angry Joe interview if you don't know what I mean. It's the fact you were more committed to making a multimedia centre with gaming as a secondary consideration. It's the fact that you don't seem to know what you're doing any more. You don't seem to be understanding your customers, your market, your product. Your constant shilly-shallying and changes is what's putting people off - how can I be confident in a company that isn't confident in itself? Even your PC department doesn't seem to know what to do with Windows 8, first obliterating the Start button and then hurriedly adding it back on to try to fix poor sales.

If my 360 dies I will get another one because I love my 360 and I love the games on it. But getting an Xbox One? Heck no. No games, no confidence, no money. And no, I'm not getting a PS4 or a WiiU or anything else either. This generation of gaming has become more focused on corporate shit-slinging, DRM, microtransactions, user privacy issues and companies that are totally clueless about their fans than it has about gaming. I'll sit this one out. The only way to win is not to play at all, and that's really sad. =|

 

[Lightknight]

Oh Microsoft, the problem was never the Kinect. Sure, it didn't help in the slightest that technology that failed catastrophically during the last generation of gaming was now being forced on people during the current generation of gaming for $100 extra, but it was never the problem. The problem is your attitude towards your fans.

You insisted that always-online DRM was necessary for your games. Your spokespeople insulted gamers who said otherwise, one of them going so far as to ignorantly assume that everyone has access to the internet. Then, after the backlash, you phased the DRM out and made a few pathetic bleats about how your customers were ruining your vision.

You then insisted that the Kinect was an integral part of the system and could not be removed, and again ignored those gamers who questioned it being a necessary component due to the poor reception of the Kinect with the 360. You forcefully told the market that the Xbox One would always come with the Kinect, and that it was the future of gaming. Then, after poor sales figures, you once again scrapped an integral part of your 'vision' and, again, blamed your customers for its failure. (Read the statement - it smacks of "you made us do this, you meanies witholding your wallets!").

The problem wasn't the Kinect. Or the DRM. (Although the DRM issue was a huge problem). It's your attitude. It's the fact that you hired people who smugly insulted your long-time fans, smirking into cameras and laughing at anyone who disagreed with them - see the Angry Joe interview if you don't know what I mean. It's the fact you were more committed to making a multimedia centre with gaming as a secondary consideration. It's the fact that you don't seem to know what you're doing any more. You don't seem to be understanding your customers, your market, your product. Your constant shilly-shallying and changes is what's putting people off - how can I be confident in a company that isn't confident in itself? Even your PC department doesn't seem to know what to do with Windows 8, first obliterating the Start button and then hurriedly adding it back on to try to fix poor sales.

If my 360 dies I will get another one because I love my 360 and I love the games on it. But getting an Xbox One? Heck no. No games, no confidence, no money. And no, I'm not getting a PS4 or a WiiU or anything else either. This generation of gaming has become more focused on corporate shit-slinging, DRM, microtransactions, user privacy issues and companies that are totally clueless about their fans than it has about gaming. I'll sit this one out. The only way to win is not to play at all, and that's really sad. =|

Well, I personally am also frustrated for the attitude they presented. I, for one, do not want to trust the future of my library to this kind of company with an anti-consumer mentality. It's a real customer is always wrong mentality. It truly is and that's the biggest problem, you're right.

But the Kinect 2 was a problem. From the whole "it's always watching and listening" scare to the being forced to buy an unnecessary and expensive peripheral, people really have a problem with it. This is one of many steps Microsoft is trying to take to get back into a neutral position. It's important for them to take all the small steps to help make up for the big failures they started with. People like you and me, we may never forget their ridiculous and calloused attitude towards consumers simply because they had a vision of the future they wanted to cram down our throats. But this step is an olive branch for all the people who can be convinced. Unfortunately for Microsoft and the WiiU, both of these consoles have gone firmly into the realm of consoles I'll only buy at the end of the life cycle to get the existing library of exclusives.

 

[doxydejour]

Snip snip snip.

Well, I personally am also frustrated for the attitude they presented. I, for one, do not want to trust the future of my library to this kind of company with an anti-consumer mentality. It's a real customer is always wrong mentality. It truly is and that's the biggest problem, you're right.

But the Kinect 2 was a problem. From the whole "it's always watching and listening" scare to the being forced to buy an unnecessary and expensive peripheral, people really have a problem with it. This is one of many steps Microsoft is trying to take to get back into a neutral position. It's important for them to take all the small steps to help make up for the big failures they started with. People like you and me, we may never forget their ridiculous and calloused attitude towards consumers simply because they had a vision of the future they wanted to cram down our throats. But this step is an olive branch for all the people who can be convinced. Unfortunately for Microsoft and the WiiU, both of these consoles have gone firmly into the realm of consoles I'll only buy at the end of the life cycle to get the existing library of exclusives.

The Kinect 2 as a product was a problem, but personally I had more of an issue with how Microsoft dismissed these legitimate concerns, rather than the concerns themselves. Rather than coming out and saying "yes we know you are concerned, please let us explain why we have opted to do this so that we can have a dialogue with you", Microsoft's approach instead was "NO THIS IS THE WAY IT WILL BE FOR THIS IS OUR VISION!" That to me is more dangerous, because it means the company refuses to acknowledge the problem. The back-pedaling is not the gesture of goodwill some gamers on this thread seem to think it is because it means Microsoft's position hasn't changed - they've removed the Kinect/DRM because it was affecting their sales, not because they recognise it was a mistake. :U

 

[Something Amyss]

Maybe they've learned to zone it out, there is an awful lot of it directed towards them for so many reasons. Or they just never cared in the first place. Who really knows what goes on in their offices and meetings, and what is on their minds besides 24/7 complete fuckwittery.

Personally, I suspect they run around the offices with their pants on their heads and shoes on their hands. But I don't know.

 

[Lightknight]

Snip snip snip.

Well, I personally am also frustrated for the attitude they presented. I, for one, do not want to trust the future of my library to this kind of company with an anti-consumer mentality. It's a real customer is always wrong mentality. It truly is and that's the biggest problem, you're right.

But the Kinect 2 was a problem. From the whole "it's always watching and listening" scare to the being forced to buy an unnecessary and expensive peripheral, people really have a problem with it. This is one of many steps Microsoft is trying to take to get back into a neutral position. It's important for them to take all the small steps to help make up for the big failures they started with. People like you and me, we may never forget their ridiculous and calloused attitude towards consumers simply because they had a vision of the future they wanted to cram down our throats. But this step is an olive branch for all the people who can be convinced. Unfortunately for Microsoft and the WiiU, both of these consoles have gone firmly into the realm of consoles I'll only buy at the end of the life cycle to get the existing library of exclusives.

The Kinect 2 as a product was a problem, but personally I had more of an issue with how Microsoft dismissed these legitimate concerns, rather than the concerns themselves. Rather than coming out and saying "yes we know you are concerned, please let us explain why we have opted to do this so that we can have a dialogue with you", Microsoft's approach instead was "NO THIS IS THE WAY IT WILL BE FOR THIS IS OUR VISION!" That to me is more dangerous, because it means the company refuses to acknowledge the problem. The back-pedaling is not the gesture of goodwill some gamers on this thread seem to think it is because it means Microsoft's position hasn't changed - they've removed the Kinect/DRM because it was affecting their sales, not because they recognise it was a mistake. :U

Exactly! And that's why I have absolutely no faith in their ability or willingness to protect any kind of gaming library I would have otherwise created with them.

 

[Lil devils x_v1legacy]

I honestly feel sorry for them at this point. It was surreal how they had blunder after blunder and bad idea after bad idea and it was getting worse and worse to watch as the more they tried to fix it they just made it worse. Now you have the issue of "Your friends already bought a PS4 and if you want to play with your friends you have to be on the same console" issue but may gain back those who usually buy all consoles (like myself) but did not buy theirs this time because of the kinect and hard drive issue. Now, they need to deal the removable hard drive issue and I might consider it although it isn't like I really "need one".

 

[J Tyran]

They,

-reversed the DRM
-dropped the price
-are trying to sort out the performance
-might be removing some of the restrictions regarding streaming services
-will be offering a Kinect free version
-making efforts to secure games for the console

Yet all those positives are painted as bad things and back peddling, no Microsoft are not doing it because they are really nice guys and want to help people and they are only doing it to shift more product but at the end of the day the consumer is still benefiting from it.

first of, when you fix a problem you yourself cause you dont deserve praise. you deserve to be told to not do it again.
Reverse DRM - fixing problem you yourself caused.
Droppnig the price - ill give you that this is a good thing, but this is only beucase they are not selling the Kinect with it, and they claimed kinect is 150 dollars worth, which means they are actually raising the price of base console. well, not such a good thing after all.
trying to sort out performance? um, how? hardware does not magically become faster. granted, MS as a whole has been looking at programming layers and its performance problems lately, but thats more coming from windows division than Xbox one. still, youll have to elaborate on that to make a reasonable retort.
kinect free version - once again fixing a problem they themselves caused.
securing games? you mean holding games ransom?

Praise? No, I never mentioned praise at all only that they deserve some level of positive recognition for addressing the complaints of potential customers. Listening to customers is a good thing, that is just to much for the people that want to mindlessly hate though isn't it? They also dropped the price of the console in some countries with the launch of Titanfall, not just the Kinect free price drop in the future.

As for hardware "magically becoming more powerful" I guess you don't understand computers if you think APIs and drivers cannot have a startling effect on the performance of hardware, obviously as DX12 isn't out yet we cannot see how much of a difference it will make but I will leave you this [http://www.anandtech.com/show/7926/nvidia-releases-33750-beta-driver-offers-significant-performance-improvements] as proof of how much difference they can make. A simple driver update with a more optimised version and it increases performance in games by between twenty and fifty percent, that is just a driver not a reworked API.