MS to offer Xbone without Kinect starting June 9, remove paywall for apps

[HardcoreSadism1]

I really can't wait until E3, so all this uncanny hysteria ends. It's killing brain cells- I think we should expect a private department expanding Kinect development, not just for the Xbox One console.

Damned if they do make a creepy accessory optional, damned if they don't make a creepy accessory optional.

[Gentlegamer1]

 

I can't wait to see the April NPDs that prompted this 180.

[Atarifever1]

Gentlegamer: I am trying to cut them a lot of slack for making all the right 180s at least. However, I too assume the April NPDs were so horrid they had to do this now, even before E3. My guess, and this is an honest guess: they were outsold by Wii U. That is a story they would really, really need to get ahead of.

[m0zart1]

[QUOTE=Tron]I agree w/ everyone's statements except "u know who". I wonder how this will affect the brand of Xbox down the road. It reminds me of how sega mishandled the sega cd and the the 32x. I especially agree with your points Edward. Well said. [/QUOTE]

I think that needed more quotes: "u" "know" "who".

Don't feel "bad" about the "lack" of "needless" punctuation though.

[Steve1]

It's getting so annoying (again) with the anti-Microsoft talk on here and other forums. Microsoft certainly made some bad calls in development as well as in their pre-E3 reveal but it is clear that no matter what they do, people will mock, complain, and be negative.

And this is an odd comment
[QUOTE]Get a load of this guy: http://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2014/05/13/microsofts-yusuf-mehdi-explains-the-xbox-ones-split-with-kinect-2/

Yusef Mehdi just oozes MS arrogance and spin.[/QUOTE]

Not only is there nothing wrong in the article (in my opinion), but he is the Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer for Xbox. What do people expect him to say? Ditto goes for Major Nelson. He's PR and does what he is told (and I think he does a pretty good job). Even if he knew otherwise regarding the direction the company is taking, he certainly can't risk it and reveal all.

Regarding the Kinect, I've enjoyed most of my experiences with it on the 360 and I wouldn't mind getting Kinect for Xbox One even with the availability of a model without one. I have fond memories of Gunstringer, Kinect Sports, Dance Central, Kinectimals, Fruit Ninja, and perhaps surprisingly Home Run Stars.
I'm also not sure I would consider (either) Kinect an extreme failure. My initial impression of Kinect for Xbox One is that it was more to be used for non-gaming purposes and in that regard, it seems to be doing its job. I know my friends seem to enjoy it. Not to say there are not games for it. I have absolutely no interest in FRU but it seems to be generating some positive buzz as an Indie title. Fantasia is another one that seems interesting for what it is.

I certainly hope we can get past all this silliness and just look forward to a good future for all platforms.

[scotland171]

Personally, the kinect 2 bothered me from a privacy angle, as in I would some. I recall,only SegaT agreeing to that sentiment, so consider a virtual high five.

CNET calls the kinectless xbox one a loss for gamers by hurting innovation, derailing the integration of entertainment, and reinforcing risk averse business decisions reducing next gen gaming to my graphics are better than your graphics.
http://www.cnet.com/news/why-the-death-of-microsoft-xbox-one-vision-means-we-all-lose/

The author says MS failed to stick to its guns, communicate its visions and justify its price. In other words, Sony gave gamers what they wanted, while MS tried to convince gamers of what they wanted. Maybe comparing that to medicine and snake oil is too much, but that is an analogy that comes to mind. Funny how invested main stream tech articles were about the integration of tv entertainment in one ecosystem, be it Apple or MS. Like gamers should take one for the team to usher such in a better tomorrow.

Sony, as Dave said, is winning by playing it safe. What vision have they articulated, or how do they justify their price? Basically just Hey, we are yesterday, only better. Nintendo has a family friendly brand, certainly took a gamble on the gamepad but their vision for the WiiU is muddled, and so justifying their price is muddled. Hey, if you liked the Wii we got all new versions of the same games but without those fun controllers you loved so much. They'll stick to their guns on the tablet controller, but I wonder how a WiiU with two pro controllers and Mario Kart would sell.

[Vexer1]

This post has been deleted.

Reason - It did not add anything to the discussion.

[Gentlegamer1]

The media lapdogs continue to do their master's bidding.

 

[Atarifever1]

[QUOTE=Gentlegamer]The media lapdogs continue to do their master's bidding.

 [/QUOTE]
Not really. They make money when people refresh pages with ads on them. People refresh a lot in console wars, fanboy fights in the comment sections at IGN. Quoting some silly thing some Xbox guy said gets them console war comment fights and more money.

They're not doing anyone's bidding. They also posted that Reggie said the other lineups were "meh" and that some indie guy said the PS Vita attach rate is (expeltive) awesome!

If anyone says something that will make fanboys fight, IGN posts it. It's not being a lapdog. It's just a little silly. Profitable. But silly.

Also, to feel better about all of us here, go read the comment section at IGN on any Xbox One or PS4 piece of news right now. It is terrifying. Some helpful translation:
Pony: Xbox fanboy term for a Sony fan
Xbot: PS fanboy term for Xbox fan
"Be all like": Thinks or says
".": A thing you put in some paragraphs and not others, pretty much however you like.

Sample: Ponies be all like "we gots no gaems. We make. Lies up to. Makes the One look like it not won the war. Xbox Won ya'll need to. Stop being all like wrong."

[m0zart1]

[QUOTE=scotland17]Personally, the kinect 2 bothered me from a privacy angle, as in I would some. I recall,only SegaT agreeing to that sentiment, so consider a virtual high five.[/QUOTE]

Bad memory -- that was my primary objection.

I think the reason this one bothered me the most is that it was so integrated with the original console, it didn't seem to be something you could remove or remove power from.

I'm less concerned with an add-on, because that can be disconnected, removed from power, etc.  And I'm certainly happy to see that not having it at all is an option.