Ben-DutkaBack on June 9, Microsoft removed Kinect as a necessary implement for the Xbox One, thereby dropping the price of the console to $399.
In a recent Eurogamer interview , Sony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida said his company expected Microsoft to eventually remove Kinect as a bundled necessity, but they didn't expect it to happen so soon:
"Some media people totally believed they should have done it earlier, but some other media people thought it was a unique selling point. Personally, I was expecting that at some point in the future they'd unbundle Kinect, but I wasn't expecting it this early. My interpretation was the management change had really helped them to reset and re-sync everything. And since then they've been consistent."
Now that the competition has the same price tag, analysts are expecting Microsoft's next-gen console to catch up to Sony's PlayStation 4 (at least in North America). However, Yoshida doesn't mind the competition and in fact, he says that because competition begets quality, it's the consumer that ultimately benefits:
"Competition really pushes everyone–Microsoft and us–to do better. I think in the end the consumers will win."
Many believe Microsoft absolutely had to ditch Kinect in order to make the Xbox One more competitive. Now that it has happened, we'll have to see how the system fares. Either way, though, Yoshida is certainly correct: Competition is good for everyone.
Don Mattrick almost single handedly destroyed the Xbox division. Good thing he was replaced.
I wanna pin a medal on him.
Depends, which medal?
sweet roundhouse kick there, World
They had to do it faster because sales were a disaster.
Nice rhyme.
As soon as we heard "The XBox One will never be sold without Kinect" we knew it would be. Microsoft has always been a lying, underhanded company since way before the Xbox was brought about. Blaming their outright lies on mismanagement or confusion is pretty much B.S. They tried to strongarm the industry because and when it didn't work they knew they still had the most idiotic sheep as customers so they simply acted like they had never said or done anything. Anyone faithful to Microsoft as a consumer is an idiot.
Sorry for the strong words but I gotta call a spade a spade.
Yeah I know right? Remember when they said they couldn't add rumble because it would interfere with the motion controls? Oh wait…that was Sony. Not an apologist for MS, they straight up lied, but so does Sony. And Nintendo. If anyone believe that a co.pany actually cares about them and not their money, then they are an idiot. Sorry for the harshness but, you know, spades and all that.
Sony cares more about the gamer than MS, it's evident in the way they conduct business. Your example is a terribly weak one compared to the massive lies and walkbacks comitted by Microsoft since they entered this industry.
Sony puts their money where their mouth is and also provides a comprehensive entertainment experience that includes quality products and customer service. Those things weren't high on Microsoft's list when everybody's 360s burned out.
The only gamers who believe that all companies don't care about their customers are Xbox fans.
…gee, I wonder why that is.
you good sir get the finest cookie I can find. I could not have said it better myself. Your comment helped me believe that all is not lost in this world. So good to know that some people have some common sense left. 🙂
Kid they said they didnt add rumble bc it would interfere with the sixaxis controller when used simultaneously and if i recall Sony were not the ones that found a solution to that problem it was Immersion (the creators of force feedback in rumble controllers) so in a sense they waren't lying about it
Last edited by Deathb4Dishonor on 7/1/2014 5:22:38 PM
…and as if a rumble feature comment is anywhere on the scale of MS and the Kinect fiasco. It was their bold & haughty move into the next-gen. Their hook to be the defacto standard of living room entertainment. Have your friends over for NFL and eat popcorn. Call grandma on Skype. Power on a quick match of CoD. Bing the net for a web search. And then take it all back to Football. Xbox One. All here. All now. Kinect. All for just $499.99
Oh dear. People really do believe.
D4D- they left out rumble because at the time there was a judgment against them for patent infringement by Immersion to the tune of 93 million dollars. They wanted to skirt around it by saying things like "it wont work with motion controls"even though the Wii was doing what they claimed ccouldn't be done. Oh and that is was " a last gen feature". After they ponied up, Immersion fixed the "problem".
Well, I definitely wont attempt to defend MS. Their lies are indefensible and the list is pretty long. But the hypocrisy is palpable. I remember when Nintendo claimed that Wii was just as powerful as the PS3 and 360. Thats a huge one. Doesn't make me dislike Nintendo. Just like MS' s and Sony's tales don't make me dislike them. I don't think there are any "Microsoft" fans, just Xbox fans. They like Halo, Forza, Gears or Live features or whatever brings them to the console. But Xbox and MS are separate entities.
@KidPresentable Nintendo said the same exact thing about rumble. Apparently it was just a big drain on the battery back then and they figured controllers were better without them. Better to have people complain about no rumble than have rumble and people complaining about their controllers dying every two hours.
Kid i kno Sony was at court with Immersion for patent infringement at the time… But all i'm saying is that Immersion head himself said that his company found a solution to sonys problem with rumble interfering with the motion controls meaning that Sony wasn't lying about a problem adding that feature in the first place… Now mayb they were lying and mayb they warent but you are just assuming they were with no real way of knowing
Still this is not as bad as MS flat out lying about the kinect in the X1… Now i have all 3 systems and didnt have a problem getting X1 with the kinect and i use it often so i'm not complaining about it but i kno plenty off ppl who dont use kinect for nothing and feel cheated out of money from MS since they said they would never sell separate the X1 and kinect and as we kno already that was bullsh*t
Really love this guy. Hes honest and have a sense of humor.
Why did sony have to make up kevin butler when they have yoshida on their team the whole time?
there's nothing too underhanded that Microsoft wouldn't do.they made a deal with the devil and sold their souls long ago. The proof is in the pudding. It is obvious Sony has shown through their business practices that they care about the consumer and gamer. Same with Nintendo. It is Microsoft and their Xbox that is a blight upon this world!
Last edited by Lone Wanderer on 7/1/2014 5:00:41 PM
Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.
-Hanlon's Razor
I have to disagree with competition equals good for the customer. It doesn't always mean that. For example if Microsoft and Sony battling now and god forbid Xbox were to win. that would spell that end of video games as we know it.Microsoft cares nothing for innovation, the consumer/gamer, or the love of video games.all Microsoft cares about is profit and killing out all competition.because they are sore losers.
I'm surprised they did it so soon too. I only know of one company who gives up so quickly and turns their tail and runs from their plans on the first sign of trouble.
Of course the herpes bundle was always a bad idea to begin with but for MS to be so "firm" in it's "necessity" and it would "never" be unbundled to then turn around in 6 months time and go back on everything they promised their base is hilarious.
I mean, come on, what about the people who did buy into MS's herpes promise? Those who were actually sold on it? They don't matter I guess.
Last edited by Temjin001 on 7/1/2014 5:15:43 PM
Well MS were relying heavily on their brand to sell at that price much like Sony did at the launch of PS3 but atleast you got a bluray player in the PS3 that were selling at pretty high prices at the time… Still, the sweet spot for a system to sell is $400
I must admit though the features and voice commands on the kinect are pretty cool… Granted the features i like have nothing to do with gaming and should've been optional for consumers not forced on like MS did… If they would've had two bundles for X1 one without kinect $399 and one with it $499 then they wouldn't been so behind in sales… But after all bullsh*t they pulled saying kinect was necessary and now it turns out it isn't, a lot of ppl are starting to turn on them
yea the PS3 era humbled Sony. Hard lessons were learned about shoehorning their engineering agenda onto gamers (that is the Cell BE and Blu ray player). But as such, I liked their identity a lot more during the PS3's time. Jack Trenton was the right face and tone for what the PS3 had to offer. It sure beat the down to business, we are the global leader persona of Kaz and friends way back when. I just hope Sony doesn't forget how quick you can go from the top to a highly threatened position during console changeovers.
Last edited by Temjin001 on 7/1/2014 8:16:35 PM
Ok so now people will have to buy it separately as most games for the crap box one will need Kinect anyways, at least for all the up coming titles, as Microsoft anticipated all crap box ones to have kinect
PS4's are 350$ right now on various websites and stores.
And MS still isn't selling very well. The poor bastardo's are struggling in their own country right now. Wii U's Mario Kart 8 is what revived the Wii U and the sales have surpassed (finally) the xbox one. The only thing that will save MS is luck or cheating. Let's face it, they'll end up cheating because they can't win otherwise. The new CEO is trying his best to do this the right way but he'll crack soon. With all the pressure that guys going through its inevitable. As I said too, at E3 the guys stress was felt from a distance. He's terrified, its like MS is threatening to kill him if he doesn't fix xbox.
I wonder how MS feel now that the XB1 on the market is a far cry from the one they originally intended to release, with the whole concept behind it having to be revisited.