Microsoft On Kinect Pricing: “You Do The Maths”
Marketing manager defends pricing.Published: 10:00, 29/07/2010 by Staff.
31Speaking to TechRadar at the Kinect stand at an Amazon event, Microsoft’s marketing manager Brett Simmons has defended Kinect’s pricing after it was announced last week. You’ll remember that we said Kinect’s standalone price was to be £129.99 here in the UK when it launches later this year.
“The price thing itself depends on how you look at it,” said Siddons. “It’s £129.99 RRP but it comes with a game within that price – so Adventures will be packed in with the camera. If you buy it with the console which normally costs £149.99, [the total becomes] £249.99 with the Kinect and the games another £100 on top.”
There’s been pricing matrixes put out by all parties recently, with each claiming to show their own motion control device is the keenest priced. “The camera tracks six people – with two active gamers – you don’t have to buy anything else,” he said, confirming once and for all that Kinect supports two gamers simultaneously.
“I’ll let you do the maths but when you say Nintendo Wii or PlayStation Move you buy this and this, even for a two player games. What do you need and what do actually have to spend for a two player game for this device versus that device. You actually find that [Kinect] is very competitively priced.”
For comparison, Sony’s Move costs £49.99 for the Eye, a Move controller and a demo disk. TechRadar cite a comparable cost of £150 when you factor in another Move controller and two of the subcontrollers (which are £29.99 each) which, whilst not essentially for most games, is a price worth lots to marketing departments.
Source: TechRadar.
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29/07/2010 at 10:04
Member since: Jan 2010
“The camera tracks six people – with two active gamers – you don’t have to buy anything else,” he said, confirming once and for all that Kinect supports two gamers simultaneously.
Tracks six people? Hmm.. what do they mean with that if it only has 2 active gamers? Can it separate up to 6 people or something? I don’t get it, can someone explain?
29/07/2010 at 10:07
Member since: Jul 2009
It can detect six folk so it can separate the actual gamers from the periphery folk who are laughing their tits off at the two individuals who look like they’re trying to flag down a taxi whilst simultaneously being electrocuted through their genitalia.
29/07/2010 at 17:47
Member since: Jul 2009
lol
29/07/2010 at 10:15
Member since: Jan 2010
So.. if, for some reason, 7 players (yes I know, that’s a lot) walk into the screen, the Kinect will be confused?
29/07/2010 at 10:34
Member since: Forever
The underlying camera tech (in its non-Kinect form) can track unlimited people, Microsoft may have chosen to limit this to 6 (or is 8 with the those occupying the gaming space) for performance reasons, as to what happens when there’s more people… who knows for sure but I’d be 100% confident its efforts were focused on those 2 gamers
29/07/2010 at 10:18
Member since: Jun 2010
Sorry, but I know people who have played it, with 3 people on a dance game…but this was a demo, so maybe they have decided to limit it…
29/07/2010 at 10:09
Member since: Jul 2009
Let’s get some perspective on things. Brett Simmons is going to defend the price of Kinect as it’s a bit expensive. Remember another bit of hardware that was very expensive when it first came out and the manufacturer tried to appease the situation by explaining how it was great value for money? It didn’t work. Only until the Slim came out did we see a decent surge in sales.
Anyway, MS and Sony use each other’s tricks and none of them are exclusive.
29/07/2010 at 10:09
Member since: Aug 2008
Pfft. £129.99 and you don’t even get a controller with it? Total ripoff ;)
29/07/2010 at 14:54
Member since: Jul 2009
Hahaha… I know; i have a real boring job since this actually made me grin
29/07/2010 at 17:34
Member since: Aug 2008
Funny you should mention that: I wrote it when I should’ve been doing my boring job :)
29/07/2010 at 10:10
Member since: Dec 2009
I dont care about MS. I will never forget going to get a new 360 and it RROD with its first turn on [this happened to me twice overall whilst waiting for ps3 to release] . So MS, you do the math, the time, annoyance, money wasted on travelling to town etc.
Not only do i have the bad taste in my mouth fro that but Kinect, a new concept, really?
I dont know anyone who is interested in it? Event the hardcore 360-ers dont wanna play COD whilst running on the spot and using their fingers as a hand gun?
It feels like they are forcing Kinect on the world….
Move – Im in.
Kinect – No thanks.
29/07/2010 at 10:17
Member since: Jul 2009
Maths! Not math. Sorry. Personal bugbear.
The only folks I can see wanting Kinect are hardware enthusiasts who are the sort of folk to buy pretty much everything… and… anyone from the Wii world hoping to branch out a bit. However, Move will always look like the better option with similar controls and (hopefully) better games.
29/07/2010 at 10:14
Member since: Nov 2009
i guess it depends where you buy move from, gamestations website has the nav controllers at £24.99.
also i dont need a camera because i already have one, i also dont technicly need the nav controller. as for 2 player games my mates can bring theres around, i dont even use my 2nd duel shock 3 because of online gaming
29/07/2010 at 10:17
Member since: Dec 2009
Now if only Kinect worked as advertised…
29/07/2010 at 10:21
Member since: Forever
Which ever way you add it up, for local 2 player gaming anything less than 4 Move sticks & 2 Navis is a compromise, which although some people will be willing to make, it’s still a compromise.
Xbox 360 & Kinect for the same price as a PS3 on its own… I can just imagine the parents at Christmas now, especially as WiFi & basic memory now comes as standard
29/07/2010 at 10:28
Member since: Feb 2009
I agree, this could really go the way of the Wii. Gaming companies repeatedly overestimate the awareness of non-gamers. Kinect is competitively priced for the ‘unaware’.
29/07/2010 at 10:42
Member since: Jul 2010
Bingo. In the Kinect bundle MS have a single boxed commodity that kids can unwrap and play with their friends with the minimum of fuss. In its prime the Wii was being sold to parents asking for ‘that tennis game’ or ‘that bowling thing’ and I see exactly the same thing happening for MS if they can get kids talking about it.
Personally, I have almost zero interest in motion control, much like a lot of other gamers, but I’m clearly not who Sony/MS are aiming for. They already have my money.
29/07/2010 at 18:37
Member since: Nov 2009
see again 4 remotes is overkill and 2 navs is over estimating, the multiplayer games ive seen thus far have been single move controler per player, i havent seen any multiplayer footage requiring the nav at all, only single player. and any footage ive seen requiring 2 move controlers has been switch play, where i have my turn and someone else has there turn.
thats not to say that 4 and 2 is not the correct requirements, but from all the footage ive seen 2 and 1 seems to be the ratio shown.
please if you have footage showing a multiplayer split screen game requiring 2 nav controlers (1 per player) please show me.
29/07/2010 at 10:41
Member since: Nov 2009
A nice thing for Move vs Kinect is that you can build up your Move controllers. I know I’ll be getting a Move controller pretty early (already have camera) and will give it a go, if I like it I’ll only then get the second controller and I’ll try using the Dual Shock for Nav and get the Nav controller if I feel it’ll be more comfortable. Kinect is all in from day one.
29/07/2010 at 10:51
Member since: Dec 2008
But how many of us actually play 2 player games on the same console? For oneplayer Kinect is stupid expensive.
29/07/2010 at 10:59
Member since: Mar 2010
Let me do that maths!
All prices are RRP in the United Kingdom. You can get much better deals on ShopTo.
Kinect (£129.99)
Players: 2
Price: £129.99
PlayStation Move Starter Kit (£49.99)
PlayStation Move motion controller (£34.99)
Players: 2
Total Price: £84.98
Just because PlayStation Move allows more players Microsoft shouldn’t compare it with the maximum amount of controllers added. Microsoft also added PlayStation Move navigation controllers which, as most people will know now, aren’t needed at all.
Also, note the prices of the games. Again, I’m using RRP prices from ShopTo. Actual prices are cheaper, naturally.
Kinect
Kinectimals (£39.99)
Kinect Joyride (£39.99)
Kinect Your Shape Fitness Evolved (£49.99)
Kinect Dance Central (£39.99)
PlayStation Move
The Shoot (£29.99)
Sports Champions (£29.99)
The Fight: Lights Out (£34.99)
Kung Fu Rider (£29.99)
I support Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, I just don’t think they should be trying to argue which is better value like this. Plenty of gaming websites will be doing it anyway so there’s really no point.
29/07/2010 at 11:12
Member since: Forever
The Fight, Sports Champions and others use 2 Move sticks per player, sure you can use one… but why would anyone spend money for half the experience?
29/07/2010 at 12:35
Member since: Mar 2010
To me knowledge, only The Fight requires two sticks. Every other Move game can be played with one. As far as sacrifices go, I’m not sure why anyone would buy four controllers for optimal multilayer gaming. If you buy two Move motion controllers then that allows two player gaming whilst also allowing use two controllers for single player. This seems to me like the best setup for a reasonable price. If you’re going to spend the extra money for the best experience for you and your three friends then you may as well toss in some official gun attachments, a couple of navigation controllers and a bag of M&Ms.
29/07/2010 at 13:21
Member since: Jul 2009
I’m pretty sure the volleyball game showed two move controllers.