With the current topic of various motion controllers and their pricing gaining a lot of attention, just how much will everything cost and is Microsoft’s rumoured Kinect pricing too large?
It’s a hard question to answer considering the price of Kinect has still to be announced by Microsoft, but, going by the current favourite of $150, I’ve attempted to look at the overall cost for those wanting to become an owner of all the technology needed.
The following information is based on average prices on the internet. Cheaper versions may well exist if you shop around but this is based on people that would normally only use the larger retailers to buy from. Please note that the Kinect pricing is completely based on estimations at this time.
Single Player:
First off, let’s look at the single player. Perhaps living the batchelor/batchelorette life or perhaps the only person in a household interested in gaming. How much will it set him/her back?
| Prices for a Single Player Set up | ||
| Xbox 360 Slim | PlayStation 3 Slim | |
| 250 GB Console (incl. 1 controller) | £199.99 | £279.99 |
| Full Motion Control | £125* (Kinect) | £79.98 (PSEye, Move Controller and Sub Controller) |
| Online Gaming | £34.99 | FREE |
| Total | £359.98 | £359.97 |
| *Price for Kinect is estimated based on the current rumoured price of $150. Allowed for currency conversion and any additional charges that Microsoft may apply. | ||
Two Players:
Perhaps a young couple, perhaps two siblings, perhaps a single player and a friend, how much does it cost in this instance?
| Prices for a Two Player Set up | ||
| Xbox 360 Slim | PlayStation 3 Slim | |
| 250 GB Console (incl. 1 controller) | £199.99 | £279.99 |
| Full Motion Control | £125* (Kinect) | £149.96 (PSEye, Move Controller and Sub Controller) |
| Online Gaming (based on 2 separate accounts) | £69.98 | FREE |
| Additional Official Controller (s) (1 per player) | £29.99 | £34.99 |
| Total | £424.96 | £464.94 |
| *Price for Kinect is estimated based on the current rumoured price of $150. Allowed for currency conversion and any additional charges that Microsoft may apply. | ||
The Family:
Seeing as I doubt the Mafia will be sitting around waving their arms, the ‘Family’ of course refers to an average family of 4 or perhaps even a shared house where each resident wants to get involved. How will the prices be affected by multiple gamers?
| Prices for a Four Player Set up | ||
| Xbox 360 Slim | PlayStation 3 Slim | |
| 250 GB Console (incl. 1 controller) | £199.99 | £279.99 |
| Full Motion Control | £125* (Kinect) | £289.92** (PSEye, Move Controller and Sub Controller) |
| Online Gaming | £69.99*** | FREE |
| Additional Official Controller (s) (1 per player) | £89.97 | £104.97 |
| Total | £489.96 | £674.88** |
| *Price for Kinect is estimated based on the current rumoured price of $150. Allowed for currency conversion and any additional charges that Microsoft may apply. | ||
| **Based on 4 players playing at the same time using full controller set up. | ||
| ***Based on Microsoft’s recently announced Family Pack (4 Gold accounts using one Xbox in one household). | ||
So the PlayStation 3 actually costs more across 2 of these examples and only beats the Xbox 360 on price by a penny on the other, although it’s only fair to point out that the PS3 does include a Blu-Ray player as well. There are still arguments over which motion tech is the most accurate, but, either way, Microsoft appear to have the advantage.
This is complete speculation until the Kinect price is 100% officially confirmed by Microsoft. My estimations are logical but by no means should be taken as read. Kinect’s actual pricing could render all of the above incorrect!
I am also aware that Sony revealed a PS3 + PSEye + Move Controller bundle for $399.99, so, converted and allowing for a little extra, this is likely to be around £350. Kinect bundles may also drop the price of the combined units, too. Due to this uncertainty I have purposely not included bundles.
UPDATE:
Okay, it seems that some of you are seeing this as some kind of ‘attack’ on Sony. It’s not. I no longer own a 360 and doubt I will any time soon, unless I come into some money and can afford to pay for luxury items again. No, this is purely an attempt at providing some realistic numbers to soon-to-be-realeased technology. Things seem to have become a little confusing. So, in an effort to maintain my point and cut some confusion, let’s re-evaluate using a basic set up. Let’s work on the basis that the PlayStation Move can not handle 4 Move controllers and 4 Sub controllers by limiting it to 4 Move Controllers and 2 Sub controllers. Let’s also get rid of the additional official controllers as keep it just about motion, shall we?
| Prices for a Four Player Set up | ||
| Xbox 360 Slim | PlayStation 3 Slim | |
| 250 GB Console (incl. 1 controller) | £199.99 | £279.99 |
| Full Motion Control | £125* (Kinect) | £229.94 (PSEye, 4 Move Controllers and 2 Sub Controllers) |
| Online Gaming | £69.99** | FREE |
| Total | £489.96 | £509.93 |
| *Price for Kinect is estimated based on the current rumoured price of $150. Allowed for currency conversion and any additional charges that Microsoft may apply. | ||
| **Based on Microsoft’s recently announced Family Pack (4 Gold accounts using one Xbox in one household). | ||
Things have become a little more even. You happy? As long as Move will never be able to handle 4 of each type of controller then here’s a rough guide to the price differences. Let’s get one thing straight, I’m actually not a fan of motion controllers and have only recently been even remotely interested in PS Move.
Thechunkymunky
I’m assuming these prices are just the initial outlay seeing as online gaming on the 360 is an annual subscription. :-)
max3091
Also i might be a good idea to add the price of one game, as there is no point in owning the hardware without the software, and i’ve heard that Kinect based games will be cheaper than normal £39.99 games. Then again we are talking about Microsoft, so it might not be cheaper.
kivi95
well if you have looked at their kinct games most of them looks like mini games so maybe thats why they will be cheaper.
Pete_UK
M$ – making you pay for Wii Sports, in installments… OMG ARCHERY DLC PACK!
jimmy-google
Sony announced their Move games would be release at the $40 mark. That would probably convert to £25 to £30. US games are typically priced at about $60
Mick939
To make the update work you have taken off the four controllers for 360 you require.
Gastos84
Don’t need them to play Kinect.
Mick939
Since when, i needed two to play with the live vision two player?
bunimomike
Great article, Gastos. Although it would be nice to see a simple comparison for people who already have the console. 30 million of us might be tempted, after all. Also, I think most people who have a few controllers might’ve bought them one or two at a time which makes the financial investment far more palatable. I know I did and I’m up to 4 x PS3 controllers.
Staged costs worked a treat for the 360 (eg. separate wireless, etc).
Serebii.Net
Small article = Fanboy Rage
Crazyfrog23
Lewis your first three posts were fine and they told the story as is.The amount of people complaining about this actually bewilders me as you compared like with like in a perfect manner.
Your new fourth box does just tells us that kinect will support a lot more.Sure if that is supposed to be the basics, take out the subscription to live as a family who just want motion gaming will not care for online.They haven’t cared about the wii’s online setup so why would they now.
Crazyfrog23
*Your new fourth box does just tells us that kinect will support a lot more*
Some poor mistakes there, it was supposed to read “your new fourth box just tells us that Kinect will support a lot more people.
rossthebassist
of course people see this as a slight attack. to me, logicly speaking going any higher than 2 players for a family contoler set is kind of pointless, in most average living room spaces what are the chances that 3 or 4 player kinect or move games are going to happen is going to be very very small, and more to the point how many in house multiplayer games exist with the current controlers for our games.
if people wish to experiance 2 player move at my house, they can bring there own controlers, good times.
Mick939
I dont think anyones seen it as an attack, the ps3 has always been more, its a matter of you get what you pay for, it was just abit flawed and innacurate, if anything the prices of non of these are actually confirmed with places such as game and play being off each other. These kind of articles tend to be written and published just for said comments, alot of sites are guilty of it thn like to stand bewildered its happening when its clear that an article as such can only mean one thing.
Strangley the last articles which were ‘comparison’ pieces were well written with hard facts, im sorry i cant remember who wrote it just that there were a few covering all aspects.
This early on? This kind of article? It bewilders me when people think that it wont get result as such.
Bankzy108
I wholeheartedly agree with you there Mick
PhilipJWitow
Interesting comparison, it looks like if you don’t own either console then it’s pretty even all the way.
I’m really not convinced that Move or Kinect will be system-sellers though. It’s way too gimicky for that. :\
PriceKitty
“Move” is better,
because Kevin Butler is right.
Who wants to pretend your hand is a gun?
There’s already a console for kids, the Wii.