Monday, August 12, 2013

Microsoft Says New Xbox One Will Work Without Kinect

The Xbox One?s launch hasn?t exactly gone as originally planned.

Microsoft on Monday said its Kinect motion sensor, which will be included with every new Xbox One purchased, doesn?t have to be plugged in for the new videogame console to work as originally indicated.?The reversal, disclosed in an interview with IGN, was subsequently confirmed by a Microsoft spokesman.

That means customers uncomfortable with a camera in their home constantly connected to the Internet can unplug to make sure no one?s watching.

There were other reasons as well, including situations where the Kinect may be malfunctioning and Microsoft didn?t want to leave the whole Xbox inoperable, the company spokesman noted.

Microsoft?s move adds to the changes to appease gamers that have followed since it first laid out plans for the Xbox One in May.

That initial presentation was panned in gaming circles because the company spent more time talking about TV functionality and other things the device will be able to do other than playing game titles.

In June, Microsoft fueled more criticism by announcing that the new device would need to connect to the Internet at least once per day, while also adding a new restriction on how game disks could be shared or resold. Its $499 price tag didn?t help either.

Sony, besides charging $100 less for its forthcoming PlayStation 4, added none of the restrictions.

Later in June, Microsoft backtracked, stating it would no longer require its Xbox to connect to the Internet each day, nor restrict how its videogame discs are traded, resold or rented.

?We have listened and we have heard loud and clear from your feedback that you want the best of both worlds,? said Don Mattrick, head of Microsoft?s entertainment division at the time.

It did not lower the price, however.

Early the next month, Mattrick jumped ship to Zynga.

Despite the apparent flubs, analysts expect both Microsoft and Sony to enjoy an initial bump in sales when the consoles ship this fall. They are less sure about how long that initial increase will last.

Source: http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2013/08/12/microsoft-says-new-xbox-one-will-work-without-kinect/?mod=WSJBlog

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