Fri, Jan 13, 2012 | 02:13 GMT
Microsoft defends Kinect for Windows price hike, gamers find way around it
So. Kinect for Windows is an exciting thing, as revealed by Microsoft this week at CES. Somewhat less exciting is the price tag, which – at a whopping US$250 (RRP) – is US$100 more than you can expect to pay for the Xbox 360 version. Microsoft doesn’t see a problem with that. Other people do.
According to a new interview with Gamespot, senior director of marketing and PR at Microsoft, Jose Pinero, doesn’t believe that games are “the point” when it comes to using Kinect on PCs. Instead, he argues that the hardware is targeting companies without a major gaming interest, and that the new kit for PC contains software development tools, shifting the balance.
Now, please pause for a moment. The price hike is – in part – because of the included software and the tools to customise the Kinect hardware specifically for your purposes. Sounds reasonable enough, on the surface.
A little digging, however, and you learn that the Kinect dev kit is currently freely available via KinectForWindows.org, where it’s been living for a while (whether or not it stays there is a different story). If you buy the Xbox version of the hardware and download the dev kit, you’ve potentially saved a pile of cash.
11 comments
#1
Christopher Jack
13/01/12, 2:49 am
Kinect needs more Megapixels to justify its price.
#2
cRAZYcROgUY
13/01/12, 8:34 am
Well,idiots are still gonna support Microsoft,at least in US,as those people are brainwashed obviously,can’t understand that state of mind
#3
mojo
13/01/12, 9:51 am
its called “reconditioning”
#4
Erthazus
13/01/12, 9:56 am
I’m a PC Gamer/user and i won’t buy this shit for PC.
and everyone who bought this for their console is “forever alone”.jpg
This motion controller stuff is just stupid and useless. Microsoft always does that. They created that for Xbox 360, than they make a port for PC and slap Windows brand on it so “someone very clever” can buy it for their PC for 250$
Typical Microsoft. I’m surprised that they didn’t released two or three versions of it aka: Kinect starter, Kinect Professional, Kinect Ultimate Edition and etc.
#5
Maximum Payne
13/01/12, 10:12 am
@4 that make me so LOL with those starter,pro,ultimate version
#6
Erthazus
13/01/12, 10:31 am
@6, to be honest. I think it’s coming.
I’m sure that Kinect for Windows is only compatible with Windows 7
Windows 8 is on the horizon and Microsoft will release Kinect for Windows 8
#7
monkeygourmet
13/01/12, 12:35 pm
It’s because bigger companies / education services have bigger budgets and also can write certain things off as tax. It’s just a way to get a bit more cash. Smaller users should def avoid and go for the Xbox solution.
#8
Freek
13/01/12, 1:42 pm
My geuse would be that 250 is the real price of Kinect and since this is targeting a market that will not buy games at 60 dollars a pop. Wich means MS can’t make up the 100 difference with game sales.
#9
codinghands
13/01/12, 2:39 pm
Not that this is much of a defense, but the new Kinect for Windows has firmware which activates/introduces ‘near mode’, allowing the camera to be used at close range (~50cm). The 360 version, as it stands, does not.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-01-10-near-mode-kinect-for-windows-priced-dated
Thought it worth a mention – at the moment, a 360 Kinect + the free SDK does not provide the same featureset as WinKinect. Still, sure the hobbyist scene will get round it.
#10
freedoms_stain
13/01/12, 2:56 pm
@9, if it’s the exact same hardware then yeah, someone will get that working on the xbox branded version toot sweet.
Wouldn’t be surprised if there was an extant homebrew that did the same thing.
#11
codinghands
13/01/12, 3:06 pm
@10 Aye, true – I’m guessing by the fact the article only mentions a firmware upgrade that the kit is staying as is.
Might have a look for a homebrew version actually – been dithering over whether to invest a bit of time in making something with the kit, kind of sits wasted, only ever popping up to annoy if my flatmate or I talk over a LoveFilm movie. “DON’T GO HOME DAMMIT, PLAY!”…