

Microsoft to launch $399 Xbox One without Kinect - jqueryin
http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/gaming/2014/05/13/microsoft-xbox-one-399/9034693/

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chollida1
> Along with the less expensive console, Microsoft announced Xbox apps such as
> Netflix, Hulu and ESPN will be available to all Xbox One and Xbox 360
> owners. Previously, access to apps required users to have an Xbox Live Gold
> subscription, which costs $60 a year. Microsoft will add the Games With Gold
> service to Xbox One next month as well. The service will provide access to
> free games for Xbox One users.

This is a big deal. Many people use their game console to stream netflix to
their tv.

Previously you had to have an xbox gold subscription. The PS3 let you watch
netflix without any PlayStation subscription.

The xbox made you buy a subscription just to watch netflix, even if you never
wanted to play any video games online. This kind of thing would put alot of
people off of getting an xbox.

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numo16
> The xbox made you buy a subscription just to watch netflix, even if you
> never wanted to play any video games online.

This is exactly why I got my Roku player. No turning back now.

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mikestew
In which case I kind of wish I had waited. More often than not, the Kinect
doesn't save me from picking up the controller (because with ~70% voice
recognition rate, it will fail at some point before showing me my Netflix
viewing choice) and I don't play any Kinect games. I could also do without a
camera and microphone that is connected to MSFT's back end. And frankly, until
Titanfall came out there were no "must have" games, so buying on launch day
wasn't really necessary.

For the rest of the world, it's probably a good move. It shaves $100 off the
high price, for starters. Most everyone I talk to says the Kinect is cool for
a while, but then the novelty wears off, so maybe folks won't feel like
they're missing out without one.

But don't miss this otherwise unrelated part: "Along with the less expensive
console, Microsoft announced Xbox apps such as Netflix, Hulu and ESPN will be
available to all Xbox One and Xbox 360 owners." I'll always have Xbox Gold
because I play games, but this might make a dent into the "casual gamer that
wants to watch Netflix" market.

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kyriakos
very good news. now the only reason to get a ps4 is the marginally better
performance than xbox one.

