Xbox One without Kinect announcement earns mixed reception from devs

Developers have chimed in on the announcement of a new Xbox One SKU without Kinect, and no, they don’t all agree on what to think of it.

Many developers were positive on the move, both for fans and for Microsoft’s business. In fact, the console is now $ 50 cheaper in Australia, so there are definite advantages for the move.

However, there was a lot of hesitation from devs as well. For one, it’s trouble for devs who are making Kinect games, and of course devs who were planning games are thinking twice. It’s a step back for motion controls, meaning motion control games like Fantasia are placed in a compromised situation. It also makes the Xbox One lose its differentiation from the PS4.

Whatever your take on the matter, we think these tweets from gaming veteran Benjamin Cousins provide some much needed insight:

I was at working at Sony when they/we said no to the Kinect tech. The reason? Too expensive. It's taken MS a long time to figure this out

— Ben Cousins (@BenjaminCousins) May 13, 2014

Let's not forget the half-billion dollar launch marketing budget for Kinect, announced in 2010. https://t.co/qcdVWEnP3F

— Ben Cousins (@BenjaminCousins) May 13, 2014