Spencer: Xbox is gaming brand, will be about gaming first

Why would he do that?

Oh I dunno... maybe to sell more systems? Maybe to appeal to the 360 crowd? Cut down on price...

What's wrong with offering different sku's? Does Titanfall use kinect in a way it can't be done without it?

Let the entertainment people have the current version, and gamers have options.

Seems like Microsoft's E3 conference will be more promising this year.

You 'dunno' if eliminating Kinect will sell more systems. A price cut will for sure but MSoft can do that without eliminating Kinect which they have already shown to do.

You people that are begging for a Kinectless One how does that help you?

I didn't say eliminate it... read my updated comment.

@kuu2: sometime people beg when they really just are bitching.

"I would get a One if it was $400, $450 etc...." But never do.

"I will get a Xbox when they drop Kinect." If Kinect gets dropped they will still find something to bitch about.

It's the cow cycle.

They did it for DRM for sure.

The picture you're trying to paint of me is false. I have a 360 still to this day... and I'd easily pick up a One if it didn't have kinect in the box and gets some exclusives I like.

Sometimes you guys act like it's lemmings against the world. Instead of being paranoid and thinking everyone is against what you like, instead of calling everyone who isn't drunk on Microsoft koolaid "cows", try to see things for what they are. Not everybody will blindly lap up everything Microsoft is currently doing, but that doesn't mean some of us wouldn't come around if they actually changed some things.

You people that are begging for a Kinectless One how does that help you?

So now it needs some exclusives you like as well..........................

I thought if it just didn't have Kinect you would purchase one.

I also had a PS3 but I have not bought a PS4, go figure.

@FoxbatAIpha is right on point as usual.

Are you 5 years old or something? When did I 'beg' for it? I'm simply a gamer and consumer who would like options for potential purchases.

Being without the hardware would make it cheaper for one, and I don't generally like buying stuff I'll never use or even hook up.

And what's with the "you people" ?

Games brah, they're important for helping consumers like game systems they purchase. I buy game console for games, not brand loyalty.

Totally 5 years old................

"You people that are begging for a Kinectless One", I think I was very clear on who you people are.

Then don't buy a One, the people at MSoft are not losing any sleep that you don't like Kinect and won't buy their system.

I am willing to bet though, once the price is low enough for you that you will buy a One regardless if Kinect is still in the box.

@kuu2: Except they are kinda losing sleep. What kind of stupid company wouldn't care if people didn't buy their product?

Good lord you're a company tool, aren't you? Don't worry, I wont buy that piece of shit console as it is, ever. Thank god mature people are in charge of that plastic system you love so dearly, because with that attitude any product would go belly up, and rightly so.

I think they are keeping Kinects on all the SKUs to make sure the Kinect install base is as large as the X1 install base.

There are rumors of Kinect-integrated VR and other Kinect-enhanced peripherals that MS wants to make sure as many X1 owners can get as possible.

Increasing the Kinect install base increases the market for all future Kinect-related games and or items.

A company that actually turns profits based on who they want their console to sell to. You can't please everyone and the companies that try are not successful. Steam is a great example. Do you think the people that run Steam are concerned with people that don't have internet or only have dial up? I would guess not because their service is not built for those people.

MSoft needs to stick with their vision of a system for the living room. They are selling way better than the 36o and at a much higher profit. Are some people turned off by the system, yep, but again you should never try to please everyone.

Microsoft knows a lot of people HATE kinect. That kind of negative product awareness has to count for something. The fact that all games don't use it tells me that it would be perfectly fine to add a different version without kinect for a hundred less. It would boost sales of the system, and that's much more important than garnering support for the mildly supported gimmick that is kinect.

@charizard1605: That was a really good read. I also believe in Spencer. Funny, when Hirai, took over at a company already shitting the bed, it was "oh thank Kaz". But MS is American, so oh evil, bad. Our world society is flawed. But the population will see when........

@Bigboi500: hold on there Bobby. I was generalizing cows, not singling anyone out.

I can't argue that, maybe an E3 announcement? Wouldn't be the first time they switched policy.

And that right there is the failure of your argument.

All games don't use rumble, online, the touchpad, both thumb sticks, and so on. Why would every game use Kinect?

Great news for gaming & Xbox! I've always liked Phil Spencer anyway, he was one of the few people I respected at Microsoft, and all that's left from the original Xbox team (J. Allard). He's definitely a guy that's still passionate about video games, and not just a corporate suit. I wish all the best of luck to Phil.

Why don't you call your idols at Microsoft and ask them?

Just pointing the sillyness of you saying that it is not used in every game and that it should be removed because of it.

Yes I do like MSoft products and services but I don't worship them.

Trying to attract gamers (you know those peeps who actually make them the most money by buying something something called GAMEZ) in 2014 when since early 09 the rejected them all and no a single fuk was given. Now that their system has absolutely nothing to offer for casuals ("our X1 is an all in One system" lolol) they're trying to bring core gamers back? With what? Tech leap isn't there. Exclusives is something they forgot years ago. All multiplats are worst on the system. So what exactly can anybody want their Bone for? Sorry Spencer but you should've created a gamers console instead of your current POS that does a lot of stuff and all those stuff are done poorly.

If you're going to continue any discussion with me you'll have to stop that annoying little habit you have of taking everything so literally. It's annoying. Did I mention it's annoying? That's what children do in a feeble attempt to be cute. Adults don't hang on things like that. I'm sure you know full well what I was talking about.

If you're just trolling for derps, go bother someone else.

Sounds like a step in the right direction, but for now it's gonna be a "I'll believe it when I see it" moment. They went the "gaming" route with the Xbox and the X360 and then dropped it when there new cash cows showed up in the form of Kinect and digital media, now there trying to claw back the gamer's who are leaving them for Sony, but how long will it be before they drop gamer's again in favor of another casual chase?

They'll really have to prove themselves this E3, and that'll mean more than just Halo, Gears, Forza, Fable and then a bunch of Kinect, we new exclusive IP's from them as well as revivals from the back catalogs of company's like Rare.

Very true. It's nice to have 3 consoles that are all different. But I'm not sure if they are actually selling better than the 360? I mean, I know they did initially, but after that first month? We'll now after the first year. I don't know...

They may not be losing sleep, but stores sure are. No other reason to lower the price.

@Bigboi500: You are the one that called me a five year old when I am actually four and a half.

What I find childish is when people say if they take out Kinect they will buy The One. If you said price or lack of games I get that. But Kinect, something that the system was designed with, something that makes interacting with it better, and is just now starting to get some games for it I don't get. It is integral to the system and is featured in all kinds of advertisements to help sell The One. Removing it will be a colossal mistake, it would have been the equivalent to Sony removing the Blu Ray drive early in the PS3 dismal launch days. Yeah Sony would have sold more consoles in the beginning but it would have destroyed their vision later in the gen.

ITT:

Lems: Breaking out the bubbly and trying to hand everyone a glass

Everyone else: Don't talk about it, be about it.

Lems: Why don't you like champaigne and parties?

Everyone else: Why wasn't XBone about games in the first place?

Lems: Teh E3! Teh Games! Phil for President!

Everyone else: Let's just start with that Kinect shoved in every box and that god-awful price and we'll go from there.

Did I just about sum it up?

Sorry but I just don't see the need for it at all. I don't care about waving my arms and legs around for games or for navigating menus, shouting voice commands when I can easily push a button instead.

Simply offering a second version wouldn't destroy anything kinect related, but it would bring more dedicated gamers to the table.

Microsoft should focus on exclusive games and getting the price down if they want to stay in the same frame as the PS4.

I'm beginning to think those complaining about the kinect being included with the X1 are just too paranoid or ashamed to have their fat asses in front of a camera. By the way, you can play the X1 without it if you want, right? <-- rhetorical but i think we all know that most are just fan boys and are using the kinect as an excuse is closer to the truth

If cows want to say that the X1 wasn't about games what does that have to say about the ps4's lineup currently? I'd take what is offered on and with the X1 any day over what you get with the ps4 (as arcade games aren't what i buy a console for in the first place and steam has plenty to offer on that front to begin with)

pathetic/10

People don't like kinect and that hurts your ass, so you spout out personal attacks. Classy and mature kid.

All of your arguments, point for point, are more geared towards making you feel better than cows and are not based in reality. Hey, if it gives you warm fuzzy feels to have a more expensive console that barely eeks out its biggest game above 720p and doesn't use the Kinect for jack shit then go right ahead.

Let's also state for the record that Ryse was originally going to be a Kinect game and look what happened there. Please, go on blaming cows for not feeling the warm feelies for the thing, though. Delusion is a truly grand thing.

Sounds good but also drop the price officially to $400.

If only Iwata took this approach.

Well lets see if he practices what he preaches and hopefully gets you and other gamers to re-arrange the last few words of your sentence:

Xbox One: A Gaming hub that just happens to provide other forms of entertainment. Me personally I don't mind the entertainment side of things and as a matter of fact I welcome it with open arms because I'm kind of an entertainment junkie.

However if general entertainment becomes your core focus ahead of gaming well that's just not a good strategy especially for fans who have been with MS from the beginning with the original Xbox.

It would be really great if he can redirect this brand into something great again. I only wonder if the lemming fanboys here will flip flop their opinions if and when things change for the better.

Can't wait to see him claim he was only joking about this on his Twitter, like he usually does.

Xbots always fall for this guy's schtick. It's plain silly.

So was Don Mattrick, he had 25 years experience making games.

Phil Spencer was up on stage with every casual game and Kinect announcement, he would have had knowledge of the Xbone plans. The idea that he's some kind of white knight come to save the lemmings is laughable. The Xbone strategy continues as is.

And this is from the guy who was in charge of 1st party game development at Xbox? LOL

I was pretty happy with it last year where they only showed off games.

Though I'd like more in-depth looks at games this year rather than teasers.

And I hope Black Tusk is making more than just Gears. They teased a game last year, or maybe it was just a tech demo....I hope not.

At this point, what the hell else would he say to try to promote the brand, knowing all the other MS gimmicks failed to beat Sony's single slogan, "By gamers for gamers"?

Doesn't take a genius to see that he is just trying to follow the path of the runner who is leading the pack. This is no different than MS dropping everything (core gaming) in 2009 and focusing on Kinect to try to gain the magical sales that the wii had last gen. Again following the leader when they see who is getting the most profit.

Once MS is the market leader or anything close to it they give all gamers the finger and try to force ridiculous crap like they did at the beginning of the gen with always online DRM and no used games.

Saying you are going to focus on games when you are losing isn't something you deserve praise for. It's time for MS to learn that gamers loyalty isn't earned so easy, they are going to need an entire gen just to begin to repair the damage they've done with their horrible actions.

spencer is a cool dude, but even cool dudes wont stop the sinking ship

Hahahaha, are you lemming scum still trying that?

It was always about disc-based games. Have your licenses and your console activated and you can play offline all you want. Deal with it. :)

Let's take this opportunity to remember Phil Spencer's finest moment. A true gamer at heart here.

all these dumbasses probably follow the likes of Zaire and the other "xbox mafia" goons. Of course they'd spout the same garbage pretending as if this is a surprise or even an issue vs DRM for disc - based titles.

I believe this was a step in the right direction. I guess we shall see how things pan out. Microsoft still needs to give people a solid reason to buy a Xbox One. A good step would be offering a SKU without Kinect. Yeah, I said it.

Forcing it in, regardless if it is actually decent, is still perceived as a negative move. It really hasn't had anything released that makes me think it is something needed with the system. Choice is never a bad thing, and a Kinectless SKU would let Microsoft hit a price competitive with the PS4. Then they would have to get some solid exclusives past the first two year cycle.

I like this one better: