EB Games Australia takes a punt that Microsoft’s upcoming camera peripheral will sell for close to A$200.
Source: A product listing on the EB Games Australia online store.
What we heard: Microsoft went out of its way to make sure that everyone knew that it was demonstrating Kinect (previously dubbed Project Natal) at this year's E3 conference in Los Angeles. The software company pulled out the big guns, commissioning Cirque du Soleil to tailor a performance on the Sunday before the show started and sneaking into journalists’ rooms in various hotels to post Kinect advertisements in their bathrooms.
There was one noticeable detail that Microsoft left out: exactly how much the Kinect camera was going to cost. Industry analysts guestimated that the camera would sell somewhere between $150 and $250, with online stores from Amazon, GameStop, and Best Buy supporting this, listing the peripheral at $150. Microsoft remained quiet, sticking to its usual “no comment on rumours or speculation” line.
Recently Australia’s largest video game retailer took a pot shot at the price, listing the Kinect camera at A$198.00 ($172). The price does have one massive caveat, stating that "Price Displayed is R.R.P." No other new details, such as release date, were given on the listing.
Kinect's biggest rival, the PlayStation Move, was dated and priced at Sony's E3 2010 press conference late last month, moving the ball back into Microsoft's court with Kinect.
The Official Story: A Microsoft Australia representative told GameSpot AU, "No comment, we do not speculate on rumours."
Bogus or not bogus?: Since the beginning, Microsoft has been touting the Kinect camera as a high-end piece of technology, perhaps to get the public prepared for a high-end price to go with it. While it's hard to tell if the EB Games price is going to be official, we think it's probably a safe bet to say that it’s a good ballpark figure.
@Dan21278 As far as I know, the "Kinect ready" aspect of the new X360S is merely a port for the Kinect, allowing the latter to operate without an additional power supply. You'll still have to purchase the supporting peripherals, although there may well be some form of bundle made available.
I don't mind the price I'm still getting it but i have a question. Is the new xbox have kinect in it? So you wont have to buy the kinect camera?
Due to the price I think this is going to fail big time... On a side note I'm getting my move for free from Sony on August 21 to promote a house party. Will let everyone know how good it is when i get it.
I wouldn't be willing to pay $5 for it at this point. Microsoft has made it clear that the hardcore should sit this one out.
Kinect was looking good at first, but that price for both there and here in the US is too high. >_> Lower that price, Microsoft, if you want Kinect to succeed. Otherwise, it's pretty close to the Wii's price range.
Would not touch it for even half that! I could almost trade in my old 'box for a new S model for 200 bucks.
It's still overpriced here in NA anyway. I doubt anyone is gonna dish out 150 bucks and also pay 40 or 50 bucks for the lame kinect games. The whole thing is a rip off no matter where you are.
though heaps of people would buy a wii insted because its a FULL console not a bloody pherephial also for zelda skyward sword
Yeah if they want to sell,they need to wake the F UP! $200 plus console even a bundle would scare people off... It should be 150MAX! and even thats too much I want it,but wow its annoying
Sounds about right. It's still twice the price of the equivalent for PS3, and just $100 less than the cost of a Wii. Unless it's cheaper, or comes with some seriously good software, this is doomed to fail.
@ Deathjestar: But that's just the thing: the launch titles for this thing are an absolute joke. Dance Central looks good, and *if* they can crank out Child of Eden in time that will be good, but Kinectimals? Adventure? That annoying ModNation racers rip-off that fails entirely? The games they showed for this thing were an embarrassment to the industry. I'm not saying the Move is any better, and I probably won't get it either, at least not at launch, but at least the Move has Socom 4, Killzone 3, and will retroactively work with games we already own like Heavy Rain and LBP. The Kinect is way too expensive and way too feature-light to succeed, also who wants to stand up the whole time, and who has 6 feet worth of space in their living rooms? Not everyone. It took me 27 hours to get all the stars in Super Mario Galaxy 2. If I was playing something similar on Kinect and had to stand for 3-4 hours a day, I think I would smash it. No one wants to work their ass off, come home and open a nice cold beer and then stay standing for hours while they play Halo coz the damn thing can't track you while you're sitting.... fail, fail, fail Microsoft.
JB-HIFi was selling an elite console +2 games for $249, makes kinect seem insanely overpriced.
Not even tempting. Its a party game device. Other than playing it every other weekend, it will gather dust for most people. It will be bought for kids at Christmas time because there aren't any new tech gadget gimmicks out this year for them; unless you want to buy the kids a new iPhone. I'm a 32 year old gamer, not a kid that can jump and flail my limbs around in a room squealing and giggling while I play on my own ... unless there is beer.
It will be alot cheaper in the states. Us Aussies always have to pay rediculous amounts for our games/consoles.
interesting, so kinect will weigh in at a similar price for a full 2 player set up for Move (roughly $260 for starter, extra move cont. and 2 navs cont., cheaper for those of us already with the eye) should be an interesting little showdown
i play alone so even though the kinect looks interesting I don't see them marketing anything other than group orientated games.
What did people pay for wii fit balance board when it came out ? ~$100? what did people pay when games like GH:WT came out with full band kit? ~$290? DJ Hero? ~$150? I dunno if you ask me, with a decent launch title, possibly people are over reacting about the price... but thats the internet for you...
Its insanity, they want to attract mainstream customers yet price Kinect too high. With Halo Reach and COD: Black Ops released during that time, that is where the casuals will be spending their time and money.
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