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Standalone Kinect for Xbox One launches in October for $150
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Hardware, Kinect, Microsoft, Xbox One,
When Microsoft removed Kinect from the lower-end Xbox One bundle (making the promise of what Kinect would be go up in smoke,) it also announced that it would make the Kinect sensor for Xbox One available as a standalone purchase for anyone who might want to add it to their console after purchasing one without it, but never announced a date. Now we know that the Kinect for Xbox One will be available in stores in October, and will cost $150.
It makes sense that Microsoft would offer Kinect separately, but the extra $50 that it's taking on to the price may made it a dud out of the gate, but hey, at least now the fact that you can get an Xbox One with Kinect for $100 more appears to be a $50 savings. For what it's worth, the Kinect will be packed in with a copy of Dance Central Spotlight, which is probably the main Kinect game that people really care about in the first place.
That said--who's planning on buying one?
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Why Microsoft unbundling Kinect is a broken promise to all Xbox One owners
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Editorial, Features, Hardware, Kinect, Xbox One,
As we mentioned earlier, Microsoft has decided to do an about-face, now offering the Xbox One without Kinect for $399. The move continues Microsoft's seemingly cowardly backtracking trend that it's been doing with the Xbox One for about a year now. While many see this simply as a price drop and a way to get the Xbox One without an accessory that they may now want, for all intents and purposes, this kills Kinect dead. Right where it stands.
Allow me to explain. When the original Kinect launched for the Xbox 360, there was a lot of hype and excitement surrounding its release. For the first time, you could use your body as the controller for a new type of gaming experience. It was cool, and about as novel as the original Wii. It was a toy and a gimmick, and soon many folks stopped playing Kinect games, and none really took off at retail. However, Microsoft was getting good data and feedback for what we realized the "real" Kinect would be. The one that launched with the next Microsoft console.
Click to continue reading Why Microsoft unbundling Kinect is a broken promise to all Xbox One owners
Microsoft slashes Kinect price by $40, now costs $109
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Hot Deals, Kinect, Xbox 360,
Today Microsoft has announced a permanent Kinect price cut, bringing the motion controller peripheral down to $109. The change in price is immediate, as you can buy it right now on Amazon for the newly-reduced price tag, which still includes Kinect Adventures, by the way. Kinect also sees price drops in Latin America and the Asia Pacific area, with the exception of Japan.
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| Major Nelson
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Internet Explorer for Xbox 360 to debut alongside the fall dashboard update
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: E3, Internet, Kinect, Microsoft, Xbox 360,
One of the updates you can expect when the Fall Xbox Dashboard Update drops is the addition of a web browser. That's right, after seven years, the Xbox 360 will finally be getting Internet Explorer. During the Microsoft E3 Media Briefing, it was mentioned that a browser would have been cumbersome previously, but with the introduction of the Xbox SmartGlass app alongside Kinect integration, users will be able to easily browse the web on their Xbox 360 console.
Internet Explorer coming to Xbox 360, to be revealed at E3?
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: E3, Internet, Kinect, Microsoft, Rumors, Xbox 360,
Looks like Microsoft is finally ready to bring Internet Explorer to the Xbox 360 after many years on the market. It turns out that the company has been testing an Xbox-optimized version of Internet Explorer 9 that supports the Bing voice search feature that's currently available on the platform. As with most things that Microsoft builds for the Xbox 360 these days, IE will have deeply-integrated Kinect integration, allowing users to speak web pages into existence, and wave to navigate. No word yet on availability, but E3 is just a few weeks away, and we'd bet that we'll see it in all its glory there.
Read More | The Verge
Microsoft launches $99 Xbox 360 Kinect Bundle with 2-year contract
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Hardware, Kinect, Microsoft, Xbox 360, Xbox Live,
Remember that $99 Xbox 360 Kinect bundle we mentioned last week? Well, Microsoft has just launched it. You can now buy a 4 GB Xbox 360 with Kinect sensor for $99 with two-year Xbox Live Gold contract, paying $14.99 per month for the course of the agreement. If you cancel early, you'll pay an early termination fee, which starts at $250 and decreases each month after the third month. Just head on over to your local Microsoft Store to make it happen.
Read More | $99 Xbox Offer
Mass Effect 3 sells 890,000 copies on day one
Posted by John Ball Categories: Action, Adventure, Corporate News, Kinect, Microsoft, Release Dates, Role Playing Games, Third Person Shooters, Xbox 360,
As any in-the-know gamer should be aware of, Mass Effect 3 was released last Tuesday, and, man, is it flying off the store shelves. Opening day sales for the game hit 890,000 units, which is most definitely a lot of cheddar. 1.5 million units of the title have been shipped to retailers worldwide, however take note that the number of units shipped does not correlate with the number of units sold.
To learn more about the game check out our Mass Effect 3 Kinect feature.
Kinect Star Wars Bundle details
Posted by John Ball Categories: Hardware, Kinect, LucasArts, Microsoft, Xbox 360,
Kinect and Star Wars, a perfect match some might say. George Lucas has teamed up with Microsoft to bring us the wonderful and whimsical Star Wars Xbox 360 Kinect bundle. The bundle includes a custom painted R2D2 themed Xbox 360 with matching Kinect sensor. The Xbox itself also has custom R2D2 sound effects when turning the console on or off or, as well as when ejecting a disc.
That’s not all; the bundle also includes a copy of the game Kinect Star Wars and a C3PO-themed controller. On the front of the console it can also be noticed that the standard green LED lights that make up the iconic XBOX 360 face have been replaced with blue LEDs to match the whole R2D2 thing. Finally, the Xbox 360 comes equipped with a massive 360 GB hard drive, the newest and largest drive to date available for the console. All of these wonderful treasures are available for pre-order now, and will be available for purchase on June 1 of this year for $449.00.
Mass Effect 3 getting Kinect voice command treatment
Posted by John Ball Categories: Electronic Arts, Kinect, Third Person Shooters, Xbox 360,
Microsoft’s Kinect for Xbox 360, it seems, keeps getting bigger and better as developers have more time to play with it. Some believe that the Kinect’s abilities can go far beyond that which was defined by its initial title releases. Bioware, the makers of the Mass Effect series, is no exception to this belief. Adding Kinect voice capabilities, Bioware promises Mass Effect 3 will be their most immersive game yet.
On the whole, this seems like a really good move for the franchise. The ability to interact with other characters, not only in conversation, but combat as well will leave many with a better impression that what they say and do in real life matters a whole lot more in game. With the Mass Effect trilogy coming to an end, Bioware is pulling out all the stops to make sure the fans have the best experience in the final chapter.
Leaked video shows new Xbox 360 fall 2011 dashboard update
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Kinect, Microsoft, Xbox 360, Xbox Live,
What's not new: The Xbox 360 is likely getting a Fall update that contains significant graphical updates and a few new features, like enchanted Kinect motion and voice navigation, Bing integration, and, ultimately, live television streaming.
What is new: A freshly leaked video that shows just how some of the different components of the new Xbox interface are shaping up.
An unknown source has leaked a full video that shows off a lot of the simple menu navigation and new user interface elements allegedly arriving on November 15 as a part of Microsft's fall Xbox 360 dashboard update. What's missing, however, are all the juicy bits: A preview of the voice-activated search, for example, or any kind of mention of an integrated live TV service or promised social connectivity, like the ability to fire off news of one's achievements to a connected Facebook account.
Click to continue reading Leaked video shows new Xbox 360 fall 2011 dashboard update
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