The battle over motion-controlled video gaming has taken another step forward with Microsoft unveiling the price of its Kinect Xbox 360 add-on.
The company has made the system, which plugs into the Xbox 360 console, available for pre-orders on its website for $149 US. The pre-order terms said the Kinect's price could go up or down before its Nov. 4 launch, but the company will honour whichever price is lowest.
Spokespeople for Microsoft Canada could not officially confirm the Kinect's price, but the revelation will likely put to rest speculation about the maximum cost. Industry analysts had suggested the Kinect, which packs sophisticated motion- and voice-recognition technology, could be priced at up to $400.
Microsoft hopes the device, which allows for gaming and movie playback without any sort of controller, will help it expand the Xbox 360's audience beyond core video gamers. The console add-on is to be launched with 15 games, ranging from racing to fitness titles.
The Kinect will compete against Nintendo's Wii, which popularized motion control when it launched in 2006, and Sony's Move controller, launching this fall. Critics have said Microsoft and Sony are playing catch-up to Nintendo, which is winning the battle over the current generation of video game consoles. Nintendo has sold more than 70 million Wii units, compared with Microsoft's 40 million Xbox 360 consoles and Sony's 35 million PlayStation 3 units.
Craig Flannagan, Xbox Canada platform manager, said the Kinect will have an advantage over rivals because it is the only one that doesn't require a controller of any kind. Microsoft has also worked hard at securing the support of third-party developers, something Nintendo has had trouble doing, he said.
"If you look at the innovative experiences we've been able to pull off with Xbox Live [online gaming] and third parties in general, we really expect to have some pretty amazing games and some really great support for this," Flannagan said at media demonstration of Kinect in Toronto on Tuesday (see video at top right). "Those factors are all going to roll in the most robust support you've ever seen for a motion platform."
Some observers have said that a recent slowdown in Wii sales could spell trouble for Microsoft's and Sony's motion-control efforts, while others expect sales to be brisk. Colin Sebastian, an analyst at Lazard Capital Markets, recently predicted Microsoft will sell three million Kinect units by the end of the year.
Microsoft introduced Kinect under the working name Project Natal at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles a year ago. The company announced its official name and release date at last week's E3. Sony announced at E3 that its Move controller would go on sale Sept. 19, starting at $49 US.
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