gaming Kinect-less Xbox One Coming in June

[FaZe Vinyl 521]

Sarah Tew/CNET

For everyone who felt the Xbox One is too expensive, Microsoft has apparently heard your complaints.

 

Microsoft announced that a new $399 (£350 in UK) Xbox One is coming June 9 that does not include the Kinect peripheral. Additionally, the Xbox One and Xbox 360 will no longer require a Live Gold subscription to access streaming apps like Netflix, Hulu Plus, YouTube and HBO Go.

 

There will still be some services that are exclusive for Live Gold subscribers, including the Games for Gold program, cloud gave saves and Game DVR. And today's announcement also included the news that Live Gold members will receive an additional free Xbox 360 game in June and that the "Games with Gold" service will be coming Xbox One Live Gold subscribers in June. Along the same lines, "Deals with Gold" will also come to the Xbox One in June, which offers discounts on game purchases to subscribers.

 

The cheaper Xbox One model will allow Microsoft to match the $399 PS4 on price, along with removing the near-required $60 yearly fee that raised the Xbox One's total cost of ownership. The subscription fee was an anomaly among living room devices, with other devices, such as the Google Chromecast, Roku boxes, and, most importantly, the PS4, having no similar charges to access streaming services.

 

This is a breaking story and will be updated shortly.

 

 

 

-CNET.

 

---

 

Well, that solidifies my decision. What are your thoughts?

[yeet 2,027]

The games with gold is the one that gives you a free game a month right? If so, I must thank microsoft for the birthday present.

[Nuke87654 1,849]

Sarah Tew/CNET

For everyone who felt the Xbox One is too expensive, Microsoft has apparently heard your complaints.

 

Microsoft announced that a new $399 (£350 in UK) Xbox One is coming June 9 that does not include the Kinect peripheral. Additionally, the Xbox One and Xbox 360 will no longer require a Live Gold subscription to access streaming apps like Netflix, Hulu Plus, YouTube and HBO Go.

 

There will still be some services that are exclusive for Live Gold subscribers, including the Games for Gold program, cloud gave saves and Game DVR. And today's announcement also included the news that Live Gold members will receive an additional free Xbox 360 game in June and that the "Games with Gold" service will be coming Xbox One Live Gold subscribers in June. Along the same lines, "Deals with Gold" will also come to the Xbox One in June, which offers discounts on game purchases to subscribers.

 

The cheaper Xbox One model will allow Microsoft to match the $399 PS4 on price, along with removing the near-required $60 yearly fee that raised the Xbox One's total cost of ownership. The subscription fee was an anomaly among living room devices, with other devices, such as the Google Chromecast, Roku boxes, and, most importantly, the PS4, having no similar charges to access streaming services.

 

This is a breaking story and will be updated shortly.

 

 

 

-CNET.

 

---

 

Well, that solidifies my decision. What are your thoughts?

 

If it all comes to past, then Xbox one will get back into the game in style. Especially in NA. As for Kinect itself, I like the idea behind that technology (when you remove all the NSA stuff), but I felt Microsoft never really took advantage of it and was wasted as a near pointless gimmick to a console that frankly never really made it a real priority despite the potential it had.

Edited May 13, 2014 by Nuke87654

[Nine 707]

Well .. I'm not a console gamer, or really much of a gamer at all, but of course I heard the comments from the community when the consoles were demoed last year The kinekt always-on thing is the kind of reason I'd never be a console gamer either. Because there's really no choice for users. I guess you could switch consoles, but I'm guessing if you have always used a playstation, that you would this time too. Or X-Box. And I feel like that gets abused by companies who can use it to just *make* you buy something you don't want, tack on subscription fees, etc., if you want that specific console type.

 

Which is something I still don't really get. Subscription fees, to play online? We of the PC planet haven't heard of such things (not counting MMOs). Please, explain the ways of your tribe.

[Gourgeist 262]

Video games aren't games if they're based off of an official league of a sport. (Looking at YOU Madden, and NBA 2K)

 

I'm not much of a console gamer either because I can't afford it I'm a hardcore Nintendo type of person anyway. And steam games. I love my steam games. 

[Colorful Respawn 399]

So wait, there will be no more Xbox LIVE Gold memberships or did I not read that right?

[Macklin 88]

So wait, there will be no more Xbox LIVE Gold memberships or did I not read that right?

 

 You didn't read it right. Gold memberships will not be a requirement anymore.

[Megas 27,785]

About time. Might actually get one now

[Colorful Respawn 399]

 You didn't read it right. Gold memberships will not be a requirement anymore.

Awesome, so like I don't have to pay anymore for Gold?

[Macklin 88]

Awesome, so like I don't have to pay anymore for Gold?

 

 Only if you actually want it, if you want Gold then yes you still have to pay for it but if you don't care about what Gold offers than you won't have to pay for it anymore.

[PE Brony 1,712]

It's nice to know they are no longer going to try and force the Kinect on people, but I'm still not willing to throw down $400 for another new console. I don't care for the ~40 minor changes to the controller (I actually hate how they changed the "Back" button so now it's more "immersive"). I don't know, there hasn't been anything from the One that has made me say, "I want One" (stupid pun intended). Destiny is intriguing though...but I don't think it will be enough to make me throw out rent money for a new console...

Only if you actually want it, if you want Gold then yes you still have to pay for it but if you don't care about what Gold offers than you won't have to pay for it anymore.

*Edit: I meant to quote more of your conversation--oops*

Well, you never HAD to have Gold to have an Xbox 360, but you HAD to have Gold if you wanted to do anything fun or useful (Play online, watch Netflix --my two primary uses for the 360). They've always had the free Silver account, but you couldn't do jack with it. From what I'm reading, you will be able to use Netflix and other internet things, but if you want to PLAY online, or want video game discounts etc, you'll need to pay for the Gold account. This will be MUCH more acceptable to me!

Edited May 13, 2014 by PE Brony

[-Nobody- 519]

This is pretty cool. Glad to see Kinect isn't gonna be required anymore!

Edited May 13, 2014 by -Nobody-

[Hovershy 3,815]

This is good news. In my opinion, Kinect is trash.

[Khaoios 1,970]

At least its cheaper, however, im a little confused with the Gold Membership.   I've had an xbox for quite a few years, as well as constantly getting 12 months Live, but this is just..........beyond me.  

[PE Brony 1,712]

At least its cheaper, however, im a little confused with the Gold Membership.   I've had an xbox for quite a few years, as well as constantly getting 12 months Live, but this is just..........beyond me.  

What's beyond you? If you have Gold and an Xbox 360, not much will change for you. If you have Gold and an Xbox One, you will start receiving "Deals with Gold" to get cheaper game downloads, and you will be able to start downloading the 2 free games offered per month. All that's really changing is that you will not need to have a Gold account in order to use internet apps on the xbox like Netflix or Hulu etc. Make sense yet?

[Khaoios 1,970]

What's beyond you? If you have Gold and an Xbox 360, not much will change for you. If you have Gold and an Xbox One, you will start receiving "Deals with Gold" to get cheaper game downloads, and you will be able to start downloading the 2 free games offered per month. All that's really changing is that you will not need to have a Gold account in order to use internet apps on the xbox like Netflix or Hulu etc. Make sense yet?

 

Well, its beyond me b/c MS is very sneaky when it comes to changes, however, i understand it now and it looks worthy.

[The Mane-iac 1,648]

I'm glad to see I'll be able to use Netflix and stuff on my 360 without Gold, though honestly they are late to the party with that offering because I went out and bought two PS3's for home media setups many years ago.

 

XBONE? Not interested, with or without Kinect. I'm not much of a console gamer anymore.

[BayoUni2847 528]

Now if the Xbox One has another price slash after the removal of the Kinect, I might consider buying it to play Dead Rising 3. Only game on the One that I wish I could play on my PS4 or PC .

[Appleloosa 90]

Something something cant just flip a switch. Something something kinect will stay. But seriously, I for one think its awesome! Might really get one now as well

[Envy 6,202]

Um... Still too expensive.
 

But what can I say? I've never even thought of get of an Xbox console before. I'd much sooner get a PS4. So I'm not relevent, I suppose. I just still don't think that's a fair price for a console. You have to understand, I had to get a 25% discount before I'd even buy a Wii U. These consoles are too overpriced.

[John 793]

Just one thing to say about this..

 

 

DDR3...  in 2014...

 

[long gone 8,929]

Just one thing to say about this..

 

 

DDR3...  in 2014...

 

It's still relevant for system memory in the PC.

[John 793]

It's still relevant for system memory in the PC.

 

DDR3 RAM and DDR3 VRAM function a bit differently.

 

Nonetheless, Microsoft just took a bunch of cheap non-gaming VRAM and slapped the good ol' "8-gig" sign on it to make people think it's good.

GDDR5 is high end gaming video memory.

[long gone 8,929]

DDR3 RAM and DDR3 VRAM function a bit differently.

 

Nonetheless, Microsoft just took a bunch of cheap non-gaming VRAM and slapped the good ol' "8-gig" sign on it to make people think it's good.

GDDR5 is high end gaming video memory.

AMD's APUs use the system RAM and, by extension, their clock speed. I am not sure if the Xbox One has DDR3-2133 or DDR3-2400 RAM, but it's not as slow or detrimental to graphics performance as DDR3-1066 or DDR3-1333 would be. The Xbox One uses an APU, so yeah.

 

Not nearly as good for graphical performance as the PS4's GDDR5 would be, but the Xbox One's RAM ain't a slouch either even though DDR3 RAM should only really be used as system RAM and not video RAM.

Edited May 19, 2014 by Daring

[John 793]

AMD's APUs use the system RAM and, by extension, their clock speed. I am not sure if the Xbox One has DDR3-2133 or DDR3-2400 RAM, but it's not as slow or detrimental to graphics performance as DDR3-1066 or DDR3-1333 would be. The Xbox One uses an APU, so yeah.

 

Not nearly as good for graphical performance as the PS4's GDDR5 would be, but the Xbox One's RAM ain't a slouch either even though DDR3 RAM should only really be used as system RAM and not video RAM.

 

 

Amd's APU are SHIT!  The only way they can be beneficial is because they share the same bus as the cpu, but they are usually meant only for low-end affordable systems.  I don't think that the Xbone uses an APU though.