Microsoft has priced its Kinect motion-sensing controller at $150 with a free a game. The system – which is slated to hit store shelves in November – will also be available in a $300 bundle that includes an Xbox 360 “Slim” and a Kinect Adventures game.
Meanwhile, EEDAR analyst told Jesse Divnich told TG Daily that $150 was quite an “appropriate price” for the Kinect.
“Previous peripherals with mass-market appeal, such as band kits, have sold millions of units worldwide even while priced north of $150. With band kits, however, consumers were tethered to only enjoying games within the music genre and developers restricted on future iterations by the install base of non-upgradeable band kits,” explained Divnich.
“As a camera and motion sensor based device, the Kinect does not have those same limitations; developers will be able to optimize its software for years to come. [So], Kinect should not be viewed as a software peripheral, as most peripherals are, but rather a hardware peripheral.”
According to Divnich, game specific peripherals have a “limited” shelf-life in terms of appeal.
“[You know], there are only so many sessions of Guitar Hero one can enjoy before game fatigue sets in. With the Kinect, however, there is the possibility of a wide array of games across a broad range of genres, potentially giving the Kinect a much longer shelf-life than a typical peripheral.
“[As such], the Kinect should not be viewed as a typical video game peripheral that is retired from one’s active playlist after 90 days, but rather a consumer enabling device that has the potential to revolutionize the way we interact with all forms of media on a daily basis.”
He added that EEDAR had a “very positive” outlook for the Kinect and the Xbox 360 Slim, both of which were crucial in “rekindling the energy” amongst casual and mainstream audiences.
“EEDAR always felt the Xbox 360 Arcade SKU, which didn’t come with a hard-drive, to be counter-productive to Microsoft’s goal of delivering both physical and digital entertainment to the masses.
“Now with the new Xbox 360 4GB SKU, even price sensitive consumers can still enjoy Xbox Live’s Library of hundreds of digital games.”
