I may be in the minority here, but this just further sours my perception of Microsoft.For the record, I'm not at all surprised that they removed Kinect, but I somehow still am surprised that they did it so soon. I am absolutely SICK and TIRED of the lack of identity and lack of commitment that Microsoft has consistently shown the entire time they been in the gaming business. It really came to a head with the X360. You guys remember right? At X360 launch: HDMI is not neccessary\1080p is not necessary\Blu-Ray is not necessary\Motion controls are not necessary etc. Within 2 years, there is suddenly a X360 with HDMI, 1080p support, and a failed HD-DVD drive. Why? All because Sony/Nintendo pushed those things.
If you throw down our throats that your product is something, then by GOD stand by it. You spent 4+ years conceiving what your platform would be. In that time, you must have come up with something you believed in. Yet the product started to fundamentally change before you even launch. What is this now? 180 #64? You want to deliver a forward thinking, digital only, kinect integrated entertainment box, then great. Tell me why that is valuable to me. Instead they basically say "Yeah we got it wrong. You're right. Nevermind. We match our competition now so come back to us again." Since they've literally changed everything about their initial vision, how can a consumer believe in their product?
It's clear that MS doesn't collectively know what they want the XB1 to be. All they know is that they don't want Sony to win. It's been that way since the very beginning and is the sole reason why Microsoft even entered the console space. I know many developers that have seen this time and time again. Devs that for example have been pushing MS to allow for self publishing on Xbox since before the X360 days and they never budged. Now all of sudden, seemingly overnight they love Indies and reverse many of the restrictions (like self publishing) that they rejected for over 10 years? Really? Why? Oh, because the Indies were flocking to Sony. Nevermind what the devs want, we just can't let Sony have them.
To answer the thread question: No, I don't think it will be enough to give them the lead overall but it's possible in the US. That's the disturbing part. That their strategy might actually work. Sad indeed.
IMO, Microsoft's problem (in gaming) is that they don't stand for ANYTHING. They are constantly reacting to their competition and public perception. They have been consistent with that and this is just another example. I mean seriously, you supposed spend years designing an entire platform with a 10 year vision with Kinect as an integral part. You feed us that for the better part of a year (including 6 months before release). Now after only 6 months post release, you change what you said was an integral part of your vision and overall design just like that. Why? Because XB1 is failing? No it's not. Again, XB1 is the fastest selling Xbox console ever. And @$500, it's also the most profitable console for MS ever. That's called good business. Oh, Sony is kicking our butts so forget the last 4 years, let's just do what their doing and hopefully catch up. Jesus stand for something MS! I feel bad for the early adopters who actually bought into the vision of Kinect and what the XB1 experience/vision will be. Can't believe a word they say.
Oh and before people say that they are listening to their fans, you are silly to think that they are doing this for fans. If MS was so interested in the the fans (more specifically the gamer fan), then they wouldn't have made any of these design and business decisions in the first place that they needed to 180 away from. If they were in touch and cared what the gamers wanted, it was obvious that it wasn't any of those things before the XB1 even launched.
