Kinect-less Xbox One Will Help Microsoft Regain Lost Ground, Strengthens Dev Confidence In Platform

Ever since the E3 2013 debacle, Microsoft have been listening to consumers and have been making drastic changes in their policies.

[Axios2]

That and adding 27 more Countries in September to the current 13.

It's actually quite impressive sales for 13 Countries, even beating the 360 that launched in 36 Countries.

[Eonjay]

Actually, I think the developer is talking about raising sales in the current 13 markets. Like the USA. Which is their main market number 1.

[BlackTar187]

For your sake i hope you're right Axios.

Wouldn't want you to disappear

[MysticStrummer]

He won't. He's a relentless spin doctor. He's still clinging to that "better sales than 360" thing, even though XB1's pace dropped below 360's months ago.

I wonder when the ground will start to close…

I don't think it will, except maybe for a month of NPD numbers here and there. Yearly, the gap will continue to grow for the whole generation, especially worldwide. I can't wait for XB1 to release in those other countries so Axios will be forced to come up with another argument.

[ThePope]

@Mystic

Haha talk about a spin-doctor. Let me ask you while I'm playing games like Halo MCC and Sunset Overdrive. How many hours will you be into the sales game? By now you should have most of the trophies, since you care about that game so much. Does the PS4 selling well make it more fun to use? It must you sure talk about it alot.

@RXL209

I love made up percentages.

@blacktar

Someone needs to try harder and its not me...

[BlackTar187]

Try harder Pope

[Clogmaster]

PS4 sales means more potential games :)

Which is why Vita owners aren't happy with the mediocre sales. It means support may be cut off.

[ThePope]

@D-DU. Leverage maybe. But any developer/publisher considering making a multi plat game exclusive would still need a large chunk of money to do so. N4G may try and make you believe that the end is near for the one but that's just unintelligent people rambling.

The fact remains that the X1 is doing well (maybe not as well as the PS4 but still well) and publishers want their games on the platform. On top of that MS/Xbox division has lots of money to secure exclusives.

[rxl209]

i hate to burst your bubble but with exception of japan, those countries the x1 hasnt released in account for 10% or less of console sales, even if the x1 DOMINATES in those places, its still being crushed by the ps4. sorry, its math not magic

[Why o why]

This 27 countries thing is the newest game changer according to guys like axios. How many have there been thus far. . Price drops, kinect less sku, titan fall. . . . . Smh. . . On to the next one I guess.

[Magnes]

I get tired of the Xbox still hasnt' released in all territories argument. It has been over half a year if these other territories are so important then what is MS waiting on, not a supply problem.

[mrpsychoticstalker]

The Xbox is already a success, more features, more games, the best servers. Etc.

That gap will close soon.

[kaileb]

PS4 has more Games, stop it. The gap will be close (maybe) but cant take over it has to beat ps4 in states first.

[strangeaeon]

It may shrink a little but it will never close, and that is ok with me. Love my X1 and sales won't change that.

[ScottyHoss]

See why can't we be like this? Instead of getting into pissing contests, why can't we dismiss the gap in sales and each to his own. Enjoy your XB1 sir.

[SG1_dapunisherX]

is a great thing ps4 is first place, next gen ms and nintendo should learn their mistake.

[poor_cus_of_games]

More games than what? The wii u?

[rxl209]

it acually has ALOT less games, and theyre rated lower critically. please base your arguments in reality

[Ihatetrolls76]

You can tell the sony trolls are out in full force today

[BlackTar187]

Says the xbox troll

[MysticStrummer]

PS4 has more games. The worldwide gap will never close.

[XiSasukeUchiha]

Xbox 1 has alot more to recover, but it helps closing the gap for sure.

[JJShredder]

Xbox One will most likely never overtake the PS4 this gen and you know what? that's ok!

I for one will be enjoying the hell outta both of them regardless!

[OpieWinston]

If anything it keeps the competition nice and fresh.

Sony fighting to keep the foothold.

Microsoft fighting to get 360 owners to buy an X1.

Competition benefits all of us...Only the little fanboys/girls who want to justify their purchase are caring enough to troll.

[zeuanimals]

Competition isn't always just about giving it your best shot and giving the consumer the best possible deal or time, it's also about trying to make more money than your competitor, by whatever means necessary. That means that not everything competition brings is good.

Moneyhats in the form of exclusive games and exclusive content? Not good but they were started to "one up" the competing platforms, and a lot of the time, it works.

Paying for online play was also created in the midst of competition. Sure, it wasn't created to compete but even in heavy competition, MS got away with it. To compete, Sony started doing it this gen because if MS can get away with it, Sony can too.

Competition also brought along with it the copying of ideas, both good and bad. Kinect? Wouldn't have happened if the Wii wasn't so successful and we might have been better off without its creation. Because of it, MS put tons of money into Kinect and its games, money that could have been put into making actual, good games. But there are good things that came from copying, like bolstering online infrastructure for Sony's consoles and MS bringing Games with Gold.

I'm not trying to say competition is bad, but it isn't inherently good and companies don't always compete for the people's affections. A lot of the time it's just to create more ways to get into people's wallets.

[SteamPowered]

Probably doesnt strengthen the confidence of those poor suckers that are developing for Kinect. Microsoft is doing 180 after 180 and I would have to think that developers are feeling the effects far more than us consumers.

[Alabamarolltide1990]

Not many Developers are making games just for kinect. Some just use it for little things like battlefield you can lean over and your character will lean but you can also use a controller for that. Same with madden and calling audibles and adjust the line but you can also use a controller for that. The kinect is neat and all but it's not something they should have focused on in the first place. I'm glad they aren't bundling it anymore

[Breakline]

I agree; the kinect is just not feasible for serious gameplay outside of the intermittent indie that uses it well (I've only heard of one, actually -- the platformer where you move your body to see different platforms) it's just not feasible. It would have been a much better idea to make a cheaper version without the features required for gameplay. The voice commands are the most useful thing anyway, and that can theoretically be done with a headset.

[SteamPowered]

Regardless what the kinect is actually used for, the developers put in the effort to use (or not use) the kinect. So moving forward, who would invest money developing for a peripheral that may or may not be in every X 1 owners living room? If I was a dev, I would shy away from Kinect altogether, quite frankly.
I love the kinect voice commands from the 360 (skyrim and mass effect 3) but I cant see them returning to glory anytime soon.

[AllAboutGaming]

You saw how a Kinect-less and $399 Xbox One DESTROYED the PS4 in sales in June...oh wait...

[Alabamarolltide1990]

It wasn't meant to "destroy" the ps4 in sales. It was helped to boost sales. Which it did

[rxl209]

......and then they fell right back to where they were #futileattempt

[jnemesh]

Yup, it "boosted" sales a whopping 15,000 units for what, 2 weeks? VGC numbers from the week ending July 19th (don't shoot me, VGC is all we got, I know it's flawed!) show them dropping back down to what they were selling before the new sku came out.

This article is nothing more than wishful thinking. The reality is that the XB1 is struggling at this point...and devs are flocking to the more powerful, more successful console with the company that is FAR easier to work with. This can be seen in simple, easy to understand terms if you look at the number of games playable RIGHT NOW on both systems! Guess what? The PS4 has about DOUBLE the number of games that the XB1 has!

If it's "all about the games", then you should be playing on a PS4, end of story.

[SilentNegotiator]

"It wasn't meant to "destroy" the ps4 in sales"

Oh yeah, because MS had no intentions of outselling Sony's 8th gen system going into it. I'm sure outselling PS4 with the kinectless Xbone NEEEEEEVER crossed their minds!

/s

[XtraTrstrL]

It's weird, cuz Kinect bundled was a major bonus for devs that wanted to add a little Kinect feature here 'n there in their games. Without the mandatory bundle, alot of that goes away now, and it'll be mainly full Kinect games with any features. It's not gonna be worth it to add features to other devs, when they don't know if their consumers have Kinect to even use them or not.

It's strengthening devs confidence in the platform, and at the same time killing devs confidence in Kinect. It's a double edged blade.

[bleedsoe9mm]

ms didn't get aggressive enough they should have drop the price 30-50$ and went into fall with that great exclusive lineup and the cheaper console . ms is in much better shape financially to pick a fight and start a price war , they are sticking to very conservative strategy considering they are losing the mind share as well as the sales to consumers . they needed to change the conversation this holiday .

[Dewitt]

They need to show their shareholders how profitable the devices side of the company is, to qualm the fears that the division isn't needed. They really can't do that if they are taking a loss on every console sold.

[bleedsoe9mm]

sure they can do it if they think its neccessary hardware has never been where either company makes its money the ps3 was twice as expensive as sony was selling it for at first , they need to get the install base up , their strategy is probably based on the new territories they are launching in this fall and its a wait and see how it does then pick the fight next christmas with a new halo game to offer , i just think they are not being aggressive enough and it may hurt them in the long run .

[Ihatetrolls76]

With a price drop that would seriously hurt sony to try and compete in a pricing war. Most of these moron trolls already think that there has been a price drop on xboxone but just an un bundling of kinect

[Skankinruby]

Lol those'morons' you speak of are the ones that actually fed into the gimmick Microsoft pulled. Either way the price tag was 100 dollars cheaper, now even with the ps4, and still couldn't outsell ps4 in its strongest market

[danny818]

yes, the X1 will be second from the ps4 and the wiiU will come in 3rd. You heard it here folks. think about it, it still hasnt release in many countries and its very close to wiiu numbers. The wiiu has been out for over a year

[patrik23]

free titanfall and new model couldn't help. what will?

[nix]

first 3 comments are made by people from "one bubble" communities. N4G, i tell ya.

[lemoncake]

The only way Microsoft can really claw back is to drop the price a good amount below the ps4, they have the technically weaker system with lower cost parts and now without the kinect the price needs begin to reflect this. The only way Microsoft were going to win this gen is if their system was more capable than the ps4 but it's not so it's going to be a struggle this time around.

[Predaking77]

I agree with you but do you think Microsoft will make the x1 price the same or almost the same as the 360 right now?

Imagine you go shopping and you see the 360 at 249 and the x1 at 299. It will also make the x1 look bad having almost the same price as last gen 360.

I don't think Microsoft have a good way out of this mess they have with the x1.

[Predaking77]

Removing draconian online policies will help the x1: failed

The most hyped and revolutionary game of history, Titanfall, will help the x1: failed.

Unofficial price cut will help the x1: failed.

Free Titanfall bundled will help the x1: failed.

Official price cut will help the x1: failed.

Can anyone see a pattern here? Or it is me that only see that every strategy of the x1 has failed miserably?

[wodan]

Well said,next Xbone sellers:
1.rest of the world warehouses.
2.mcc(lol).
3.system update.

[QuickdrawMcgraw]

The fact is the Xbox1 is a North American niche product...And there is nothing wrong with that...

[Revengeance]

Sales will pick up but it will still be left in the dust.

[Goku781]

Again I went to the store Xbox Ones still 2 big piles, but one pile did go down a little. Some progress. Only 3 PS4s though.

[btk]

This gen is Sony's to lose...
They have to do a Microsoft E3 to lose momentum, or some cataclysmic event...
In terms of who will finish on top is a done deal... Question is only if it will be double or triple or more compared to second console. XBone and WiiU will have to duke it out... and here is the kicker... XBone is just PS4 light. WiiU is different. So people looking for 2 consoles will most likely go PS4+WiiU than PS4+XBone or XBone+WiiU.