14 DAY TRIAL // Phil Spencer, the new leader of the Xbox One division at Microsoft, says that a version of the Xbox One that does not feature the Kinect motion tracking system is not currently at the top of the priority list for those who are fans of the next-gen platform.
The executive is quoted by Edge as stating that, “I always want to make sure that we're in tune with what current or potential customers are asking for from us. Right now, dropping Kinect is not the number one request from people. Usually it's, ‘Where are the great games?’ There are a number of games on the ID@Xbox programme that use Kinect, and you'll see more games in the fall.”
It’s unclear at the moment how many of the titles that are set to be launched on the Xbox One this year will include features for Kinect.
This week, Microsoft has launched the new Kinect Sports Rivals, which was initially designed to be a launch title for the new console in November 2013, but was delayed in order to give the development team at Rare more time to polish the experience.
The game has been well received so far, but it’s unclear if it represents the kind of release that can single handedly make the motion tracking system relevant for the majority of gamers.
Peter Molyneux, the legendary game maker that has long worked on the Xbox platform, is one of the developers who believe that the Xbox One will benefit from a new version that does not include the Kinect.
He says, “Maybe it's because we're in England, and it doesn't really use the TV stuff, but it feels more and more like a joke. My son and I sit there saying random things at it, and it doesn't work. They could cost-reduce it. I'm sure they're going to release an Xbox One without Kinect. It would be unthinkable that they wouldn't.”
Rumors about such a package have appeared almost as soon as the Xbox One was launched in November of last year and they suggest that a new version of the console will be introduced in the fall of this year, for a reduced price.
Microsoft has said that it does not have any such plans at the moment and that the Kinect is an integral part of the experience it is trying to deliver to future Xbox One video games.