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And thus, the field opened.

One of the biggest gripes the gaming community has had over the past year has been the rather exorbitant price Microsoft has demanded of it's new console.  Sony's moderately priced, powerhouse console that is the PS4 has been selling like hot cakes ever since its launch back in November while the Xbox One has offered only some competition.  It seems that Microsoft has finally decided to step up to the fight.

Announced this morning, the Xbox One will be receiving a new SKU system starting June 9th, 2014 for the price of $399.99.  This new SKU will remove the Kinect from the package which will now be sold separately for an as-of-yet undisclosed price.  Pre-orders are now in effect for the new SKU at most retailers.

In addition to the price drop, Microsoft also announced something many have wanted for years.  Starting in early June, Xbox 360 and Xbox One users will no longer be required to have an Xbox Live Gold subscription in order to access apps such as Netflix and HBO Go.  As an added incentive to stay a Gold customer, users will have access to discounts on downloadable games with savings between 50-75% on a monthly rotating list of titles.  Didn't pick up a certain game at launch?  This might be your opportunity.  Microsoft's Games with Gold program will also be launching in June on the Xbox One with "Max: The Curse of Brotherhood" and "Halo: Spartan Assault", something I honestly didn't expect to see before the end of the year.

Either way, this is excellent news from Microsoft which could very easily put it on pace to really challenge the Playstation 4.  If you've been waiting for the right moment to get an Xbone, now might just very well be it.

Comments

  • Avatar
    Alexander Or
    9 years, 10 months ago

    And... there goes any chance of AAA title having kinect support

  • Burnzie79 Avatar
    Burnzie79
    9 years, 10 months ago

    I've said countless times that I wouldn't get an XB1 until it came without a Kinect. It's a piece of hardware I don't want, never cared for it. But reading this brought up a thought to me. They better be selling the Kinect for at most $99.99. It's always seemed (in my mind at least) that the XB1 was $100 more expensive solely because the Kinect being an extra (at the time mandatory) $100 piece of hardware.

    Now for me at the least still won't buy an XB1 until another price drop if the Kinect is more that $100. That's just me though. Still MS is moving in the right direction. Good for them.

  • theottomatic91 Avatar
    theottomatic91
    9 years, 10 months ago

    About fucking time MS decided to grow some brains and with the recent news of Sunset Overdrive I may consider getting one. However this is MS we are talking about I am hesitant to trust them and am 99% sure there will be a catch to this. On a side note I wonder if Nintendo will be watching this and consider doing the same thing with the Wii U

  • inthenameofharmon Avatar
    inthenameofharmon
    9 years, 10 months ago

    at least they learned kinect controls wont be developed out of sheer confidence in house-holds with them. If a company wants 'em, they make 'em regardless. Until a non-casual game is made with successful motion controls, no one will be jumping to do it since no one has made a successful formula. imo

  • Avatar
    zlade
    9 years, 10 months ago

    I say too little too late. Microsoft just sat there telling themselves what they wanted to hear, like the rest of the world isn't ready or something like that. I'm pretty sure most of us want to see Microsoft exit the games industry already.

  • Avatar
    Binary79
    9 years, 10 months ago

    If Microsoft had stuck too their guns from the start, they could have had a really cool Entertainment Console. Instead they jerked along die hard fans from day one and fed them bullshit every step of the way before back-pedalling so far nobody knows what the fuck is going on inside their console.
    Now they are up shit creek with the Kinect for a paddle and they toss it over board in the hope we might bite. Get fucked Microsoft

  • Avatar
    Asimb0mb
    9 years, 10 months ago

    I don't think the Xbox One itself will get a price drop. The Kinect is probably $100 and now that they're leaving it out, they can drop the price to $400. Looks like Microsoft is finally starting to see the reason its console hasn't been selling nearly as much as the PS4.