R.I.P. Kinect - Now the Xbox One can catch the PS4

Well, well, well. 51 weeks ago we witnessed the birth of the Xbox One, a powerful console that was created to bring entertainment features and gaming together in one ultimate package. That package included a superior version of Kinect, the motion sensing technology Microsoft had been pushing for a few years without much success.

At the time Kinect 2.0 was touted as revolutionary. More than that, it was branded a necessity, as we were told it was going to be an integral part of the Xbox One experience.

Today, Kinect is dead.

Well, not quite dead, but close enough. Microsoft will now be offering Xbox One consoles without a Kinect bundled in, meaning a nice little price cut for those on the fence about picking one up. Losing the Kinect brings the Xbox One more in line with what its close rival offers, and Sony will no doubt be paying attention to today's news and wondering what it means for the PS4.

It's too early to tell for sure, but the general reaction so far has been very positive. The majority of players never understood the reason Kinect had to be bundled in with the Xbox One anyway, and it certainly didn't justify its premium price tag. So far games like Dead Rising 3 have supported Kinect through a few meager voice commands and a tiny bit of motion sensing, but it was never enough. Kinect Sports Rivals launched earlier this year and was pretty much deemed a failure to utilise the device to its fullest.

The best feature is by far the opportunity to turn your console on or off using voice commands, or telling your Xbox One to record a particular game clip you liked. But is that the best it can offer?

Microsoft listened to fans and it places itself in a better position for doing so. Without the discrepancy in price between the Xbox One and PS4 we should see sales start to even out, and maybe the exclusives will even push Microsoft's console ahead. 

Kinect will continue to live on, but without the guarantee of new adopters having one it's unlikely developers will invest too much time into it. Today's news is an admission that the world just isn't ready for Kinect yet, and now the Xbox One can start a new chapter in its lifecycle.