In another reversal of just about everything we were promised about the Xbox One at E3, it was revealed that the Kinect camera system will no longer be required to use the new system when it launches in November. Many gamers had scoffed at the idea that the Kinect always had to be on and functioning in order for the system to actually work, and Microsoft was quick to point out that users would be able to disable the recording functions of the camera leaving only the microphone awake and listening for voice commands that would specifically turn the Kinect on.
What’s surprising about this news, though,is that the everything will work just fine with the camera being unplugged from the system — a complete about face from discussions about this even just a few weeks ago.
Over on the IGN Ask Anything Feature where the Kinect issue was brought up with Xbox VP, Marc Whitten, he specifically said:
… like online, the console will still function if Kinect isn’t plugged in, although you won’t be able to use any feature or experience that explicitly uses the sensor.
Now that there is no more Kinect or always-online requirement and the Xbox One will allow used games just like the current generation does, one can easily come to the conclusion that, at least at launch, the Xbox One and PS4 are basically the same machine, just at different price points and with a few different games. I guarantee that there will be one final announcement from the Microsoft camp that drops the Kinect-free version of the system to $400 to directly compete with the camera-less PS4 (you’ll remember that the way Sony got their price down was excluding the PS Eye in the bundle).
What I’ve found quite funny about this whole situation is the amount of geek rage taking place online about how Microsoft is completely flip-flopping on the Xbox and how the system will suck now. Hang on a second; you geeks were the exact same ones bitching about used games, always-online and required Kinect when it was all announced at E3, and now that you’re getting what you want, you’re still pissed? Heaven forbid that a company should take into consideration what their fans and consumers of their product want in its newest iteration and actually make changes to incorporate that into the final product. If you were pissed about how the Xbox One WAS, you should be thrilled over what the final product looks like now. If you were part of the minority who were pleased with the original vision for the system (a group which is suspiciously growing larger), yes, you are entitled to some griping, but keep in mind you’re still getting a kick ass system that will deliver an excellent gaming experience.
And honestly, that’s what it all comes down to — the games and the fun you have playing them. It doesn’t matter whether you’re an Xbox or a PlayStation so long as you’re having a good time and enjoying what’s taking place. Too many times, people want to sit back and go on and on about how their chosen gaming platform is the best one or the other one sucks when that really doesn’t mean anything in the long run. People just need to be glad we live in an age where technology allows us to create and enjoy some of the fantastic works of art that weren’t possible even five years ago . So the next time you get up in arms over something that doesn’t matter, take a breath and think that one day we’ll look back on some of the masterpieces we have now (Bioshock, Last of Us) and realize they were just the top of the iceberg as far as what can be accomplished in the gaming world.