Kinect for Windows launching February 1 at $249

[mindcycle]

The jazzed-up Windows PC version of Microsoft's motion-sensing Kinect controller will officially launch on February 1, the company announced at the Consumer Electronics Show yesterday. Reflecting the fact that it's intended more for professional uses than home consumers, the Windows Kinect kit will cost $100 more than the Xbox 360 bundle--$249.

"The ability to sell Kinect for Xbox 360 at its current price point is in large part subsidized by consumers buying a number of Kinect games, subscribing to Xbox Live, and making other transactions associated with the Xbox 360 ecosystem," Kinect for Windows GM Craig Eisler explained.

Kinect for Windows, on the other hand, will be supported entirely by the hardware sales, as the software development kit and runtime will be offered free to developers.

While the beta SDK released last year supported the Xbox 360 sensor, the new SDK will require the official Kinect for Windows platform. However, things made using the beta for Xbox 360 hardware will still work for now, as Microsoft has extended the license by three years to June 16, 2016.

The Kinect for Windows sensor boasts the addition of a 'Near Mode,' which can see close objects better than the Xbox 360 version--down to 50cm clearly, or 40cm with a little degradation.

Microsoft also plans to introduce an academic price of $149 "later this year."

via: http://www.shacknews.com/article/71900/kinect-for-windows-launching-february-1-at-249

I have to wonder what the point of this is. This statement boggles my mind..

it's intended more for professional uses than home consumers

Why would you want to wave your hands around like an idiot in front of your computer? Who would actually benefit from something like this? Maybe someone other than an MS GM can explain this to me.. lol

 

[Matthiasa]

Sterilization reasons?

 

[BladeVenom]

LOL! When they did the teardown, over a year ago, it only had $56 worth of parts in it. It's probably worth half that now.

So that may be a 1000% markup. Do they think they are Apple now?

 

[Red Storm]

LOL at that price. High comedy and highway robbery at the same time.

 

[JamesV]

It might be cool to play around with on the PC, but I highly doubt they will sell many, with the result being few if any PC games that use it.

What they should have done, was simply modify the existing Kinect to work on both the 360 and the PC. I don't have a Kinect for my 360, but I'd consider buying one if I could use it on my 360 and my PC.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Its obviosly over priced but I'd pay $100 for something that had easy set up, wasn't obnoxious looking on my desk ,could track head movement for fps's & a microphone that had easy set up and worked reliably with my speakers.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Oh the commercial thing is just that, maybe some kind of interactive billboard, maybe better handicap access to atm's, hell maybe even some automated check out for McDonald's.

 

[Maximilian]

I have to wonder what the point of this is. This statement boggles my mind..
Quote:
it's intended more for professional uses than home consumers
Why would you want to wave your hands around like an idiot in front of your computer? Who would actually benefit from something like this? Maybe someone other than an MS GM can explain this to me.. lol

Maybe for cheaper motion capture or something... i cant see it panning out TBH.

 

[Red Storm]

The only thing it will really be good for is if the community mods the software to allow for some really neat stuff (which I believe has already been done a bit?).

 

[Anubis]

the xbox version is cheaper and you can hack it to work on the PC.....

 

[Dankk]

I have to wonder what the point of this is. This statement boggles my mind..

Actually, it's correct. Kinect for Windows has higher quality camera and it's able to distinguish smaller movement from a shorter distance. It's aimed for people who are able to write their own programs for it, and make independent projects. There will most likely be no games developed for it; in other words, don't buy it expecting to play the next "Dance Dance" game in front of your computer. It's not targeted toward you.

Consoles and their peripherals are subsidized by the license fees collected with games. This isn't possible on PC, hence the taller price tag.

 

[ImpulsE69]

I don't know about you, but I can see LOTS of cool things that could come of this eventually. I'll never need to worry about losing my TV remote again.

 

[mindcycle]

Actually, it's correct. Kinect for Windows has higher quality camera and it's able to distinguish smaller movement from a shorter distance. It's aimed for people who are able to write their own programs for it, and make independent projects. There will most likely be no games developed for it; in other words, don't buy it expecting to play the next "Dance Dance" game in front of your computer. It's not targeted toward you.

Consoles and their peripherals are subsidized by the license fees collected with games. This isn't possible on PC, hence the taller price tag.

Yeah, I still just don't really see the "professional uses" of something like this but I guess time will tell if there are any. There are some creative people out there, no doubt, so something cool may come from it. The $250 asking price is a bit high IMHO.

Maybe those holographic touch screens of the future aren't all that far off now.. lol

 

[Anteaus]

$250 seems a bit high, and it probably is at the moment, but these devices don't just appear out of nowhere. Microsoft spent millions in R&D and marketing that they need to recoop and then make a profit on. They don't make these products for fun. I agree $250 is a bit steep, but considering that the device is unlocked and can be used in all sorts of applications I'm sure it's being pushed toward education and any firm who is looking to use motion control for whatever reasons. Personally I think it would be cool to have one if I knew how to program. There aren't any PC games that use it at the moment anyways.

Imagine being able to control a robot with it.

 

[Lonyo]

LOL! When they did the teardown, over a year ago, it only had $56 worth of parts in it. It's probably worth half that now.

So that may be a 1000% markup. Do they think they are Apple now?

It has different hardware to the Xbox 360 Kinect.

I wonder if it will work with the Xbox 360. I have a 360 but no Kinect, and I'm kinda interested in Kinect for WIndows, but if it's $250 and then I can't even use it on a 360 that's a bit of a waste.

 

[BladeVenom]

It has different hardware to the Xbox 360 Kinect.

So you think it only has a 500% markup?

 

[CuriousMike]

Show me the software that makes it worth $250.

 

[Gothgar]

Cool... I bet this will mean changes in the future

 

[TheSlamma]

Voice and gesture control for Windows 8

 

[BladeVenom]

Show me the software that makes it worth $250.

You mean you're not willing to pay $250 to play Kinectimals?

 

[Nintendesert]

So you think it only has a 500% markup?

Feel free to show us the R&D costs etc. and then break down their profit margins. Until then you're just hating to hate.

 

[BladeVenom]

R&D costs were already paid for when they sold it for the Xbox. Look at the MS financial reports. They were making a killing selling them for $150.

I'm not hating. I'm laughing at the fact MS thinks they can sucker people into paying $250. I'm also laughing at anyone who buys one for $250. Suckers!

 

[mindcycle]

I gotta agree with BladVenom on this one. Selling a $250 peripheral that doesn't actually work with anything yet seems kind of stupid. A better plan would be to give these to developers who intend on writing software for it. then.. you know.. sell them to the public once they actually do something.. They're doing it kinda bass akwards and I fail to see how that's really going to pay off.

 

[Anteaus]

If people buy it at $250, then Microsoft was right to price it there. I agree that it's overpriced, but ultimately demand will tell. I have a hard time believing they chose that price arbitrarily. They pay people a lot of money to do market analysis and determine price structure. We don't see the value in the price because the device itself holds no real value to us as PC gamers at this stage, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have value.

I say we should wait for the sales figures after a few months and see if it bears out everyones predictions.

 

[Imaginer]

I for one look forward to cheap 3D scanners and software that will soon to come out. Currently, a consumer version sits at $3K. Hoboing it would be around $300 for software and bundled COTS webcam.