Walmart opens preorders on $199 Microsoft Kinect bundle

[Matthew DeCarlo]

For the 31% of you who said you'd purchase the Microsoft Kinect, opportunity has come knocking well ahead of the November release date. Walmart is taking preorders on a $199 bundle that includes the camera motion controller, one $60 launch game, and a $30 Walmart online gift card. The Kinect itself is expected to fetch about $150, so you're supposedly getting a launch game for around "half off" – or that's what they want you to think, anyway.

Most of the applicable titles carry a $60 price tag, but that's more than I'd expect to pay for what appear to be casual games: Kinect Dance Central, Joy Ride, Sports, Adventures, Kinectimals and Harry Potter: Deadly Hallows. To be fair, competing products such as Wii Sports are selling very well at around full price, but something is wrong with this picture: Kinectimals, an evolved version of Tamagotchi, is more expensive to preorder than Dragon Age II for PC. Am I missing something?

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https://www.techspot.com/news/39626-walmart-opens-preorders-on-199-microsoft-kinect-bundle.html

 

[Kibaruk]

For starters... you wont be buying it for yourself, itchy annoying kids around the world will procure microsoft their earnings...

 

[Matthew DeCarlo]

I don't have any kids haha, but yeah, the nag factor is at least one reason a virtual pet game is more expensive than a full scale RPG.

 

[St1ckM4n]

They will buy it just like they buy ridiculously priced DVD's of cartoons or kids' shows etc.

 

[treetops]

I think this is a pretty big break through in gaming. Well this and the nintendo ds that has 3d without 3d glasses. I bought a x-box 360 off ebay last week just so I could get kinect when it comes out. A step closer to lawn mower man!

 

[treetops]

All the games look pretty lame atm though, Ill wait for a decent game to come out before I buy it. Heck ill probably get a used one off ebay.

 

[Matthew Smith]

Charging $150 for the peripheral was rather insane in the first place. Charging $60 for Kinect games is worthy of a straight jacket.

 

[St1ckM4n]

New product, new hype, high prices. If it'll sell, MS will keep prices high. E.g. Super Mario Bros Wii is still max price here is Australia - for an old game with lame graphics.

 

[windmill007]

$199 that ain't nothing....I wish it cost $299... got money burning a hole in the pocket...oohhh ahhh got to have the newest product. I bought Apple Ipad, new Iphone...now this looks cool Must buy too.

 

[MrAnderson]

I totally agree. I half though all those simple games would cost 39.99 or something... It was shocking to see basiclly mini games going for the standard 60 bucks.

I figure Microsoft thinks they can pull a "we are the higher class of motion gaming" and priced things to that effect... well that might bite them on the tokhes, at least in the beginning.

I personally am not purchasing any of those games at the 60 dollar mark. That price range is strictly reserved for AAA titles, and I hardly ever jump on board those when they first come out.

I was not happy with KINECT pricing, but it is reasonable because it is a new technology. Nevertheless, not including a simple game for free is a shot in the foot unless buying it allow has major benefits to the operation of your xbox and your other games (at least some) can be updated for free to start taking advantage of novel controls.

 

[LordAnarchy]

If it came with those simple games that they show on late night shows, it would be cool. They should for 199. I doubt I'll get it... The Xbox vision thing I have and I liked it for video chat, the games on the other hand... well.... sucky.

They should drop the price to $80 - $100. Especially with stupid game prices like that. I agree, for that much, it's gotta be AAA games... then again...

OH yeah, isn't the Wii Fit still at the same price when it first came out? My gf loves that thing which means I love that thing

 

[St1ckM4n]

So out of curiosity, how much do the top-priced games for consoles/PC cost in US? Not including collectors edition etc. In Australia, it's $100 USD. :\

 

[Guest]

One word: Kin.

See what I did there?

 

[gwailo247]

I did not click on this article several times thinking it was about the Windows cell phone. Natal is a much cooler name, especially since South Africa is "in" this year.

Kinect sounds like a name that was designed by a committee.

 

[Guest]

I hope this motion control fad blows over soon. The ideal sort of interface between brain and game involves as little movement as possible, and the control schemes around for years(Specifically, analog joystick, button and mouse) work just fine to this end.



God save us if this crap hits PC.

St1ckM4n, AAA games typically launch at 50 bucks here in the US. Some developers who decide that it's in their best interests to screw PC gamers tend to charge 60 bucks, the going rate for console games, on their titles. Then again it is fitting as most of those titles are absolutely horrible console ports.

 

[treetops]

You all know what this actually is right? A camera that copies what your body does, no controller of any type needed. I think that is frekin awesome.