Adding even more credibility to the $150 price is the recent suggestion that the unit actually costs that much to manufacture. According to the website Develop, a “highly-positioned, trusted source” has confirmed Kinect’s “$150 manufacturing cost.”
Granted, technology is often sold at a loss, at least initially. That said, between the chorus of retailers and the (unconfirmed) manufacturing costs, the $150 price tag looks like a reality.
At $150, Kinect comes in at a substantially higher price than Sony’s PlayStation Move, which will be available in a bundle (including the PlayStation Eye, a Move motion controller, and the game Sports Champions ) for $99.99 on September 15th. Whether a game will come bundled with Kinect has not been announced.
Microsoft’s entry into the field of motion-based gaming, Kinect is a major initiative for the company. However, the more casual games market targeted by Kinect is likely to be extremely price sensitive. Can Microsoft’s Xbox 360 (which has a widespread reputation as the hard-core gamer’s console of choice), coupled with potentially the most expensive motion control option on the market, effectively reach the casual consumer?
How does a $150 price tag affect your opinion of Kinect? Do you think there is any chance the final price will be less than $150?
Kinect launches November, 2010, exclusively for the Xbox 360.
Source: Kotaku, Develop
