Phil Spencer: Consumers love Kinect, they'll still buy it
Microsoft's recent, unexpected decision to offer an Xbox One without a mandatory Kinect camera peripheral will not drive developers away from the device, according to Xbox head Phil Spencer.
"A Kinect game relies on the successful Xbox One installed base," Spencer told GamesIndustry. "I need to, as the head of Xbox, make sure that we've got a platform and a product offering that millions of consumers will love, and I stay focused on that."
"We see millions and millions of people using Kinect today. We've had over a billion voice commands used," Spencer added. "Consumers love the device; they love the experience. They'll buy it. They'll either buy it at launch when they buy their console, or they'll be able to buy it after the $399 console; they'll pick it up and add it on later. And we'll continue to make sure that experience is great."
Despite Spencer's assurances, reactions from Kinect developers have been less than positive. Staff at Harmonix, developer of Disney Fantasia: Music Evolved, responded to the news with sarcastic glee, before officially stating, "As game makers, this platform change doesn't affect our strategy - it reinforces that we must continue to focus on building innovative, compelling and well-designed motion experiences to motivate consumers to buy our games."
