Microsoft to launch $399 Xbox One without Kinect

> Along with the less expensive console, Microsoft announced Xbox apps such as Netflix, Hulu and ESPN will be available to all Xbox One and Xbox 360 owners. Previously, access to apps required users to have an Xbox Live Gold subscription, which costs $60 a year. Microsoft will add the Games With Gold service to Xbox One next month as well. The service will provide access to free games for Xbox One users.

This is a big deal. Many people use their game console to stream netflix to their tv.

Previously you had to have an xbox gold subscription. The PS3 let you watch netflix without any PlayStation subscription.

The xbox made you buy a subscription just to watch netflix, even if you never wanted to play any video games online. This kind of thing would put alot of people off of getting an xbox.

In which case I kind of wish I had waited. More often than not, the Kinect doesn't save me from picking up the controller (because with ~70% voice recognition rate, it will fail at some point before showing me my Netflix viewing choice) and I don't play any Kinect games. I could also do without a camera and microphone that is connected to MSFT's back end. And frankly, until Titanfall came out there were no "must have" games, so buying on launch day wasn't really necessary.

For the rest of the world, it's probably a good move. It shaves $100 off the high price, for starters. Most everyone I talk to says the Kinect is cool for a while, but then the novelty wears off, so maybe folks won't feel like they're missing out without one.

But don't miss this otherwise unrelated part: "Along with the less expensive console, Microsoft announced Xbox apps such as Netflix, Hulu and ESPN will be available to all Xbox One and Xbox 360 owners." I'll always have Xbox Gold because I play games, but this might make a dent into the "casual gamer that wants to watch Netflix" market.

very good news. now the only reason to get a ps4 is the marginally better performance than xbox one.