XBOX ONE Sales Lies

Blastiel

Hi All,

Just wanted some thoughts on this as a customer I am pretty miffed by it.

In the lead up to the release of the XBOX ONE (11/2013) and right up until last week MS consistently sold the XBOX ONE on the premise that KINECT was an integral part of the XBOX ONE experience and would never be sold separately.

A few of the quotes are shown here: http://www.polygon.com/2014/5/13/5713634/xbox-one-kinect-integral-add-on

Now if the item was sold on the premise that KINECT was never going to be removed as part of the package and as a consumer you use that for the basis of your purchasing choice, i.e. I will buy one now as it will always be included, is this mis selling?

Had people known a bundle without it was on the way I would have waited but as I was told it would never happen I did.

Where does the consumer stand in all this?

bluenoseam

You stand in the place which says "the future is an uncertain place & everything is subject to change". The Kinect camera was initially a required element of the console, due to public opinion prior to release that was changed from "required" to "integral" meaning it didn't HAVE to be used.

It's never been out of the question they'll release one without the camera either unofficially (i.e. between educated people) or officially (Microsoft). That is unless you want a company to continue with something that's unpopular & harming their to their perception amongst target demographic because you're miffed you didn't have the patience to wait?

Blastiel

MS categorically stated they would never release a KINECTLESS XBOX ONE when pressed on the issue m. That is the issue. You base a purchase on the facts presented to you, if one of those its KINECT is and always will be in the bundle then why would one assume otherwise?

Would it be legal to be sold a car that has an "integral" sound system that adds £100 to the cost of the car and told this car would never be sold with out it only to find out 6 months later it will be sold with out it? I mean the manufacture of the device is telling you categorically it will not sell the car without it and thus giving you "no" option if you want the car, you'll pay it.

unholyangel

Blastiel wrote: »

MS categorically stated they would never release a KINECTLESS XBOX ONE when pressed on the issue m.

Didn't they just say they have "no plans" to release xbox with kinect?

Its not like microsoft dont have a habit of going back on their current plans with xbox one - requiring an online connection and its plans on limiting the sharing of games are two prime examples of that.

ThumbRemote

Making untrue claims is covered by Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading regulations. However I doubt this is relevant as a) it was the manufacturer rather than the retailer who made the claim and, b) the manufacturer is an American company, not British.

There's not really anything you can do, beyond feeling annoyed and not buying their products again.

bluenoseam

"Absolutely no plans at all."

Plans can & do change regularly, especially whereby Xbox One is concerned. I've dealt with them enough to be of the understanding there was always "plan B" (and plan C I hasten to add!) whereby the console would be sold without the Kinect. (Plan C on the other hand is/was at the time to retain the Kinect but increase the hard drive on the console - something I'd expect to see around Christmas 2015 when there's a lot more games available)

I get that you're angry & feel duped, but ultimately you're coming at this without really having a whole lot of insight into things, you took everythign you read as gospel truth. Look at the bigger picture and understand that the camera has always been one of the major stumbling blocks to it's success. That's where your price difference comes in & is the reason why up until now I've not been interested by the Xbox One as I refused point blank to pay for the Kinect, which would be a paperweight. (Space issues do not allow me to use the device for any more than voice commands) MS have a direct breakdown of the Kinect usage, they say that 80%+ people use it on a regular basis, they haven't as yet divulged the precise usage, but it's widely believed that it's mostly voice commands. So from that you can garner that almost 20% of people don't use it at all & it's not exactly being used for gaming as was intended.

You are ofcourse in a position, Microsoft at no point in time twisted your arm to buy an Xbox One, never mind an Xbox One with Kinect. You did so of your own free will based upon information you had at the time, information which has since changed as a result of R&D on Microsoft's side. You paid the early adoption premium for your console - the same as many millions of others have done so in the past & will in the future. My advice, learn from this & understand that it's better to wait for something as opposed to rushing in foolhardily, cos that's when you wind up getting burned!

neilmcl

Blastiel wrote: »

MS categorically stated they would never release a KINECTLESS XBOX ONE when pressed on the issue.

Show us proof where they stated exactly that.

Hintza

They have changed their sales strategy because they are being humped by the PS4.

What would you have them do?

Sony are having their own problems too though:-

Over the past 18 months, Sony's shares have lagged rival Panasonic, which reported a profit last financial year after posting $15 billion in combined losses in the two years to March 2013 during a sweeping restructuring.

Idiophreak

To be honest, it's quite akin to the HDDVD drive on the 360.

A bunch of people bought it on assurances that the format would go on for ages, then they changed their mind and a lot of people were left with £200 doorstops.

Now, a lot of people have tolerated buying a console with kinect because it's "integral" and because all consoles have it a lot more games will incorporate it etc...As it turns out, that's not the case...it will be just as much a gimmick as it was on the 360...but that's just how technology works. You take a punt on the "next big thing" and sometimes it works...sometimes it doesn't.

TheSaint_2

Its not really a big deal. The price difference between the new no Kinect price and the current lowest Xbox price online is not very much at all. I would still buy the full Kinect version.