They've already committed to Kinect being integral to what they're doing (although they could go back on that, I guess). Since they've gone back to "the disc has to be in the drive", presumably installs are going to be less of a thing, so the hard drive seems like the logical thing to cut back on. I doubt that'd shave $100 off though.

Subsidies.

I agree this would be an option but getting the legal out of the way seems like it would take a long time "if" they have not started yet.

They probably can't take out the Kinect at this point, which is the main reason I will probably never buy an xbone.

I think they'll just take the hit.

It doesn't need a drop at launch, it will sell out anyway. 6 month down the line they will hope component prices allow a cut.

@hellknightleon: I'm convinced that they started working on the subsidies before they started working on the hardware (for better or for worse).

...but I'm also wrong most of the time :P

What will the Xbox One not have to make a price drop happen? Buyers. Mark my words.

Definitely a Kinect. A 500 GB laptop hard drive doesn't cost them a lot when you consider how many they're buying for the production line. Downgrading to a 320GB won't affect the price much at all. Maybe 20 bucks tops per unit(if even that)

Then again the system probably won't work without a kinect anyway. Subsidies seems to be the only way if you want a price drop. Personally I never buy anything on contract, since it's not worth it in the end. I'd rather buy something at full price and not be stuck with a plan I'm not content with.

Kinect is required. And removing a required component just to screw people over sounds like something Microsoft would do. So I'll go with Kinect.

Microsoft are retarded for making the Kinect a must have for this new system.

I really don't think they are ever going to remove the Kinect because it goes so fundamentally with what they have set out for this console (although that hasn't stopped them so far). I don't think it will be the HD either because it would have to be too small, or non-existent to even make a difference.

What they will do is offer consoles on some sort of plan with monthly payments. They have already tried it with the 360 and apparently it was a big success. This is the only option, other than them eating $100 on each console and hoping they make it up in game sales which seems even less likely.

I predict something like $299 with 2 years of $50 for a One with Xbox Live.

Are people voting on what they think will happen or what they hope will happen? Because there is a 0.00% chance of any SKU shipping without Kinect. They are committed to Kinect being an integral and necessary aspect of the system, they will never sell one without it.

As has been speculated, I believe the only way you'll be able to get an Xbox One at launch cheaper than $499 is by signing a long term contract, but if the subsidy plan they tried out with Xbox 360 is any indication ($99 with a 2 year contract at $15 a month), it will be a bad deal in the long term.

Even though anything less than a 500g hard drive seems criminal, I think they'd ship with no hard drive before they shipped without Kinect.

Kinect is an easy loss. If it really costs that much with a kinect I can easily see it dropping to $300. The thing is, they say the Kinect is required for it to even work. That's kind of a dumb requirement, though. I guess that's xbox one in general.

There's no way they're taking the Kinect out of that thing, it's core to what Microsoft are doing with that console. They seem more likely to drop the 500GB hard-drive but I don't really see them taking that out any time soon either. If we see a price drop I'm expecting it to be further down the line and I think it's unlikely that they'd start knocking down the specs of that console to make it cheaper. The most I could see them doing in that regard is offering a lower-end alternative to the main Xbox One some time in the future.

A family share plan.

I hope they announce a subsidized version closer to launch.

Nothing's gonna happen for at least a year imo.

I've always thought kinect was a dumb idea sense the beginning, and now sense its a requirement to have it on the console. I think its just abunch of bullshit just to get more money from people. This whole year Microsoft has been greedy and full of shit, and everybody knows it. Its funny when shit hits the fan they back off there dumb online polices, but its to late for them now damage is already done.

Hell I wouldn't be surprise if they go back to there old polices, once the console has shipped out a certain amount of units. Then they'll probably end up getting sued by alot of people. Anyway I'm done with Microsoft in general. I ain't supporting that money grabbing console.

For me personally (and maybe a little sadly), Kinect is the only thing that Sony or Microsoft is offering that doesn't seem to have a better, cheaper option on PC.

There isn't going to be a price drop for at least a year or two, and they will do nothing to drop the price now. They've committed to the things that they're doing now (after the whole DRM thing) and I don't think they're gonna change anything else.

They could leave out a controller. That's a decent saving, right? You don't need one because you'll be changing TV channels with your voice and a majestic wave of your hand. If you want to play Forza you can go ahead and buy your own joypad and be happy, Mr Rich Gamer.

I think they'll probably just ship it without the 500g hard drive, if they want a price cut that badly. Remember, though, that they also released their remodeled Xbox 360 at $299 if you wanted a bigger hard drive. Essentially, if you wanted a kinect with it, the 360 remodel they just released costs about as much as the PS4, possibly more depending on tax/shipping and handling. I don't think they'll drop the price of the Xbox One any time soon.

People looking for a subsidized version don't seem to realize that they'll still end up paying the same amount, if not more. It won't be the same Xbox Live Gold $60/yr (or less if you bought cards on sale) you have now. It'll probably be $15/mo and you'll end up paying more when all is said and done, like their subsidy experiment.

This is assuming they didn't tie their subsidization to the always online stuff. Before their 180, I expected that the always online checks could be used to prohibit play if you hadn't paid your monthly bill.

Well they already dropped the headset...I swear it's like bizarro 2004/2005/2006 up in here.

People have a tendency of doing this anyway. The amount I've spent on monthly cellphone bills surplus to requirements dwarfs the cost of the handset, and I doubt I'm the first to do it either.

The difference is that you'd be paying that monthly phone bill anyway. Otherwise, you have a paper weight, subsidized or not. The rates you're paying is the same regardless of the phone you use.

The price of the phone is built into the bill. Once you pay off the phone, the price doesn't drop. That's what T-Mobile was going on about with their "no contract" phones.

A subsidized Xbox would appeal to people because they wouldn't have to pay $500 up front, even if they pay more in the long run.

They've got such a hard-on for the Kinect that, even if that's what they SHOULD take out, it's most likely going to be the HDD.

Then again, they surprised me by backing off on their DRM nonsense, so who knows?

What they shoulda done is make a digital only version of the console, subsidise the shit out of it so it way undercut PS4 on price, and then make it all back a bunch of times over on the much bigger cut they would be getting from each digital sale.

After the whole DRM thing I don't even know. I don't think Microsoft knows either.

All I can see is small things like maybe a controller thats not as good(whatever that could be). Maybe take out the Hdmi cable or drop the HDD size. All with little to know major price drop. The subsidized idea "seems" so far off its hard to think of that as an option(but who know). Maybe they will just take a hit per console and drop it. We all hope they drop the Kinect and that would help but seems only time will tell.

Screws. $300 off.

I think they'll subsidise rather than drop anything.

your thread title is hella awkward

Naw, they'd charge for a system without screws. Look at the original 360 - that thing was put together with duct tape and glue.

I would say they won't drop Kinect but after dropping the whole drm and check-in system who knows. More likely is some kind of subsidized model.

They will cut out proper safety regulations and worker benefits at the facilities where the parts are manufactured.

Oh, wait...that is how they got to the original price point.

Replace the Bluray drive with the drive from the 360, ship games on multiple DVDs and introduce a Super saver edition with a 60 gig HDD because who plays more than one game?

They don't need to drop the price.

It took a while, but PS3 overcame a high price to end up virtually tying the 360 this generation. How'd they do it? Games.

If MS brings the good games, a $100 difference isn't going to stop people, especially those who see a value in having voice and gesture controls with the Kinect.

MS won't drop a single thing. It is what it is and if they want to try and make a push then I'd have to guess (as of course I have no inside knowledge) they'd spend some of that pool of cash they've supposedly been bragging about. Buy some some old fashioned water tight exclusives and users will part with their cash.

@jimbo said:

Seems like the sort of thing they could pretty easily do in a year or two. Give it a 1TB drive, and call it the new Arcade model.

Any price drop would jeopardize the thousands of dollars of value that the XBO offers.

@evilnights: The hard drive is probably the cheapest thing you can possibly get. Considering that they probably get price reductions from wholesale, they'd only be saving a small fraction of that $100.

Last Gen we got that and a George Foreman Grill as console designs, great wasnt it?

Yeah, the systems weren't a highlight for the current gen. One was physically unattractive and the other fell apart if you so much as breathed on it.

And don't forget after they made the slim which actually looked good they brought out the ugly toploader one too, which I didn't even know existed until I unknowingly traded in my fat for it.

It doesn't matter. I think the price will stay the same for awhile. Along with the PS4. Both Microsoft and Sony are the business of making money. Both will keep their launch prices for as long as the market supports them. I also don't think its a question of taking things away to make price drops happen. It really has to do with the fact that the tech inside of both machines will eventually become cheaper to make. that's when price drops really start to happen. Lastly, the Kinect and the hard drive are a standard design spec at this point. Microsoft will not sell xbox one's without them.