In a recent “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) session on Reddit, an unnamed Xbox One developer working for Microsoft revealed inside information about the next-gen console, including how the Kinect costs almost as much as the console itself to manufacture. The person also discussed how Microsoft employees felt about the rocky reaction to the Xbox One announcement.
“The majority of the masses care only about the console, except that the success of the Kinect carries much more weight to us,” said the developer. “The sensor costs almost as much as the console to make. The goal with having a Kinect ship with every Xbox is to guarantee to game developers if they implement Kinect features into their games, everyone who has an Xbox will be able to experience it. I often see people dismiss the Kinect instantly because they haven’t seen it work like I have. It is an integral part of the Xbox One experience.”
Talking about Microsoft employee reaction to the policy changes, the developer expressed regret that the change had to happen, but agreed that it was unclear to gamers what the benefit of the policies actually was. In particular, the developer noted, there was regret internally at Microsoft for the loss of digital sharing options in the new console.
Source: GI.biz
