Earlier this week Microsoft Corp announced the pricing structure for America and the majority of Europe, but they neglected to include the Australian pricing structure. Today, however, Microsoft Australia have officially announced the RRP for Australia.
Via press release, Microsoft Corporation Australia revealed that Kinect, the new motion device, will be priced at $199 AUD and come with the game Kinect Adventures. As well as this camera bundle, a camera/console bundle was announced for Australia. The 4GB Xbox 360 console will be bundled with Kinect and Kinect Adventures and be priced at $449 AUD.
Kinect is the up and coming competitor to the Nintendo Wii and Playstation Move and is taking a different approach to the classic game controller setup. With its unique promotional tag-line of "being the controller", it is aiming to make playing games a whole new experience. The launch titles for the US are confirmed, but the Australian launch lineup is left being described as "more than 15" games. With the only confirmed title be Kinect Adventures which is described as a game that enables players to participate in "20 pulse-pounding adventures set in exotic locations".
“With a record month for Xbox 360 console sales in June, we are excited about our momentum. Given our rich offering this Christmas including Kinect for Xbox 360, Foxtel by Xbox LIVE and a great line up of blockbuster games, I imagine consumers will definitely want to pre-order at their retailer of choice to secure their Kinect under the tree this Christmas. It is going to be an exciting time for all of us.”
With a total of 1.1 million Xbox 360 consoles currently in Australian households, it has the potential to be a high selling addition to the already popular console.
David McLean, Head of Xbox, Microsoft Australia and New Zealand had this to say about Kinect; "Kinect offers tremendous entertainment value for the whole family and those who are new to video games – with nothing in your hands and no buttons to press. If you can do it in life, you can do it with Kinect."
Currently there is no official release date, but Microsoft is saying that the camera will release sometime "before Christmas".