Sony has spoken out on Microsoft’s Kinect-based woes, suggesting it always knew its rival would be forced to release an Xbox One without the bundled peripheral.
Although the Xbox One originally launched with the camera-hosting Kinect as a mandatory add-on, slow sales and an increased price tag have recently seen the company introduce a Kinect-free Xbox One for the first time.
Now, speaking with Ars Technica, PlayStation’s Head of Worldwide Studios America, Scott Rohde has claimed Sony knew this move was on the cards long before it was announced.
"I think that, to be truthful, we always assumed that eventually they'd have to release a SKU without a camera," Rohde said. "So we were waiting for it to a degree, and we were ready for it."
Removing Kinect from the Xbox One bundle has seen the console drop from £429 to a PS4 rivalling £349 – or in the $499 to $399 stateside.
Although this price cut is sure to attract more gamers to the Microsoft made console, Rohde was keen to point out how much of an advantage a lower price point gave the PS4 during last year’s launch window.
"I'm not gonna lie. I remember exactly where I was," Rhode said of finding out the original Xbox One price.
"We were in press conference rehearsals last year. We had a feeling they were going to come in at $499, but we weren't sure. So yeah, we were dancing in the aisles and high-fiving.
"It was great. Anyone that came in on an interview, it didn't matter what the question was, I could always just answer it with $399. It was the answer to every question."
Although Sony is currently dominating this generation of console sales, the Japanese manufacturer struggled with its last offering, with the PS3 consistently being outsold by the Xbox 360.
"We thought we could overcome Microsoft in the previous generation because the first Xbox didn't have that great market penetration, and PlayStation 2 was so dominant in that era,” Rhode said.
“We wanted a machine in PlayStation 3 that was amazing, that could do everything, and completely misjudged how much the market could bear in terms of price point. Also, coming out a year late, it took us some catch up to get where we needed to be. But we're proud of where PS3 ended up and how it's still going strong today."
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