CNN expresses Kinect RRP concern

News hub CNN has expressed serious reservations about the RRP Microsoft has slapped on the upcoming Xbox 360 motion camera Kinect.

While Kinect looks extremely promising, I’m still concerned about the price,” reviewer JP Mangalindan wrote on the site. The $150 asking price for what’s essentially a hardware add-on to a pre-existing game console seems incredibly steep.

For that much money, customers can buy an entire game system. A new Xbox 360 Arcade Spring Bundle, which comes with two games, or for $129, a used Wii from Gamestop. Strange. For a product that’s being marketed as a device that’s supposed to reduce barriers of entry, the $150 tag seems downright antithetical to that mission.

Because of that, I don’t expect Kinect will be a blockbuster out of the gate. But those with the extra cash shouldn’t let the price stop them from trying out the next generation of gaming. Because that’s exactly what Microsoft has achieved with Kinect. The question remains whether Xbox 360 owners will bite.”

Despite the concerns, the site was still very impressed with the technical achievements of Kinect.

Microsoft’s controller hub – which features an RGB camera, three sensors – tracks full-body movement, facial expression, and voice with a precision that makes Nintendo’s Wii look like a distant ancestor and ought to make Sony, with it’s own motion-based Move controller, somewhat nervous.”

MCV reported last week that despite early reservations, retail is reporting a huge amount of interest in the device from consumers.