Ever since Project Natal was announced at E3 2009, millions of gamers have speculated about the feasible price. Although an estimated price has not been publicized by Microsoft, they have spiked our interest, stating that it will be priced “…like anything else.”
Is Robbie Bach simply referring to an established price pattern that most consoles and peripherals incorporate, where the price starts at an extreme, but slowly falls as time progresses and sales decrease? Chances are, he is. In the foreseeable future, Natal will almost certainly begin at an elevated price, but will quickly decrease once sales begin to dawdle.
The bigger question is how much Natal will cost. Microsoft’s most advanced peripheral is definitely an exciting piece of hardware, and may be more intuitive than the Wii’s relatively inexpensive controllers. But, what price is too high? Some people see it launching at $250, maybe even $300! It seems unlikely that Microsoft could successfully market a peripheral for more than the actual console.
Despite the mildness of Microsoft’s statement, we can be sure of two things:
1. Natal will indeed have a price.
2. It will be priced like anything else.
