Xbox Gaming in South Africa

Microsoft's European VP of Interactive Entertainment Chris Lewis has come to the defence of the 149 Euro RRP for Kinect in Europe, telling MCV that the company had "researched it heavily. As with most things, we do massive amounts of consumer research. Not only did we consult with people like yourselves, but also the analyst community. We think this is great value."

He added that, in comparison to Sony's Move, Kinect comes in cheaper for multiplayer motion control experiences.

“Look at our pricing versus what we’ve seen from Sony,” Lewis says. “If we take their US Move details for example – obviously we’ve not seen their Move price-points for EMEA – but we expect Move will cost €150. But when you look at a two player Move experience, we think we will be around €150 less for the equivalent two-player experience.”

Coincidentally, an internal Microsoft document found its way into Kotaku's hands, which provides a brief overview of the total cost of ownership when comparing the different motion controller prices in the US. In each circumstance, whether buying new or as an add-on, Kinect comes out on tops, however, this is only true when calculating on a two-player experience.

Of course, locals will be paying out significantly more for Kinect in South Africa, with a RRP of R1,999 for the standalone device, and R3,699 for console bundles. We contacted local Microsoft Product and Marketing Manager, Yvette van Rooyen, and were told that "With regards to pricing it is not as easy as a direct conversion of currencies, I wish it was that simple. That is the pricing and it is unlikely to change unless we see a substantial currency fluctuation in our favour."

So, uh, here's to that substantial currency fluctuation.