I admit, I’ve been a little torn about whether or not to pre-order the Xbox One. Ironically, while Microsoft has made Kinect required for all users (which explains the astronomical price of $500), as we’ve mentioned in the past it looks like on launch day, only Just Dance 2014 and Zumba Fitness World Party will be supporting the Kinect, and for the foreseeable future I only see one motion game, Kinect Sports Rival in the next few months.
Still, if the Kinect technology is all it’s cracked up to be, chances are all the idiosyncrasies and annoyances that made the current generation of Kinect games painful to play will be in the past. It’ll take a courageous developer to step up and commit, but if Ubisoft, Majesco, and Microsoft make any kind of money with the three games that’ll be available at or soon after launch day, hopefully you’ll see more developers following suit.
I went ahead and pre-ordered my Xbox One today at Best Buy. It looks like retailers taking pre-orders for the “Day One Edition” will be committing to having them in stock, so if you’re keen on getting one the first day, get your pre-order in now. The “extras” you get with the Day One edition aren’t really worth much (a “commemorative controller”, a token code to unlock an “exclusive Day One achievement”, and “premium packaging”), but since they come at no additional cost, it’s not a bad idea to place your pre-order if you know you’ll be wanting one.
There are only three retailers that I trust with pre-orders, after having been burned in the past by the like of Toys R Us or Amazon who promise but don’t always deliver.
Best Buy –
Microsoft – Xbox One: Day One Edition
Gamestop – Xbox One Day One Edition, now available for pre-order at GameStop.com.
Walmart – Xbox One Day One Edition Starter Bundle w/ Choice of Game or Accessory
If you’ve missed the chance to pre-order, head on over to Amazon