Well we finally have the prices for the next version of the Xbox 360 bundled with Microsoft’s new motion sensing controller called Kinect. Then as expected the whining began as word trickled through the blogosphere and Twitter.

Expected as well was the types of expletives that Microsoft was called along with declaration that there was noway the whiners would ever pay that kind of money.

The sticking point was of course the price that Microsoft wants for the Kinect Sensor, that being $149.99. Now on the surface and in relation to just the Xbox 360 this might be rather high but there are some major points to consider with the Kinect.

First Generation

This is the first generation of the controller and as such you are going to see a higher price. All our technological advancements are paid for by these first generation prices. We have seen it with the iPhone, the Wii .. hell name any tech product and it’s first generation version always cost more.

Kinect is no different.

I am not surprised at all by the price just as I am not surprised by all the whining being done by people who are missing the larger implication of Kinect.

It’s a Peripheral

As much as Microsoft is marketing the Kinect as being an add-on to the Xbox 360 there is a much larger picture at play here. The Kinect isn’t just an add-on for the Xbox 360 but is potentially a standard peripheral much like our keyboards, mice and webcams.

I still remember, and it wan’t really all that long ago, when webcams were new and expensive but now they are standard on things like laptops. So now we have the Kinect that it part hardware and part software, software that could very easily end up in Windows 7 via a service pack but most definitely included in Windows 8.

The potential for Kinect extends far beyond just the Xbox 360 but it most definitely could see a future as a desktop, and possibly laptop, peripheral. Just as multi-touch is changing how we interact with our software so to will adding Kinect to the equation.

Not Just About Games

At this point the easiest adoption path for Microsoft when it comes to the Kinect is via gamers and the whole Xbox 360 platform. That doesn’t mean that it will always be a gamer add-on; and really once you look at the possibilities that come from Kinect as it moves beyond the Xbox 360, this first generation price isn’t out of line.

As with all first generations there will be future generations and as Kinect , hardware and software, makes its way into the Windows platform the price will come down.

[Editor’s Note: Silly gamer, Kinect’s not just for gaming is a post from: winextra. –mrh]