Why I Purchased a Used Kinect (With a Coupon!)

I finally purchased a Kinect sensor this weekend and I did so on my terms. I sought out to find a used sensor from Gamestop which, expectedly, wasn't too hard to do. There was an in-store coupon for a 50% increase on software trade-ins, as well. So I jumped in.

Many families purchased a Kinect at launch and returned it for some reason or another. If I were to assume why, I would say those families became aware of how similar it was to the Wii they currently own.

So, I questioned the sales rep as to why the sensor has been coming back. He replied many buyers felt it was a glorified Wii; or that it came bundled with a Xbox 360 at an attractive price point making Kinect worth a purchase/try. I guess we all know how that turned out.

Regardless, their loss is my eventual gain. Here are the reasons I purchased a used Kinect - with a coupon:

- Price. A used Kinect with one game cost $130. After software trade-ins, I paid $89 with the Kinect Adventures title.
- Family. My wife and kids will enjoy Kinect today...Me? Maybe Holiday 2011.
- Used Status. If I understand the market correctly, buying used does not directly contribute to the number of Kinect units sold for Microsoft. (Please correct me if I am wrong here.)
- Core Focus: The Microsoft press conference at E3 promised several core titles with Kinect functionality coming this Holiday. Hopefully, their promise is solid.
- Project K. A Kinect test unit will be needed once the first prototype controller is ready. Which should be available in late fall.