Like many others, it seems, we didn’t expect to have to fork out as much as £129.99 to get our hands on Microsoft’s upcoming motion-sensing gadget, Kinect. That’s almost as much as the new 4GB Xbox 360 console which you can pick up for £149.99!

Since the price was announced, Microsoft has received a mini backlash from some sections of the gaming community, but has been quick to respond to the criticism and defend the high price point.

Speaking with MCV, Chris Lewis, VP of Microsoft Europe’s Interactive Entertainment Business said:

“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 said.

Lewis then compares what Kinect has to offer to PlayStation Move, Sony’s upcoming motion-sensing periperhal.

“Look at our pricing versus what we’ve seen from Sony,” he said. “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.”

You’ll be paying for what you get then, apparently. How do you feel about the pricing for Kinect? Let us know in the HEXUS.community forums.