Copy and pasted from NeoGaf

Since Kinect must be plugged in for the Xbox One to function, what happens if your Kinect breaks? Like if it falls off the top of your TV onto a hardwood floor or something? Will the console cease to function?

WHITTEN: Xbox One is designed to work with Kinect plugged in. It makes gaming better in many ways – from the ability to say “Xbox On” and get right to your personalized homescreen, to the ability to control your TV through voice, Smartglass and more. Kinect allows you to search for your content, instantly move between games and your personalized dash and more with just your voice. Kinect helps you pick up and play by automatically knowing which controller you have in your hands. No more need to interrupt your friends game or navigate through multiple UI screens to sign in and tell the system which controller you are holding. It will even bind the controller to the console if its currently unbound – no searching for special buttons! Of course – these are just a few of the system wide benefits of having Kinect. Games use Kinect in a variety of amazing ways from adding voice to control your squad mates to adding lean and other simple controls beyond the controller to full immersive gameplay. That said, like online, the console will still function if Kinect isn’t plugged in, although you won’t be able to use any feature or experience that explicitly uses the sensor.

http://ie.ign.com/articles/2013/08/05/ask-microsoft-anything-about-xbox-one

That's a really, really long way to say 'yes'.

That's a long answer lol. This is good to hear.

Interesting indeed, even though I will always have it plugged in and using it to the max, just like with my current Kinect. This is an accessory that makes the Xbox even better.

That's good to know.

Glad they changed that, if I get a X1 the kinect isn't leaving the box.

It is a long answer because he is trying to sell you on the idea of always having it plugged in and the benefits (according to Microsoft) that Kinect has.

Well to be fair, the idea of you just picking up the controller and then the console boots up, loads your profile and settings without touching a button because the Kinect recognizes you is cool of course. If only it'd stayed at that.

They changed pretty much everything since E3 I won't be surprise if their's a 399$ bundle offer at launch without Kinect

good news for those who want an X1, M$ can add DRM back whenever they want though so I am still not getting.

Plus, M$ doesn't have as many proven studios as Sony, and they will drop support for the console as soon as its successor is revealed

Moderated - Kresnik.