The camera is optional, though. I didn't buy one, and I doubt most people who bought a PS4 did. Microsoft doesn't give you a choice. The fact that if you buy a Wii U and all the controllers necessary to play everything in Nintendo Land it costs about the same as an Xbox One doesn't make them the same price.
But you need the camera to broadcast your games, so the viewers can see and hear you. And many people are broadcasting their games on PS4 and Xbox One, proving that those cameras are fairly popular.
Why are people so apprehensive about having a camera on a game console? Nobody freaked out this much when the PS Eye and original Kinect were out. And before you mention 'privacy concerns', remember that your smartphone also has a camera. Oh no, the government is spying on us, blah blah blah.
The point is, Microsoft included the Kinect with the Xbox One for the same reason that Nintendo included the GamePad with the Wii U; to ensure mass market adoption and to enhance the user experience. Controlling my Xbox One with voice commands is so intuitive, and I love broadcasting gameplay through Twitch.
One more thing, if you don't like having a camera with the system, you don't have to use it. You can enable privacy settings to ensure the Kinect never listens to you in the background. I don't use the TV functions on the Xbox One or Wii U, but I'm not pissed that they were included. They're simply extra features for people that want them.