Confirmed: Xbox 360 Price Cut This Friday
Xbox 360 soon to be available for less than the Wii
Microsoft has confirmed that it is substantially cutting the price of the Xbox 360 across all three stock keeping units (SKUs) this Friday.
The biggest cut is on the price of the Xbox 360 Premium. Microsoft is slashing an impressive £50 from the current price, bringing it down to £199.99. The Elite and Arcade will both have £40 hacked from their current prices, bringing them down to £259.99 and £159.99 respectively.
That's right, £159.99 - £19 less than the estimated retail price (ERP) of Nintendo's Wii. The Elite, with its 120GB of hard disk space, is also now £40 cheaper than the £299 40GB PS3.
Naturally the announcement isn't passing us by without a chirpy corporo-quote. “Xbox 360 is now mass market in Europe”, Chris Lewis , VP of Microsoft Interactive Entertainment Business Europe, tells us. “We have reached and surpassed several key milestones that form part of our long term strategic plan to achieve critical mass in Europe; and our portfolio now offers the kind of mainstream entertainment experiences that secure wider appeal for Xbox 360. These factors allow us to execute on our strategy to widen the market for Xbox 360, as planned.
“We continue to offer intense, immersive gaming experiences for gamers – but now we’re priced in a way that will allow new consumers to find out for themselves why Xbox 360 is the ultimate in high-definition entertainment”, Lewis continues. “History shows that £159.99 is the price point where a console’s audience begins to expand, and with these new ERPs in place we’re ready to bring more consumers into the Xbox 360 world.”
Ah, right. It's not a response to the Wii's soaring sales or boisterous claims from Sony that the PS3 will have a larger installed base than the 360 by the end of summer, then?
Microsoft took the opportunity to throw an interesting little fact our way. "Xbox 360 is the number one next-gen console in EMEA, owning 42% of the market in terms of life-to-date revenue", the announcement tells us. That's right, in Europe, the Middle East and Africa... The announcement also confirms the software attach rate for the 360 as 7 titles per console sold. That compares to 3.8 for the PS3 and 3.5 for the Wii.
This morning SPOnG brought you the rumours of a European price cut doing the rounds.
The biggest cut is on the price of the Xbox 360 Premium. Microsoft is slashing an impressive £50 from the current price, bringing it down to £199.99. The Elite and Arcade will both have £40 hacked from their current prices, bringing them down to £259.99 and £159.99 respectively.
That's right, £159.99 - £19 less than the estimated retail price (ERP) of Nintendo's Wii. The Elite, with its 120GB of hard disk space, is also now £40 cheaper than the £299 40GB PS3.
Naturally the announcement isn't passing us by without a chirpy corporo-quote. “Xbox 360 is now mass market in Europe”, Chris Lewis , VP of Microsoft Interactive Entertainment Business Europe, tells us. “We have reached and surpassed several key milestones that form part of our long term strategic plan to achieve critical mass in Europe; and our portfolio now offers the kind of mainstream entertainment experiences that secure wider appeal for Xbox 360. These factors allow us to execute on our strategy to widen the market for Xbox 360, as planned.
“We continue to offer intense, immersive gaming experiences for gamers – but now we’re priced in a way that will allow new consumers to find out for themselves why Xbox 360 is the ultimate in high-definition entertainment”, Lewis continues. “History shows that £159.99 is the price point where a console’s audience begins to expand, and with these new ERPs in place we’re ready to bring more consumers into the Xbox 360 world.”
Ah, right. It's not a response to the Wii's soaring sales or boisterous claims from Sony that the PS3 will have a larger installed base than the 360 by the end of summer, then?
Microsoft took the opportunity to throw an interesting little fact our way. "Xbox 360 is the number one next-gen console in EMEA, owning 42% of the market in terms of life-to-date revenue", the announcement tells us. That's right, in Europe, the Middle East and Africa... The announcement also confirms the software attach rate for the 360 as 7 titles per console sold. That compares to 3.8 for the PS3 and 3.5 for the Wii.
This morning SPOnG brought you the rumours of a European price cut doing the rounds.
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Comments
Joji 10 Mar 2008 14:38
1/12
Wish I had more money now. I'd buying an Elite.
Mornelithe 10 Mar 2008 15:14
2/12
Great thing about the 360 is that you can wait for a few months to a year, and the games that are worth it, will hit the PC. Which means, you can just go ahead and put your money into your PC (A reliable machine), rather than wasting money on games that may or may not have a system to play them on, each time you hit the power button. Sorry, MS you can cut the price all you want, but I'm not picking up a 360 until the RROD issues are completely 100% resolved. Long live PC gaming!
Morne
Morne
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Crazylega 10 Mar 2008 15:28
3/12
Why would you want to spend £1000s on a PC for gaming when you can get a 360 so cheap? I bought a core at launch and upgraded to the Elite last Xmas. The 360 is the best console out there at the moment - best games and best online. At the moment, the PS3 is no match for it.
Mornelithe 10 Mar 2008 15:39
4/12
Because the PC is by far more reliable than the 360, and will get most, if not all of the high name games for the 360, AND it will play them at higher resolutions, frames, and the like? Seems like a no-brainer really. As for the PS3, well, the PS3 may not have the games you're looking for now, but then again, neither will the PC when those games come out. MGS4, FFXIII, GT5 etc...those are traditionally left to the consoles, and in this case, the PS3. Besides, the games that the 360 are touted for, FPS', are vastly superior on the PC anyway. Crysis anyone? Yeah...I forgot, the PS3 and 360 can't handle the game.
Morne
Morne
Antonusklesk 10 Mar 2008 15:42
5/12
Quote: Why would you want to spend £1000s on a PC for gaming when you can get a 360 so cheap? I bought a core at launch and upgraded to the Elite last Xmas. The 360 is the best console out there at the moment - best games and best online. At the moment, the PS3 is no match for it.
Because gaming PC's don't actually cost that much.
Because from personal experience 360's tend to break, be noisey and just as annoying as they are enjoyable.
And because it's down to personal opinion, buy what you want, enjoy it and enjoy healthy competition between manufacturers.
Oh and my opinion is that the 360's becoming stale - I'm bored of mine, afraid to use it as it becomes increasingly more unstable, and simply find my PS3 more enjoyable :)
Because gaming PC's don't actually cost that much.
Because from personal experience 360's tend to break, be noisey and just as annoying as they are enjoyable.
And because it's down to personal opinion, buy what you want, enjoy it and enjoy healthy competition between manufacturers.
Oh and my opinion is that the 360's becoming stale - I'm bored of mine, afraid to use it as it becomes increasingly more unstable, and simply find my PS3 more enjoyable :)
Joji 10 Mar 2008 16:43
6/12
LOL...
I just love the evangelism like attitude of some PC fans. Hey, we all know the PC is the hot shiz at pushing games....WE'VE KNOWN THIS FOR EVER!! However, if the kinds of games I want to play aren't on PC, why should I bother?
I own three PCs and I'm tired of fiddling with freaking drivers, this and that just to run a game. Sure some PCs are cheap, that's all made hogwash when you games don't run. You can wave the 'mine's better than yours' flag forever.
Gamers want simplicity and games, a 360 offers that out of the box. That's why 360 is thriving and PCs games dwindling (plus the piracy issue).
And yes the RROD is bad, but altleast MS will sort it out for us for free (something even Sony never did with PS2 problems many forget about. Would you get the same for your PC? I doubt it.
I'd rather take the 360 over a PC for games, anyday. Better online, no driver crap and a wider variety of game genre, many of which never grace the PC.
Fairlplay to anyone that picks a 360 up.
I just love the evangelism like attitude of some PC fans. Hey, we all know the PC is the hot shiz at pushing games....WE'VE KNOWN THIS FOR EVER!! However, if the kinds of games I want to play aren't on PC, why should I bother?
I own three PCs and I'm tired of fiddling with freaking drivers, this and that just to run a game. Sure some PCs are cheap, that's all made hogwash when you games don't run. You can wave the 'mine's better than yours' flag forever.
Gamers want simplicity and games, a 360 offers that out of the box. That's why 360 is thriving and PCs games dwindling (plus the piracy issue).
And yes the RROD is bad, but altleast MS will sort it out for us for free (something even Sony never did with PS2 problems many forget about. Would you get the same for your PC? I doubt it.
I'd rather take the 360 over a PC for games, anyday. Better online, no driver crap and a wider variety of game genre, many of which never grace the PC.
Fairlplay to anyone that picks a 360 up.
deleted 10 Mar 2008 20:46
7/12
Thank god now if my 360 breaks as its getting on in 360 years (comparable to dog years) i can get a new for a little bit less....
errr thanks errr Microsoft i think??
errr thanks errr Microsoft i think??
SuperSaiyan4 11 Mar 2008 09:34
8/12
I think its time people moved on from the red light issue because all new consoles and ones that are either repaired or replaced most likely have the new Falcon chip.
Also with Microsoft giving everyone 3yrs warranty on the red lights isn't bad either its just bad that the red light problem exists.
All in all to be fair when you do turn on the Xbox 360 and you are connected to Xbox Live its marvellous with ease of use and features etc and then couple with great games and lower price on consoles there is no reason not to own one unless you are a hater.
I will most likely end up getting a PS3 again one day for Final Fantasy and maybe any other exclusive RPG's that I like the look of that are exclusive to the PS3 but will wait for a lower price, slimmer console and full on features like the 60gb it might be a long wait but am in no rush since the PS3 for me does not offer what the 360 can do.
Also with Microsoft giving everyone 3yrs warranty on the red lights isn't bad either its just bad that the red light problem exists.
All in all to be fair when you do turn on the Xbox 360 and you are connected to Xbox Live its marvellous with ease of use and features etc and then couple with great games and lower price on consoles there is no reason not to own one unless you are a hater.
I will most likely end up getting a PS3 again one day for Final Fantasy and maybe any other exclusive RPG's that I like the look of that are exclusive to the PS3 but will wait for a lower price, slimmer console and full on features like the 60gb it might be a long wait but am in no rush since the PS3 for me does not offer what the 360 can do.
Plasmoid 11 Mar 2008 11:20
9/12
Yeah... slight problem with that.
1. 360's are still red ringing. At GDC there were a few making an appearance. So either MS is still using old 360's for display booths, demonstrations and the like or the new motherboards aren't that great.
2. The 3 year warranty is about the least MS could do. The red ring problem is by now well known to be a manufacturing defect, not something that crops up from wear an tear. By law, they would have to repair them. This warranty just keeps it out of the courts and papers.
3. Xbox live is pretty damn good, when it works. Sure we were spared most of the mess the Americans had over Christmas, but it's not been so speedy or reliable as of late.
For the record i own a 360, and apart from Mass Effect (Mass Loading screens spoiled it a tad) i really regret buying it. That said it's not a bad console, it's just mediocre.
1. 360's are still red ringing. At GDC there were a few making an appearance. So either MS is still using old 360's for display booths, demonstrations and the like or the new motherboards aren't that great.
2. The 3 year warranty is about the least MS could do. The red ring problem is by now well known to be a manufacturing defect, not something that crops up from wear an tear. By law, they would have to repair them. This warranty just keeps it out of the courts and papers.
3. Xbox live is pretty damn good, when it works. Sure we were spared most of the mess the Americans had over Christmas, but it's not been so speedy or reliable as of late.
For the record i own a 360, and apart from Mass Effect (Mass Loading screens spoiled it a tad) i really regret buying it. That said it's not a bad console, it's just mediocre.
SuperSaiyan4 11 Mar 2008 11:47
10/12
Plasmoid wrote:
Yeah... slight problem with that.
1. 360's are still red ringing. At GDC there were a few making an appearance. So either MS is still using old 360's for display booths, demonstrations and the like or the new motherboards aren't that great.
2. The 3 year warranty is about the least MS could do. The red ring problem is by now well known to be a manufacturing defect, not something that crops up from wear an tear. By law, they would have to repair them. This warranty just keeps it out of the courts and papers.
3. Xbox live is pretty damn good, when it works. Sure we were spared most of the mess the Americans had over Christmas, but it's not been so speedy or reliable as of late.
For the record i own a 360, and apart from Mass Effect (Mass Loading screens spoiled it a tad) i really regret buying it. That said it's not a bad console, it's just mediocre.
1. 360's are still red ringing. At GDC there were a few making an appearance. So either MS is still using old 360's for display booths, demonstrations and the like or the new motherboards aren't that great.
2. The 3 year warranty is about the least MS could do. The red ring problem is by now well known to be a manufacturing defect, not something that crops up from wear an tear. By law, they would have to repair them. This warranty just keeps it out of the courts and papers.
3. Xbox live is pretty damn good, when it works. Sure we were spared most of the mess the Americans had over Christmas, but it's not been so speedy or reliable as of late.
For the record i own a 360, and apart from Mass Effect (Mass Loading screens spoiled it a tad) i really regret buying it. That said it's not a bad console, it's just mediocre.
Mass Effect loading times are not that long, they aren't as long as KOTOR on the Xbox 1 thats for sure.
Yes at GDC they had 1 rrod console and am very sure it wasnt a Falcon but oh well s**t happens.
No its not a bad console at all and its definently NOT mediocre whats mediocre about a console that has over 300 games, tons of arcade classics on Live, tons of movies to download, music videos, game trailers, demos, pics, themes, downloadable content for your games.
I could go on forever the Xbox 360 is a GAMES CONSOLE first and foremost.
And that one issue over x-mas with Live is resolved, Live is back to normal and have had no issues, go check your internet connection - I am with Be24 no issues here since my download not that amazing due to poorish line getting over 10mb with a 1.3mb upload.
Daz 11 Mar 2008 13:48
11/12
SuperSaiyan4 wrote:
No its not a bad console at all and its definently NOT mediocre whats mediocre about a console that has over 300 games, tons of arcade classics on Live, tons of movies to download, music videos, game trailers, demos, pics, themes, downloadable content for your games.
simple, it doesn't matter how many games a console has be it 300 or 300,000 if nothing interests you it's not exactly a great console is it.
Horatio 11 Mar 2008 13:59
12/12
There are so many bad arguments in this thread, it was painful to read.
Does everyone believe that the RROD is a really serious issue and that the 360 should be avoided because of it? I bought mine 6 months after launch and have not had a problem with it and every person I know who has one can say the same.
Claims that MS would be breaking the law by NOT giving the 3yr warranty are daft - they don't have any obligation to do that other than the morale one to customers and to keep their PR company happy.
Several people have said it's all down to personal preference and that is absolutely correct. Some people aren't going to be happy with the 360 games lineup and would much prefer to splash the cash on a PC - that's fine too :-)
Sorry for the rant but it really is annoying to see that a story has 10 comments only to find that it's just a few over-zealous fans who think that they know best.
Does everyone believe that the RROD is a really serious issue and that the 360 should be avoided because of it? I bought mine 6 months after launch and have not had a problem with it and every person I know who has one can say the same.
Claims that MS would be breaking the law by NOT giving the 3yr warranty are daft - they don't have any obligation to do that other than the morale one to customers and to keep their PR company happy.
Several people have said it's all down to personal preference and that is absolutely correct. Some people aren't going to be happy with the 360 games lineup and would much prefer to splash the cash on a PC - that's fine too :-)
Sorry for the rant but it really is annoying to see that a story has 10 comments only to find that it's just a few over-zealous fans who think that they know best.