Is Microsoft Using Dell to Help Xbox Elite Sales Figures?
Dell's giving Elites away for free - why?
Dell is giving away Xbox Elite bundles valued at $449 (£225) when you buy one of its high-end XPS M1730 laptop. That's all well and good if you can afford a $3,000 (£1,500) laptop in the first place.
It also, however, brings up the intriguing possibility that Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division has done a special deal with Dell along the lines of, "You want our retail operating system and Office products? How's about you also buy a few thousand of these here Xbox 360s?" In this scenario there would, of course, be no "Or else" tagged on the end.
Why would we suggest this? Well, remember last week when we reported on Microsoft's figures for Fiscal Year 2007 and we remarked on how well the Entertainment and Devices Division had done by going into profit. This, indeed had been promised by divisional head, Robbie Bach. We also pointed out that, for some reason, that division also handles marketing and sales of Windows and Office retail (e.g. not to business).
We say, "for some reason" because we're unsure where Office and Windows fit in either as a device or as an entertainment.
Our uncertainty aside, it makes for a very neat of incentive to have your major retail partners actually giving consoles away. Whichever way you cut it, those consoles are certainly sold and show up as such in the figures.
It also, however, brings up the intriguing possibility that Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division has done a special deal with Dell along the lines of, "You want our retail operating system and Office products? How's about you also buy a few thousand of these here Xbox 360s?" In this scenario there would, of course, be no "Or else" tagged on the end.
Why would we suggest this? Well, remember last week when we reported on Microsoft's figures for Fiscal Year 2007 and we remarked on how well the Entertainment and Devices Division had done by going into profit. This, indeed had been promised by divisional head, Robbie Bach. We also pointed out that, for some reason, that division also handles marketing and sales of Windows and Office retail (e.g. not to business).
We say, "for some reason" because we're unsure where Office and Windows fit in either as a device or as an entertainment.
Our uncertainty aside, it makes for a very neat of incentive to have your major retail partners actually giving consoles away. Whichever way you cut it, those consoles are certainly sold and show up as such in the figures.
Companies:
Microsoft
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Comments
deleted 22 Jul 2008 16:30
1/4
well with MS promsing at E3 that 360 will sell more consoles this gen than the PS3, they will need to give the suckers away as sony is on the catch up.
saurian 22 Jul 2008 16:31
2/4
Is this different to Carphone Warehouse and others giving away free 360's Wii's and PS3's if you sign up for a contract phone??
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SuperSaiyan4 23 Jul 2008 11:09
3/4
This news is fantastic for the consumer if they wish to purchase high end Dell products, Sony cannot do this deal as Sony have their own laptops but Sony did once give away PS3's with a Sony HDTV if you all remember.
There will always be deals out there of all sorts, Sony is wasting their money on crap adverts when they could invest in deals like this.
There will always be deals out there of all sorts, Sony is wasting their money on crap adverts when they could invest in deals like this.
Earl 23 Jul 2008 12:50
4/4
haritori wrote:
well with MS promsing at E3 that 360 will sell more consoles this gen than the PS3, they will need to give the suckers away as sony is on the catch up.
Is that like Sony gave them away (with mobile phones etc) in the first place to get them into peoples hands?