xeoset
07-29-2007, 08:11 AM
It may be the smallest and blurriest photo of all time but it this image is to be believed then the much rumoured $50 360 price cut, which has been hinted at for a few weeks now, is just around the corner.
The image, the one you are straining, and most likely damaging your eyes for life to read, has emanated from neoGAF where it is commented the flyer on show is from the US retail chain WalMart and shows the 360 Premium unit will sell at the store for $349, which, in line with current rumourings, just happens to be $50 less than the current price. Also, over the price, although illegible in the image, the phrase 'rollback' is printed.
If this turns out to be true then it will put a $150 gap between a Premium 360 and a 60GB PS3.
Update: Thanks to Gizmodo here is a slightly better, but still a little bit blurry photo. Are people so excited that they cant steady their hand to take a good one?
http://darkzero.co.uk/v4/games/news/12601
Microsoft are pulling an obviously amazing move for themselves.
As we know, they've been making a profit on hardware sales for a long time, but still need to rid the original debt which they plan to do naturally by 2008, which will be software sales. Because they're making profit off of their hardware, dropping $50 will still leave them with profits, though smaller, which is enough to gain more market appeal and not hurt themselves as others have done *winkwink*. So in the end, that itself is a good move.
Moving on to their software. Microsoft have the biggest and best fall line-up, ever, it's undeniable because of the already AAA titles that have been released elsewhere, the obvious AAA titles that are coming and the fact there's something for everyone, all in large quantities. People are going to pick up the system no matter what, be it for Halo 3, Lost Odyssey or Ace Combat 6, now it's a cheaper system, they've opened up a bigger audience for themselves to attend to.
Now, it's rivals. The PS3 had a price drop, its sales are still trailing both the Xbox 360 and the Wii weekly (one look at NPD sales show this) and I highly doubt Sony can afford to bring it down again because of how expensive the system is. The Wii is selling like hotcakes, mainly due to its price and the novelty of the controller. So how can Microsoft combat it, other than Software? Drop the price on all SKUs and push one of them into the same price point of the Wii and boast how much more Media and Technologically superior it is, aswell as boasting how much content they offer through Live! and bring up Software to show the Wii doesn't look all that great compared to a HD System, etc. $50 pushes the difference between the 360 and the PS3 and puts Sony back into its difficult position where they're still the expensive one and they again lose market appeal from their price point. $50 puts the Core into the Wiis price point and takes that edge from them, the edge that's probably making them so successful and gives Microsoft a chance to bust into the so called "casual market". It's a great move by MS.
The image, the one you are straining, and most likely damaging your eyes for life to read, has emanated from neoGAF where it is commented the flyer on show is from the US retail chain WalMart and shows the 360 Premium unit will sell at the store for $349, which, in line with current rumourings, just happens to be $50 less than the current price. Also, over the price, although illegible in the image, the phrase 'rollback' is printed.
If this turns out to be true then it will put a $150 gap between a Premium 360 and a 60GB PS3.
Update: Thanks to Gizmodo here is a slightly better, but still a little bit blurry photo. Are people so excited that they cant steady their hand to take a good one?
http://darkzero.co.uk/v4/games/news/12601
Microsoft are pulling an obviously amazing move for themselves.
As we know, they've been making a profit on hardware sales for a long time, but still need to rid the original debt which they plan to do naturally by 2008, which will be software sales. Because they're making profit off of their hardware, dropping $50 will still leave them with profits, though smaller, which is enough to gain more market appeal and not hurt themselves as others have done *winkwink*. So in the end, that itself is a good move.
Moving on to their software. Microsoft have the biggest and best fall line-up, ever, it's undeniable because of the already AAA titles that have been released elsewhere, the obvious AAA titles that are coming and the fact there's something for everyone, all in large quantities. People are going to pick up the system no matter what, be it for Halo 3, Lost Odyssey or Ace Combat 6, now it's a cheaper system, they've opened up a bigger audience for themselves to attend to.
Now, it's rivals. The PS3 had a price drop, its sales are still trailing both the Xbox 360 and the Wii weekly (one look at NPD sales show this) and I highly doubt Sony can afford to bring it down again because of how expensive the system is. The Wii is selling like hotcakes, mainly due to its price and the novelty of the controller. So how can Microsoft combat it, other than Software? Drop the price on all SKUs and push one of them into the same price point of the Wii and boast how much more Media and Technologically superior it is, aswell as boasting how much content they offer through Live! and bring up Software to show the Wii doesn't look all that great compared to a HD System, etc. $50 pushes the difference between the 360 and the PS3 and puts Sony back into its difficult position where they're still the expensive one and they again lose market appeal from their price point. $50 puts the Core into the Wiis price point and takes that edge from them, the edge that's probably making them so successful and gives Microsoft a chance to bust into the so called "casual market". It's a great move by MS.