Topic: XBox 360 Price drop!

[TrueNerd]

Should have been a $100 price drop. $50 almost seems negligible. Looks like more waiting for yours truly.  

[SixthAngel]

Quote
Originally posted by: capamerica
The 360 is far from a piece of junk, there is one little problem with a batch of 360s that is way over exaggerated and thats all. Other wise its a very solid system with a great controller, excellent online system, a great game library and sweet media center features.

It isn't one little problem with a batch of 360's.  People looking into it think that it is a problem with all 360's that have been released so far.  Repair shops have REFUSED BUSINESS because the problem is too widespread.  If it was just a batch ms wouldn't have a 3 year warranty that only covers this one specific problem.  It seems like an obvious design flaw and the reason you hear more about it is because it happens far more.  I know this forum is even full of people like you and me who have seen the ring.  Check out the ms true colors thread since everybody talked about it there already.

Back on topic.  I heard rumors of them dropping the core system from some leaked Best Buy documents around the time of the price drop.  I think it is a great idea because the core system is pretty worthless especially considering that you have to spend another 50 bucks anyway just to save games with a memory card.

[couchmonkey]

I don't doubt PS3 has problems, but by this time last year, I noticed some (very pro-Microsoft) forums were filling up with posts from people who had replaced their 360 at least once, sometimes as much as two or three times.

I also recall when Matt C. at IGN became the last editor to have his 360 break.  In the long run, PS3 may turn out to be just as unreliable (and I have also had a lot of problems with Sony electronics) but at this point in time the 360 seems to be worse off.

Maybe I should go lurk some Sony forums to see if they suggest otherwise!

[UERD]

I'm sure neither Sony nor MS knows what they are doing in the hardware department. It's just that Sony has had, oh, around 30 more years than Microsoft to figure out the 'consumer electronics' side of things.

[S-U-P-E-R]

I just bought a (new) XBOX360 for $320 last night. I'm a tease, so I'm not saying how.

[Ceric]

*shrug* I'm neither here nor there about the reliability stuff.  As I've said before I went into getting the PS3 assuming it was just as reliable as their other systems first run.  I have an extended warrenty on it.  Though I'm surprised that the Wii is the only system to every actually not function correctly just a little while after I got it.

Anyways a 360 price drop would be a good thing because it does have a good amount of games going for it.  Its just the perception that you are in fact buying a ticking time bomb which is still hurting its wider adoption.  On the Wii, Nintendo would have to be smoking something if they were to drop the price.  I rather see them release a new version of the DS to combat a competitors price drop.  Why you may ask.  The Wii is still selling like hotcakes.  The DS, comparitively speaking, is not in the States at least.  Their really isn't any good reason to drop its price.  Now bring out a new DS and you can probably sell it at a better than 1:1 ratio with the priced drop consoles sales.  Still be making more money per sale then the competitors.  Even software side.

[Spak-Spang]

Ceric:  Perhaps not a Wii price drop, but then add something more to make the value seem better.  Wii Sports and Wii Play packed in on a single disc with an Extra Controller for $249.99 would be a great selling point.  The second controller wouldn't even need the nunchuk and would then bring the buyer to potentially buy the additional nunchuk accessory.

A new DS model isn't necessary, because although it isn't sell as strong in the US, it is still selling and has great market penetration.  Eventually you slow down sells, because you can't find any more market.  

As for you ticking time bomb analogy.  I wonder how many casual gamers even really perceive the 360 having a serious defect problem?  I would bet not many.  It is the hardcore gamer that is reading up and really knows about the issues, and they seem to have adopted the 360 despite the problems.

The only thing that has bothered me about Microsoft and the 360's defect is that MS has known about the issue and refuses to address it properly.  An extended warranty is not addressing it properly.  When the elite came out it should have been with the issue resolved and Microsoft should have stated the Elite will not have the same problem.  In fact the Elite should not have come out until the new chipset was ready so that people knew the Elite was the fix to the problem.  

[TrueNerd]

Umm, doesn't the DS do almost double the Wii's hotcake-like numbers on a monthly basis?  

[vudu]

Yes.  June NPD:

Nintendo DS - 561,000
Wii - 381,800
PlayStation 2 - 270,000
PlayStation Portable - 230,100
Xbox 360 - 198,400
Game Boy Advance - 113,000
PlayStation 3 - 98,500

[Ceric]

Yes the DS Sales more then the Wii but, even though thats the case supply of the DS is still vastly superior to supply of the Wii and the Wii is sort of ceilinged because of it.  I would not be surprised at all to see the Wii sell more or close to the DS if you took supply out of the equation.  DS sales here in the States are sluggish compared to elsewhere in the world, everywhere else the DS had handily surprassed Cube sales a while back, take that how you may.  If memory serves the DS is posed to do that here this month or maybe next, I'll have to look again.  I don't think making the Wii more appealing is seriously the answer because, Nintendo already stated that their will not be a supply jump by this holiday.  In fact the opposite because they are having some manafacturing problems.  Its like being at the end of an RPG where you have a choice of a "Weaker" weapon that combos more or a "Stronger" weapon that combo less but the damage cap is 9999, been playing FFXII.  At that point whats the point?  The stronger weapon will do less damage because you can't exceed the cap.  Some principle, I can only produce X Wiis and all those are selling out.  While on the other hand I can produce Y DSes and all those aren't selling out.  My direct competitor, PSP, is sending in a replacement hitter and my indirect competition, DS wise, is streamlining.  Instead I find the major complaints about my product for my largest potential market, which argueably North America is, and make a revision that caters closer to that demographic.  Hopefully, if executed correctly, I can take some of the headline space and some wind out of the sails of all my competitors.

The DS, which I do love, was not neccessarily designed for the larger hands and poor eyesight of an average North American Adult.  I large market and one Nintendo is trying to crack.  Their is already a SKU available for the smaller hand Average Asian and Young adult, the Lite.  It would make sense to couple a larger, more ergonomic DS as such titles as Vision training and Brain Age 2 are released.  Maybe even develop an e-Book program for it, something that would be appealing to an older demographic if executed well.  I'm pretty much arguing while stroke a flame on a steam stack ready to pop when you can generate more power from one that has a little head room?

Its been a longish day so pardon my anologies and spelling

Edit: Just Rechecked  The DS did finally overcome the Gamecube's LTD sales in June.  Wasn't the DS launched here first or am I mistaken.

[Kairon]

So check it...

The Core drops $20 to $279.
The Premium drops $50 to $349.
The Elite drops $30 to $449.

Is this a Sony-sized mistake, or does MS have some wiggle room?

[TrueNerd]

Why even have a price drop at all if that's all you're going to do? Srsly.  

[S-U-P-E-R]

Why have a price drop at all when your competition is $600? Seriously.

[Mashiro]

Because 20 dollars will push sales of course! ::rolls eyes::

[Kairon]

Perhaps... there will be ANOTHER price drop... when the 65nm XBox360s hit the market...

[GoldenPhoenix]

Quote
Originally posted by: Kairon
So check it...

The Core drops $20 to $279.
The Premium drops $50 to $349.
The Elite drops $30 to $449.

Is this a Sony-sized mistake, or does MS have some wiggle room?

What did I tell yah, I just had a feeling the Elite would drop to $449.99 (aka 450). I don't see how this can be a mistake to be honest, the system still is selling decently, maybe not great but nowhere near as bad as PS3.

[KDR_11k]

Quote
Originally posted by: S-U-P-E-R
Why have a price drop at all when your competition is $600? Seriously.

Because you realized your actual competition is 250$?

[S-U-P-E-R]

Quote
Originally posted by: KDR_11k

Quote
Originally posted by: S-U-P-E-R
Why have a price drop at all when your competition is $600? Seriously.

Because you realized your actual competition is 250$?

I don't think Wii is competing for secondary console
I think we just made a tag-team zinger but I'm not sure

[Spak-Spang]

I  see where Microsoft is going with these price cuts, but I think they either didn't drop them low enough, or they could of chose to lower the prices differently.

If they could have brought the Xbox Core system to be the same price as the Wii that would have been a huge blow to Nintendo.

$249.99 for the Wii or for the "amazing" Xbox 360?  Sure in reality you would still have to buy either a hard drive or memory card to bring it back up to over $300.00 but it is the appearance of quality that is important.  

Then if the Premium was discounted $30 instead of fifty.  It would have basically been the same price structure.  Buy it for $100.00 more for the Hard Drive basically.  Which is retail price.  

Finally a $25 dollar price break on the Elite would have looked a little better, but to me the Elite just doesn't seem to excite me.

Oh well Microsoft...I guess you are trying to gather new interest for your system.

[UERD]

I don't think they really need to cut the system down to $250 just yet. They're still selling relatively decent numbers, and Nintendo has enough room for a retaliatory price cut (unlikely) or bundling in another game/controller/whatever.

I doubt that people buy Wii based primarily on cost. Anyways, MS has Halo 3 to tide them over through the holiday season, and if the Wii really is a problem, they may do a price cut near the beginning of next year. Otherwise, they're pretty much set in the short run for a comfortable second or a close first.

[Ceric]

If Nintendo doesn't start shipping more product per month, in the States the 360 doesn't need much more excitement to finish off the year ahead of the Wii.  According to the last NPD numbers it will take the Wii a year and a month to catch up to the 360 at its current rate.  There just isn't enough production capability at the moment.

Now the funny part of all this is when you combine the Japan and US numbers the Wii has already surpassed the 360.  Though I'm sure that worldwide the Wii still needs to do a little catch up because Europe's numbers can't be nearly as skewed.

[couchmonkey]

The drop on the Premium and Elite seems a little small, but I think it's reasonable considering the lineup MS has coming.

The tiny drop on the core is really interesting.  At $280 vs. $350, anyone who knows what they're getting will buy the Premium.  What's more, the Core already sells poorly, from what I've heard, so it needed the price drop the most.  Not to mention that it's still more expensive than a Wii, without even thinking about a game or a memory card.  I think one of two things is going on:

1. MS is trying REALLY hard to be profitable and the Core doesn't have that much wiggle-room in terms of price.
2. MS is planning to phase the Core out.

Overall it goes to show that Microsoft is still very focused on Playstation.  If it wanted to achieve any kind of mainstream success, it needed at least a $50 price drop on Core, and preferably a $100 drop across the board.  Instead it dropped the price on everything just enough to keep a comfy lead on PS3 while minimizing losses.

[Louieturkey]

I see the $20 drop in Core price to be pride actually.  They truly believe the Core system by itself is still worth more than the Wii and they refuse to ever have the price of any 360 be the same as the Wii.  Plus, according to Best Buy, the Core is being phased out, or at least, BB isn't ordering anymore of them as the SKU is being deleted in their systems.

[matt oz]

I've got a question about the 360, so I figured I'd ask it here instead of starting another thread:

Does any version of the 360 have built-in WiFi?

I'd ask on an XBox board somewhere, but I'd probably be called a Sony fanboy for asking a question.

[Kairon]

No. That'll cost you $99 extra.