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Microsoft to Cut XBox Price to $149?

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the craaazy-savings dept.

BjB writes "According to a Dow Jones Newswire article, Microsoft plans on lowering the price of the XBox to $149 (from $179) at the beginning of April. This is to compete with the PlayStation 2, which currently remains at $179."

6 of 80 comments (clear)

  1. Wow by ll1234 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    As the article mentions, Sony is going to have their hand forced by Microsoft's move and the PS2 will drop to the same price point by E3.

    Which means in a few months anyone will be able to stroll into their local store and buy all three major consoles for the same price ($400 give or take a few dollars) as the Current Hotness Video Card (ATI 9800XT).

  2. Prepping for Nextbox by bigman2003 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Supposedly the specs for the Nextbox come out next week. I'm very, very interested in seeing what they will be doing with that. I hope that they don't get onto a 'low-price' kick, and skimp on the specs to come in with a $199 console at release. I really don't mind paying the extra $100.

    Are we now in the 'golden age' of software for the current crop of consoles? Is this the time where the number of users has reached critical mass, allowing developers to pour more dollars into games, knowing that there is a huge base of customers? But- just before they start holding back on development of new games for the current generation, waiting for the next one?

    I'd like to think that we'll at least have a good bunch of games up to this next Christmas. After that we can sit around and wait for the next generation.

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  3. In Britain... by real_smiff · · Score: 4, Interesting

    that should make it 80 quid, which would compete with the Gamecube here (normally ~75). fat chance though, things never seem to even come close to what the exchange rate says they "should" be. Anyway I'd still take the 'Cube, even if they were the same price.. i thought the x-box might make me a nice media-player but by the time it does reach that price it'll probably be underpowered for mpeg4 :/ oh well.

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    This is my Sig, this is my Gun. One is for Slashdot and one is for Fun.

  4. Looks like they're following as anticipated by hambonewilkins · · Score: 4, Insightful
    I believe it was expected earlier that MS would shift the Xbox to $150, then $130 (in the summer) and finally $100 on the eve of Xbox 2 (Nextbox, whatever).

    At $150 this is certainly tempting and I'm pretty torn.

    Sony will likely drop to $150 as well, but what about gamecube? How low can that go? Likely not much lower. It is more likely that Nintendo will bundle things with the cube at the $99 price, perhaps games or controllers or even the wavebird.

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    God Bless America. Why? Did it sneeze?
  5. total market penetration by chrish · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If the XBox gets down to around $100 each, Bill Gates could buy every single man, woman, and child in the US one, and he'd still be worth about $25 billion (assuming he'd pay retail).

    XBox would instantly have total market penetration, and then some.

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    - chrish
  6. That's great news by superpulpsicle · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I may not be a Xbox fan, but price slashing helps everybody win. Sony would be stupid to maintain the $179 mark.

    Now if only game prices drop.