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Xbox Price Drop Doubles Sales, Sony To Follow?
Thanks to GamesIndustry.biz for its story mentioning Microsoft's indication that dropping Xbox's price to $149 has caused sales to double for the week immediately following the announcement. However, the piece muses: "The question, however, is just how long the sales boost will last - with some analysts suggesting that the 'bounce' isn't sustainable. Certainly, there are many factors which suggest that Microsoft will cut the Xbox price again before Christmas 2004." In addition to this, there's speculation about competition: "All eyes are now on rival Sony, with sources close to the Japanese giant suggesting that it plans to drop the US PS2 price point to $149 later this month - and will add two games (as yet unnamed) to the bundle as well, bringing the effective price of the hardware below the Xbox."
If I could get a PS2, second controller, and 8MB memory card for $149, I'd buy one immediately. As it stands, the combination costs about $249, and you STILL haven't bought a game, which is another $50.
Maybe the rest of you have cash reserves the likes of which I can't imagine, but I don't have $300 to blow on sedentary entertainment. Do you know what I could get for $300 across the river in Windsor?
El riesgo vive siempre!
Bundled games or accessories don't really increase percieved value. Before the Gamecube dropped to $100 last year, it was selling for $150 with a free game or GB player. Price drops, free stuff deal ends, sales quadruple. There was really NO DROP at all. Interesting situation there.
I'm a light PS2 gamer. I probably have $750 worth of games. Most PS2 owners probably have twice that (just a guess.) Backwards compatibility is about still being able to use the investment I have made in the games - the price of the hardware is small by comparison.
BC