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Xbox, PS2 Get Near-Simultaneous European Price Cuts

Posted by simoniker on from the bam-bam dept.

Thanks to Reuters/CNET for the news that both the Xbox and PlayStation 2 have received price cuts in Europe, as: "Microsoft said it would cut 25 percent off the price of its Xbox in continental Europe, bringing the price to 149.99 euros ($183.70). The software giant also cut the U.K. price to 99.99 pounds ($183.10) from 129.99 pounds ($236.96)." Almost immediately following this: "Market leader Sony cut the price of its top-selling PlayStation 2 console by a quarter to 105 pounds ($191.43) in the United Kingdom and to between 149 euros ($183.74) and 159 euros ($196.05) in the euro zone." Gamesindustry.biz adds: "Retailers will hope to see a significant sales boost for both consoles from the price cuts, much as was experienced by US retail back in June when Microsoft, and then Sony, slashed the price of their consoles within the space of a month of each other."

22 comments

  1. I might be able to afford the system . . . by wakejagr · · Score: 1, Troll

    but buying eight or ten games would bring my investment up to the price of a decent (not top-of-the-line, bought in parts) computer, which I would greatly prefer.

    --
    Don't save Windows XP! http://www.petitiononline.com/jjw1xp/petition.html
    1. Re:I might be able to afford the system . . . by 2nd+Post! · · Score: 4, Funny

      8 games with 20+ hours of gameplay vs a computer and 160+ hours of porn...

      Hmm, the decision is difficult.

      --

      GPL Deconstructed
    2. Re:I might be able to afford the system . . . by MadChicken · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I hate gaming on my computer (OK RTSs are the exception). Installation problems, crashes, driver problems, endless upgrades, being hunched over a desk...

      But let's look at this face value...

      Let's see, for $120 you get Windows, $300 gets you a video card, $100 a hard drive, $100 for RAM... and no actual computer yet. No game controllers, no mouse/kb.

      Then you pay $30-50 per game ANYWAY. I'd say you sure don't know how to bargain shop...

      Or is this computer just for nethack?

      --
      SYS 64738 NO CARRIER
    3. Re:I might be able to afford the system . . . by wakejagr · · Score: 2, Insightful
      If I used my computer for just gaming, you'd be right. Windows, video card, mainboard, etc are going to cost more than an XBOX or PS2. But, install Linux, and I can use my computer for other things as well (music, movies, writing, programming, etc). I spend more time doing stuff like that than I do gaming.

      Plus, most games I play are FPS, and I never liked Halo specifically because of the controller. Too used to mouse and kb. And with the computer, an added bonus: nethack!

      --
      Don't save Windows XP! http://www.petitiononline.com/jjw1xp/petition.html
    4. Re:I might be able to afford the system . . . by gl4ss · · Score: 1

      *Then you pay $30-50 per game ANYWAY. I'd say you sure don't know how to bargain shop...*

      no you don't, if you play nethack.

      or any of the gazillion free/trial games which simply are not just available for consoles(demo cd's don't count).

      --
      world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
    5. Re:I might be able to afford the system . . . by m2h · · Score: 1

      Obviously you're not looking at a PC for it is a face value by the statements you are making.

      Since you are taking in only the assumption that one would only use a PC for playing games, then yes it is not worth it.

      However the reality is is that most people do not use a PC only for the purpose of playing games. PC's are open ended, and allow endless possiblities. Console are not.

      --
      misundstood by most, hated by some, loved by few.
    6. Re:I might be able to afford the system . . . by NanoGator · · Score: 2, Funny

      "but buying eight or ten games would bring my investment up to the price of a decent (not top-of-the-line, bought in parts) computer, which I would greatly prefer."

      So what'd you post that comment with, a TI-85?

      --
      "Derp de derp."
    7. Re:I might be able to afford the system . . . by StocDred · · Score: 1
      This is modded Interesting? As soon as ANY console article gets published, some snot has to post his attempt to start a PC Vs Console flame war. Congratulations, you prefer PC games. Go enjoy your latest Online Deathmatch HeadShot 3000 XP game and bugger off.

      If you have any genuine comments about the cost of consoles in Europe, feel free to return.

    8. Re:I might be able to afford the system . . . by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In which case, you can save big $$$ by just buying an 8088 with a state-of-the-art "Hercules" graphics card. Hell, even go ahead and splurge on one of those "battle-club" IBM keyboards - you deserve it.

    9. Re:I might be able to afford the system . . . by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0


      With a computer I can easily create mods for all my favorite games plus I can doenload thousands of mods that other more skilled people have created.
      With a computer I can also try a demo of almost any game that I feel interested in. Plus there are plenty of freeware, OSS and shareware games that are fun as hell to play and are free or almost free.
      With a console I don't have to worry about upgrading it every six months to play the latest games. Having friends over to kick back on the couch with a couple beers and play co-op games like Contra with a PS2/GC/xbox is funner than online play with a PC.

    10. Re:I might be able to afford the system . . . by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This is not the same thing. If you want to say that the PC is better than a console, you at least have to start out from full retail games.

      Secondly you can say that a computer can be used for a lot more stuff than just gaming. But face it, if you have 3GHz, with 1GB RAM and the latest best Nvidia or ATI card you don't need that to type a letter, play some music, etc. Also you have to face up to the fact that a console can play any game that is available. In order to play Doom III and any new shooter you need a hella rig from which the graphics card alone costs more than the console.

    11. Re:I might be able to afford the system . . . by fr0dicus · · Score: 1
      Several points that just don't add up here though. A console costs less than the extra CPU/Memory and graphics card power required to play the equivalent games on a PC. There is very little justification for that power for doing anything else. You could easily have a console and a very standard PC for less money (I do, a 533Mhz Via with 256MB of Ram runs Windows XP perfectly adequately).

      Of course most games you play are FPS; you use a PC for gaming, there's not exactly much option!

  2. Nothing to see here by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Sales slow, prices get cut, sales go back up. Happened over here with the Gamecube, then the Xbox, then the PlayStation 2. *yawn*

  3. Clusters by FLAGGR · · Score: 1

    I can't wait till the xbox get's even cheaper so I can build an xbox cluster (Not PS though, too hard to program on, plus xbox is x86 so no porting of code needed) but it'll be awhile before I upgrade my "cluster dream" from dreamcast to xbox *sigh*

  4. Excellent news by Sockatume · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Considering how well the PS shifted units at that price point, things should really pick up. One concern is how this will affect the handhelds launched next year, though... the NDS will probably cost more than the GC's current RRP, and the PSP's price will most likely be ludicrous in comparison to the XBox and PS2. Of course, this is hardly new, as the GBA SP currently costs more than the GameCube, and it doesn't seem to have dramatically affected sales of either unit.

    --
    No kidding!!! What do you say at this point?
  5. Bad PS2 by superpulpsicle · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I got a PS2 with a grindy gear near the lens. Or maybe the lens went to hell.

    I am so tempted to buy a new PS2... but only at $99.

    1. Re:Bad PS2 by TheQuantumShift · · Score: 1

      You can actually have Sony fix that for free, if you're willing to be without it for 2-3 weeks. Or you can open it yourself and using some compressed air, clean out the crap that's giving you those errors. But ultimately the laser unit will fail. I say make Sony fix their well known defect for free while they still offer it.

      --

      Shift happens. Fire it up.
  6. Piracy? by Xenex · · Score: 2, Insightful

    But you'd still need to spend money to buy eight or ten computer games.

    Unless you're trying to encourage piracy.

  7. ps2 Vs. XBOX by gnovos · · Score: 1

    No interesting comment, just an observation... it amazes me that the PS@, which I believe is something like two generations behind the XBOX, is still able to compete and win without any real trouble at all.

    --
    "Your superior intellect is no match for our puny weapons!"
    1. Re:ps2 Vs. XBOX by HeridFel · · Score: 2, Insightful
      There's a number of reasons. Here's some.

      1. PS2 was out first. People bought it, were less likely to buy another console to share their TV with.

      2. PS2 was backward compatible. Kids could say to their parents that it was an upgrade, not a replacement, and that the $$$ they'd spent on PS1 games wasn't a complete waste.

      3. PS2 has a massive catalog of games. Developers might prefer other hardware, but management looked at installed user base and decided a PS2 port was necessary for virtually every gmae made. And because budgets were tight, it would be necessary to try to develop a lot of 'one size fits all' platform-independant games, leaving the XBox versions looking at most a little sharper than the PS2 one, but nothing to write home about.

      4. PS2 contended with the XBox which had, for the first year of existence, a list of must-have games consisting of {"Halo"}

      5. PS2 was made by Sony. A company whose image is (slightly) better that Microsoft's.

      6. PS2 didn't have to create new universes. A great number of games were follow-ups to existing PS1 ones, and sequels had people buying to find out 'what happened next'

      7. PS2 is not so much 2 generations behind as being a hardware platform made by a company that failed to realise that it might be better to produce a new system which behaves something like existing ones. The Gamecube happily proclaims "ATI inside" and we all know that the XBox is a rebadged PC. Also see (3) about multi-platform games.

      And some more biased reasoning I've seen before:

      a) every game people bought for PS2 wasn't pushing BillG further up the rich list.

      b) PS2's controller wasn't big enough to shade large parts of texas.

      c) People would rather play FPSs with mouse and keyboard than console controller, and we know that most Xbox games will come out for PC at some point.

      d) Since XBox's just a PC in a strange case, the games crash a lot.

    2. Re:ps2 Vs. XBOX by fr0dicus · · Score: 1
      d) Since XBox's just a PC in a strange case, the games crash a lot.
      I haven't seen a console game crash since back in the PS1 days.

      But then I haven't played Driv3r....

  8. Welcome to Slashdot Math! by bwalling · · Score: 2, Funny

    149.99 euros ($183.70) and 149 euros ($183.74)

    Did the exchange rate change between the time that you calculated the first amount and the time you calculated the second amount?