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Rumor: MS cuts the XO price to 349,99€

Amir0x

Banned
Really nice. But the problem facing Microsoft is the same one that has plagued many console makers in the past. The price is not the main problem anymore. Insomuch as there is a problem, it's with the minutiae of the system itself. People think the competitor just is better, and whether that's true that's the average impression. And unless Microsoft finds some value-added way to really separate the system - some appealing (i.e. non-Kinect) feature that Sony either hasn't or cannot match - it's just not going to change trajectories.

Still, that glum reality aside, consumers win once again in such a climate, so it's good news all around
 
Really nice. But the problem facing Microsoft is the same one that has plagued many console makers in the past. The price is not the main problem anymore. Insomuch as there is a problem, it's with the minutiae of the system itself. People think the competitor just is better, and whether that's true that's the average impression. And unless Microsoft finds some value-added way to really separate the system - some appealing (i.e. non-Kinect) feature that Sony either hasn't or cannot match - it's just not going to change trajectories.

Still, that glum reality aside, consumers win once again in such a climate, so it's good news all around
What MS needs is another Mojave Experiment marketing campaign where people are shown playing a top secret new console from MS and getting all excited, but at the end the curtain is turned back and it's really an Xbox One.
 

twobear

sputum-flecked apoplexy
Honestly I struggle to think of anything that they could do to turn this situation around. Sony beat the odds last generation by having a combination of hard work AND a competitor that basically have up half way through the generation and coasted in autopilot until the launch of Xbone. The only hope for MS is for Sony to do the same thing. Unfortunately for MS every indication is that Sony are still several steps ahead of them with stuff like PSNow and Morpheus.
 

Nyoro SF

Member
Really nice. But the problem facing Microsoft is the same one that has plagued many console makers in the past. The price is not the main problem anymore. Insomuch as there is a problem, it's with the minutiae of the system itself. People think the competitor just is better, and whether that's true that's the average impression. And unless Microsoft finds some value-added way to really separate the system - some appealing (i.e. non-Kinect) feature that Sony either hasn't or cannot match - it's just not going to change trajectories.

Still, that glum reality aside, consumers win once again in such a climate, so it's good news all around

Couldn't have said it better myself. In this day and age, trying to sell an inferior (as viewed by the masses) product is going to a rough losing battle regardless of the price.

Like the Dreamcast before it, if all people want to do is play a PS2 they won't care if the Dreamcast is 30$.
 
Conclusion, hyperbole.

If XB1 sold 25k more than it has this year in Germany, it would be on the same lifetime track vs PS4 as 360 was with PS3 (i.e half).
"Man, if the Xbox One was selling 25% better, its performance would track better."
Good analysis, Holmes.

This price cut is a good idea, but likely won't do a whole lot for the system ATM. I think the price needs to be lower over there, coupled with a few more must have titles (on the way soon, hell yeah) before more of the market jumps in. It's a tough region for MS, historically, and they needed to have a much better value proposition than they did at launch to grasp an increased market share compared to last gen.
 
What's funny is that even though it has already been confirmed that source of the rumor was confirmed to be a mere error, people are still posting in this thread as if that wasn't the case.
 

nelchaar

Member
What's funny is that even though it has already confirmed that source of the rumor was confirmed to be a mere error, people are still posting in this thread as if that wasn't the case.

Thread whining is bannable. You might want to be careful, friend.
 
What's funny is that even though it has already been confirmed that source of the rumor was confirmed to be a mere error, people are still posting in this thread as if that wasn't the case.
Most of the posts I see are now talking about a theoretical price drop.
 

twobear

sputum-flecked apoplexy
Like the Dreamcast before it, if all people want to do is play a PS2 they won't care if the Dreamcast is 30$.
Yep. Same deal as Vita. Ultimately it didn't matter what price it launched at, or the great deals. The market rejected the product.

The situation is obviously not as bad, and Sony basically abandoned Vita which didn't help, but at this point price is not what's keeping people away.

[edit] A better example than Dreamcast or Vita is actually something like Xbox, which was practically a generation leap over PS2, had many features the PS2 lacked, had good 3rd party support, decent 1st party support, and IIRC price parity with PS2, but still got stomped.
 

JonCha

Member
I'd be surprised if they did this so soon. The potential for bundles with games like Sunset Overdrive and the MCC seems like the more compelling thing to do this year. As others have said on here and elsewhere, price cuts are a precious thing and you can definitely act too quickly.
 

amar212

Member
It's too US focused. A ton of features don't even work in Europe. So for us it's just a rubbish PS4.

I wouldn't call it rubbish, but I will agree it is highly overpriced item in the Europe - or PAL to be more specific - simply because VAST amount of fatures are useless for 80% of PAL market.

Also, normal US features of Live are also drastically limited for same 80% of PAL users.

And in the same time, console, Live sub and games are more expensive than in the US.

Even without PS4 being actually more useful piece of hardware for 100% of PAL players, Xbox can't solve its core perception issues for majority of PAL players.

It would need to go low as 200 euro to make an impact as "impact", not as "percentageable rise of sales compared to previous period which was bad this way or another".
 

Bedlam

Member
Really nice. But the problem facing Microsoft is the same one that has plagued many console makers in the past. The price is not the main problem anymore. Insomuch as there is a problem, it's with the minutiae of the system itself. People think the competitor just is better, and whether that's true that's the average impression. And unless Microsoft finds some value-added way to really separate the system - some appealing (i.e. non-Kinect) feature that Sony either hasn't or cannot match - it's just not going to change trajectories.

Still, that glum reality aside, consumers win once again in such a climate, so it's good news all around
Yup. MS could lower the price much further and I wouldn't bite at this point. The Xbox One simply has become a third-console-option for me. Even the WiiU with it's thematically very different library of exclusive games has become more attractive as a second console to accompany the PS4. The Xbox One merely went from being a console which I first actively despised due to its restrictive online crap, Kinect focus and TV bullshit to being a weaker-PS4-like-machine. It's just not needed if you already own a PS4 (unless you really, really care about Halo or Forza).
 

DSN2K

Member
Really nice. But the problem facing Microsoft is the same one that has plagued many console makers in the past. The price is not the main problem anymore. Insomuch as there is a problem, it's with the minutiae of the system itself. People think the competitor just is better, and whether that's true that's the average impression. And unless Microsoft finds some value-added way to really separate the system - some appealing (i.e. non-Kinect) feature that Sony either hasn't or cannot match - it's just not going to change trajectories.

Still, that glum reality aside, consumers win once again in such a climate, so it's good news all around

you pretty much nailed it there, price does not equal value. Why Apple can sell Phones 2x the price of the competition because people value the brand. Anyone who sells anything will tell you Value is everything. Cost of entry point is meaningless if the market doesn't believe in your product.
 
What MS needs is another Mojave Experiment marketing campaign where people are shown playing a top secret new console from MS and getting all excited, but at the end the curtain is turned back and it's really an Xbox One.

Rofl that I can imagine it now!

"Wow these PS4 graphics are amazing! I love this so much. Thank you Sony".

And Phil goes

X6VwIze.gif



It's just not needed if you already own a PS4 (unless you really, really care about Halo or Forza).

post-18879-Jon-Hamm-Yeah-Ok-gif-1dnC.gif
 
It's just not needed if you already own a PS4 (unless you really, really care about Halo or Forza).

or Sunset Overdrive, or Gears of War, or Titanfall (with a controller playerbase), or Crackdown.

I think everyone sees it as a price drop not a new sku. (those who were on the fence) But technically its a new SKU without Kinect.

Regardless of what people see it as, it was a new sku without Kinect.
 

iamjohn

Member
If they're dropping all these bundles without a kinect, then it seems like they really have their hears set on killing the kinect. Which is a shame because I think it could've been huge in the future. Customers feedback trumps all, I guess.
 

Stare-Bear

Banned
If they're dropping all these bundles without a kinect, then it seems like they really have their hears set on killing the kinect. Which is a shame because I think it could've been huge in the future. Customers feedback trumps all, I guess.


Show don't tell. If the Kinect is so amazing, where is the software to show it off? How many Kinect titles is Microsoft making themselves at the moment? 0. They are literally making no effort to show off this "amazing piece of hardware"
 
This news is everywhere. The following is one of the headers from a site that might equate to the IGN of Germany:

Xbox One bekommt weitere Preissenkung auf 349€ spendiert

Do they have a choice at this point?
 

nib95

Banned
Feels like there are official or unofficial price drops and promotions for the console all the time now. Reckon I'll be able to pick one up next year for between £200-£250 on some sort of special deal.
 
Xbone does not have Bloodborne, no price cut will fix that. No exclusive on Xbone comes remotely close to that for me.

True, I am of the same opinion too.

It would help if they announced more compelling software at Gamescom, I have no interest in Sunset Overdrive, Forza or Crackdown.
 

Xando

Member
Feels like there are official or unofficial price drops and promotions for the console all the time now. Reckon I'll be able to pick one up next year for between £200-£250 on some sort of special deal.
Hoping Amazon.de gives us a good price on their "black friday" sale.
 
They never dropped the price. They offered a new sku without Kinect for $100 less.
I see where you're coming from, but the commercials I saw all said, "Now only $399!" rather than, "Now available without Kinect!" Whether it was a legitimate price cut or not, MS certainly tried to position it as one.

Regardless of what people see it as, it was a new sku without Kinect.
If we're discussing the potential effect of back-to-back price drops on public perception, isn't the public's perception of the initial cost-of-entry reduction kinda the only thing that matters?

"Two price cuts in a row? Reeks of desperation…"
"The first one wasn't a real price cut! We just wanted to trick you in to thinking it was cheaper! Now it
really is!!"
"Err…"
 
I thought only UK got an official price cut.

I don't keep up with the rest of the world, but Germany got a price cut after or at the same time as the UK. The price is constantly bellow MSRP though.

Anyways I checked 5 German gaming sites I visit, and this news is on all of them. Some don't even say rumor in the headlines....
 
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