How Much Is That Console In The Window?
So why is the Wii the top-selling console of this generation so far? Probably because it's the cheapest option. Sony and Microsoft are dropping their prices in anticipation of the holiday season, but can they hope to come close to Nintendo's $250? Microsoft dropped the price of the Xbox 360 in Japan to put the Core system at $241, in spitting distance of the $218 Wii. But will it be enough to lure Japanese gamers who have up until now treated the 360 like something they scraped off the bottom of their shoe? And while Microsoft wants to sell more Xboxes in Japan, Sony probably just wants to sell more PS3's period.
Selling off Cell chip production to partners will help Sony save some money, and production costs always go down as the process becomes streamlined, but Sony is still losing a good chunk of change with every console they sell. But then, so is Microsoft. The problem is that Sony simply cannot lower the price of the PS3 enough to come close to the Wii or 360, and that's going to be a problem when tempting holiday shoppers who are probably going to pay more attention to the price tag than features or games. Can the Wii maintain its lead? Or will Sony release some awesome games and reclaim its spot at the top of the videogame industry? And will Microsoft ever sell an Xbox in Japan?
The Price Cut Game [Forbes.com]
I still would have purchased a Wii if the price was higher. I think $300 is the magic number for me, although the new Xbox $349 bundle is looking pretty good. If I can find one with the new smaller chips, that will definitely be a holiday purchase.
When you see the $399 PS3 sitting next to the $349 Xbox, it starts to look a little more plausible. Is that the cheapest Blu-ray player out there?
In the UK the PS3 is very attractive at 349 pounds right now - especially as a cheap Blurray player. Shame about the games.
The XBox 360 Elite is only 299 pounds. That's not that big of a leap here in the UK to the PS3. The games are much more attractive but no HD-DVD playing though so the PS3 is probably better on the cinema edge.
Can the Xbox 360 sell well in Japan with a price drop - nope, not a chance. I know a lot of Asian friends, and they prefer the Wii, and even the PS3 over the XBox. It doesn't help that a lot top tier titles are FPS (Halo 3, Bioshock), which are NOT popular over there. The PS3 also have games that probably will never be release in the Western countries.
I'm actually surprise the PS3 outsold the 360 in the UK this month. Will this trend last?