Xbox 360 Price Drop

[Vigilance]

I have a crazy notion.

What if this price drop is aimed at competing with the Wii and not the PS3?

Here's why I think this might be true:

1. The Wii is about to pass the 360 in size of install base.
2. MS has stated publically that they know the Wii is closer to the "sweet spot" in the console market, or $250. The Core just got close to that.
3. Again on the price, the 360 is significantly cheaper than the PS3 without a price cut, even with Sony's temporary price drop. This does however, put the Core tantalizingly close to the Wii's price point.

Just some thoughts.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

I have a crazy notion.

What if this price drop is aimed at competing with the Wii and not the PS3?

Here's why I think this might be true:

1. The Wii is about to pass the 360 in size of install base.
2. MS has stated publically that they know the Wii is closer to the "sweet spot" in the console market, or $250. The Core just got close to that.
3. Again on the price, the 360 is significantly cheaper than the PS3 without a price cut, even with Sony's temporary price drop. This does however, put the Core tantalizingly close to the Wii's price point.

Just some thoughts.

That actually would make a lot of sense.

Say what you want about console power and all that, the Wii is really just taking over the market. Sony is pretty much operating as if the Wii wasn't even part of their competition, and ignoring it, and MS has seemed like they were doing their best to sit back and watch things then react.

Though the Core 360 is still kind of useless, appearance are important. Even if its not a direct attempt at competing with the Wii, it could work that to that anyway.

 

[drothgery]

I have a crazy notion.

What if this price drop is aimed at competing with the Wii and not the PS3?

Here's why I think this might be true:

1. The Wii is about to pass the 360 in size of install base.
2. MS has stated publically that they know the Wii is closer to the "sweet spot" in the console market, or $250. The Core just got close to that.
3. Again on the price, the 360 is significantly cheaper than the PS3 without a price cut, even with Sony's temporary price drop. This does however, put the Core tantalizingly close to the Wii's price point.

Just some thoughts.

I don't think so, mostly because the Core price cut was smaller than the Premium price cut and still didn't get it down to the Wii's $249 price, and because they haven't made any moves to make the Core a more complete package (pack in a game -- probably Viva Pinata, but maybe just a DVD full of XBLA games, a memory unit/hard drive, or both).

 

[Vigilance]

Well, part of what makes me think this is the number of public statements I have heard from companies ABOUT the Wii.

Clearly, they are thinking of the Wii as competition whether they admit it or not.

MS saying they know where the sweet spot is in the market and its $250. To what system could they be referring I wonder?

And EA recently saying they "backed the wrong horse", then pointing out to the slow that they meant the 360 and PS3 over the Wii.

If MS and Sony aren't listening to this kind of talk, they're dumb.

 

[Arnwyn]

I have a crazy notion.

What if this price drop is aimed at competing with the Wii and not the PS3?

I highly doubt that. What do you mean by "competing", here? Do you mean: somebody might buy a 360 at the expense of a Wii?

Unlikely. The price drop of the 360 gimp system didn't even match the Wii, much less better it. If people want a Wii, they'll get a Wii for the unique controller and shallow mini-games. A more expensive system (even if slightly... heck even if equal) without anything else is hardly making a stab at "competing".

If that's their version of competing with the Wii, their "business leaders" need a healthy dose of competency.

 

[Mallus]

I doubt that the price drop has much to do with Wii, either. In practical terms the systems have very different audiences.

 

[Vigilance]

I doubt that the price drop has much to do with Wii, either. In practical terms the systems have very different audiences.

It's still the same money though right? In other words, you're still competing for peoples' entertainment dollar.

I keep hearing that the Wii is aimed at the casual gamer, and that might in part be true, but a lot of the folks *I* know who own the Wii are hardcore gamers who cannot WAIT for Super Mario Galaxy and Metroid.

Again, it certainly seems like MS and EA are thinking of the Wii, and Ubisoft was one of those companies that backed the Wii heavily early on, and their stock has been rising as a result (because of the sales of Red Steel, a crappy game that sold like gangbusters at launch and Rayman, a good game that sold like gangbusters at launch).

 

[Mallus]

It's still the same money though right? In other words, you're still competing for peoples' entertainment dollar.

It's the same money in different people's pockets... you want to market the right device to the right people, at the right price point. And finding the right price can be tricky, seeing as it's often completely irrational.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

Back to the 360...here's something interesting.

Looks like the HDMI port is appearing on the Premium 360s now, not just the Elite.

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6176397.html?action=convert&om_clk=latestnews&tag=latestnews;title;0

 

[Vigilance]

I thought that was one of the main bennies of the Halo edition 360?

These multiple models and constant switching of features is so damn confusing.