All purpose sales and sales rumors/anecdotes thread next gen+

[Shortbread]

I don't follow their logic on how its a price cut of 100, seems like entirely different SKUs.

Xbox one and Kinect for 429.
Xbox one and Kinect for 399.

Xbox one without Kinect for 349.
Xbox one without Kinect for 329.

It depends on how you look at it.

The US dollar is stronger than the Euro (at the moment anyhow). So, $329 euros is about $422 in US dollars… and given that XB1 launched in the UK at $429 euros, that's about $551 in US currency. So, you have a loss of about $129 US / $100 UK - between the original starter_step-in_kinect_sku and the newer kinectless sku. I believe MCVUK is giving a general blanket statement across the XB1 brand, not at the particular sku level.

 

[BRiT]

So, you have a loss of about $129 US / $100 UK - between the original starter_step-in_kinect_sku and the newer kinectless sku.

No you don't. That is not a loss. That is the value Microsoft placed on the Kinect accessory.

 

[Shortbread]

No you don't. That is not a loss. That is the value Microsoft placed on the Kinect accessory.

BRiT I know what you’re saying and I’m not really disagreeing with you… I’m just saying, MCVUK is looking at it from the original standpoint that XB1 cost 429 euros to step into – now its $329 (Kinectless). They are stating MS has affectively cut $100 (reduced), compared to back then... regardless of Kinect inclusion/non-inclusion status.

Are they right or wrong at looking at it from that perspective - that's the question?

 

[RancidLunchmeat]

Are they right or wrong at looking at it from that perspective - that's the question?

They're wrong. First, it's not a price cut. It's removing functionality. Second, removing that functionality saves MS money, and the $100 is the same $100 that it has always been.

There is no "regardless of Kinect" logical discourse to have, you can't disregard the fact that MS removed both cost and functionality and in return provided a less functional product at a lower price to the consumer.

Why would anybody even try to make an argument that the removal of Kinect is not relevant in a discussion of the Xb0x's cost, price and profit margins?

 

[Globalisateur]

BRiT I know what you’re saying and I’m not really disagreeing with you… I’m just saying, MCVUK is looking at it from the original standpoint that XB1 cost 429 euros to step into – now its $329 (Kinectless). They are stating MS has affectively cut $100 (reduced), compared to back then... regardless of Kinect inclusion/non-inclusion status.

Are they right or wrong at looking at it from that perspective - that's the question?

429 euros

Nope.

$329

Well, still nope

Are you really trying to confuse BRIT (hint: £) ?

 

[Shortbread]

Nope.

Well, still nope

Are you really trying to confuse BRIT (hint: £) ?

Yes, my bad. I was thinking euro rates (€), instead of British pound (£). lol

XB1 original launch price was 429 GBP or $703 in US currency. Now, 329 GBP, or about $539 in US currency. A difference of $164 in US currency, or 100 GBP.

 

[Deleted member 11852]

I don't follow their logic on how its a price cut of 100, seems like entirely different SKUs.

Like everything, it depends on your perspective.

If, as a consumer, if you value what Kinect 2 offers then the bundles aren't comparable but if you see no value in Kinect 2 then Microsoft have lowered the barrier to entry of ownership of Xbox One from £429 new originally to £329 new now.

 

[Rangers]

Seriously, is XB1 even turning a profit after all the game freebies, exclusive deals, multiple price cuts, marketing, and whatever else MS can think of on moving units? I'm not talking about the XB game division as a whole, just the XB1 pulling its weight part of it.

I can't help but feel the $299 rumor around Black Friday is going to happen... maybe sooner.

Microsoft (unofficially) cuts Xbox One UK price for the third time

Well, there's no reason the base console should be more expensive than PS4. In fact it should probably be less as it uses DDR3.

I saw some comment recently somewhere on the interwebs acting in amazement that Xbox One is cheaper than PS4 now...that was only cause it came out at $499. Mental conditioning.

Anyways in my checks the wholesale price of X1 is 369.99 and for PS4 it's 388.00. I've never seen a spread like that they're usually very similar for any two consoles (should normally be about 380-388 for $399 console with no particular advantage for MS or Sony in the past). So as soon as I saw that, I kind of expected either a soonish cut to $349, or a lot of specials on X1. Seems like we're already getting the latter. The thing is a retailer could price X1 currently at $349 and lose almost $20 less than if they were to price PS4 there. And going by Pachter's comments, and also Greenburg's "pre season" comments (he made a tweet that current sales season is like pre season and Xbox focuses on holidays) I wont be too surprised if we see a temporary cut to $349 for the holidays. Also because 360 the last couple years has done that IIRC. A temporary, but official, $50 price reduction only during holidays.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

They're wrong.

We've already had this discussion. Technically, it's wrong as it's not a price cut. However, in the vernacular, the minimum price of entry has been reduced (cut) but £100. Depending on whether you wanted Kinect or not, it can be considered personally as a cut (they cut Kinect and the price).

In future, if people just read 'cut' as 'reduction in minimum cost of entry', it'll all make sense and save people from having to type out that unwieldy phrase; unless someone can propose a shorthand that's clearer?

 

[Deleted member 86764]

Depending on whether you wanted Kinect or not...

I struggle to understand why Microsoft didn't offer the Kinect 2 as separate accessory in the first place. I realise they were selling it as a necessary aspect of the hardware, but they could have easily profited better from having two products to sell, with a higher combined RRP. It obviously didn't damage them too much in the early months since demand was initially very high.

It confuses me further when I think of how little they've promoted it with new software. Its main function seems to be as voice control for the OS. This could have been better served with a mic array on the pad, it could still have functioned in much the same way, even if the pad is sat on the coffee table, etc. I'd love to see the metrics of Kinect usage from XBL.

 

[London Geezer]

I dread to think what the equivalent prices are now and in the foreseeable future, now that the GBP is flying even more than before, what with the Scottish vote and the la la land economy going crazy.

 

[Phil]

The US dollar is stronger than the Euro (at the moment anyhow).

Ehm, no. It's the other way around. 1 EUR (€) = 1.28 USD ($). The stronger currency is the one that buys more for less.

 

[Nesh]

Ehm, no. It's the other way around. 1 EUR (€) = 1.28 USD ($). The stronger currency is the one that buys more for less.

But then there is the purchasing power parity which may show a different picture despite the stronger currency

 

[Phil]

Indeed, though I don't think Shortbread was looking at it from that angle, but purely in the context of comparing prices across different currencies...

In the broadest sense, yes, a strong currency will buy you more for less. How much a single euro compares to a single us dollar is a bit overkill for this discussion though, as there are various different countries using euros with very different economic power.

 

[RancidLunchmeat]

Indeed, though I don't think Shortbread was looking at it from that angle, but purely in the context of comparing prices across different currencies...

In the broadest sense, yes, a strong currency will buy you more for less. How much a single euro compares to a single us dollar is a bit overkill for this discussion though, as there are various different countries using euros with very different economic power.

As an aside to this, I just saw this deal for Amazon Canada:
http://www.amazon.ca/Microsoft-5C5-...ref=lh_ni_t?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3DWYIK6Y9EEQB

Which I initially didn't think too much of, until I did the google and found out that $349 CAN is only $315 US.

Because $1 USD buys more than $1 CAN. The $USD is stronger, so if you could actually get Amazon.ca to deliver this to the US (which it doesn't appear they will), you could buy the Xb0x for $315.

But none of this means that the Xb0x was reduced in price to $315 USD.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

If you were to import from Canada, wouldn't there be import duties? Or is there a duty free agreement between nations?

 

[djskribbles]

If you were to import from Canada, wouldn't there be import duties? Or is there a duty free agreement between nations?

Getting stuff shipped to Canada from the US, you have to pay duties/taxes/import fees for anything that has a value >$20 or $25, but it might depend on the shipping company used. Sometimes if it's close or if you're lucky, you won't have to pay. But a big item like an XB1, you definitely will have to pay some sort of import fees and taxes. Depending on the shipping company used, those fees could be stupid high *cough UPS*.

 

[macabre]

Getting stuff shipped to Canada from the US, you have to pay duties/taxes/import fees for anything that has a value >$20 or $25, but it might depend on the shipping company used. Sometimes if it's close or if you're lucky, you won't have to pay. But a big item like an XB1, you definitely will have to pay some sort of import fees and taxes. Depending on the shipping company used, those fees could be stupid high *cough UPS*.

I used to Import games in the PS2 days from Canada to Europe. Don`t remember the site exactly but they used to have fake bills (used game or DVD for 25) with the package so it would fall through customs check
But yeah with bigger items it would probably not work.

 

[Rangers]

Amazon updatttttteeeesss

PS4 software is strong right now X1 software weak...

#4 PS4 Fifa 15
#10 PS4 Bloodborne collectors edition
#17 PS4 Fifa 15 ultimate team edition
#18 PS4 Shadows of Mordor
#21 PS4 Destiny
#23 PS4 Metro Redux (sale)
#27 XO Destiny
#31 XO Fifa 15
#40 XO Fifa 15 ultimate team edition
#42 XO Shadows of Mordor
#44 PS4 Madden 15
#52 PS4 GTA V
#55 PS4 TLOU Remastered
#58 PS4 NBA 2K15
#66 XO Halo MCC
#70 PS4 Watch Dogs
#74 XO Forza Horizon 2
# 86 XO Metro Redux (sale)
#95 XO COD AW Zero Day
#96 PS4 AC Unity

Top 6 are ps4 games...

Forza Horizon 2 not looking great a week out. Though it was never going to be a smash.


August hardware in top 100

#4 PS4
#8 PS4 Destiny Bundle
#50 Xbox One Madden 15 bundle
#58 Xbox One (-Kinect)
#89 Xbox One COD AW bundle

September so far

#6 PS4 Destiny bundle
#11 PS4
#23 Xbox One (-Kinect)


This is what I mean about Amazon, August NPD was PS4 ~190k XO ~160k. The August hardware rankings surely would lead one to believe PS4 was outselling by multiples to one? Although the Destiny Bundle was not shipping yet.

For that matter by Amazon, The PS4 Destiny bundle by itself should have probably outsold all Xbox in August and September combined by maybe double. So maybe, what, ~500k plus just Destiny bundles should be expected to sell in September? I dont see that happening.

Going back, Destiny PS4 bundle was #24 in July as well, beating all XOne hardware which had one SKU in the top 100 at #46, so Destiny bundle should have beat all XOne sales in July as well. So now just Destiny bundle should have outsold all Xbox in July, August, and September combined. And you can add June to the list as Destiny PS4 bundle was #23 for that month beating all Xone hardware by 20+ spots again...and etc

So Destiny PS4 bundle should beat (not just beat, destroy, maybe 2-1, based on rankings positions)

June-197k X1
July 131k X1
August 160k X1
Whatever the X1 sells in September, probably a fairly hefty number as it's 5 week and hardware should pick up.

All combined, PS4 Destiny bundle should maybe double X1 sales combined in all those months, by Amazon ranking. So, more than double 490k X1+September X1 sales (should easily be 250k). So double 750k perhaps, or 1.5 million just PS4 Destiny bundles only. Contrary to the hype, I dont think that will happen...

 

[zed]

All combined, PS4 Destiny bundle should maybe double X1 sales combined in all those months, by Amazon ranking. So,

yeah nah
did you not read my postes about it?


(waves wrists)


whatever I said then
so is it
yeah OK history proves me correct but comeon this aint rocket science .....