I won't rip the entire article, just click through.
http://money.cnn.com/2004/01/28/commentary/game_over/column_gaming/index.htm
http://money.cnn.com/2004/01/28/commentary/game_over/column_gaming/index.htm
Xbox for $99? Xbox 2 in 2005?
- Thread starter nobie
- Start date
Offhand, I don't see them dropping under whatever the PS2 assumes unless they start REALLY losing ground to the GameCube, and I don't think that's happened yet. Console sales are faltering indeed, but then we've basically hit the apex of this generation, and are going to have a sliding scale down until next gen. Dropping price will mitigate that from a number standpoint, but could definitely hurt on sales. The only thing I AM willing to bet is that they won't let themselves get visably behind the GameCube, so if that starts to come about, I expect to see corrective measures in bigger or more frequent price drops. (I wonder if it would be more interesting to do a quick run of smaller price drops, for visability's sake?) But since MS is still losing money on the boxes, I don't see them pricing below the PS2 unless times call for desperate measures.
Xbox @ £99? mmmmmm I guess MS will have a new customer if they do that...
LisaJoy said:
Things change. If you would have told me that Nintendo was going to drop their console to $99 and then sell as many as they did, I would have asked what you were smoking. I don't think Microsoft planned for that and were caught off guard. I highly suspect they thought Nintendo was done this generation and thought they had #2 spot wrapped up. Now they're having to rethink that and reconsider if they want to be in third place coming into the next gen. If I were Microsoft I wouldn't let Nintendo have 2nd place. It would really hurt the chances with Xbox2. IMHO a drop to $99 with no games could potentially blow away Nintendo and put to rest who's in 2nd.
Tommy McClain
I don't think its a case of wether or not MS "let" Nintendo finish second place this generation, not anymore. I said several months ago that, if MS didn't wake up and realise that they are competing with Nintendo not Sony, they'd lose their chance at second place. I think MS's only chance is to drop their prices to match GC's now (May could be too late to have a real chance).
You're actually quite wrong. I've said this numberous times since these console were launched. Gamecube and xbox were targetted at differet market segments. Xbox is targetted at the older gamer wheras gamecube is not so focused in that area. There's a reason why certain types of games do well on one platform compared to another.
MS is going to only match PS2 price dropsgoing forward, otherwise they would have dropped price before christmas.
MS is going to only match PS2 price dropsgoing forward, otherwise they would have dropped price before christmas.
