So, the Xbox 360 Elite dropped in price (while the Arcade price rose in the UK). Cue the trumpet call of the market analysts, with EEDAR being the first to weigh in and provide insight as to what this means for the industry. Unsurprisingly, EEDAR notes that Microsoft is responding to the PS3 price drop, but also adds that the "$299 sweet spot" might not be a advantageous to the company as one might think.
"Whilst the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 are now equals at the $299 price point, technologically the Xbox 360 is not at the same level as its Sony competitor," explains the analysts. "This puts the Xbox 360 in a tough position where it is outmatched in terms of hardware capabilities at $299 and the Wii remains alluring to casual and price sensitive consumers at $249.
"Over the next year Microsoft will most likely reposition the Xbox 360 Elite closer to the $249 price point to both pressure Sony and attract potential Wii consumers."
EEDAR also believes that Nintendo should be preparing for another future 360 price cut: "Nintendo should drop their Wii console down to $199, not because the current Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 price structure poses a threat; rather, because they will eventually pose a threat. Nintendo's strategy should be to capture as many consumer dollars as possible while their competitors are still weak in their offerings to the casual audience and price sensitive consumers."
Quite a few logical things being said here, especially with regards to Microsoft's position. The Xbox 360 Elite does offer less out of the box than the PS3, and now at the same price. That doesn't even account for the yearly subscription fee users have to pay in order to give the 360 the same online connectivity that the PS3 offers for free. At $299, the PS3 is the better deal. However, the stigma that the PS3 has earned as a pricey system without AAA games (unfair or fair as that may be) and the endless blundering of Sony's PR department might see the 360 remain in the lead for quite a while.
Jim Sterling serves as reviews editor for Destructoid.com, head of the Podtoid podcast, and produces a number of news stories, original features, one-of-a-kind videos. With his passionate argumentative style, controversial opinions, harsh delivery, and dedication to brutal honesty Sterling is a name that you can't help but recognize.
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Contest:
10:20 AM on 08.27.2009
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Moar values.
so yeah it should be very interesting.
On topic: I agree. MS really need to consider dropping the price further, or offering Live for free. Paying to play online sucks ass when it's free on the other system at the same entry price.
If MS just dropped the cost for Live Gold, and charged UP THE ASSHOLE for everything on it (including Games on Demand, Twitter, etc etc), I think they would lose zero business.
FREE HALEOS OMG
However, the PS3 has a much better value now and MS really needs to drop the price more if they want to stay competitive. Keeping the price as it is will give Sony a huge advantage
But anything is possible, of course.
But they won't do that.
They could also make Live free...that would be nice.
11.n and Extended wireless range in your home for 60$, or 100$ for a turd looking g. Thanks MS.
Lets not forget paying for live, marketplace jackup, redicky prices on HDD's etc...
The PS3 at 300$ definitely offers more at this point. You'd think at this point MS could at least include the 5cent wireless dongle in the box.
I hate you all for putting that damned "DANCE MAGIC DANCE" song in my head!
Actually their only about 6 million(PS3 was 23.7million ,360 was in the 30 mil range) and this was before the price cut so that gap has probably gotten smaller, so truth be told catching up by early next year wouldn't be impossible all things considered.
But whatever the case I look foward to seeing how this will turn out.
31.41 - 23.24 = 8.17
Not trying to be a dick, just trying to speak the facts and all.
But to be honest, I always wonder how many of those 31.41 million are double or triple dippers, i.e. people who have bought a second or even 3rd console as a backup or whatever in case the one they have breaks.
I am one of those double dippers.
I am ashamed.
Wozamil: Mr. Jim Sterling is paid by the impression (and receives a score multiplier for comments) so he likes to throw in ambiguous flamebait to drive hits. The measure that should actually be used isn't "AAA games" (whatever that means), but exclusive games. Which there are so few of these days it really comes down to whether or not you love Halo and Gears of War or Uncharted and Metal Gear Solid. For my money PS3's exclusives are better and that's where I'd go if I were buying just one. Particularly looking forward over the next 6-12 months.
the OP just threw that there so he keep the hateps3 title. I mean Jim loves playing KillZone2, not sure how you range from a AA to AAA title, or even one A at that. But that statement I just omitted it out because I know it's a flame bait :)
Now about the price, I don't see how, nor never will, see how people justify buying $200-$300 for a P O S console that has a 50% random death machine. like I said many times before, yea your argument to mine is "They fix it for Free", well you know what? Any other company selling a defective product with such huge fail-rate would have gotten sued the @$$ out of extinction or at least to the point were they are forced to fix their POS to the point is not a 50/50 chance of Bricking.
I don't expect that from a Laptop, a iPhone/iTouch, a game console, a Cell phone, Desktop, ect, No product with such high defective rate should be in the market selling. After that 3 year warranty you are ????ed.
Halo and Gears of War fucking dominate the charts, and people think that because they're paying for the online that it must be better (which it kind of is IMO).
Sony has a lot of new IP this generation, especially early on. We still don't have God of War 3 out yet. While I applaud them for trying new stuff, I can't deny it hurt them in the early going.
That's just me.
As for Jim, yeah, he's just trying to get his page hits.
I love the man. God Bless him.
I don't believe it's a valid argument to say the PS3 has no games. I never said it WAS a valid argument. I said the PS3 has that stigma, and the stigma is hard to shake off. Whether it's true or not doesn't matter. Perception is everything.
Citation Needed
I've shelled out six hundred hard earned Euros for my PS3. It was/is worth every cent. I would never have payed the same amount of money for a 360. In fact I wouldn't even buy it for 250. Don't shoot me, that's just me.
Don't worry that was only an estimated guess I didn't really know the numbers (though personally I trust VGchartz about as far as I can throw em) but I'm not that interested.
Also don't worry about double dipping on the 360 I did it too(when that 3 year warrenty ran out and it died I...... Well traded the parts in and got an arcade for 100 bucks, so add me to that list of shame too) but now I'm too paranoid to use the thing for anything except exclusives because I swear the thing is gonna die.
But I doubt were the only ones who did that, as the good ol gamestop employee kindly informed me that I was the 8TH arcade trade in that day
And then she proceeded to say" that's so weird isn't it".
I wanna know where they find these people.
I agree, but, I'll just go with the flame bait theory others posted, lol.
@Chin35char: Bluetooth headset, $20. You are still spending less on a PS3 when you factor in XBL.
Either way, I own both consoles and I definitely spend more time with the PS3. XBL Arcade may have more titles, but PSN has the better quality titles IMO.
Unless you don't have/want/can use the features that PS3 offers then the Xbox is a better value. I wired my house with cat5e (wifi sucks), don't use bluetooth devices, I don't want Blu-Ray, and I'm not handicapped so I can read & follow instructions to upgrade my XBox360 hard drive without buying one of their overpriced ones.
The PS3 has AAA games but they only come out with maybe one or two every a year. I own more AAA games on 360 than my PS3. Ever since I bought my 60gb PS3 off ebay with a bunch of games for 400 bucks, I've only bought one game for it and that was Infamous, which I sold on ebay to a sucker for 50 bucks after I beat it. I thought the game was overrated and kind of meh. Later this year there will be Uncharted 2 and Tekken 6 (which I may double dip buying on 360 as well). Other than that I mostly use my PS3 for watching blu-ray movies. PSN may be free but my experience hasn't been as solid as XBL. You get what you pay for. If you can't afford 3 bucks a month for XBL gold you shouldn't be gaming.
The Wii isn't a competing product with the 360 and PS3. Someone in the market for a games console rather than a waggle box will be comparing the PS3 to the 360. That said, offering a more robust product for the same price couldn't possibly be bad for Sony, now could it?
Anyway I'm off to read the rest of the comments now
Thanks for weeding out who should and shouldn't be gaming. Video games thank you.
Besides, am I only the person here who's consistently had a better time on the PSN? I haven't even been called a "faggot" once, as opposed to the haven for 13 year old, racist homophobes that is Xbox Live. I've found the user base to be consistently more mature and agreeable on the PSN.
Buy both*
Has anyone been having MAD Firefox<--->Destructoid issues lately?
There's a bundle I've seen that offers an Elite, Wi-Fi and Halo3 for $329.
That's ok.. not great, but better than $299 with nothing but the 120HDD.
I also agree that lowering their Gold subscription would be a good move.