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[The Shogun]

That's a really bad decision from MS.

I'm genuinely curious what January / February NPD is going to look like. I wonder if MS generated enough momentum for the brand in November and December to carry the console overall to a better performance or if it will drop hard.

We'll see. Certainly will be interesting.

 

[JetBlackPanda]

How are some of you guys surprised by this? it was public knowledge. Xbox was in a bad place coming into this Holiday and they needed a fire sale. They are not comfortable at the lower price point. They got impulse buyers and Christmas shoppers to go nuts. Bringing the price back to $399 will be problematic in 2014 though.

 

[Amir0x]

Anyone on the fence should wait 'til next year anyway since the pack-in game is Unity.

Ew.

I think it's also not particularly bright for MS to do this because they keep forgetting Sony hasn't even dropped their price once yet. MS got this boost, what do you think PS4 is going to get when it does this shit with packed in games? Yeaaah.

 

[onQ123]

MS needed that holiday sales boost because without the price cut we could have been looking at a 20 million to 8 million race when the early 2015 numbers came in.

 

[Megatron]

The race between XBox One and WiiU in February should be really tight if they do this.

 

[The Shogun]

Sounds like a way to drum up interest via some urgency this week. Then they'll announce they're keeping it at $349 next week.

Unless they are lieing to their retail partners, then no.

 

[Sydle]

That's February though, and it's still worse value than AC bundle.

Maybe they'll bundle a pre-download code for Evolve and also have Sunset Overdrive, Forza Horizon 2, Halo MCC, or Titanfall to play in the mean time. No telling.

If the price is really going back up they're going to hurt and it won't be long before we see them trying to make it up again with some good deals.

 

[Sectorseven]

Isn't a national, manufacturer sale like this a lot of work for the marketing department? You have to get the word out about a sale, then you have to get the word out that it's over (or maybe not), then you have to spread word again when there's another sale, all the while trying not to confuse people.

 

[fastballspecial]

Microsoft is nuts. Everyone who doesn't get one at $349 will just wait for the price to drop again.

 

[Einbroch]

Unless they are lieing to their retail partners, then no.

Listen to this duder.

 

[Y2Kev]

If they actually do this they are ceding every month of the year that isn't Nov and Dec to Sony.

Well, does that matter? If Sony builds a 1-2 million unit lead during the year and then MS erases it during November and December, does it matter?

It's only in the US where this is really happening (or has the potential to happen) so I don't think it's too big a deal if that's their strategy.

 

[demosthenes]

I can't believe they're actually raising the price again. Would it have just been too much of a longterm loss to keep the price down? Makes no sense otherwise.

They cared about the pr for Nov and Dec. Early year doesn't count as much.

 

[Dawg]

Does Microsoft have anything worthwhile releasing in Q1?

 

[crinale]

While this may be a BS, if Microsoft doesn't end the sale at Jan then far less ppl will believe the sale is actually temporally from now on, thus diminish the power of it for the future.

Spoiler

Just the theory from my ass of course

 

[Duxxy3]

Like what? I don't think there's any bundle better than AC bundle.

Still haven't pulled the MCC bundle card yet.

On a serious note - if they move back to $399 then I have to question Microsoft's commitment to Xbox.

 

[One-Shot]

Anyone on the fence should wait 'til next year anyway since the pack-in game is Unity.

Ew.

Yeah. Pretty much a guarantee there will be a Halo 5 bundle.

Well, does that matter? If Sony builds a 1-2 million unit lead during the year and then MS erases it during November and December, does it matter?

It's only in the US where this is really happening (or has the potential to happen) so I don't think it's too big a deal if that's their strategy.

Thought they had a 4-5 million lead.

 

[Syrus]

Hmmm this is dumb but theyll probably lower it permanently in march nor april for E3

 

[Nightengale]

Does Microsoft have anything worthwhile releasing in Q1?

Screamride, State of Decay, and Ori.

Marketing 3rd-party title is Evolve.

 

[Xando]

Does Microsoft have anything worthwhile releasing in Q1?

I think Ori is the only first party game releasing in Q1.

 

[Elandyll]

Was it confirmed that $350 was a loss? I honestly don't know.

With 2 free third party games including a brand new $60 value one? You can bet on it. I'd be willing to bet they lost $50 per console sold minimum.

I don't get why people are surprised by the price returning to normal.

After all the big sales, even if they kept the promo the sales will tank anyway because they said it was limited in the first place (thus driving the potential Q1 buyers to purchase early "just in case").
Also, generally, you sell a product to make money, not to lose a bunch.

The insane promos (cumulating to a mind blowing $349 ACU bndle with $70 gc and another free game if memory serves) did their job by increasing both userbase and mindshare.
Time to see if the XB1 can swim on its own merits.

 

[Y2Kev]

Still haven't pulled the MCC bundle card yet.

On a serious note - if they move back to $399 then I have to question Microsoft's commitment to Xbox.

Seriously? You only think they are committed if they take huge losses permanently?

They probably want to see if they breathed new life into the console that will sustain it until E3. If not, they'll do an aggressive bundle/price drop in like March.

Yeah. Pretty much a guarantee there will be a Halo 5 bundle.



Thought they had a 4-5 million lead.

They do, globally. But the price drop was only officially in the US.

 

[Slashlen]

We'll see how long it lasts at $400. The One has been in a cycle of going on and off sale for a year. We saw it with TitanFall, we got the unbundling after that, we saw it in Sept when they gave away a game, and we saw it in Nov/Dec with the $350 bundles.

$350 will be back, and you won't have to wait for the next holiday.

 

[QaaQer]

You need that kind of price for the actual price to seem like a deal. Retail 101.

 

[Renzoku]

Theyll start throwing in a free game

 

[Purest 78]

Well, does that matter? If Sony builds a 1-2 million unit lead during the year and then MS erases it during November and December, does it matter?

It's only in the US where this is really happening (or has the potential to happen) so I don't think it's too big a deal if that's their strategy.

What happens if sony is in a position to match a price drop next year?

 

[bishoptl]

ITT: Gaf finds anything to bitch about because they're unhappy with their lives.

somebody tell our friend here how thread whining works

 

[Bgamer90]

Does Microsoft have anything worthwhile releasing in Q1?

Got some good looking smaller (digital) titles but nothing major for retail.

Seems like there will be a lot of stuff for Q3/Q4 though -- more games than what came out during the same period for this year (2014).

 

[spwolf]

Looks like Xbox One price is about to go back up
http://news.xbox.com/2014/12/xbox-one-final-chance-to-buy-for-349?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

It Ends January 3rd

it is not going to end, cant believe people actually think they will raise the price.

 

[Thunder Monkey]

Well, does that matter? If Sony builds a 1-2 million unit lead during the year and then MS erases it during November and December, does it matter?

It's only in the US where this is really happening (or has the potential to happen) so I don't think it's too big a deal if that's their strategy.

Depends on how large the monthly deficit becomes. Ps4 stabilizes around 200k a month and One around WiiU level and you'd be looking at a lead 3-4 million by next Nov. Not something that can just be washed away like the meager lead created over the past year.

And yes I do think a move like this could be a console killer. Which is also why I don't think it's going to happen.

 

[AgentP]

Apparently people only buy Xbox consoles in Nov/Dec, so MS will go back into hibernation mode for eleven months.

 

[Chobel]

Those months are usually pretty low for console sales. That fact combined with the great deals the PS4 had for the past two months makes me really think that some here are overestimating how much Bloodborne and The Order will help PS4 (NPD) sales during the months they release.

But anyway, I think having at least one $350 SKU would be good for MS. MS is keeping all of their big games (some probably not even revealed yet) for the second half of 2015 and being cheaper than the PS4 would help keep the console competitive for the first half of the year.

Bloodborne and The Order (and other marketing deals) should allow PS4 to continue selling well in first half of 2015. In the other hand MS has only Evolve, and the only advantage against PS4 (price) will be gone. So MS could have a situation where they sell like shit, the some thing like what happened in January and April this year.

 

[Y2Kev]

I don't see any reason Xbox One would sink to selling like WiiU.

 

[Thunder Monkey]

somebody tell our friend here how thread whining works

Is it wrong that I'd rather just laugh?

 

[vgamer1]

it is not going to end, cant believe people actually think they will raise the price.

...can you read?

 

[Averon]

Not surprised at all. The deals MS had for the XB1 was crazy. I can only imagine the losses they are taking on the hardware.

Despite what people think, the Xbox division cannot bleed money profusely.

 

[mcrommert]

it is not going to end, cant believe people actually think they will raise the price.

I don't understand...they are raising the price after january 3rd


Conspiracy

 

[The Lamp]

Lmao. Well I guess it'll be even longer till I pick one up. Money was tight this holiday but it was going to free up in a few months. Oh well.

Sunset Overdrive will have to wait until later next year.

 

[Welfare]

I don't see any reason Xbox One would sink to selling like WiiU.

Yeah, even when it was $499, it didn't go below 100k, except for May, but that was due to the $399 announcement.

 

[Kazuma Kiryu]

"There's no way they're going back to $399 after December".

 

[truth411]

That's a really bad decision from MS.

Not really, if they didn't drop the price holiday 2014, Sony would have slaughtered M.S. and it would have created a Snowball effect that M.S. wouldn't be able to stop considering Sony already has Market leadership in the U.S. I believe NPD showed that when the X1 and PS4 were at price parity the PS4 still won, they needed to be cheaper. I think the temporary price cut was designed to keep the bleeding manageable and not turn into a mortal womb with the PS4 turning into the next PS2 in the U.S.

 

[DogMeat77]

Well glad I got that xbone bundle deal AssCreed BF+Unity/12 months live/$40 new egg gift card for $248. Had no intention on owning a xbone as there aren't really any exclusives I'm currently interested in... but too good to pass up.

 

[Bgamer90]

Bloodborne and The Order (and other marketing deals) should allow PS4 to continue selling well in first half of 2015. In the other hand MS has only Evolve, and the only advantage against PS4 (price) will be gone. So MS could have a situation where they sell like shit, the some thing like what happened in January and April this year.

How well though? I would honestly be surprised if the PS4 gets above 400K (NPD) during any month in the first half of 2014.

The PS4 deals have been so good recently that I don't see why one who wants to get the system for Bloodborne and/or The Order would wait until those games release (a time in which the deals will probably be gone) instead of getting the system during this Holiday season.

 

[SEGAvangelist]

somebody tell our friend here how thread whining works

Honestly, it's hard to figure out for new posters since it's hidden in the FAQs. Maybe write something more detailed in the TOS?

 

[Derpyduck]

Anyone on the fence should wait 'til next year anyway since the pack-in game is Unity.

Ew.

That's just another 30-40 dollars off (the price the codes are selling for online).

Right now you can get an Xbox One without Kinect for what amounts to about 250 dollars (350 for the console, almost every retailer is giving you an additional 50 in store credit for buying one, and then you sell the codes). Not a bad deal imo. I wouldn't be surprised if they announced a hardware revision within the next 6 months though. They need to do something about the size of that thing as well as the coil whine that plagues every single unit that doesn't do the initial update with a Kinect attached.

 

[PrankT]

While this may be a BS, if Microsoft doesn't end the sale at Jan then far less ppl will believe the sale is actually temporally from now on, thus diminish the power of it for the future.

Spoiler

Just the theory from my ass of course

You are correct. They need to raise the price for a bit and then have another sale to reel in the consumer.

 

[Amir0x]

Well, does that matter? If Sony builds a 1-2 million unit lead during the year and then MS erases it during November and December, does it matter?

It's only in the US where this is really happening (or has the potential to happen) so I don't think it's too big a deal if that's their strategy.

But they won't just keep erasing 1-2 million lead (we're really talking erasing 1 million here in practical terms, they're never going to get to erase 2 million in a Holiday season). Because people keep forgetting Sony has its own price drops in the works, they haven't even pulled that trigger.

Exactly how many millions is MS going to erase when Sony starts pulling those cards? The strategy has to be long term.

 

[onQ123]

it is not going to end, cant believe people actually think they will raise the price.

???


Unless the slim is coming out next month. Yes the price will raise.

 

[lupe121283]

I bought it for $350 with Ass Creed Black and Unity bundle. If it was higher I probably would have given more thought about it. The price point was good in my opinion. It helped out because it made me also buy Killer Instinct with the money I "saved"

 

[Guymelef]

Sound like is only for AC bundle.
Stand alone probably will be $349.

 

[Arkanius]

I still think 299€ is the right price for the Xbox One