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Hiku said:
Landguy said:

It's now mid March of 2015.  Microsoft has pretty much thrown everything including the kitchen sink at the XB1 sales problem.  Price Cuts, De bundling of Kinect, Price Cuts, Bundling of software, and Price Cuts.  And yet, they still can't win the US on a consistant basis.  

I recognize that Microsoft will pull out all the stops to try and win November and December each year.   And by doing so, narrow the gap in yearly sales.  But, here we are in March, and the price of the XB1 is $50 less than the PS4, and yet the XB1 is losing in the US by a pretty good margin each month.  That is just in the US, as in the rest of the world, it is not even worth discussing.

So, after trying almost everything, what can Microsoft really do to take command of the US market?  Or is it even possible?

I wouldn't say it has a sales problem in the US (although I assume you mean "the problem of getting to #1").
It's doing quite good. PS4 is just doing better.

Their main problem is that people generally see PS4 as a more valuable console, even at $50 more. This perception will likely not change.
So what MS can do are the things you listed. What they did during the holidays. Finding the right price that makes people see it as better value than PS4.

It all comes down to what they are willing to sacrifice to get to #1 in the US.
But that makes me wonder why they don't spend that effort in the markets where they could do significantly better, instead of doing marginally better in the US.

I agree that technically, the XB1 doesn't have "bad" sales.  But, they dominated last gen in the US.  So, sticking to the thread title, they are in a less than anticipated position.  I agree that they can't just say "we are a better value" and people agree.  Clearly, they proved during the holidays that votes can be bought.  But, I think that they know that things will change at the end of the year when their showcase titles come out and Win10 advertising kicks in.



It is near the end of the end....