REDMOND, Wash. -- Aug. 6, 2007 -- Microsoft Corp. today kicked off the greatest holiday lineup in video game history by announcing it will reduce the retail price of Xbox 360™ by $50 (U.S.) beginning Aug. 8 at United States retailers nationwide. Soon to follow, Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) will release its blockbuster video game title "Madden NFL 08" on Aug. 14. "Madden NFL Football," one of the most important mass-appeal franchises in video games, was the top-selling game of 2006 and is the top-selling franchise of the past 10 years. Only Xbox 360 offers a console for all interests and budgets. "The fact that we have been able to keep our launch price longer than any other console while retaining our leadership position demonstrates that consumers believe in the value of Xbox 360," said Mitch Koch, corporate vice president, Global Retail Sales and Marketing Group, Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft.. "On the eve of the best holiday games lineup ever and the launch of 'Madden NFL 08,' there has never been a better time to jump into Xbox 360." Xbox 360 will enhance the value of its entire family of consoles beginning on Aug. 8. At a new price of $349.99, Xbox 360 offers an unsurpassed experience right out of the box with a 20 GB hard drive, wireless controller, Xbox 360 headset, and more. For those looking for the ultimate value and the freedom to customize their console as they see fit, Xbox 360 Core System now has an estimated retail price (ERP) of $279.99 (U.S.). Xbox 360 Core System provides everything gamers need to hit the ground running while giving consumers the ability to add new features and accessories they want. Dressed in black and equipped with a 120GB hard drive, Xbox 360 Elite will be priced at an ERP of $449.99 (U.S.) for those who want the premium games and entertainment experience. In anticipation of this year's largest blockbuster game launch, the Xbox 360 Halo® 3 Special Edition Console will hit store shelves in September with an ERP of $399.99 (U.S.). Featuring an authentic Spartan green-and-gold finish, this console will include a matching Xbox 360 Wireless Controller, Xbox 360 20GB hard drive, Xbox 360 Headset an Xbox 360 Play and Charge Kit and more. In addition to being a great value, Xbox 360 is the only place consumers will be able to play all of this year's biggest titles: "Guitar Hero III™: Legends of Rock" (RedOctane/Activision), "Halo 3" (Bungie), "Madden NFL 08" (EA) and "Rock Band" (MTV Games). Xbox 360 is also home to the most exclusive games, such as "Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation" (NAMCO BANDAI Games), "BioShock" (2K Games), "Lost Odyssey™" (Mistwalker and feelplus Inc.), "Blue Dragon" (Mistwalker and feelplus Inc.), "Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action," (Screenlife), "Naruto: Rise of a Ninja" (Ubisoft), "Project Gotham Racing® 4" (Bizarre Creations Ltd.) and "Mass Effect" (BioWare Corp.). With a record-setting attach rate of 6.1 games per console sold (NPD, June 2007), a new price and the greatest holiday games lineup ever, Xbox 360 has proved itself as the home of the best games and entertainment at the best value. |
I am well aware of PR and talking points, but for some reason the MS PR always seems to be just a notch or two higher on the BS scale. But I do get a chuckle out of how hard they are pushing the "best lineup ever" hype, especially with GTA IV delayed. To be clear I expect this from all companies.
This price cut is not going to double sales or anything but it will make an impact in next week's sales numbers and should sustain for a couple of weeks. Ultimately I think the price cut is probably a bit late, and they should of announced it at E3 when they would of had a lot more people paying attention to their PR machine.
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