167K for US + Canada. 360 is really in awful, awful shape. They need a price cut right away.
But with the recent Elite release, they will actually get bad press with an immediate price cut. Can't release a higher-priced SKU and then cut its price 2 months later. That's just bad PR.
I think they probably prepared to cut the price and release the Elite at the same time, but a combination of PS3 bombing and having to cut waaay back on 360 production due to Holiday overshipping, persuaded them to hold off on the price cut...
But they need a price cut before Halo. A poor Halo launch (by which I mean an amazing launch compared to anything but Halo 2) soon after Wii passes 360 in WW install base would be detrimental to the console.
"[Our former customers] are unable to find software which they WANT to play."
"The way to solve this problem lies in how to communicate what kind of games [they CAN play]."
Satoru Iwata, Nintendo President. Only slightly paraphrased.
