April 29 (Bloomberg) -- Microsoft Corp. cut prices of its Xbox 360 game console in four Asian markets to help fend off market-share declines against Nintendo Co. and Sony Corp.
The Redmond, Washington-based company cut estimated retail prices in Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan, Brenda Hsieh, a Microsoft spokeswoman in Taipei, said today.
The price of a basic version will drop by 17 percent to NT$10,360 ($340) in Taiwan and by about 11 percent in Hong Kong effective today, Hsieh said. Prices will fall 5.1 percent to 369,000 won ($369) in Korea and by 20 percent to S$499 ($366) in Singapore, according to separate e-mailed statements.
Global Xbox 360 shipments will probably fall 40 percent to 9.1 million units in the year ending in March 2009 after peaking during the previous 12-month period, Daiwa Institute of Research Ltd. estimated last month. Shipments of Sony's PlayStation 3 will jump 47 percent to 14 million units, while those of Nintendo's Wii may rise 26 percent to 24 million, according to Daiwa.
