Hmm, not sure I agree with you about the value for money statement. For a start over 30% of those new 360 owners will find their console displaying them a lovely red light at some point, plus when you factor in prices for the WiFi peripheral than an increasing number of people want, an Xbox Live Gold card, rechargeable battery packs and other innumerable add-ons the 360 needs, it ends up being quite a bit more expensive than the PS3 and that's without mentioning a HD optical drive. Of course, as well as having to fork out all that extra cash in an attempt to beef the 360 into something that remotely resembles a next-gen console, you'll be stuck with the most unreliable console not only this generation but perhaps ever made. I'll stick with my PS3 thanks 

Wow, you're pretty obsessed about Sony losing money aren't you? What's the matter, can you not accept that Microsoft was embarrassingly defeated with their co-developed HD DVD and that their partners in crime, Toshiba, fled back to Sony and the PS3 leaving ol' Stevie Balmer to pick up the many shattered pieces? Personally I'd be more worried about how much Microsoft will lose on the failed HD DVD platform, now it has sunk to the bottom of the pile and out of existence. Anyone with more than two brain cells floating around in that chunk of grey matter between their ears will know exactly what the Blu-ray victory means for Sony. Roughly translated, it means BILLIONS in their coffers. That's right Mr. Starcraft, billions. The exact thing that Microsoft are losing is what Sony will be gaining. Stick that in your pipe and smoke it. 

I'll look forward to your faux contradictory reply in due course.  

Ever wondered why MS suddenly dropped the price? Well here is my theory.

1) First of all, they have no triple A titles (except GTA IV) or exclusives coming from their own company or from a thirdparty within the coming months. Nintendo has got Mario kart and Super Smash Brothers Brawl (Fire Emblem too, but I wonder if it's triple A). Sony gets GT 5: Prologue and Metal Gear Solid 4. And as a bonus they will get GTA IV, which MS also gets.

2) MS has lost the Blu Ray vs HD-DVD war. People who were waiting for the outcome on this can now choose one platform: Blu Ray. PS3 is the cheapest Blu Ray player around, so people will pick up the PS3.

3) Considering the sales in Europe, it was the only thing they could do to stop PS3. It will bring a salesboost for sure, but I think it will only be temporarily. But everyone can only guess, and so do I.

This price drop means the death of XBox 360 in Europe, the white flag is up.
PS3 will still outsell XBox 360 in Europe by 50 000 consoles weekly.
XBox 360 will be dead in 2009 when the new XBox comes out November 2009.

I can't call you really neutral in this one. With such a nickname. One part of your story wouldn't surprise me though. If sales keep going downwards, I'm expecting another Xbox dump. Hopefully for MS that's not going to be in 2009. 

Well, today is the day folks. The day of the price drop. Anyway, I went into several big videogame stores in and around my local area here in the UK and I have to say, I was shocked. Absolutely nobody was seen buying 360s, not one single person. I even found it hard to spot people perusing the 360 games themselves to be honest. In many shops there was a few I saw buying PS3s (one such lady actually bought one along with a black PSP), and there was one older person I saw enquiring about the DS. I asked in two "Game" stores (they are the UK's biggest video game retail outlets) how sales were and one guy said they were the same as usual, and another guy in another store said the exact same thing.

It also struck me that the Wii finally seems to be slowing down, or at least meeting its demand as almost every shop I visited had ample supply. I have also noticed that Amazon.co.uk has had them in consecutively now for several weeks (something that has never happened since the Wii debuted over a year ago). But like with the 360, I didn't see anyone actually buy one, which struck me as odd considering that just two months ago demand was off the scale. Is the Wii finally dwindling as many analysts predicted it would after the holiday rush?

So there you go, just a quick update on the European sales. So far it seems it hasn't made even the slightest impact, but we'll just have to wait for the those numbers next week. I'm sure we will see an increase of course, but I at least expected to see a few buying them during the many hours I spent in the city today. But it isn't like the price drop hasn't been well publicized. It has been mentioned on major radio stations several times and was on the news, and most shops that I saw today had erected large banners in their windows announcing the price drop.

 the cut is their attemp to counter GT5p.

 To bad hardcore Gt fans anbd care nuts dont care much about price.

Lol, given all the media reports of broken street dates on cuts and awesome retailer bundles, i'm going to do a pooperscooper and universally declare your post to be "bs."

That's it, I called "bs" the debate is over now right?

OH and LOL @ Wii slowing down. 

Oh what a surprise, it's our favorite Microsoft "ring-licker" (I can't resist a good double entendre when it presents itself) Mr. Starcraft, back with more drivel and unintelligent banter. Where've you been buddy, we thought you'd gone astray after my last scathing comment.

Hmm, I never recalled saying the Wii was slowing down as fact, but merely an observation. See, I am not like yourself, so consumed by a single product that I cannot see beyond the end of my own nose. I was also clear at the end of my last comment that we'll have to wait on those upcoming numbers to really see how the 360 performed under the new pricing scheme. 

Oh, and I think I have improved your signature. Here, take a look.

Microsoft (Xbox, Xbox 360): 43 

I think it's time you flitted away back to your Xbox community and keep living in the fantasy world you currently occupy, where Xbox 360s float above you in a dreamy haze and where the face of Steve Balmer is that of the glowing sun, beaming down upon you all. At least then this thread would stay on bloody topic.