Announced recently was that the Xbox 360 will receive a small official price cut in the UK as of this Friday 24th August. The cut coincides with the release of the Xbox 360 “Elite” and two anticipated games (Bioshock and Blue Dragon). The new “Elite” will retail for 299.99 GBP (441 EUR), the Premium for 249.99 GBP (30 GBP cut) and the Core for 179.99 GBP (20 GBP cut). The extra 50 GBP for the “Elite” gets you a 120GB hard drive instead of the Premium systems 20GB as-well as a HDMI port and comes in a black finish.
Also available will be the 120 GB hard drive and should you wish more storage you will have to splash out 129.99 GBP (191 EUR) for the replacement drive.
Personally I’d quite like more hard drive storage as I’ve come close to filling my drive with demos and videos on numerous occasions but I believe 129.99 GBP for a hard drive of that size is a bit too pricey.
Posted in News, Xbox 360
From tomorrow the Xbox 360 will receive a 50 USD price cut in the US. This now means that the Premium system will have an estimated retail price of 349.99 USD, the Core system for 279.99 USD and the Elite for 449.99 USD. In addition the limited edition Halo 3 “Spartan” Xbox 360 will be available in September for 399.99 USD.
A price cut has been rumored for a while and it will be interesting to see how this affects sales which seem to have plateaued. I suspect this is response from Microsoft to the the PS3 price cut that occurred a few weeks ago, which has consistently outsold the Xbox 360 since the drop.
Article via
PR Newswire
Price drop coincides with release of ‘Madden NFL 08′ on Xbox 360, one of
many titles that make up the greatest holiday lineup in video game history.
REDMOND, Wash., Aug. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Microsoft Corp. today kicked off the greatest holiday lineup in video game history by announcing it will reduce the estimated retail price (ERP) of Xbox 360(TM) by $50 (U.S.) beginning Aug. 8. 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 ERP of $349.99 (U.S.), Xbox 360 offers an unsurpassed experience right out of the box with a 20GB 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 ERP of $279.99 (U.S.). Xbox 360 Core System provides everything needed to start gaming 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(R) 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 console on which consumers will be able to play all of this year’s biggest titles: “Guitar Hero III(TM): Legends of Rock” (RedOctane/Activision), “Halo 3″ (Bungie Studios), “Madden NFL 08″ (EA) and “Rock Band” (MTV Games). Xbox 360 is also home to the most exclusive games, such as “BioShock” (2K Games), “Lost Odyssey(TM)” (Mistwalker/Feel Plus), “Blue Dragon” (Mistwalker/Artoon Co. Ltd.), “Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action,” (Screenlife), “Project Gotham Racing(R) 4″ (Bizarre Creations Ltd.), “Mass Effect” (BioWare Corp.), “Naruto: Rise of a Ninja” (Ubisoft), and “Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation” (NAMCO BANDAI Games). With a record-setting attach rate of 6.1 games per console sold (NPD, Life-to-date, 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.
Posted in News, Xbox 360
One of this years most anticipated titles has unfortunately been delayed until next year. It was confirmed by Take-Two yesterday that the title originally set to be released in October 2007 will now be released from Q2 2008, but no specific date has been given.
I must admit this was looking to be one of my “must have” titles of the year and I’m disappointed with the news. However, I will always prefer a delay to a sub-par product being released on-to the market, especially when its a games series as iconic as GTA.
Related links:
Kotaku - Take-Two Execs Explain GTA IV Delay
GamesIndustry: GTA IV delayed until 2008
Posted in News, Sony PS3, Xbox 360
The weekly sales for the US have been revealed for the week ending 14th July and as stated by Sony during their E3 conference the sales of the PS3 have indeed more than doubled since the
100 USD price drop on the 9th July. For the week ending 7th July 17,770 units were sold but the latest figures show that 41,005 units were sold the following week, a dramatic increase of 23,235 units. It will certainly be interesting to see if this is a short term burst or the start of a turnaround for the PS3.
Sales of the other consoles remained generally consistent with the DS, Wii, PSP and PS2 taking the top four spots whilst the PS3 snatches fifth place from the Xbox 360.
Sales breakdown after the jump.
Weekly figures from
VGChartz.com
Posted in News, Sony PS3
As-well as Microsoft and Sony having E3 conferences revealing some nuggets of information, Nintendo also had there own little shin dig on Wednesday at the Civic Auditorium (Santa Monica). Even though this news is probably old hat now I thought it was only fair to extract some facts and information from the conference.
Of special interest was the announcement of Wii Fit with custom hardware (Wii Balance Board) and as anticipated release dates for some high profile first party titles were also revealed. However the dates listed were for the US only and European dates are yet to be announced.
Nintendo platforms have experienced a 69% growth this year.
The Nintendo DS has now doubled its sales percentage of all videogame consoles sold from 12% to 23%!
Nintendo’s strategy of targeting the female demographic seems to be working as they have now achieved a 67 / 33 split for male to female gamers whereas it was stated this is usually 80 / 20.
The Nintendo DS has now sold over 40 million units worldwide and there will be 140 more new titles to appear this year.
Wii Fit was announced for the Nintendo Wii and features a new bit of hardware which is similar to a step aerobics platform known as the Wii Balance Board. The platform can measure weight distribution and calculate your BMI (Body Mass Index). The “game” covers different genres of activities such as aerobics, yoga, muscle conditioning and balance games. A price and release date has yet to be announced.
The Wii Zapper was announced which is basically a light gun incorporating both the Wii remote and Nunchuk and will be compatible with forthcoming games like Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles and Medal of Honour. The Zapper will be bundled with first party Nintendo software or sold separately for 19.99 USD.
A new channel is coming to the Wii called Check Mii Out. In the new channel you will be able to vote on Mii’s and search for popular Mii’s.
In terms of online statistics it was stated that 5.5 million players have used the Nintendo Wi-Fi connection with 230 gameplay sessions and the Wii Virtual console has had 5.6 million downloads.
Super Mario Galaxy will be released in US on November 12th.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl will be released in US on December 3rd.
Mario Kart Wii was announced and will feature online play. The game is scheduled to be released globally in quarter 1 2008. A custom steering wheel will also debut alongside the release of the game.
Posted in News, Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii
This morning Sony announced that a new PS3 Starter Pack that will be introduced for Europe. For 425 GBP (599 EUR) you will now be able to get a 60GB PS3, 2 SIXAXIS wireless controllers and a choice of two first party games which includes Resistance Fall of Man and MotorStorm. The starter pack is rolling out across Europe as of today and should be available everywhere by 1st August.
Although this is not the price cut we really want, the bundle does offer you about £115 worth of savings (if bought at RRP). However my issue with bundle packs is that they really only offer you significant savings if you wanted the bundled games and hardware in the first place. From a personal point of view I would much rather see the price of the PS3 base unit (60GB + 1 SIXAXIS controller) reduced by 100 GBP and leave the decision of games and hardware to the individual.
Press release via
Sony Europe Press Center
13/07/2007 04:00
PS3 STARTER PACK ANNOUNCED FOR EUROPE
Santa Monica, 12th July 2007. Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) today announced the availability of a high value Starter Pack for PLAYSTATION®3, comprising a PS3, two first party games and two SIXAXIS™ wireless controllers, at €599.
Rolling out across the SCEE territories from 13th July, and in all territories by 1st August, the new Starter Pack represents exceptional value for money as an entry point into the exciting world of High Definition interactive entertainment with PLAYSTATION 3.
The choice of first party games available in the Starter Pack will vary to suit the interests of entertainment enthusiasts in each country, but will include million sellers such as Resistance Fall of Man™ and MotorStorm™; titles specifically chosen to demonstrate the stunning graphics and enhanced gameplay of High Definition games on Blu-ray disc.
With an additional wireless SIXAXIS, motion sensitive controller provided for head to head and multi player gaming, the Starter Pack is sure to appeal to those seeking to enhance their entertainment experience with the best of 21st century technology.
“With sell through of over 1.2 million units in the SCEE territories to date, PLAYSTATION 3 has proved to be an instant and huge success”, said David Reeves, President of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe.
“The exceptional value of the new Starter Pack will bring the excitement of PlayStation® gaming to a much wider audience. Add to this a stellar lineup of software titles for the second half of the year and we are confident that this amazing value Starter Pack will encourage many more keen gamers to join the PLAYSTATION 3 community”.
Posted in News, Sony PS3
Sony’s E3 conference was held yesterday at 19:30 BST. As with the Microsoft conference I’ve extracted some interesting titbit’s of information.
Unfortunately a European price cut for the PS3 was not mentioned but apparently there will be some sort of announcement tomorrow.
PS2 Snippets
Now has an installed base of over 118 million, thus according to Jack Tretton (CEO and President of Sony America) makes it the most popular console of all time.
160 new games for the PS2 are scheduled for the US this fiscal year.
PSP Snippets
Weekly sales of the PSP have gone up by 90% since the introduction of a price cut.
A New version of PSP was unveiled and it will be available worldwide in September. Although the revision looks very similar to the existing model it’s apparently 33% lighter and 19% slimmer. It also makes use of a more efficient battery and loading times will be a lot faster too. It also incorporates a new bit of functionality in that it can now be hooked up to a TV (Sony Bravia) and output any of it’s content (videos, photos, games) directly to the screen.
The new slimmer PSP will be available in the regular black and the new “ice silver” colours in an entertainment pack which includes a 1GB memory stick. There will also be a “Star Wars Battlefront” entertainment pack which features a white PSP emblazoned with Darth Vader on the back. Both packs will retail for 199.99 USD and will be available in the US from September. Sony Europe and Sony Japan have yet to announce pricing and packs that will be available.
140 new games are scheduled for the PSP in the US this fiscal year.
PSP UMD sales are up by 35% since 2006.
PS3 Snippets
80 first party games are in development worldwide.
The PlayStation Network now has 2 million registered users, 950 thousand of which are from North America and the service has seen 20 million downloads.
PlayStation “Home” can now have client software running on mobile phones. The example given will allow you to take pictures with your mobile and have them sent directly to your “Home” lobby.
Sales of 60GB PS3 have doubled in North America at Sony’s top five retailers since the cut was announced on Monday and Sony are going to ship 11 million units by the end of the year. There’s no news as yet of a price cut for Europe.
Unreal Tournament 3 was announced as exclusive for the PS3 until the end of the year.
Metal Gear solid 4 was reconfirmed as being exclusive to PS3. Hideo Kojima has also stated that MGS4 would be the last in the series. The game is due for release in spring 2008.
The PS3 has helped the sales of Blu-ray and it is now approximately outselling HD-DVD by a ratio of 2:1.
Posted in News, Sony PS2, Sony PS3, Sony PSP
In case you’re unaware between 11th - 13th July E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) is being held in Santa Monica, California. Although it is now fundamentally different to previous years and gone is the huge central location and now in it’s place are smaller individually organised events that are invitation only, all the big players are still in attendance. Yesterday Microsoft held there E3 conference which highlighted some interesting news
The Xbox 360 Elite will be released in Europe on 24th August, although a price has yet to be announced.
A new Xbox 360 Halo 3 Special Edition will be released to coincide with the game.
There are now more than 7 million subscribers to Xbox Live and Microsoft expect this to increase to 10 million before next years E3. More than 45 million games have been downloaded from Xbox Live Arcade to date and more than 100 games will be available for the service by end of the year. Highlights include games such as Bomberman live, Undertow, Hexic 2, Sensible World of Soccer, Wing Commander Arena, Feeding Frenzy 2. Track & Field, Golden Axe, Space Giraffe and Super Puzzle Fighter.
Sonic the Hedgehog and Golden Axe have been added to Xbox Live as of yesterday and will cost 400 Microsoft Points each.
Europe and Canada are to be added to the video marketplace download service (which is US only at present) later in the year.
Project Gotham Racing 4 now includes motorbikes (Honda, Suzuki, Ducati are signed up) and more than 120 cars are to be included in the game when it is released in September.
It was stated that the footage shown for GTA IV was captured from the 360 and there will be two exclusive downloadable chapters available for the Xbox 360 version next spring.
Mass Effect is now scheduled to be released in November but no definitive date has been firmed up.
A beta of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare will be made available and it will be exclusive to 360.
Posted in News, Xbox 360
