AfterDawn: News

UK retailer slashes Xbox 360 price

Retail chain Makro has reduced the price of the premium version of the Xbox 360 console to £199, a reduction of £80. This means that the premium console is selling for the same price as the cheaper Core unit. "It's something we're doing to bring customers into the stores, it's not an official price cut from Microsoft," Joanne Armstrong, spokesperson for the buying team at Makro UK, told GamesIndustry.biz.

Armstrong also said the retailer has, "plenty of machines in stock" and will be, "running this promotion for two weeks." Additionally, Makro is also selling a bundle that includes Project Gotham Racing 3, Arcade Unplugged and a wireless controller for £34.99 and selling chart games at £36.99.



"Xbox does not control the retail price of the Xbox 360 videogame and entertainment system - prices are set by retailers," a Microsoft spokesperson said, distancing the company from the promotion. "The promotion that Makro is running is not endorsed or administered by Microsoft."

As expected, several other retailers have criticized the price cut. "If the machine was selling badly, I could understand a price cut. But the machine is selling well, along with the software," said Don McCabe, MD of Chips.

Source:
GamesIndustry.biz

Written by: James Delahunty @ 20 Feb 2007 14:59

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• 6 comments

• limelight

  If the price is set by retailers than sell 'em for $50!
  
  Micro$oft will sell more units, and more units sold= more games sold, right? Of course!

  20.2.2007 17:49 #1

• Unfocused

  The criticizing by other retailers just shows their greed. If one shop can get away with selling something for less, more power to them. It does not matter if they are making a profit or not, just having customers in the store may turn them on to another purchase.
  
  Hell, grocery stores have been doing this for years.

  20.2.2007 19:11 #2

• hughjars

  The bit they aren't making much of is that Makro are supposedly at 'trade' outlet; that price is without VAT (which at 17.5% in the UK means you have to add £35).
  
  IIRC you also need to be signed up with them and have a card, you can't just walk in off the street and enjoy this deal as it would first appear (mind you, if you know a trader who doesn't mind lending you his/her card etc etc?).
  
  So the real price is £235, a saving on the regular price but not quite the 'awesome' deal some claimed.
  
  If news of a new version of the XBox 360 appearing on May 1st are true (and that the core is to be dropped or cut heavily in price *Game are selling XBox 360 core units right now for £150* and the premium is to be cut in price to where the core is now) then try and hang on a while.
  
  Good (real) deals are just around the corner if you can hang on a month or so.

  22.2.2007 03:45 #3

• Steve83

  Ooooh! Oooooh! There's a sale on marbles at Wal-Mart!!!
  
  
  
  
  Who cares? Why is the price of a game NEWS??? If you want it; buy it.

  22.2.2007 13:21 #4

• DVDBack23

  this is news because some people on this planet like to save money, apparently you are so rich that it doesnt matter. But..um...thanks for posting ;)

  23.2.2007 07:09 #5

• Dela

  It's news because there is a console war going on you might have heard of? And you might also know that price always has influence on who does better. But I don't feel like I have to justify what I add to the site anyway, especially when you decide to be a smart ass about it. Banned for a week, we've warned about this too many times.
  

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  24.2.2007 04:31 #6