Microsoft’s cut the price of the Xbox One in the land of fish and chips, chavs and tea – to a much more palatable £399. Some retailers, like the UK’s Gamestop lowered the price even more, offering the console at a tempting £370 – bundled with Titanfall. And it’s worked, because they’re sold out of the thing.
According to Dualshockers, the retailer sold out of the as-yet-unreleased bundle in less than two hours. For most people, it seems, that 720p nonsense isn’t the biggest impediment when it comes to the Xbox One, it’s the price.
It makes Microsoft’s decision to not follow suit with similar price cuts in other regions quite baffling.
"My responsibility is only for the UK so I can only talk about our territory," Xbox UK Marketing Director Harvey Eagle said of the price cut. "This is about offering the best value to UK gamers, and as a result we’re announcing this new price point of £399. There’s no announcements in other countries planned, so it’s a UK-only adjustment and we feel this is the right thing to do in our market."
The UK, much like South Africa has traditionally been Sony territory. That’s changed a bit in this last gen, with the Xbox 360, but the PlayStation 4 seems to have rekindled the Sony romance in Old Blighty. It’s a price cut that would no doubt help the Xbox One sell through more units everywhere else. the Xbox One would certainly sell better in its home country if it were $399 instead of the $499 it currently commands. – but it’s one that the company can’t really afford, unless it cuts the Kinect out of the package.
Rumours of a Kinect-free version of the console have been circulating since the Xbox One was first announced – but it looks like that’s not happening.
“[Kinect is] integral to the Xbox One experience" Eagle said to Eurogamer. "[A Kinect-less Xbox One] is not in our plans at all."
"As we’ve said from the very beginning, we believe Kinect is an absolutely integral part of the Xbox One experience."
"Look at all the thousands and thousands of game clips that have been posted by gamers to Upload Studio, of their gaming highlights, captured by speaking the words ‘Xbox record that’, which has already become part of Xbox vocabulary."
"It’s a really great example of how Kinect makes the experience on Xbox One even better."
As for we South Africans? We still don’t know when we’ll be getting the Xbox One – and I fear that by the time we do, it’ll be too late for anyone to really care.
Last Updated: February 26, 2014
Admiral Chief in Vegas
February 26, 2014 at 15:01
Wonder what our price will be then…?
oVg BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA... HA!
February 26, 2014 at 15:05
R7999, after today’s budget speech R12999 when it is released in late October while the pound is 25 to 1.
Hammersteyn
February 26, 2014 at 15:15
sounds plausible
ZumaIsPoes
February 26, 2014 at 15:52
oops did see u already posted that
Hammersteyn
February 26, 2014 at 17:02
I LOLed at your name
ZumaIsPoes
February 28, 2014 at 07:56
thanks , i am a political gamer … in the sense that i over promise and under deliver whahahah
General JJ the annihilator
February 26, 2014 at 15:17
You forgot our increases that keeps us below inflation. Or is increase a swear word?
RinceandGATHERTroops!
February 26, 2014 at 15:36
It is to me 🙁
TiMsTeR1033
February 26, 2014 at 15:25
was R21 for a pound Dec 2001. can happen again.
General JJ the annihilator
February 26, 2014 at 15:26
I didn’t know you paid for your hookers in weight.
VampyreSquirrel
February 26, 2014 at 15:27
hahahaha!
TiMsTeR1033
February 26, 2014 at 15:29
The worst thing is I can actually hear you laughing in my head!
VampyreSquirrel
February 26, 2014 at 15:30
That makes it even better!
TiMsTeR1033
February 26, 2014 at 15:31
you have a sadistic laugh.. would be great as a ring tone for all all those awkward occasions, eg. when someone falls, farts, at a funeral (I am sick I know)
TiMsTeR1033
February 26, 2014 at 15:27
I am sure you are a busy man in the mall with all those eyeliner S A L E S
General JJ the annihilator
February 26, 2014 at 15:28
There is no place with enough stock to fulfill my needs.
TiMsTeR1033
February 26, 2014 at 15:28
smooth… I’ll get you! just you wait!
oVg BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA... HA!
February 26, 2014 at 15:26
But the new format Blue Ray PS3 was R3499?
Not bad.
ZumaIsPoes
February 26, 2014 at 15:52
plausible ….agreed
Kensei Seraph
February 26, 2014 at 15:12
How is £39 more than £370 – bundled with Titanfall?
Or is Titanfall really worth the extra £331?
Exalted Overlord Geoffrey Tim
February 26, 2014 at 15:17
haha. Thanks. Fixed.
oVg BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA... HA!
February 26, 2014 at 15:19
I am also very jaded when it comes to the price of gaming these days. I see a blur.
General JJ the annihilator
February 26, 2014 at 15:20
My brain’s been calibrated only to respond to the letters S A L E and reacting to any mention of it.
oVg BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA... HA!
February 26, 2014 at 15:22
I am trying to retrain my brain from R599 and R2999.
TiMsTeR1033
February 26, 2014 at 15:23
When some people see the .99 on the end they actually believe they getting it cheaper.
General JJ the annihilator
February 26, 2014 at 15:24
IT IS CHEAPER!! IT’S A STEAL!!!
TiMsTeR1033
February 26, 2014 at 15:25
esp when you see .95 at the end!
General JJ the annihilator
February 26, 2014 at 15:26
O_O
oVg BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA... HA!
February 26, 2014 at 15:25
Also the 10 to 1 conversion that I have always been doing.
General JJ the annihilator
February 26, 2014 at 15:18
The fact that you picked it up and others didn’t is exactly why these things succeed 😉
oVg BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA... HA!
February 26, 2014 at 15:20
Kensei for Budget minister.
VampyreSquirrel
February 26, 2014 at 15:26
lol
Kensei Seraph
February 26, 2014 at 15:15
If I wanted to get an Xbone and I lived in the UK I’d probably wait a few more months as it seems likely there will be another price drop.
oVg BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA... HA!
February 26, 2014 at 15:17
What about the poor dudes who spent full price last month. Not a clever marketing move.
Kensei Seraph
February 26, 2014 at 15:19
http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130817005521/degrassi/images/5/51/Lie_down_try_not_to_cry_cry_a_lot_cleaned_525.jpg
General JJ the annihilator
February 26, 2014 at 15:21
…
oVg BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA... HA!
February 26, 2014 at 15:29
This needs to be made for the Kinect 2 instructions.
TiMsTeR1033
February 26, 2014 at 15:29
Yoh! you went there!
oVg BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA... HA!
February 26, 2014 at 15:21
I notice he is now single.
TiMsTeR1033
February 26, 2014 at 15:26
now just make the hair red and can say its nick!
General JJ the annihilator
February 26, 2014 at 15:19
“Poor” being the right word there.
Hammersteyn
February 26, 2014 at 15:22
Feels for everyone who bought day one. See this is what happens when you think you’re customers are so loyal that you can wipe your ass with their sheets and they will still offer you some tea.
oVg BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA... HA!
February 26, 2014 at 15:31
Not even the day one consoles are backward compatible. That was one thing going for the 60gig fat PS3.
Hammersteyn
February 26, 2014 at 17:04
Agreed, now I have to consoles taking up HDMI ports on my TV.
Kensei Seraph
February 26, 2014 at 15:29
Yay, semi-boring lecture time. :/
VampyreSquirrel
February 26, 2014 at 15:30
Place n run!!!!
General JJ the annihilator
February 26, 2014 at 15:31
This would take me a year to put together.
VampyreSquirrel
February 26, 2014 at 15:32
It’s actually really well done… I dig it.
General JJ the annihilator
February 26, 2014 at 15:36
I agree. I can just imagine how long this must’ve taken.
RinceandGATHERTroops!
February 26, 2014 at 15:34
The X what? Marks the spot? Or the care button is the X one?
Anon A Mouse
February 26, 2014 at 16:59
Funny how Forbes disagrees with you completely on this.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2014/02/25/microsoft-shouldnt-cut-xbox-one-price/
InsanityFlea
February 26, 2014 at 20:44
http://replygif.net/i/1176.gif