Well blow me down it appears that I was utterly and completely wrong.
I have been telling everyone not to expect a local price cut as we have already had a large one and are very competitively priced at the moment. However Microsoft seems to want to make it even easier to get into HD gaming and to be honest you can’t not be interested at R1799…
The Pro, including the 60GB drive, is now only R2699 and the Elite is R3499…Â
So once again you could get 2 Xbox 360 Arcades and a game each for less than a PS3… that sort of value is going to be very hard to deny.
Microsoft today announced the new lower ERP for its entire Xbox 360 family of consoles in South Africa.
From today, Xbox 360, which includes a 60GB hard drive and one wireless controller, will have an estimated retail price (ERP) of R 2699.99.
The Xbox 360 Elite, which comes with a 120GB hard drive, will have an ERP of R 3499.99. The entry level Xbox 360 Arcade console will have an ERP of R 1799.99.
Microsoft says that the new ERPs are part of the company’s ongoing strategy to “open up the ultimate in high-definition gaming and entertainment to an even wider audienceâ€.
“We’re proud to be expanding the reach of Xbox as the first next-generation console to break the R2000 barrier, making the platform significantly more affordable than competitors†said Marc Batten, Head of, Microsoft Interactive Entertainment Business South Africa.Â
“History shows that the majority of console sales happen after this price point has been breached, and we’re well positioned to take advantage of this mass market pricing. We’re passing on the benefits of being the first console to sell over 20 million units worldwide, and of the ever-expanding ecosystem of Xbox, to consumers.Â
“In addition, with shoppers tightening their belts and feeling the pinch of prices on the rise, staying in is becoming a more viable form of sociable entertainment. In the line up for Christmas, you can expect over 90 new games launching including some really innovative entertainment experiences. Together with these groundbreaking new price points we hope to continue to enjoy fantastic momentum in South Africa,†adds Batten
Last Updated: October 6, 2008
Lupus
October 6, 2008 at 09:08
Yeah now how about giving us freaking Live?
Milesh Bhana ZA
October 6, 2008 at 10:31
I would have preferred it if they kept the price of the Pro the same and added the Wi-Fi.
But R1799 for an arcade is awesome.
I think the price cut was needed, despite the fact that the 360 was R1999, everyone i know still wants a Wii (now double the price of an arcade!)
JimBob
October 6, 2008 at 11:16
Bad Microsoft, lying in its press release. The Wii reached 20 million before the 360 and is at about 10 million more units worldwide.
Wesley
October 6, 2008 at 11:23
its cool of the price cuts and all but what about the accesories, i mean a 512mb memory card +/- R600 and a 20Gb HDD +/- R1200? Am i the only one whose seeing this???
Screw the consoles bring down the prices of accesories
eyesuc
October 6, 2008 at 11:52
hey, nintendo are doing it, so why can’t M$ 🙂
good job on the price cuts! where is my local Live??
SlippyMadFrog
October 6, 2008 at 12:07
I bought my Xbox360 when it still only had component output. I’m thinking of getting the arcade and just adding my HDD from my other console. Then I’ll have HDMI. Sweet! Plus I’ll have two console for my multiplayer needs.
baba
October 6, 2008 at 12:32
Absolutely fantastic!!! You can get the 360 arcade for roughly the same price as a PS2!!! If the sales go up, I wonder if the stores (Toys-R-Us for example) that dropped the 360 from their line-up will consider putting it on the shelves again?
I agree with the rest of you, shame about local Live though…
CraigN
October 6, 2008 at 14:09
Awesome to get a price cut. I too was not expecting another price cut this financial year. Big ups to Microsoft for bringing prices down while all around us the prices are going up.
Macethy
October 6, 2008 at 18:09
Another price cut fantastic!Pretty soon the 20GB hard drive will cost more than the console itself 👿