Home Gaming Xbox 360 Price Drop: Is this the end of Sony's reign?

Xbox 360 Price Drop: Is this the end of Sony's reign?

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XboxKingCheap.jpg

As many of you will already know, Sony is not only pushing next-generation technology forwards with the PS3 but is also still enjoying the incredible success of the Playstation 2.

The Playstation 2 is still incredibly popular worldwide due to it’s low price and vast library of games. Today however, there is a story buzzing around N4G that brings up the question of whether or not the Xbox 360 price drop will bump the PS2 off of it’s throne.

With the Xbox 360 Arcade SKU now dropping to the magic price of $199.99, only slightly more expensive than the PS2, one can clearly see why a consumer would be tempted to go pick up the next-gen console instead. Add to the fact that the Xbox 360 is now boasting a decent library of games as well and you may just have a winner.

Maybe it isn’t as simple as it sounds. You see, there are two main factors that need to be taken into account. The reliabilty of the Xbox 360 and that behemoth known to the world of casual gaming as the Nintendo Wii.

The concern over the Xbox 360’s reliability is very real. The news has spread and casual consumers are aware of the problems that have plagued the console since its launch. When a parent is standing in a store, deciding which unit to purchase for their child’s birthday/christmas present, the idea of a troublesome console that may cause extra time and effort in the future is more than enough reason for the them to rather play it safe and go for the PS2 instead.

Now we get to the Nintendo Wii. It’s fun, it’s family friendly and all the people on the posters look really, really happy. “Wow”, the parent may think, “At least this will get little John/Jane off of the couch a little bit and maybe we can play as well, you know, like family time”. There has been a lot of speak about how Nintendo Wii’s are selling like hotcakes but are then left to collect dust after a month. Truth is, what does that matter when someone is standing in a store armed with a credit card.

The coming price drop for the Xbox 360 is definitely going to tilt things in Microsoft’s favour and could possibly dethrone the PS2 as the next long term, wallet-considerate gaming console but with the PS2 still boasting a huge game library and the Nintendo Wii capturing the hearts and wallets of parents and children alike, I am not too sure that we are going to be seeing any definitive results just yet.

Is the Xbox 360 going to be the PS2 of this generation? To be honest, I think it’s still way too early to tell. With the PS3 still coming in at a significantly higher price than Microsoft’s cheapest option, I decided to leave it out of the fight, for now.

If the price of the PS3 drops in future and has the features that the average gamer’s parent will be attracted to, then we may just see it stepping in to snatch the crown. Sony will need to get moving though as the $199.99 price tag on the Xbox 360 will appeal to consumers, especially because it’s a next-gen HD console and if Microsoft get too much of a headstart then Sony may just not be able to catch up in time.

Let the games begin.

source: pwnamon.co.uk

Last Updated: August 5, 2008

17 Comments

  1. “Is the Xbox 360 going to be the PS2 of this generation?”

    No, in terms of sales, the Wii is the PS2 of this generation.

    In fact, the Wii is currently outperforming the PS2’s sales:

    http://vgchartz.com/hwlaunch.php?cons1=PS2&reg1=All&cons2=Wii&reg2=All&cons3=X360&reg3=All&weeks=156

    I thought it was a fad, but sadly, it seems to be here to stay.

    Reply

  2. JimBob

    August 5, 2008 at 12:41

    In fact, the Wii is currently outperforming the PS2’s sales:

    — by that I mean sales after the first two years on the market.

    Reply

  3. abe

    August 5, 2008 at 12:44

    [Flame] Lol the xbox has to compete with the PS2 cos it cant touch the PS3 [/Flame]

    It wouldnt surprise me to see a drop in the price of the PS2 now, they could easily drop it to $90, I also wouldnt be surprised to see the much fabled and rumoured PS3 price drop!

    Reply

  4. SlippyMadFrog

    August 5, 2008 at 12:53

    Sadly the PS3 can’t touch the PS2 as well

    Reply

  5. darthdad

    August 5, 2008 at 12:59

    Meh! This is from N4G. Don’t believe anything you read there……

    Reply

  6. Milesh Bhana ZA

    August 5, 2008 at 13:01

    while money talks and a cheaper console will definitely help. Sony has been particularly effective with their marketing.

    People still say “Games are better cuz they’re on Blu-Ray”. “PS3 must be better cuz it’s more expensive” etc. So the perceived value by a larage chunk of the public is still in the PS3’s favour.

    As a gaming machine i think we can all agree they’re pretty much equal, but the number of people who don’t know that is astounding.

    Milesh Bhana ZA’s last blog post..Condemned: Criminal Origins [360]

    Reply

  7. ocelot

    August 5, 2008 at 15:14

    Drop the PS2 to $90 and watch it sell like hot cakes all over again.

    Reply

  8. Fox1

    August 5, 2008 at 15:26

    With HD TV’s becoming cheaper and cheaper, I don’t think many people would want an SD console with a games library of second grade games. Especially when your friend has realistic and smooth graphics on a console that is cheaper than that last gen console 😛

    Reply

  9. Fox1

    August 5, 2008 at 15:28

    And the PS3 can’t touch 360 as well :mrgreen:

    Reply

  10. Milesh Bhana ZA

    August 5, 2008 at 17:28

    ever heard of the Wii ? 😛

    Milesh Bhana ZA’s last blog post..Condemned: Criminal Origins [360]

    Reply

  11. ewie

    August 5, 2008 at 18:33

    It is not just the price drop, there is a lot more
    factors in play this time around, yes the price drop
    will play a big role with it, but another big factor this round is that “exclusives” have been released on both systems
    games like DMC, GTA and others have made it possible for ps2
    gamers to say but i can get the same game on a cheaper system,
    another big factor is that the ps2 was a JRPG stronghold, not any more currently there are more exclusives available on the xbox and even Square and others are releasing exclusive JRPG’s and all the rest seems to go multilayer,
    this will just add to the – but it s also available on the cheaper system. So you can buy a xbox for 199 + 4 good JRPG for the same price as a ps3 without any games, yes the arcade does not have a wireless connection etc, but neither does the ps2 – and there us going to be a lot of players not going online but just going to play sngle player games.

    Reply

  12. doobiwan

    August 6, 2008 at 01:12

    Well look at the SA market, our prices are already there. I know no-one that wants to pay R1400 for a PS2 when you can get a 360 for R2000.

    Just to emphasise ewies point, it’s not just JRPG’s. $200 is family buying territory, the same folks that have still been buying PS2s now. Come Xmas they’ll be looking for “family titles” which is why MS’s E3 announcements were so important.

    When Mom’s/Dad’s go looking to buy a new console the first question they’ll ask is “What about DDR, GH, singstar, Buzz and Eyetoy” to which the Xbox can reply “DDR, GH exclusives, Lips, Scene IT and you’re in the movies”. Only then is it time to mention the 360 exclusives.

    Reply

  13. LazySAGamer

    August 6, 2008 at 02:49

    So since N4G picked it up the story is fake?

    … So no Eurogamer articles, no articles posted on N4G, obviously no Major Nelson, TeamXbox or Xbox360Fanboy articles…

    What next? can we still use IGN 😉

    Reply

  14. Abe

    August 6, 2008 at 10:40

    Go into a makro, game or hypamarket and you are bound to see someone buying a ps2. R600 in the south african market is huge, especially with most not understanding HD.

    Reply

  15. darthdad

    August 6, 2008 at 10:58

    Just going with the flow Lazy. 😉

    Reply

  16. Ernie

    August 8, 2008 at 14:44

    Emmmmm….no. Sony will always be king

    Ernie’s last blog post..ReelDesign Is Open for Business

    Reply

  17. Milesh Bhana

    August 8, 2008 at 19:50

    pay attention! Nintendo is king. Sony and MS are scraping it out for 2nd place.

    Milesh Bhana’s last blog post..Condemned: Criminal Origins [360]

    Reply

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