Japan Xbox Price to Drop 30%

[Shadow20002]

Microsoft to cut the price of its Xbox console in Japan by more than 30 percent.

Microsoft today announced that it will cut the price of its Xbox console in Japan by more than 30 percent. The price cut will take effect on November 20. The drop from 24,800 (US$228) yen to 16,800 yen (US$155) will make the Xbox less expensive than the PlayStation 2, which from November 13 will sell for 19,800 yen (US$182), but the Microsoft console will still cost Japanese gamers more than Nintendo's 14,000 yen (US$129) GameCube.

November 20 will also see Microsoft releasing a new Japanese Xbox bundle comprising a console, two controllers, a DVD movie playback kit, copies of Halo and Project Gotham Racing 2, and two months of free access to Xbox Live. The new bundle will be available for a limited period only and will sell for 19,800 yen (US$182). Microsoft has also announced that it will be distributing free copies of its Xbox Music Mixer to Japanese gamers via games magazines beginning November 29.

The Xbox price cut is a clear attempt by Microsoft to claim a larger share of the Japanese console market. At the end of June 2003, Japanese consumers had purchased only 450,000 Xboxes, compared to 13.6 million PS2s.

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[XslayerX]

Hope it sells more now.

[Yankeez]

i want a price drop over here damn it!

[CyberBOMB]

going to buy an xbox for my brother in a few days
any reports of a usa drop in price anytime soon?

[Evil_Dr_Beefy]

it would be funny, if it wasn't so sad.....That japanese bundle here for $ 155 would destroy the playstation 2.. It's like we are in a never ending cycle.....Microsoft cuts price in japan again...posters in xbox forums "i hope it sells more".........3 months later........Microsoft cuts price in japan......posters in xbox forums..i hope it sell more......i'm not belittleing the fanbase..just the never ending cycle.......pricecuts aren't working...do something else...

[Kortiz]

You know, I wonder, why don't they just lower the price to 99 and be done with it? Especially in Japan. They aren't selling jack in Japan, why not focus more on Xbox2 and give xbox a good spurt in sales for a few months leading up to Christmas and a few months after Christmas?

[Cloud Strife]

I still don't think that's going to help Xbox sales out. Before Microsoft started the Xbox World Collection games, the Xbox was getting 1-3 new games a month over there, and it was usually a bad game most of the time. Most of the good ones were made on the western side, and that usually doesn't interest the people in Japan. Xbox just needs some Japanese RPG games and better support from developers like Konami, and a few others to sell well.

[Lucifer_Hawk]

Cloud is completely right. The Xbox has no support from any popular japanese companies over there, and Xbox doesn't have any good RPG's that include intense love stories, hot chicks and people with bulging eyes! Once MS can make some good deals to get some RPG's that the Asian consumer might like, then Xbox will be in buisness.

[OC Noob]

Man that is a sweet bundle with all that stuff AND Halo. Too bad Japan is in love with that fruity Final Fantesy anime crap. The box is just too American. They need to some serious developing for that market.

[Cloud Strife]

Originally posted by OC Noob
Too bad Japan is in love with that fruity Final Fantesy anime crap. The box is just too American. They need to some serious developing for that market.

I happen to love Final Fantasy and anime. Final Fantasy is my favorite videogame series of all time, that's why my name is Cloud Strife.

Anyway, I also had a chance to check the Xbox games sales chart, and I saw that Dead or Alive 3 was the best selling Xbox game selling around 200,000 copies followed by DOA Xtreme Volleyball. It seems that if there was no Team Ninja, Xbox would really be having a hard time over there. But the good news was the Halo was the third best selling game at 75,000 copies, which is actually pretty good compared to other games.

[X-Fan]

i know this might sound racist but imo they shud pull our belove dxbox outta that ****ty country.hey dont deserve this great product.we are the ones who are ****ing dum enuff to make jap companies succeed here in north america and when we launch our product there they just neglect it since its not jap and not ***got like enuff for them!!!sorry but had to say all this.

[BENYJETR35]

DAMN! They need something like that here...