XBOX PRICE DROP!

[Raider]

Just got the new Wal-Mart ads in, the XBOX is now going to be on Rollback to the new price of $149.92 starting in April.


added by cheapyd
http://www.cheapassgamer.com/images/ads/xboxpricedrop.jpg

[Sporadic]

Cool I wonder if it will be a Wal-Mart exclusive or all-around.

[Thunderscope]

Dang I was going to buy it tomorrow guess I'll wait

[x0thedeadzone0x]

does it come w/ free games or just normal because they have some bundle going on at wal-mart with the xbox w/ like 2 games and Xbox live for 180$ so think about it if the xbox is alone then the deal up rite now is better. unless the xbox comes with games and stuff too. but still thats awesome then PS2 will prolly go down.

[n00bie]

April Fools?

[xboxundone]

I will believe it when i see it. As how does he already have the APRIL ads????? Sorry have to say it a FAKE deal. :?:

[WildWop]

it would be a good time for them to do it, though, since it is likely PS2 will drop around E3 in May. M$ could one-up Sony, and see if it helps thier sales. Maybe do a Halo pack-in at the $150 price point. Xboxes would fly off the shelves.

[Cik]

My local news channel had a segment on the
x-box price drop and stated that sony will eventually follow suit this spring.

[EggViper]

they say the xbox will drop its price down to $125 by e3 and perhaps $99 by the summer so im probally gonna wait on that.

[ElwoodCuse]

Don't count your chickens just yet. Remember the whole "PS2 will be $99 next month's Target ad says so" thing?

This MAY be true, but don't be surprised if it doesn't happen.

[EggViper]

well im not in a big rush to get a xbox fast anyway but considering that ms is pushing xbox 2 to next year, a price drop like that isnt out of the question. especially since the last price drop happened around last e3 (or was it the e3 2 years ago).

[floormat]

I have no idea how valid his statement is but the walmart ads are 1 month at a time so this has the possiblity of being legit.

[n00bie]

I'll definitely pick up a PS2 for $99 if that ever happens.

[scuba]

I wonder if gamecube will drop. I wish the gba would drop, I would like to get one for a good price.


Thats not soo great. 150 for just an xbox? Best Buy has one for 200 which include thst tetris and star wars combo and gta double pack.

[Ivanhoe]

just fyi
ads are usually made 3-4 weeks ahead of time
which makes it very possible that he really has the ad already (only a
few weeks from april)

But also due to making them far ahead of time they are sometimes incorrect
most recent would be bestbuy ad advertising the new ps2 model when it didnt actually come out till 2months later

well see.

but also this guy only has 3 posts

so he should scan in the ad or somthing.

[Simon Adebesi]

OH BOY!!!!!

i get to save around 8 cents on an XBOX.

[equest943]

Shoot...and I was gonna buy one today..guess I'll wait. Hopefully wal-mart will still have that three games with 2 months xbox live free bundle they've had for the past month.

[Mr. Anderson]

Damn, I would most definitly jump on this when it happens, but my mom wont' let me have any more consoles. It really sucks.

[Raider]

Well for those that don't believe me I posted a picture of it from my camera phone, I can't link to the image directly but it can be seen at http://raider82.textamerica.com/ it's the first image. I visit here often, just don't post much, but thought I'd give the heads up for anyone that wanted to buy a XBOX soon.

[raykim777]

ooooo
It's really $149!!!!!
I'm gonna get this with Ninja Gaiden...
Thanx OP.

[WhipSmartBanky]

Damn. I really wanted to say, "SHW PROOOF NOW PLZ!@!!!SHIFT+1!!"

[terribledeli]

I wouldn't necessarily site this as Microsoft doing a universal drop. My local wal-mart often sells consoles for $20-30 cheaper than MSRP. I could have bought the Sega GT/JSRF bundle for $170 when it first came out.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr]

:idea:

[Raider]

Well this is a nation wide ad, and I doubt that Wal-Mart would be taking that kind of hit on a price drop if it wasn't from Microsoft. I can't scan the ad, cause I don't have a scanner, it's from my cam phone, that should be enough.

[Wshakspear]

looks legit to me. ANd it wasnt a scan, it was a crappy camera phone photo...and honestly thats enough. If anything, check his posts, they're walmart centric

[punqsux]

I will believe it when i see it. As how does he already have the APRIL ads????? Sorry have to say it a FAKE deal. :?:

http://www.ebaumsworld.com/forumfun/misc16.jpg

[sighlintbob]

Not sure if this has been posted yet, but if you recall their was a halo pack in with a green XBOX announced overseas that is apparently coming here next month. At least according to the higher ups of the company I work for. I guess I'll have to buy another XBOX now. Can't resist the green console.

[xboxundone]

I will believe it when i see it. As how does he already have the APRIL ads????? Sorry have to say it a FAKE deal. :?:

http://www.ebaumsworld.com/forumfun/misc16.jpg


I will still only believe it when i see it too many times lately i have seen ads that say game or consoles for such price, but the are changed by time full run. For those that dont have an Xbox yet i hope its True!!! More people i can whoop on Xbox live :)

[stealthshadow]

Well for those that don't believe me I posted a picture of it from my camera phone, I can't link to the image directly but it can be seen at http://raider82.textamerica.com/ it's the first image. I visit here often, just don't post much, but thought I'd give the heads up for anyone that wanted to buy a XBOX soon.

Cool, awesome find, I thank you a lot for taking a pic of the ad. Can you tell me if there is a price drop for the PS2 also? Or is it just for the XBOX? Thanks.

[jazzchamp]

Well, now that Sony knows about it, I'm sure the PS2 will drop as well. Likely on the same day or within a day.

[basketkase543]

But the problem still remains of there not being a pack-in game. The current deal still looks better.

[englishboy]

when is the Nextbox (xbox 2--whatever it's currently called) coming out?

[Ivanhoe]

i would bet the xbox boxes will still have a game included
it cant compete with ps2 at the same price so giving 1-2 extra free games is amust for microsoft to do imo.

As with the xbox may 2003 price drop . sony got news about it and droped there price 2 days before the xbox was planing to drop theres

so hopefully ps2's will be 149 the same day.

still dvd players are 30-40bucks now. 149 for a ps2 or xbox is still kinda high in its last year and 1/2 of its life cycle but maybe another drop will happen before xmas of 04 .

thanks for the post raider.
hopefully the ad was correct.

At bestbuy we get updates on this stuff before we even see the ads (usually)
I'll see if i can remember to look up possible price drops on our computer tomorrow.

Price drops mean all of us cheapassgamers win :)

[StealthGear]

I'm holding out for $129

[nintendokid]

With all due respect, I disagree. Come on, we all know that as of now, every Xbox made is about $40+ more than the $179 price tag. I'm not trying to make this another game info post, but MS launched the Xbox in HOPES to gather a good fan base to see how well they do. They are toe-to-toe with Nintendo (GC) and if you don't call that success, then I don't know what is.

In other words, why would they keep pumping out systems and lower it to $150 (meaning a loss of -$80 or more per system) when they could save for "Nextbox?" Seriously, they've gotten the good numbers already and everyone knows they have the potential...they don't need to lower it to $150 to bring in a few more numbers....what's the most they'll get? A few 10-20 thousand maybe? Nonetheless, I hope I'm wrong. I disagree that it'll lower, but I'm still with you guys. It'd be a killer price.

[zzl365]

With all due respect, I disagree. Come on, we all know that as of now, every Xbox made is about $40+ more than the $179 price tag. I'm not trying to make this another game info post, but MS launched the Xbox in HOPES to gather a good fan base to see how well they do. They are toe-to-toe with Nintendo (GC) and if you don't call that success, then I don't know what is.

In other words, why would they keep pumping out systems and lower it to $150 (meaning a loss of -$80 or more per system) when they could save for "Nextbox?" Seriously, they've gotten the good numbers already and everyone knows they have the potential...they don't need to lower it to $150 to bring in a few more numbers....what's the most they'll get? A few 10-20 thousand maybe? Nonetheless, I hope I'm wrong. I disagree that it'll lower, but I'm still with you guys. It'd be a killer price.

I agree with you that they already have user recognition, but pricedrops are more about getting an installed fan-base. Think about it, you know that XBox games exist and are supposed to be decent, but it's not until you play Halo (or whatever other XB exclusives) that you feel you need the sequel(s) and will buy whichever system has that game on it. I think a drop to 150 will drum up some interest, and then when Halo 2 hits (hopefully in the Fall) there may be another price drop to coincide and really expand the fanbase...just my 2 cents.

[gamcreator]

Dang I was going to buy it tomorrow guess I'll wait

If this is true, then you can buy it now, and I know for a fact that Wal-Mart has a policy that says if you bought it within the past 90 days that you can get the price difference. Happened when I bought PS2 for $300 and then it dropped.

[CheapyD]

It says its also good on walmart.com. I wonder if they will have any good bundles.

http://textamerica.com/user.images/img_391929/T40403130912590.jpg

[laparka72]

what in the bejeezus is this 3 games, xbox, and 2 months live at walmart deal? is it a YMMV issue? or at all walmarts?

[Medium_Pimpin]

This may very well be a deal exclusive to walmart, america's #1 retailer, period.

Either way, i doubt MS will initiate a price drop without a sony pricedrop, that would mean further losses for MS.
When PS2 or Xbox drops it's price, expect a million to sell(either) within the first month or few weeks. Plenty of people are anticipating such an event, and it will kill any hype that gamecube has drummed up with it's $99 system.

[getmeadealcom]

I wouldn't be surprised. The first I heard of the Nintendo $99 price drop was this month-or-so-in-advance photo of a Walmart ad:

http://www.getmeadeal.com/00_graphics/product/video_games/nintendo_price_drop_BIG.jpg

That info spread like crazy and Nintendo went ahead and dropped the price a few weeks early.

[Theenternal]

My walmart and Tru sells the ps2 at 159.99 thats only 10 off the xbox price drop. Is it still 179.99 at other places? Also remember that the network ps2 would still be pricy against a 149 xbox

[tubtub]

Theenternal, which TRU is selling PS2s for $159.99? I know Wal-marts have been selling PS2s for below cost in areas(mine had them for $162 at one point(along with GBA SPs for $84),now PS2s are back to $180), but I wouldn't think TRU would actually sell the systems below cost as it would be a huge loss for them.

Anyway, I'm willing to bet that this drop is happening(it's been reported on numerous sites for months now to expect one by E3). Before the ad scan, an X-box rep was claiming at TRU that X-box would definitely drop before June.

[ultimanecat1]

In all honesty, these little incremental price drops are getting a bit ridiculous. I mean, less is less, but a year back we were expecting this $150 price, and instead they took a measly 20 bucks of the then price of $200. If we can expect to see the next generation of systems within a year or two, then Sony and MS need to get their act together and let the $99 price fly!

...But, MS would lose tons of money selling the XBox for $99. If Sony really wanted to put the hurt on MS, they could try streamlining PS2 production to a point where selling at a $99 pricepoint would be feasible.

I also don't think that $150 XBoxes would sell more than the $99 GC's...once a major piece of consumer electronics falls under a hundred bucks, its like a little switch goes off in shoppers' minds: "Hmmm, under a hundred, I guess I could get that!'. The system goes from planned purchase into impulse buy territory.

[organicow]

I also don't think that $150 XBoxes would sell more than the $99 GC's...once a major piece of consumer electronics falls under a hundred bucks, its like a little switch goes off in shoppers' minds: "Hmmm, under a hundred, I guess I could get that!'. The system goes from planned purchase into impulse buy territory.

I agree. Hell, the ol' "Honey, its just a hundred bucks" routine worked on my wife when they dropped the gamecube price, and I bet I'm not the only one whose wife was convinced by that detail...

While I agree also that this incremental thing is a bit annoying, it does make sense from a marketing standpoint. I guess.

[defender]

Never let the wife decide what games you can buy.

If it comes to that just shoot me!



Do you think she asks you to buy shoes? Look in the closet...on the floor. Count those suckers. For every 3 pairs you can justify one game. For every 5 pairs you can get a system. Tell her this and see how fast she stfu.

[organicow]

Never let the wife decide what games you can buy.

If it comes to that just shoot me!

You see, here's how married life works (at least for me): If I want to buy something frivolous (like another game system), then I am free to do so. My wife will not get mad at me or give me any hassle because she, like you said, certainly doesn't ask my permission to buy a zillion freaking shoes. :cry:

However, when I realize that I am purchasing something that she may view as a competitor (ie: games take away time that I could be spending with her, etc), I have a decision to make. I can A) Just buy the damn game and then deal with the repercussions (like smartass comments and ahem, uh, "coldness" in the bedroom..., know what I mean??) OR B) Make a good case for buying the game/console (like a good price, or other benefit to her such as the PS2 or XB's DVD playback abilities). :twisted:

So ultimately I have decided that having access to a regular amount of ass and 'tang is worth having to wait for something to go on sale. :wink:

And let this be a lesson to all ye single whippersnappers (or thirty-year-olds in their parents' basements)!!!

'cow out!

[ultimanecat1]

Not single! Well, dating the same lady for a few years, anyway.

I was lucky in that I convinced my lady friend to like certain video games. While I don't see her enjoying a nice game of Devil May Cry anytime soon, she definitely likes games that we can play together. She especially likes Ico right now. We even beat Halo together! This, my friends, is the single greatest argument for game programmers to implement co-op in their games: it allows girls to enjoy the same games guys do, and as we all know, a happy lady is a, ahem, friendly lady.

[Ivanhoe]

just remember ps2 didnt drop there 299 price until microsoft droped theres.

why if your sony selling millions of ps2 and 3,4,5 to 1 in sales vs cube and xbox would you lower your price today?

theres no reason i see.
xbox is in the losers seat in sales a price drop increases fan base. and they will need a larger fanbase if they want to compete in the next console wars.

MS needs more people to buy and like there xbx1 so they all go out and buy there xbx2.


even a 149 drop isnt that great. Its somthing . but not much because it should of happend before xmas of 03 in everyone opinions including "experts".

It would be nice if sony sees the xbx drop to 149 and drops the ps2 to 139
i know it would never happen but it would be nice to see and id buy another ps2

[Ivanhoe]

Looks like walmart ads always get there pricedrop news early.

here is a walmart add before the 299 to 199 price drop

http://news.teamxbox.com/content.php?id=3031

[Zomboy]

Wow, if PS2 drops along with the X-Box, I'll have to get another system (or two, if I decide the X-Box is worth getting at $150)

[timmylamb]

Well the thing about the xbox is they take a loss on the xbox hardware, remember it includes a harddrive i think and a network adapter, unlike the ps2 where you have to purchase those seperately, MS makes their money on the liscense to companies to make games on their console, plus they can take a hit on the xbox because they are filthy rich and they probably just right it off as a tax loss so they really arent losing much. I'd take xbox over ps2 any day of the week, and I dont hate MS products either haha.

Tim

[ElwoodCuse]

The Xbox is worth it right now. Just buy a used one if you really only want to pay $140 or whatever. I had a PS2 since November 2000 and didn't much care about the Xbox for the longest time, but I got one after Christmas and have had a blast with all the exclusives.

[Doom Gaze]

Hmm.. this is interesting.. Nintendo needs to drop about $20 now, keep sales going.

Not that I want an X-box..

[Ivanhoe]

id buy a xbox at 99.99 maybe
their just arnt enough games .

sony is rpg and strategy haven + all the other great action etc games

[laparka72]

I JUST got a xbox yesterday so I REALLY would love a price drop within 30 days...
price match!!
And as far as exclusives go, I like the ones xbox has had as of late..colin mcrae, SWKOTOR DOA series, and now with the news of SNK games almost being exclusive to xbox due to sony's hatred of all things 2d..
I love mine so far

[Javery]

I would buy an xbox for $99 - but that is it. I have a GCN and PS2 so justifying another system in the house is tough. Especially when there aren't that many exclusive games worth playing, IMO. I would like it for Splinter Cell and KotOR and I guess to get the best looking versions of multiplatform games though... still $99 is as high as I'll go (unless it comes down to $120 with a pack-in)...

[getmeadealcom]

I think $149 is a good buy point. There are some nice upcoming Xbox games that won't be on the to PS2:

BC
Chronicles of Riddick
Dead or Alive Online
Doom III
Fable
Full Spectrum Warrior
Half Life 2
Halo 2
Jade Empire
Otogi 2
Ralisport Challenge 2
Star Wars: Republic Commando
Sudeki
Thief III
True Fantasy Live Online

And that doesn't include the recently released Ninja Gaiden.

[sman113]

If you are waiting for these games to come out, byyou might as well wait until the xbox is $99 b/c all these games you just mentioned wont be out for like 9 months, if even before NEXT fall.

Get an xbox now. Ninja Gaiden, Breakdown, Crimson Skies, ESPN Baseball, all awesome titles I am playing right now (ESPN soon)

[organicow]

Get an xbox now. Ninja Gaiden, Breakdown, Crimson Skies, ESPN Baseball, all awesome titles I am playing right now (ESPN soon)

All you jerk-offs are making it REALLY hard for me to not buy an Xbox!! Can't someone say something negative about it so I won't feel like I'm missing out on so much?!?!?

[Javery]

Something negative.... hmmmmm...

In the event of an emergency, the xbox cannot be used as a floatation device... :P

[organicow]

Something negative.... hmmmmm...

In the event of an emergency, the xbox cannot be used as a floatation device... :P

There you go!! That's what I'm talking about!!!

Seriously, mobsters could use that thing to sink bodies in the east river. "Sleep with da fishes," indeed! Those are some hefty consoles.

**i still want one...sniff...sniff...**

[getmeadealcom]

You're right, I got excited. Many of those games won't hit till Q4, but I don't think the Xbox will drop to $99 anytime soon (a year?, year and half?), so I'll revise my previous post:


I think $149 is a good buy point for the Xbox. There are some nice exclusives that I feel make it worth owning:

Right now, you can play KOTOR, Project Gotham Racing 2, Rainbow Six 3, Ninja Gaiden, Crimson Skies, Deus Ex 2, Elder Scroll 3, Otogi, Panzer Dragoon, Colin Mcrae Rally 04, Top Spin, Moto GP 2 and, of course, Halo...to name a few.

Next week, you can play Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow.

In two to three months, you can play (according to ebgames release info):

rallisport challenge 2 5/4
thief 3 5/17
dead or alive 6/1
sudeki 6/1
full spectrum warrior 6/8
fable 6/15

And then you can wait for Christmas (hopefully) and pick up a few of these:

BC
Chronicles of Riddick
Doom III
Half Life 2
Halo 2
Jade Empire
Otogi 2
Star Wars: Republic Commando
True Fantasy Live Online

[ultimanecat1]

Meh, I'll be realistically negative and say that you should wait until it comes down. I may pick one up if it ever hits $99 (which, in all reality it may never do) so I can play some Ninja Gaiden and Fable. Heck, every once in awhile I get the inkling to play some co-op Halo, and Halo 2 ought to be great also. KOTOR I already played and beat when my friend let me borrow his XBox while he studied in Europe. Most of the other games you mentioned are coming to PC, so I'd rather get those versions of them.

At some point, however, if you consider yourself a true gamer, you definitely should pick one up. The NeXtBox looks so far like it won't have any backwards-compatibility (in fact, I'd give 10-1 odds against it), so all of those neat exclusives will be locked to that wonderful black monolith forever.

[laparka72]

I'll say the prime reason I got mine now was that I desperately wanted to play colin mcrae, pazner dragoon orta, KOTOR, and all the upcoming SNK games..
good thing is, they're cheap!
Halo, doa3, and probably rallisport 2 are on my next to buy lists...
so, back on topic, any news on when this price drop will hit? I NEED it to happen soon for a price match!

[CheapyD]

Could this be an April fools joke?

[neopolss]

I have to say that Xbox's graphics put the ps2 to shame. I'd love to get one for Doom 3 (no way that one's gonna play on my old box).

[misbitski]

I was anti-Xbox for a long time, owning only the PS2 and Cube. I bought one 4Q02 and the thing died after 3 months, so I swore it off even more. Then in 4Q03 I bought a 16x9 HDTV. I buckled again and bought the Xbox.

There's really no comparison to PS2 on bigger TVs. You need the Xbox's higher res and HDTV modes just so the graphics don't look like total ass. Cube still stays in the running but just barely. I still like the Cube design the best of all of them, it's just shorted on titles a lot.

$150 is insane, $99 is ludicruous. IIt seems like just yesterday these were all selling for $300. Is technology getting cheaper/faster, or am I just getting old?

[WhipSmartBanky]

Could this be an April fools joke?

I wouldn't be surprised. Xbox-haters are a particularly vicious breed...

[Syncmaster]

April Fools?

This is was awhile ago, but I just wanted to say... I'm pretty sure that a company wouldn't allow it's reputatain to be diminished by making tons of people coming in and them saying sorry, it's a "typo" or, Sorry it's an APRIL FOOLS JOKE, BAAHA!

And if it is an April fools joke, they should hang their heads in shame... cuz it's not funny, there are people who take these prices REALLY SERIOUSLY... isn't that why CAG was formed? Cheap deals for cheapass's like you and me?

[Tyler Durden]

when is the Nextbox (xbox 2--whatever it's currently called) coming out?
You're stupid.

[guessed]

April Fools?

This is was awhile ago, but I just wanted to say... I'm pretty sure that a company wouldn't allow it's reputatain to be diminished by making tons of people coming in and them saying sorry, it's a "typo" or, Sorry it's an APRIL FOOLS JOKE, BAAHA!

And if it is an April fools joke, they should hang their heads in shame... cuz it's not funny, there are people who take these prices REALLY SERIOUSLY... isn't that why CAG was formed? Cheap deals for cheapass's like you and me?

I don't think anyone was suggesting that Walmart was playing an April Fools joke, but rather that someone else may have photoshopped the ad as an April Fools joke.

[n00bie]

April Fools?

This is was awhile ago, but I just wanted to say... I'm pretty sure that a company wouldn't allow it's reputatain to be diminished by making tons of people coming in and them saying sorry, it's a "typo" or, Sorry it's an APRIL FOOLS JOKE, BAAHA!

And if it is an April fools joke, they should hang their heads in shame... cuz it's not funny, there are people who take these prices REALLY SERIOUSLY... isn't that why CAG was formed? Cheap deals for cheapass's like you and me?

I don't think anyone was suggesting that Walmart was playing an April Fools joke, but rather that someone else may have photoshopped the ad as an April Fools joke.

That is what I thought when I first saw the ad.

[Poodleman]

go out and buy it! most places will give you the price difference if it changes within 2 weeks from the purchase date!

[bingbangboom]

Yeah, this is some interesting news that I will point out at work. Microsoft is oddly enough struggling due to lack of FIRST PARTY SUPPORT!!! That is very weird but they want a kick start because sales having been increasing like people thought with the release of Ninja Gaiden even though the game is selling very well among their core base. It will be intersting to see what SCPT does mainly considering that everyone knows it will be release for the other consoles unlike last time when the game was only on a limited exclusive on only people that read up on gaming knew it would be on the other consoles.

[nba4life2k]

http://www.videostoremag.com/news/html/breaking_article.cfm?sec_id=2&article_ID=5969

In an effort to narrow the gap with Sony PlayStation 2, Microsoft will cut the U.S. price of the Xbox by $30, to $149.99, at month’s end, sources told Video Store Magazine.

“Xbox is dropping their price [between March 28 and April 1],” a game publishing executive close to the retail community said. “That’s verified. They’ve changed ad prices, they changed everything — that price is coming down.”

Asked for a response, an Xbox spokesperson said, “Microsoft does not comment on rumors and speculation.”

Xbox has been running a solid but distant second to PS2 in the console market, but may be concerned about Nintendo’s GameCube, which is in third place but has picked up considerable market share since cutting its hardware price to $99 last fall.

Retailers confirmed the Xbox move to game publishers while both were at Sony’s Destination PlayStation sales meeting late last month. At that meeting, Sony officials said the launch of the PSP portable player has been pushed back until early 2005, but didn’t mention any plans to lower PS2’s $179.99 price. Sony did tell retailers and publishers they expect to sell between 5 million and 7.5 million PS2 hardware units in North America this year. But one source for a major video retail chain said that when Microsoft cuts its price, “I’d be surprised if Sony didn’t match it right away.”

[Stu_sjb137]

Sweet, still wont get one tho.Ill wait till they get in the GC range.

[sandrockgundam219]

That info is wrong, gcn is ahead.

[Millbuddah]

CBS Marketwatch link (http://cbs.marketwatch.com/news/story.asp?guid=%7B1C7AEACD%2D9935%2D49FA%2D88CC%2D A5B9A6DF56AA%7D&siteid=mktw)

Just another link to a fairly credible source about the price drop.

[Tyler Durden]

Hmm....I might save my birthday money and wait for the price drop to buy another Xbox (haha, EBed the other one, hahaha). I miss Halo :(.

[terribledeli]

That info is wrong, gcn is ahead.

Nintendo was ahead during the Christmas season but Microsoft retook second place in January.

[peteyrose]

Xbox was well worth it for $300. $150 would be an absolute steal.

Not even counting all the other great games it has, Xbox is most like Dreamcast 2 than GC or PS2 are, and that's one of the key draws for a Sega fan like myself.

[AtmaWeapon]

How did you get the ad so far in advance?? Is there a site or something?? I need a way to get ads weeks in advance from all the major retailers, anyone know??

[King Bahamut]

That info is wrong, gcn is ahead.

Nintendo was ahead during the Christmas season but Microsoft retook second place in January.

You're talking about short-term sales rate. Gamecube is still about a million units behind XBox, but ahead of XBox by a good amount worldwide (thus Nintendo is truly second).

[CheapyD]

Looks like we got a confirmation on this:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=581&e=1&u=/nm/20040319/tc_nm/tech_microsoft_report_dc

Don't you guys feel like this price cut is a bit premature?
It leaves the door wide open for Sony to announce a bigger price cut at E3 in May.

[sighlintbob]

I'm sure that if Sony tried a bigger price cut later in the year, MS would bring theirs down even more. Let the price wars begin!

[organicow]

Though MS will be losing more $$ on each unit sold, they will certainly sell more units total. Sine MS makes a good many $$ on the games sold for its system, they are likely to be banking on gaining more gamers to whom they might sell games.

I personally will be buying an XB when the price drops, and will then be buying games for it; MS is likely counting on gamers like me to assure that they don't entirely lose ltheir shirts.

[gdw3877]

Check out the actual news link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4561311/

[wubb]

Cool, I would love to see some price wars kick up. I might pick up the PS2 if it ever hits $99 (maybe at $130), but then I would think how I could get 6+ Xbox games for that price, and I would probably hold back. (Not to mention that I would have to spend another $20+ for a memory card, and even more for additional controllers and a multi-tap. So I'd probably be looking at $170+ even at the $99 price for the base system. I could get quite a few Xbox games for that... Damn, I'm just too much of a cheap ass I guess.)

I would love to play Jak, R+C, and the offline FFs though.

[gdw3877]

Stick with the xbox. If you think about it, the xbox allready has a hard drive (10gb), a broadband connection and four controller ports. And if you buy a modchip, the possibilities are endless. Let's see you put a 120gb hdd in a ps2.

The ps2 harddrive is $99.99 (40gb), seperate broadband adapter ($39.99), multitap ($29.99), and memory card ($24.99).

You would be paying almost $195 extra for the ps2 stuff that the xbox all ready has. And technically the xbox is a better machine.

I own a ps2, xbox, and gamecube. I think the xbox is the best, followed by the gamecube, then the ps2. That is just my opinion though. I don't want to piss off all the ps2 fanboys. The only reason I picked up a ps2 was for the exclusive titles, like Devil May Cry, etc.

[gdw3877]

I'm also pretty sure that, given the technical nature of the xbox, that someone will come up with an emulator to play ps2 games on xbox. Not quite legal, but you never know.

[ultimanecat1]

I'm also pretty sure that, given the technical nature of the xbox, that someone will come up with an emulator to play ps2 games on xbox. Not quite legal, but you never know.

I wouldn't bet on it. In general, when you are trying to write an emulator on one machine for a architecturally separate machine, you have to basically "brute force" the code, as it can be extremely difficult to arrive at any elegance in such a program. The standard rule is that when writing an emulator, if you desire similar quality output as that of the original machine, the emulating machine should be about 10 times as fast. With massive optimizations and tricky coding, you may be able to get good performance out of a machine 4 or 5 times as fast as the original. Now, we all know that the Xbox is more powerful than a PS2, but 10 times as powerful? Doubtful. I would say the Xbox is twice as powerful as a PS2, tops. Which means no quality emulation.

This is the same reason that backwards compatibility on the NeXtBox looks like it isn't gonna happen. That system will be using a completely different architecture (more akin to a GC than the XBox, actually), and won't have a hard-drive. It would take a design miracle to reduce the Xbox hardware to a single chip (as the PS2 does with the PSX), which means that Microsoft would have to make it emulate it in software...and I've already pointed out why that isn't too feasible.

[Ivanhoe]

i think its a safe to bet that sony will match the price of the xbox(just like theydid last year)
making there system 149 and the online pack 169

[dvdman]

This not an exclusive markdown to Walmart stores only. The Wall Street Journal today has confirmed the price drop to $149.

[guessed]

Looks like we got a confirmation on this:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=581&e=1&u=/nm/20040319/tc_nm/tech_microsoft_report_dc

Don't you guys feel like this price cut is a bit premature?
It leaves the door wide open for Sony to announce a bigger price cut at E3 in May.

I think MS is counting on that actually. By cutting the price a little now, they sell a bunch of units before E3. Then when Sony announces their price drop, lets say to $129 (just a guess, don't quote me), MS will pretty much have to follow suit. But in the mean time, they presumably will have sold far more units based on the hype of the $149 price, than they would have sold at $179, and they get to appear to be the leaders (the ones initiating the price war), rather than being the followers.

[mcwilliams132]

From WinInfo:

http://www.winnetmag.com/windowspaulthurrott/Article/ArticleID/42079/windowspaulthurrott_42079.html

Xbox Gets a Price Cut

Microsoft will reportedly cut the price of the Xbox video game console from $180 to $150 in April, in a bid to kick start sales and keep the console selling ahead of the rival Nintendo GameCube, which costs just $99. Expect market leader Sony to follow suit with the pricing of its PlayStation 2, which still holds a huge lead and will continue to do so for the life of this generation of gaming hardware. All three companies are gearing up for the important E3 show in May, though Microsoft denies it will reveal details of its next-generation Xbox console, dubbed Xbox Next internally, at the show.

[drmuerto]

They mentioned the X-Box price drop on CNN this morning as part of a financial news segment around 10:15 a.m. PST. They mentioned the 149 USD pricetag and advised viewers to wait for the drop before they buy a console. They also mentioned the likelihood of the next generation systems being being released next year (although it sounded like speculation more than anything.)

[bingbangboom]

http://s4.invisionfree.com/Image_Hoster/index.php?s=68c393181c2ddeed61a8b24bb74d30d3&act=A ttach&type=post&id=256

Here is the new TRU ad starting April 1st.

[getmeadealcom]

Here is the new TRU ad starting April 1st.

$29.99 for PGR2.

[laparka72]

Best Buy does price matching right?

[equest943]

They sure do. and is that PGR2 going to be $30 across all retailers or is that TRU ad a sale? Because if they're going to be dropping the price to $30 across all stores then I need to return mine to wal-mart quickly.

[bingbangboom]

You know what I didn't even notice that. In all honesty I really have no idea what is going on with Microsoft. They didn't plan out any sort of release schedule for this year because they were all expecting Halo 2. Almost every first party title has been slashed in price.

These are not good signs. Not good signs at all. Ironically it reminds me of the N64 when Nintendo would have massive delays but never did they cut down their price so much for first party games so quickly.

These are not really good signs at all. I really think that Microsoft will try to release their next gen console first. It is sort of like they are loosing so much money on this now.

I mean I have an Xbox so I am not really a hater, I am a gamer who works at TRU so I see stuff. Sales are not steady for the Xbox. I mean hopefully this price drop will do something but Gamecubes are now starting to creep back in stores. We got some this week. Microsoft really should have dropped it's price where everywhere was sold out of gamecubes to get an advantage.

[laparka72]

as longs as they make xbox games for at least 2 years I will be happy...
I bought a DC in 99 and it died in 2 years! At least my ps2 is still kicking out games and will be for a long time. I Just got my xbox and think it's a GREAT system, I just don't want to buy another system for a looong time..

[bingbangboom]

That is the thing, the Xbox 2 might be out a year and a half before the PS3 or N5. That could be Microsoft's new plan and shifting away from the Xbox right now.

[Cyclaud]

PS2 has been out for almost 4 years and its still high. I want the xbox to drop because if it does, the PS2 will also drop. Thats what happened last time, boy do i love competition.

[bingbangboom]

The odd thing is that they drop the price and hope to make it up in sales of software... but then they also drop the price of software? Microsoft isn't evne trying to make money off the Xbox which we all sort of knew they wouldn't but to not really try is another thing.

[terribledeli]

Sales are not steady for the Xbox.

How do you figure? Xbox sales were up in January, typically a slow month for all consoles and I hardly think Ninja Gaiden is hurting anything.

Its a dry period for all consoles. Whats Nintendo or Sony released since the new year that flew off the shelves wildly?

[bingbangboom]

Sales were higher because of the lack of Gamecubes.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles was the top selling game for that month. Sonic Heroes and Mario Kart were also top sellers.

I didn't say Ninja Gaiden is hurting sales, it just isn't giving it a big boost. It is mainly selling among it's core. Which is not really a bad thing but Ninja Gaiden was supposed to be a game that say would have brought over more PS2 gamers.

[webster]

I work at Circuit city and were always selling out
running out of Gamcubes and gamecube stuff since january

[bingbangboom]

Yeah, just wait when Pokemon Colosseum comes out. Whew... say what you will but Pokemon is a bigger system seller than quite possibly Ninja Gaiden & Splinter Cell: PT combined. Although I won't be buying it. One thing that will hurt MS also now that it is fully out there that Splinter Cell will be coming to GC & PS2. Last time it was just a very very strong rumor. So that won't really be selling systems.

[SS4Brolly]

Yeah, just wait when Pokemon Colosseum comes out. Whew... say what you will but Pokemon is a bigger system seller than quite possibly Ninja Gaiden & Splinter Cell: PT combined. Although I won't be buying it.

Im pretty sure that all gamers are sick of the same old Pokemon Stadium/Colosseum shit that Nintendo keeps craming down our throats. I love Pokemon just as next as the next guy, but I would LOVE to see Colosseum tank and sell miserably. Maybe then Nintendo will make a halfway decent console game.

[shadd01]

allright, i sure hope this article on ign or a similar article about the possibilty of a price drop for the xbox hasnt been posted. I tried reading through the entire thread but i only made it about half way before i gave up and decided to post it, heres the link:

http://xbox.ign.com/articles/500/500421p1.html

hope this helps
--Shadd

[JSweeney]

No kidding. I was talking to the manager at the Gamecrazy where I had put in my preorder for colleseum (I got mine as soon as Nintendo started the Jiraichi promotion), and he had told me that his store alone had done around 70 preorders for it.

That's just insane... he told me he only had about 20 for Ninja Gaiden (yet all of the copies he got flew off the shelves just the same).

[JSweeney]

Yeah, just wait when Pokemon Colosseum comes out. Whew... say what you will but Pokemon is a bigger system seller than quite possibly Ninja Gaiden & Splinter Cell: PT combined. Although I won't be buying it.

Im pretty sure that all gamers are sick of the same old Pokemon Stadium/Colosseum shit that Nintendo keeps craming down our throats. I love Pokemon just as next as the next guy, but I would LOVE to see Colosseum tank and sell miserably. Maybe then Nintendo will make a halfway decent console game.

I don't think I can agree with that.. the full fledged RPG mode on Colleseum makes it radically different that Stadium. If Pokemon Box had made it to the US as a full priced release, then I complain right along with you... but Colleseum has its own full game, along with the same functionality as Stadium had.

[morpheusxp]

I work at WalMart and the other day we got in about fifteen cases of Xboxs(we normally only have 1 or 2 cases). If they aren't going on Rollback then we sure are going to have a lot of Xboxs in the security room. BTW they have Amped 2 packed in with them.

[bingbangboom]

Yeah, PC is selling alot of presells at work. Especially at Toys R Us we have sold like more than 70.