Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. News

Microsoft cuts Japan price for Xbox

Ian Bell
By


Xbox 360 Elite
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Microsoft Corp. said Wednesday it is cutting the price in Japan for its high-end Xbox 360 game console by 25 percent in a bid to lift demand ahead of the critical year-end shopping season.


Recommended Videos

The Xbox 360 Elite will now cost 29,800 yen ($320), down from 39,800 yen. The move was in line with Microsoft’s announcement last week that it was slashing the U.S. price for the Xbox 360 Elite by $100 to $299.

Related

“With the price cut, we hope to boost demand for the Xbox game console. The Christmas and year-end shopping season is very important for us,” said Joji Sakaguchi, director of Xbox marketing in Japan.

Microsoft is locked in a three-way game console battle with Japanese rivals Nintendo Co. and Sony Corp. But sales of Microsoft’s Xbox game console are lagging far behind Nintendo’s hugely popular Wii home console and Sony’s PlayStation.

The Xbox’s market share only stands at 9 percent in the Japanese game market, worth 550 billion yen, compared with the Wii’s 65 percent. Sony’s PlayStation commands a 26 percent market share in Japan, according to data from Tokai Tokyo Securities Co. Ltd.

Microsoft’s price cut followed a similar move by Sony, which recently slashed the U.S. price for PlayStation 3 to $299.

Sakaguchi said he was confident going into the competition during the holiday season with both the Xbox 360 Elite and Sony’s PlayStation 3 now costing $299 in the United States.

“We are confident that we will do well during the upcoming holiday season. We cannot lose,” he said. During the busy Christmas season, game makers rake in most of their sales for the year.

Sony said last week a new PlayStation 3 will go on sale in Japan on Thursday priced at 29,980 yen.

Ken Kitabayashi, a consultant specializing in the game industry at leading think Nomura Research Institute Ltd., said the discounted prices by Microsoft and Sony would likely create new demand, helping spur the recession-hit industry.

“With Microsoft and Sony both selling their game consoles below 30,000 yen, it could attract people who have shunned pricey game consoles,” he said.

Microsoft has three versions of its Xbox 360 game consoles at three different prices. Apart from the high-end Xbox Elite, it has the mid-range Xbox 360 Pro, which costs 29,800 yen in Japan. The company also sells the Xbox 360 Arcade, the cheapest among the three, with the price tag of 19,800 yen. The Arcade does not have a hard drive.

Sakaguchi said the company is phasing out the mid-range Xbox 360 Pro.

“We will clear our stock. Once all our stock is gone, we won’t be making the Xbox 360 Pro,” he said.

Microsoft has sold more than 31.4 million of the Xbox 360 machines globally, compared with 23.7 million Sony’s PlayStation 3 machines and 52.6 million of Nintendo’s Wiis.

Since its launch in 2006, Nintendo’s Will hit 50 million unit sales worldwide in March 2009 at the fastest pace of any video game machine ever. The Wii is priced at $250 in the U.S., and 25,000 yen in Japan.

Nintendo said Wednesday it has no plan to cut the price of the Wii.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Ian Bell
Ian Bell
Publisher
I work with the best people in the world and get paid to play with gadgets. What's not to like?
April’s most anticipated RPG is coming to Xbox Game Pass
Key art for Eiyuden Chronicle Hundred Heroes.

We've learned about the titles that will come to Xbox Game Pass throughout the back half of April, and several of them are games getting added to the catalog the day they launch. Of those, the most notable is Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes.

While that name is a mouthful, RPG fans will want to pay attention to Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes as it is a spiritual successor to the long-dormant Konami RPG series Suikoden. Many of the developers who worked on the original Suikoden games worked together to reimagine the concept for the modern era, creating an RPG with over 100 recruitable party members, engaging combat, and a gorgeous pixelated art style that gives Square Enix's HD-2D games a run for their money. Prequel game Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising is already on Xbox Game Pass too, so Microsoft seems all-in on backing this Suikoden successor as we wait for Konami to release remasters of those titles or a new game in the series.

Read more
This deal gets you $50 off the Xbox Series X
Xbox Series X on a table.

The Xbox Series X, Microsoft's current-generation video game console, is a powerful machine that will meet the needs of even the most demanding gamers. If you want it in your arsenal, or if you're planning to upgrade from the Xbox One X, you'll want to take advantage of Walmart's $50 discount that pulls its price down to $449 from $499. With more than 500 units sold over the past 24 hours, we're not sure how much time is remaining before stocks run out, so it's highly recommended that you make your purchase immediately if you want to pocket the savings.

Why you should buy the Microsoft Xbox Series X
The Microsoft Xbox Series X offers 12 teraflops of processing power, which enables 4K gaming and 3D spatial sound. Xbox fans will love the familiar interface, and with fast load times, your excitement will never go away. The console comes with only one controller though, so you'll have to buy one more if you want some co-op or versus action with your friends and family members.

Read more
Best Xbox Series X and Series S deals: discounts and bundles
Microsoft Xbox Series X and Series S game consoles.

The latest generation of the Xbox has some excellent upgrades, such as a quick pause-and-play function and the option to buy a cheaper digital-only option. Luckily, both the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S are easier to come by now compared to when they launched and stock was low. That means there are a lot of great deals you can take advantage of right now, and, much like with PlayStation deals, looking around for the best deals will get you much better prices. To that end, we've gone out and scoured all the big and small retailers for some of our favorite deals out there.
Xbox Core Wireless Controller -- $57, was $65

Whichever Xbox you buy, you get a standard controller but how about having one that shows off some of your personality? Or one that means you can play games on the couch with your buddies or family. That's where the Xbox Core Wireless Controller is so useful. Available in many different colors, you get all the benefits of an ergonomic design with sculpted surfaces and refined geometry for enhanced comfort. Up to 40 hours of battery life is convenient while it connects via Xbox Wireless and Bluetooth so you can use it with your PC, phone or tablet too.

Read more