Microsoft prepared to lower Xbox One price in 2014, says analyst

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Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter thinks Microsoft is prepared to cut the Xbox One price price in 2014 if sales of the console don't keep pace with the cheaper PS4.

However, following last night's announcement that Microsoft has abandoned its controversial DRM policies for the console, the analyst said he expects Xbox One to sell as many units as PS4, despite its higher price point due to the inclusion of Kinect.

"Microsoft intends to offer a more robust hardware bundle than Sony will offer, and Microsoft is convinced that consumers will ultimately appreciate the value proposition presented by Kinect," Pachter said in a research note.

"Microsoft has not done a particularly good job of communicating the value proposition to consumers, but today's announcement will remove an impediment to the company's ability to get its message across. We are confident that with six months of focused messaging, Microsoft can fully level the playing field with Sony, and we expect the Xbox One to sell as many units as the PS4. If we are wrong, we think that Microsoft is prepared to lower price next year."

Edward Woo, senior research analyst at Ascendiant Capital Markets, told Edge he expects both consoles to sell two million units in 2013, but he also forecast ten million PS4 sales in 2014 compared to just five million Xbox One sales next year.

"I think the consoles are very similar so the $100 price difference will now be very important," he said. "Microsoft will have to explain why the $100 is worth the price. I don't know if they will be successful, though they do seem to have a slight edge with more exclusive software right now."

Woo said of Microsoft's DRM policy reversal: "While this levels things more, I still think Sony, with the $100 price advantage and goodwill from the Microsoft mess, still has the upper hand."

Piers Harding-Rolls, IHS Screen Digest's senior principal analyst and head of games, also told Edge: "We believe price will be the biggest differentiating feature and have slightly adjusted down our Xbox One sales expectation for continental Europe at launch, based on the €100 gap in pricing."

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Related Forum: Xbox Forum

Source: http://www.computerandvideogames.com/415594/ms-prepared-to-lower-xbox-one-price-in-2014-says-analyst/

Comments

"Microsoft prepared to lower Xbox One price in 2014, says analyst" :: Login/Create an Account :: 118 comments

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neboPosted:

Artro
BDB
Persistence This is good news. Now I can definitely afford one.


Don't expect it to drop to 200$ It will probably drop untill $350-450


I'm thinking it will drop like $80 dollars max because the Xbox One is released 2 months before 2014 so they wouldn't lower it that much.


You have a point there but they are probably talking about november 2014

imgurPosted:

ShadowBoltDashie
Artro
BDB
Persistence This is good news. Now I can definitely afford one.


Don't expect it to drop to 200$ It will probably drop untill $350-450


I'm thinking it will drop like $80 dollars max because the Xbox One is released 2 months before 2014 so they wouldn't lower it that much.


I was thinking they would drop it like $30-$50 max. If they drop the price even more then great more people will get it.


They might go as high a -$100 because of the new consoles.

imgurPosted:

Snowfl4k3z It's called the xmas holiday sale.


That's exactly what it is.

TaigaAisakaPosted:

Artro
BDB
Persistence This is good news. Now I can definitely afford one.


Don't expect it to drop to 200$ It will probably drop untill $350-450


I'm thinking it will drop like $80 dollars max because the Xbox One is released 2 months before 2014 so they wouldn't lower it that much.


I was thinking they would drop it like $30-$50 max. If they drop the price even more then great more people will get it.

ArtroPosted:

BDB
Persistence This is good news. Now I can definitely afford one.


Don't expect it to drop to 200$ It will probably drop untill $350-450


I'm thinking it will drop like $80 dollars max because the Xbox One is released 2 months before 2014 so they wouldn't lower it that much.

MentalistPosted:

Persistence This is good news. Now I can definitely afford one.


Don't expect it to drop to 200$ It will probably drop untill $350-450

MentalistPosted:

wok to be honest the price defiantly needs to be lower, needs to be lowered quicker than that too imo.


LOL, they really want to get better then the PS4, Sony will probably add some more cool features aswell :d

slapshot101Posted:

I think it will be though for them to lower the price any. Hopefully they won't learn the same lesson as Sony did with PS3 and overpricing it.

WokzePosted:

Snowfl4k3z It's called the xmas holiday sale.


Most people are going to be getting it on xmas day, so they should lower it before then if they want it in the xmas sale.

WokzePosted:

to be honest the price defiantly needs to be lower, needs to be lowered quicker than that too imo.