Euro price cut for Xbox 360, says FT

By Robert Purchese Published 10 March, 2008

Amazon cuts prices, then changes back.

The German edition of The Financial Times is claiming the Xbox 360 Arcade has dropped by EUR 80 across Europe, GamesIndustry.biz reports.

That takes it down to EUR 199, while the Premium console package will sell for EUR 299 - down from EUR 339.

The report made no mention of the Xbox 360 Elite, which is currently on sale for around EUR 449.

Microsoft has yet to confirm the price cut officially.

Last week the retail community suggested a price cut was due, with some reports indicating all models would drop by EUR 50 on 14th March.

Lowering the Xbox 360 Arcade price to EUR 199 would make it the cheapest console in the market: EUR 50 below that of Nintendo's Wii.

Microsoft has yet to respond to requests for comment.

Update: Still no official word from Microsoft, but the Xbox 360 Arcade package is now going for GBP 149.99 on Amazon.co.uk - while the Premium is GBP 189.99 and the Elite GBP 249.99.

Update #2: Bizarrely, Amazon has now returned the consoles to their original prices - GBP 189.99 for Arcade, GBP 249.99 for Premium and GBP 279.99 for Elite. The retailer has yet to respond to requests for comment.

With its Fact umbrella, GamesIndustry.biz stands sheltered from the downpour of Fiction.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (67) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • sweetcheeks #1 4 years ago

    agreed, what is this 'euro' you speak of?
    let us know what it means for us in the UK asap please

  • asphaltcowboy #2 4 years ago

    EUR199 is around £150

  • Olemak #3 4 years ago

    OK, so the Xbox is now the oldest and the cheapest next-gen console. Cheap is good, of course, but while it is also the noisiest and most unreliable, it's still no dice for me. When they fix the hardware - hopefully in august, with the Jasper chip (well, that means like february here in Europe I guess) - it will be a pretty good deal, I recon.

  • Olemak #4 4 years ago

    sweetcheeks: "agreed, what is this 'euro' you speak of?
    let us know what it means for us in the UK asap please "

    Does the name EUROgamer ring a bell?

  • Aretak #5 4 years ago

    Has humour not reached Scandinavia yet, Olemak?

  • Carlo #6 4 years ago

    /shrugs
    Edited by 1 at 10/03/08 @ 09:20

  • McLovin85 #7 4 years ago

    Fire sale anyone??

    Only joking. But on a serious note, at least it means you save money which you can then stick in the 'Xbox repair funds' jar ontop of the fridge.

  • SentientNr6 #8 4 years ago

    @Vondur - sweetcheeks
    jeesh go check [link url=http://www.eurogamer.co.uk,]http://www.eurogamer.co.u k,[/link] ukgamer.net
    or drop the here-be-dragons mentality

    Thank you very much.

    Price-drop yeeha. Not too soon either.

  • mikew1985 #9 4 years ago

    It means change to Euros and stop being annoying...

    You ruin ebay for us Irish :(
    Edited by 1 at 10/03/08 @ 09:17

  • muftak #10 4 years ago

    plus your hard drive and your wireless adapter

    wont make it the cheapest of them all

  • Killerbee #11 4 years ago

    Nice. I still wouldn't dream of buying an Arcade but that £150(ish) price point might just send a few worrying signals to Nintendo and Sony (It's barely £50 more than a PS2!).

    Still, for me, the best thing that could come out of this would be that Sony cut the price of the PS3 in response. Oh yeah, and release that US MGS4 bundle over here too.

  • peteb #12 4 years ago

    @muftak

    Well yea, but only if you want them. You can get an Ethernet cable for 5euros.

  • mattigan #13 4 years ago

    I know the damage is already done but, really, the new ones are quiet and don't break down hardly at all (at least any more than other similar kit does)

    You guys could really do with some new material.

  • Altrezia #14 4 years ago

    What's an EUR??

  • Daikon #15 4 years ago

    No doubt this news has something to do with the fact that the Euro is at an all time high against the Dollar.

  • bad09 #16 4 years ago

    "Still, for me, the best thing that could come out of this would be that Sony cut the price of the PS3 in response. Oh yeah, and release that US MGS4 bundle over here too."

    +1

  • MaxiSleep #17 4 years ago

    The Wii is not a next gen console so the 360 already is the cheapest

  • HansGr00ber #18 4 years ago

    Amazon.co.uk have already lowered their prices. They've got the arcade at £150

  • X201 #19 4 years ago

    My two pen'th

    Weakening sales and a need to clear stock before Jasper and the other new MB arrive in the summer.

  • Olemak #20 4 years ago

    Mattigan: "I know the damage is already done but, really, the new ones are quiet and don't break down hardly at all (at least any more than other similar kit does)"

    Quiet, no. More quiet than the first batches, yes, but still pretty noisy.

    Reliability seems a lot better, tho, on par with the PS3 and Wii now (3 %).

    Aretak: "Has humour not reached Scandinavia yet, Olemak?"

    What is humour? Is it on Live?
    Damn, we always get new releases ages long after the rest of the market - if at all.

    Anyway, the idea that eurogamer is really UKgamer, and that all prices should be given in £ is pretty well established.
    But wrong.

  • Les #21 4 years ago

    Will be interesting to see if and how Nintendo and Sony respond. Good news for gamers as hardware will become cheaper. Bad news for the console makers as their profit margins will erode (or their losses will be bigger).

  • CreepinJesus #22 4 years ago

    "The Wii is not a next gen console so the 360 already is the cheapest"

    I know. Its getting annoying the way that everyone says the Wii is next gen. My pet hamster's glow-in-the-dark exercise ball is next-gen.
    Edited by 1 at 10/03/08 @ 09:51

  • Skeletor #23 4 years ago

    360 Arcade + GTA IV = cheaper than Wii + any real game

    Maybe Nintendo should start thinking about proper bundles...
    Edited by 1 at 10/03/08 @ 09:52

  • Dizzy #24 4 years ago

    >What's an EUR??

    The currency you can't afford.

  • mcmonkeyplc #25 4 years ago

    PS3 price cut please, I have one of these 360 things.

  • Kryon #26 4 years ago

    Eurolol, BTW, this is really UKgamer, the guys who run the site just called it Eurogamer to pull in a few extra hits but they don't actually care about you or your currency.

  • Chewy #27 4 years ago

    Cut the Wii price please. It's only console I don't have. :-)

  • penhalion #28 4 years ago

    I suppose you guys know that there is a french and german version of the eurogamer site right, and that the version you are reading now is simply the english version.

    As for the price cut. It's not going to make a huge difference until it's reflected in the american prices too.

  • LetsGo #29 4 years ago

    wow... cant give em' away!

  • Beano #30 4 years ago

    A really nice price... wonder if Xbox 360 Premium package will include earplugs this time?

  • peteb #31 4 years ago

    This means you can buy a 360 console for just twice the price of the 20GB hard drive, hehe...

  • DAN.E.B #32 4 years ago

    To be honest the 360,s the only console worth buying at the moment so a price cut can only be a good thing!
    and yes i have a PS3 and yes its only ever used as a DVD BD player.

  • Xerx3s #33 4 years ago

    "What's that in real money? "

    I think the article already mentioned it in euro's.

  • Xerx3s #34 4 years ago

    "Has humour not reached Scandinavia yet, Olemak?"

    That's not humour, that's xenophobia disguised as humour.

  • monkie_king #35 4 years ago

    DAN:SOLO, you forgot folding@home!

  • monkie_king #36 4 years ago

    and looking at screenshots of MGS4 on the internet

  • sharpfish #37 4 years ago

    No price cut will make me REBUY a 360 while it's still likely to die within a year.

    They have probably done this due to the bad image they now have with reliability, maybe to shift older stocks before they release a 'proper fixed 360', that will be the one worth looking out for... if it ever comes.

    PS3 will probably get a price cut for sure now (within the next six months)

    Yaz = another one added to my ignore list, stupid fkin fanboys, grow up.
    Edited by 1 at 10/03/08 @ 11:41

  • Yaz #38 4 years ago

    Sharpfish wrote: "No price cut will make me REBUY a 360 while it's still likely to die within a year."

    Gee, you've never said that before. *rolleyes* :)

    I bet you go up to strangers on the street to tell them about your traumatic 360 experience.

    I'm sure if I'd asked you the time you would say something like "Oh yes it's... 4:30, and can you guess how many times my 360 died?" ;)

  • mrraspy #39 4 years ago

    rubbish console is still a rubbish console. no matter how many price cuts. europeans already know what rubbish a 360 is.
    Edited by 1 at 10/03/08 @ 11:40

  • Yaz #40 4 years ago

    "Yaz = another one added to my ignore list, stupid fkin fanboys, grow up."

    Obviously I hit a nerve (the truth hurts I guess).

    You may or may not read this response sharpfish, but anyone can check your history and see that you bring up your so-called bad experiences with the 360 time and time and time again, even when it has nothing to do with the topic. You're like a stuck record, which makes you predictable and as a result, rather boring.

  • Skeletor #41 4 years ago

    @sharpfish

    "PS3 will probably get a price cut for sure now (within the next six months)"

    Sony Europe made it very clear that they are pleased with the current sales and there'll be no price cut in the next couple of months. Expect bundles but don't hold your breath for a price cut this year.
    Fact is, if you're looking for the cheapest way to play GTA IV or Resident Evil 5 later this year you can go for the 360 arcade which is now even cheaper than the overpriced and underpowered Wii. PS3 costs twice as much.

  • viper_h #42 4 years ago

    Wiips3360pcgameseverythinglol

    Did i cover everything there?

  • Les #43 4 years ago

    “Sony Europe made it very clear that they are pleased with the current sales and there'll be no price cut in the next couple of months. Expect bundles but don't hold your breath for a price cut this year.”

    Exactly. It’s not like companies don’t announce a price cut months in advance. And who cares if the ‘competition’ lowers the price.

    “the overpriced and underpowered Wii.”

    Consumers seem to disagree…

  • ecureuil #44 4 years ago

    How come when EG ran a similar article on a PS3 price deal, everyone accused EG of Sony bias, and advertising the console?

  • fingersthebeaver #45 4 years ago

    Back up to normal price a little bit of a whoops from Amazon there methinks

  • Yaz #46 4 years ago

    Les wrote " “the overpriced and underpowered Wii.” Consumers seem to disagree…"

    True. :)

  • Penguinzoot #47 4 years ago

    “the overpriced and underpowered Wii.”

    Consumers seem to disagree…

    TBH, simply parting with money for a product does not make a statement about any attributes of a product, including price and "underpoweredness". All it is saying is that consumers are prepared to pay the price the product is pitched at. Simple as.

    Edited by 1 at 10/03/08 @ 12:43

  • lewiep #48 4 years ago

    Amazon have just put the price back up
    [link url=http://savygamer.blogspot.com/2008/03/xbox-360-pri ce-drop.html
    ]http://sa vygamer.blogspot.com/2008/03/xb...[/link]

    I think they maybe jumped the gun on the 14th price drop.

  • sd99 #49 4 years ago

    If Sony fanboys want to start saying that price cuts are a bad sign, think about this. The 360 premium is just £70 cheaper now than it was nearly two and a half years ago. Compare that to your beloved PS3 and then grow up!

  • Les #50 4 years ago

    "TBH, simply parting with money for a product does not make a statement about any attributes of a product"

    It doesn't in an objective sense. But the specific attributes 'overpriced' and 'underpowered' are subjective and negative feelings about a product. Anyone making a purchase will not have those feelings with regards to said product (unless maybe it's being bought as a gift).

    "dear me, how quickly people try to find reasons to call a price cut a bad thing.'

    Exactly who is saying that the price cut is a bad thing?! Didn't read all the posts word for word but didn't find anyone claiming this. There are people complaining about certain consoles but that has nothing to do with the price cut itself. Maybe someone on my ignore list...

  • CrunchinJelly #51 4 years ago

    FWIW, the announcement was made this morning but NDA'd until 3pm CET (I think that's 2pm UK time).

  • Sid-Nice #52 4 years ago

    Too little too late for the Dreamcast 2.

  • peteb #53 4 years ago

    @Sid Nice

    i'm sorry man, but that just makes it sound more awesome

  • Xerx3s #54 4 years ago

    "It doesn't in an objective sense. But the specific attributes 'overpriced' and 'underpowered' are subjective and negative feelings about a product. Anyone making a purchase will not have those feelings with regards to said product (unless maybe it's being bought as a gift). "

    One can view it from 2 perspectives.

    A) Hardware price: The tech in the box is not earth shattering and very, very cheap to make. Far below the sales price.
    B) Acception price: The person who buys it really wants it and thinks that the price that he pays is fair compared to what he gets in entertainment.

    Both are right and both are wrong.

  • Les #55 4 years ago

    "Les.. please do cause I see nothing but pro Sony nonsense from you."

    Not sure what you're getting at, I didn't say I was going to ignore you (which wouldn't help you in not seeing my posts btw). I'm just saying that you come here complaining that people complain about something they didn't complain about. To me that makes little sense. Maybe someone was actually complaining that's on my ignore list and therefore I missed it, that's all.

    And what Sony nonsense are you hinting at? Or are you one of those people that mistake a post without abundant praise for the 360 for a sony/nintendo fanboy one? I happen to have a PS3 because it best fits my needs (region-free and best baseball game). That doesn't mean that I can't see that the 360 right now has a better games library or that the Wii is trashing both.

  • Les #56 4 years ago

    "One can view it from 2 perspectives... Both are right and both are wrong."

    Good point.

  • MightyMouse #57 4 years ago

    Can we get a reduced price on the controllers and wireless adaptor too plox?

    (semi-joking as I do appreciate the price cut, but i would like to see the peripherals cheaper)

  • Skeletor #58 4 years ago

    I described the Wii as "underpowered and overpriced" because technically that's exactly what it is. No matter how many nursing homes get Wiis for bowling sessions or how many parents just buy the damn thing so the kids finally stop bitching.
    The Wii is a great piece of hardware, an elegant low power solution...but it simply ISN'T a 250€ machine.
    Edited by 2 at 10/03/08 @ 13:57

  • CrunchinJelly #59 4 years ago

    It's official:

    http://ga merscoreblog.com/team/archive/2...

  • zuljin #60 4 years ago

    @Skeletor
    "The Wii is a great piece of hardware, an elegant low power solution...but it simply ISN'T a 250€ machine."

    Quite frankly I don't see why Nintendo should lower the price of the Wii, just to suit your needs. Theres plenty of people out there ready to buy one at that price, they have trouble keeping up manufacturing.

    Oh no wait, do you mean that the sum of the cost of the components is less than the charging price? Yea, thats called making a profit.

  • Sid-Nice #61 4 years ago

    The Xbox 360 has an attachment ratio of 7 games per console and by the end of the year there will be over 1000 great games available; in contrast the Wii has 2 great games available and in reality should retail for £5 if the 360 Premium is retailing for £199.

  • miiiguel #62 4 years ago

    EG crowd sounds more and more like a bunch of old ladies complaining about every thing, from price cuts to good games, everything is worth a bad vibe.

    More and more I prefer to talk to younger ppl, they still get excited about games.
    Edited by 1 at 10/03/08 @ 14:38

  • Les #63 4 years ago

    "The Wii is a great piece of hardware, an elegant low power solution...but it simply ISN'T a 250€ machine."

    Again, 20+ million people seem to differ. The PS3, when released, was a $900 (or thereabouts) machine but people didn't want to pay $500-$600 for it. Same goes for 360. Ignoring the failure rate, you get a lot ofhigh end electronics for your money. But the masses simply aren't that interested.

    "The Xbox 360 has an attachment ratio of 7 games per console and by the end of the year there will be over 1000 great games available; in contrast the Wii has 2 great games available and in reality should retail for £5 if the 360 Premium is retailing for £199."

    And yet the attachment rate for Wii is 5 (vs. 8.8 for 360, gamestop figures, best I have) with a year less on the market... It doesn't really matter how many great games the 360 has available if the general public, for whatever reason, isn't interested in the machine and its library. It's a nice bonus however for the people that are.

  • miiiguel #64 4 years ago

    Yet I fail to understand why 360 is "oh so failing" when it sold > 18 million units, to ppl that actualy play games (there's a nice article in a portuguese magazine where the author says that PS3 crowd tend to buy the machine to play mostly high profile games, and ignore everything else) ? Is it because Wii sold 20 million ?
    Last quarter XBox divison turned a profit of + 500 milion dolars (source: OXM) for the fist time since it debuted; Xbox even in January when it sold less than PS3 for the 1st time still made more money than both systems combined in US (due to games sold). Still in this litle islan is all bloom and gloom.


    Anyway, it's fair that ppl express their opinions to 360 and anything MS related (although, they are always the same, and awkardly ppl who don't want one and never will), but, IMHO, it would be intelectually more honest if they admited they have a chip on the shoulder towards MS, because, let's face it, anything that MS does is never enough, it's never good. Good/best games; great/best online system; afordable price; warranty extension - everything's bad, everything's awful. Why don't admit you have this litle bolchevique living in your heads who is very, very angry with the world, and hates rich ppl, and Americans in particular ?
    So, let us hear more predictions: will MS colapse due to 360 ? 360 is old but PS2 is still da beast ? Sony says games are passe, lets watch movies in Blu-Ray ? price cuts are bad, as long as its on 360 ? Want some cheese with that whine ?
    Edited by 1 at 10/03/08 @ 15:11

  • cyber_nicco #65 4 years ago

    "And yet the attachment rate for Wii is 5 "

    I think that counts software bundled with hardware (of which there are several).

    Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that has totally skewed the attachment rate. Come on, Link's Crossbow Training (or whatever it is).

    Also, this so and so many people (consumers) seem to disagree is not a very convincing argument that the Wii is a good value. I'm not saying it isn't (well, okay, I am), but I am saying that just because Joe Blow's mom bought it for him for Xmas does not interest me in any way.

  • JackB #66 4 years ago

    Did Europe get the 3 year warranty like North America? I see a bunch of negative posts about reliability and having to replace your 360 in a year..... I thought the 3 year warranty was in effect worldwide???

  • Penguinzoot #67 4 years ago

    Did Europe get the 3 year warranty like North America? I see a bunch of negative posts about reliability and having to replace your 360 in a year..... I thought the 3 year warranty was in effect worldwide???

    Yes, Europe did get the 3 year warranty for RROD, just like everyone else.

  • Les #68 4 years ago

    "I think that counts software bundled with hardware (of which there are several)."

    As they are gamestop figures (in which they measure games they actually sell) I would assume they don't. But maybe someone knows?

    "Also, this so and so many people (consumers) seem to disagree is not a very convincing argument that the Wii is a good value. I'm not saying it isn't (well, okay, I am), but I am saying that just because Joe Blow's mom bought it for him for Xmas does not interest me in any way."

    I'm not sure you're even trying to make a point here or what that should be if you did. I don't know why so many people feel the need to convince others and themselves that the Wii is a poor machine that people shouldn't buy. It might not cater for your specific needs (as it doesn't for mine, though that might change with WiiWare). But the market thinks it's much better than either PS3 and 360. The market may be stupid but it's always right.