FAKING!! - Microsoft Lowers Xbox 360 Arcade Console To $129 - News
by VGChartz Staff , posted on 01 April 2009 / 26,624 Views
It doesn't look as though Microsoft is letting Sony steal all the thunder, as the headline-shattering news of the PlayStation 2's long-awaited price-drop to $99 has aroused the software giant's attention. To help combat the latest volley by the Japanese giant, it looks like Microsoft has intents to do some price-dropping of their own with the Xbox 360.
It won't take the second-generation Xbox console 9 years to do it, either, as the Xbox 360 is expected to drop its $199 retail tag from $199 to the considerably lower $129, taking the sweet spot once occupied by the PlayStation 2. This represents a massive $70 (US dollars) drop for the Acade Unit, which ships without a hard drive. No word yet if Microsoft plans to follow suit with their Pro Console (currently $299 w/60 GB) or the struggling Elite console ($399 w/120 GB). This allows Microsoft to keep bragging rights as the current-generation's most inexpensive console, with the Nintendo Wii sticking with its original $249 price, and the PlayStation 3 console at $399.
Leaked advertisements on the internet seem to confirm the Xbox 360's price reduction, which directly follows the April 1st price-reduction of the PlayStation 2 unit. Rumors had pegged Sony to drop the retail price of their third-place PlayStation 3 console, which is the only current-generation gaming machine to see yearly sales drops since its November 2006 release. Currently, the Xbox 360 is the second most-popular gaming console with worldwide sales of nearly 30 million units sold. The Nintendo Wii remains the most popular choice, having sold nearly 50 million units worldwide, despite a one-year disadvantage over Microsoft's machine.
No word yet as to when Microsoft plans to unveil the price-reduction, but sources put the date somewhere before Friday, April 10th, just before the lucrative Easter Shopping season and just prior to Good Friday.
UPDATE!!
As many of you guessed (and a surprising number of you almost defended), Microsoft has no plans to dramatically lower the cost of their Xbox 360 console...at least none that we know of. The above "report" is complete poppycock, as is the included photo.
To be fair, the image above wasn't simply some advertisement (i.e. Target circular) that was hacked to pieces with shoddy Photoshop skills, but rather a completely original creation, rendered 100% using shoddy Photoshop skills. We did our best to include several clues that eagle-eyed readers could point to as reasons for the fake, including an Xbox 360 Pro console (backwards), as well as a 40 GB PlayStation 3 console with included DualShock 3 (not to mention the mix-matched games that kept repeating).
We were going to include (partially) a Super Nintendo console as well, complete with the tagline "Wow, 16-bits! ", but can imagine the widespread panic such a classic reintroduction might have caused? Madness!
Anyway, thanks for playing along, and we can only hope that Microsoft's reality will someday resemble our surreality. Here's looking forward to next year!!
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April fools joke a. Man, if this was true I would be getting another XBOX 360.
If only It wasn't fake. I wouldve had more Xbox's! :(
And some people actually started threads to discuss...in all fairness, if you are outside the US and in a different time zone, you might lose track of what day an article is being posted... but still...this is an annual thing...so...
well i was gonna call fake on this anyways
Did anyone really think this wasn't a joke?
What is with the usage of the word "poppycock"? Are people now under the influence of Harry Hatsworth?
This was obviously fake. Not only did they have the wrong system, but the price drop was way to high. If M$ decided to drop the price of the Arcade it would be to $179 or $149 at the most. M$ is barely making any money on the Arcade systems, so if anything they will drop the price of the Pro and Elite first before the Arcade.
It's too bad the PS2 price drop wasn't an April Fools joke.
I was wondering about the 40GB ps3 with a dualshock at 399....
If nintendo did re-issue a snes with new games i sure as hell would buy it one day one. Long live 2d!!!!
April fools!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
well duh =P
HA! KNEW IT!
But I still told my friends that there was a 3% chance that this was real, lol...
I was pissed because I just bought one last weekend. lol
Lol $129
Next time try $175 - something that's believeable. MS are not stupid :P
Wow, had me going for a bit. XD
Hehehe!! More April Fools articles. They are starting to get old. Microsoft may do a price drop on the Arcade, but I doubt it. Most likely the Elite and Pro will get a price cut before the end of the year.
############################################
super_dooper says:
Um, Microsoft has ALWAYS sold the Xbox 360 for a loss. Why wouldn't they drop the price?? The PS2 price drop was all over the news today, and you think they want to lose out to the PS2??
This is how Microsoft ALWAYS acts, and I bet its really real, and I will buy three Xbox 360s after Easter if it is. Mine broke with the red rings and I don't feel like waiting to send it back. A friend of mine said they saw this ad at his Target, so that about seals it.
Will they drop the price of Pro Console too??
LOL!! The XBox 360 has been making profits for almost 2 years. Do some research on the net. Why do you think they can easily drop the price? It's because they are making money off each unit. Without a Blu-Ray drive in there, the XBox 360 is pretty cheap to make in bulk. Microsoft isn't losing anything. Line Nintendo, they are making $$$$$$ on the hardware and software. Only Sony is losing money of every PS3 sold. That should change by mid-year though has cost for making the PS3 has dropped.
I agree though. If this is true, I may buy another one as well. Just hold it until my other one dies. lol!!
In all seriousness, I think the only way sony can respond to microsoft at this point is to drop the price of the ps3. I am so tired of them waiting for it to be more profitable. Concentrate on trying to survive in the gaming generation.
its funny that he used the 40 GB PS3 picture but took the time to place GH: Metallica, Monsters -vs- Aliens, and Resident Evil as the games shown.
first april fool, naturally!
april fool or not...worldwide price cut or not...
fact is: there will be price cuts for the time of the easter season in some europe countries.
I see thetonestarr saw that as well :p
This is the worst and most obvious April Fool's joke ever! Look at the actual ad for 2 seconds and you'll see he used an old ad to photoshop the new price into. The PS3 in that ad is a 40GB which hasn't been sold in stores for months!
this isnt from us, its from popzara... its their lame prank. Not that im shocked considering who did it.
THIS JUST IN:
Microsoft has just redesigned the original Xbox and slimmed it down. In an effort to try and go back in time and win the last generation of consoles, they will be selling it for $89.99 US.
Look for a heated battle later this year as Nintendo will dig all it's unpurchased Gamecube consoles out of a landfill and sell them for 9.99 US
And you thought Sony had won the last round....
If this were true 360 will dominate for sure, unless, if it again were true, would be funny to see Sony come back and lower the PS3 to $99.99 with bundled PS2.
The 360 arcade dropped in price in NZ a few weeks ago to NZ$239, which equates to..... US$131. Seems to have gone back up now though.
@ScuubyT
"It would have been better if the craptastic photochop ad didn't have a 40gb PS3 in it..."
Note that it also says Dualshock 3. The 40GB model was discontinued by the time Dualshock 3 came out, which would make this ad suggest that a new 40GB model was coming out.
OH SNAP.
@ angrypoolman
For fun, and to draw other people to the site. duh.
Oh, you VGChartz posters. You guys are just too smart for the internets.
why even bother posting this? nobody is going to believe it.
Is this the only fools joke coming out this day?
fool me once, shame on you. fool me on april fool's day, never!
April Fools.....if this was real, 360 would sell as good as the Wii. Microsoft should drop 360 Arcade to $179.99 by the end of this yr at least.
LOL
I really hate April fool
I hate april first so much >_< is this real or bs?
Imagine how much it would boost sales if it had been true. Gee, $99 PS2 or $129 360 arcade.... gee, let me think.
that would actually put off gamers wanting to buy a 360
I was fooled!
I'm actually disappointed that this isn't true, because MS lose a load of money on every Arcade sold whereas Sony make a healthy profit on every PS2 that leaves a store.
EPIC FAIL.
I think I'm gonna go out and buy one this very moment!
Nice try. You can save the picture, though. It'll be useful for next year's April Fools, I bet you that (the X360 part)
Clearly april fools. Check this link, notice it's the same ad with the same font just changed the numbers and the placement of the 360. http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/kotaku/2009/03/99ps2.jpg
Can I take this seriously?? Seems like an April Fool's joke.
It would be more trustworthy if the "news" wouldn't have the "BREAKING" or had this inside: "it's still not certain if this is a april fools... We just ought to wait and see official response, or more leaks that also hints to this price drop".
Like... when the PS2 pic was released the news was all "wait and see if it's true", and everyone was seeing it coming! But... Like... 70$??? M$??? at 4/1???
Yeah, right!
And here..we....go
No it's true I just bought one...
GG. O wait, forgot its April Fools. This will surely be a good day :P
April Fools!
I wouldn't be surprised if this "fools day joke" gets turned into reality by Microsoft.....
Thats it. Its all over for Sony and Nintendo. I have to say.
I've gotta say upon looking at other websites that this one has a pretty cool April fools.
I know we are just having fun, but it's hard to take a news site seriously when it posts fictitious stories. We had the same problem last year when they swapped the sales numbers around. People on other sites still bring that up, when they try to discredit Vgchartz.
BIG ANNOUNCEMENT
PS3 now 129$
haha, good joke
Rofl @ the 40 gig ps3 in the pic xD
The scary thing is, this is more accurate than the "BIG PS3 announcement coming 3/31" article from a few days ago.
Lame Joke....
yeah haha april's fools yawns
1/4/xx is NEVER a good day for gaming = (
lol funny one guys.
It got a few of them but I'm not falling for it.
It would have been better if the craptastic photochop ad didn't have a 40gb PS3 in it...
LAME TRY VGChartz :-)
Even considering the lethal nature of Sony`s PS2 announcement, I call April Fools! ;)
OMG they fooled me, where i live there is no april fools so when i saw the story i shit myself right there damn you VGC, damn you.
Goes to change pants
i'll bite, you got me. the story is way too believable for it's own good.
LOL @ Popzara not being a credible source. "some guy's blog". Popzara is a respected member of the gaming news community, and a partner of this site.
side note: IF ONLY this was true. I've been looking to get a second 360 for some time now... I could justify it to my wife if it were this cheap.
but still there is a possibility soon..
Come on Brett, this April fool is nowhere near as epic as last years when you switched sales info round.
I thought it'd be better if the April Fool's Day article was about a PS3 price drop following the PS2 price drop. That'd probably feel more believable. None the less...ha ha.
Sony is dropping the price of the PS3 to $199 two days before Easter and they plan to launch the PS4 just before Easter at $299 to counter the next generation XPuss.
See the big announcement from a Sony PR rep announcing it yesterday.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHg5SJYRHA0
Congrafoolations..Well done MS!!
damn did till i read the april fools comments, i thought "wow a 360 for 70 quid, i might get me one!" ah well lol
april fools ...
wow $69
http://blog.mlive.com/manzero/2009/04/will_microsoft_trump_sony_with.html
Hint -- Look at the game boxes in the ads.
Mike from Morgantown
Yep. It is that day when nothing can be believed.
Its actually going for $109.
Ahhh the power of Photo-Shop and the good month of April......nice one.
April fools...
Had me for a few seconds, before i looked at the calendar. At least its a more realistic one (since Microsoft has shown they don't care about loss-driven sales)
Oh my Gawd!! They'll even crush Nintendo at this price!
Oh wait... April fools. Right... Nice one.
Aah fuck, I'll see you guys tomorrow. I might not bother with the site today.
damn i hate this day, lol
if this is true.....i pretty much believe Microsoft is going to bring a new gaming console....very very soon.
april foool
I guess we can expect BS all day on this site! XD
Well at least this site respects April fool by doing it at the right date... Unlike some others. >_>
Good one!
April fools, without a doubt.
APRIL FOOLS! Lol it would of worked so much better if you said it was for the ps3, people have been hyping that 500x more.
As many have said, it's probably April Fools.
ROFLOL...good one!
in other the ps3 is lowered to $199
Doubt it after the WW price drop last year. Also they did a drop in EU before yhe ww one
Well they went a little to over the top with this one. April Fools is suppose to be light hearted crazy but this is just plain dickish kinda. A price drop hahaha poor suckers just kidding yeah thanks VGchartz. Maybe next time you make if funnier if the price was way lower or maybe even higher just a thought.
Uuumm wait... Is there people actually believing this??
this is a lie!!!! look at the ps3 to the left; it says 40GB hard drive!! they shopped it or something
yeah SUUUUUUUUURE
Essay Pro
