Xbox retaliates with ?159 price point
Anything you can do, I can do better!
Microsoft has unexpectedly responded to Sony's long overdue European PlayStation 2 price cut by slashing Xbox to £159.99 - a drop of £40 and a tenner saving on PS2. The new price point will become effective on August 30th, the same day as Sony's equivalent. This places Xbox comfortably between GameCube at £129.99 and the more expensive PlayStation 2 - a useful place for Microsoft's console to be with a strong line-up of Christmas titles to back it up. "The video games industry is more robust than ever this year, and new consoles and games are expected to dominate Christmas wish lists," said Sandy Duncan, Vice President, Xbox Europe. "Xbox is extremely well-positioned to be at the top of those lists because it's the best value. The intense power and gaming experiences consumers get with Xbox is simply unsurpassed." With Xbox Live taking shape in the US and Europe at the moment, one would expect attractively priced bundle packages to squeeze Sony's belated alternative out of contention. Microsoft was also keen to point out that single players can expect the likes of Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell, Toejam & Earl III, Panzer Dragoon ORTA and "Halo-beater" Brute Force in the run up to Christmas.