Microsoft announces $499 price tag, new games for Xbox One Microsoft has used the annual E3 gaming conference in Los Angeles to announce the launch pricing for its new Xbox console and – surprise, surprise – it's UK gamers who will be paying more than anyone else for the kit. US consumers will pay $499 for a bundle including the Xbox, Kinect gesture control system, and a single Xbox …
UK price is actually £357.50 + £71.50 tax, the US price quoted $499 does not include sales tax. So UK is paying 10% than USA more comparing like with like. Interesting to see if retailer sell at list price or if the list price is intended to allow for discounts.
Still not seen many reasons to buy until there are more games and price goes down next year.
Next lets see what Sony have to say about PS4.
Only a handful of states have no sales tax, while half of all states impose a 'use tax' on internet purchases. Of course many do not pay this tax, but not paying does not mean you're not supposed to pay.
On top of that, Amazon charges sales tax in nine states (yes there are other online retailers, but they are certainly the largest) so your good chance of not being taxed might not be as good as you first thought.
That 5% figure is based on fairly skewed numbers. Some states do not have sales tax at all. Where I'm at I pay 7% State sales tax, 2% county sales tax and a 1.35% city sales tax.
Your points are totally valid, I just wanted to point out the US sales tax laws are screwy and published sales tax averages rarely give a complete outline of the situation. The places with no sales tax are generally lower population states but their impact on the averages is quite large.
Next lets see what Sony have to say about PS4.
I dunno. Maybe the boss might just walk on, say "$299", and walk off again? Not like it hasn't happened before. And then the year after.
$399... no restrictions on sharing and after market.... no always connected DRM...
*walks off*
thats basically what i saw when i watched the coverage. Sony has this one in the bag even tho i still have not forgiven them for the PS3 "other OS" fuster-cluck.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2013/06/10/sony-confirms-no-changes-to-used-games-on-ps4-no-internet-connection-required/
They have not come out and said upfront that it is going to happen, but are talking about some kind of streaming/emulation -- through Gaikai (which they just happen to own now). Wont be until next year at least, or how it works in practice.....The whole do I use games I already own for free or have to rebuy? hasn't been mentioned yet.
Okay, so before tax in the UK it is £357, at todays currency rates that means the equivalent in the US should be $556, or working the other way $499 in the USA would be £320. "But that's only £37 difference" if the One sells as many as the 360 in the UK, thats 8m units x £37 = £296m extra profit.
the One sells as many as the 360 in the UK, that's 8m units x £37 = £296m extra profit.
Only if all other things are equal, which they aren't.
For example, you like those consumer protection laws in the UK that ensure a product has to be fit for purpose? I certainly do, but there's a price to pay in preventing manufacturers from saying "tough shit" when something expensive breaks down after 366 days and that will be included in the inflated number.
So, PS4 launches at £349 (UK including tax), $399 (US excluding). PlayStation Camera is £44 ($59). So like for like (sort of) its XBO at £429 v PS4 at £383.
Not a huge difference but why the hell Microsoft didn't launch at £399? They will spend far more than £30/unit on extra advertising to try to counter the used games messaging fiasco.
Just out of curiosity, what taxes are included in those headline prices?
US prices are usually advertised sans sales tax as that varies from state to states and even city to city.
Quoting a "European" price without mentioning if it is sans tax is odd too as VAT varies from country to country.
Are we to assume that the quoted prices are all sans VAT/sales tax and therefore will be significant;y higher?
It'd be nice if this sort of things was made more clear in Reg articles. It seems to me that this is rarely the case and smells of sloppiness.
"Microsoft is including a free 14-day trial of Xbox Live Gold for new buyers, and all Gold subscribers will get two free Xbox 360 game downloads per month until the end of the year. That won't be much help for new console buyers, since the 360 titles aren't compatible with the new system."
Yep, sounds like something Microsoft would do. They listen to the customers and then ignore it as well. So the chance of this getting fixed is slim to none.
Microsoft really just continues to show that they are out of touch with the consumer. If this fails, does that mean Balmer goes too?
I have two friends who are Xbox 360 fanboys to the extreme. The XBone has done the unthinkable...alienated and angered them both and the silly thing isn't even out on the streets yet. The one guy, someone who hates Sony up and down, told me that he'd consider looking at the PS4.
At this point Sony would have to make a real effort to screw up. But given Sony...
In a similar boat. Not a fanboy for console brands but went for a 360 over ps3 due to Sony's historic shafting of Europe with the ps2 (huge delays, huge pricing and a general screw you attitude).
Microsoft have resorted to type: mandatory connect, once daily internet check (took me 8 weeks to get a connection when moving house) and 10 user limit are all pointless dick moves. Not sure if i will get a PS4 or return to PC only again but will not be buying an xbone
If Sony can significantly undercut Microsoft with the price of the PS4, and avoid blowing their own feet off by repeating Microsoft's mistake with overly restrictive DRM and killing the pre-owned market, then Sony will have a huge advantage when they come to market.
Sony now has a golden opportunity to outmanoeuvre Microsoft on price and policy, however I have a sneaking suspicion they'll stuff it up on both counts.
Overpriced consoles, £50 games that you don't really own, and require an always-on connection just to play - if this is what comes to pass with both Sony and Microsoft I think it's most likely the beginning of the end for the high end games consoles. It's going to be much cheaper and just as much fun to own (really own) and play something like an Ouya, or Gamestick (under £100 to buy, with £5 games etc.).
As already noted, Sony have just done this.
I expect I'll end up with both consoles over time (I have XBox360 & PS3 already), but I'm now definitely ordering the PS4 first. In fact, I'm going to see how the DRM stuff pans out in practice before I order the new XB, so I may not buy one for several years (if at all).
I don't play games online, so I don't need to have a subscription to PSN, but I'm thoroughly unimpressed that I'd need XB Gold to be able to use half the functionality of the XB1.
Seriously, what's up with MS these days? They bring out a half decent mobile OS and then ruin their desktop OS by plastering the unsuitable interface all over it and now they've taken a decent gaming system and then tied it's feet together before asking it to run a sprint race against it's main competitor.
Has someone told them people often root for the plucky underdog so they're now trying to become the underdog to gain public approval?
<troll>
Is that due to the huge localizsation effort required to translate the menus to British English? Or do they calculate the price on the sheep/human ratio of the country? Hmm, no, Australia and the Kiwis have a higher ratio...
Btw. Will the XBox One have some country code system to make sure you cannot use it in another country? Using some IP address locator service, it should be trivial to implement. It would also fit the "general spirit" of this console.
</troll>
Not quite, PS+ is now needed for Multiplayer. That's not bad thing. Have you seen how much you get for free? Loads of AAA rated titles, and also lesser known titles well worth a look...
I really don't care they are charging for PS+ as PS+ was an essential purchase anyway...
I know I should wait for the price to come down or for the PS4, but I had my 360 for nearly a year before the PS3.
All my devices are always connected anyway, if yours aren't you really should try joining the 21st C
Not sure I'm that keen on the DRM but it probably won't affect me and the price could be cheaper - but how much is a top of the range graphics card for your PC (cue flames).
Have fun you guys, I will with an xbone.
The Register 
Biting the hand that feeds IT
Copyright. All rights reserved © 1998–2024
