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A revamped Xbox 360, designed to store and display high-definition video, will go on sale in Europe on 24 August. The black Elite console has a 120GB hard drive and outputs high definition video through a digital connection. Microsoft's Shane Kim said he did not think recent reports of faulty Xbox 360s would damage future sales. Speaking ahead of the E3 games show, he added there were no plans for an Xbox 360 price cut, saying they were "very comfortable with the price". "We are selling the Elite console as fast as we can make them," he said of the black Xbox 360, but was unable to give specific sales figures. He said Microsoft felt no need to reduce prices in light of Sony's cut of $100 (£50) from the cost of the 60GB PS3. "Since our rivals launched last year, in the US we are neck and neck with the Wii and we are just about double the sales of PlayStation 3," he added. Mr Kim, Microsoft's corporate vice president of Microsoft Game Studios, said he did not feel Sony had genuinely cut prices as the firm had maintained a $600 (£300) price point for the 80GB PS3. "We really feel like we are driving the next generation console market," he said. Mr Kim assured consumers that the firm had taken steps to resolve concerns over many Xbox 360s being returned because of faults. The firm has set aside more than $1bn (£500m) to cover the cost of offering extended warranties. 'Remove concerns' "It's been somewhat positive because we had been able to remove people's concerns and show that we are standing behind the product. "Customers have responded very well - reaction has been neutral to positive." Microsoft also used the E3 press conference to reaffirm its commitment to a video download service for Xbox users in Canada and Europe. "We're launching in UK and Ireland, France and Germany first and then rolling out to other countries as soon as we can," he said. In the US, Xbox Lives' video marketplace offers more than 2,100 hours of content from 28 networks and studios, with nearly 500 hours of high definition content. A Microsoft press conference in Santa Monica highlighted some of the key titles being launched on Xbox 360 this year, including Halo 3 and Grand Theft Auto IV. A new trailer for Halo 3 was shown, featuring some of the first video of the single-player campaign in action. Microsoft also unveiled a "digital short film" made by Neill Blomkamp, who had been ear-marked for the stalled Halo movie, in conjunction with Peter Jackson's special effects wizards Weta Workshop and Origami Digital. The company also trumpeted another title to move to the Xbox 360 after years of Nintendo and PlayStation exclusivity: Resident Evil 5 will make its debut on the console next year. The award-winning first-person shooter Gears of Wars was also unveiled for Windows PCs. Story from BBC NEWS: |
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| Microsoft cuts Europe Xbox price Microsoft is cutting the price of its Xbox 360 video game console in Europe, weeks after doing the same in the US. From 24 August, the 20 gigabyte hard drive model will cost 349.99 euros in the eurozone, 50 euros less than now. In the UK, the price will fall by £30 to £249.99 as Xbox bids to win over family users attracted to the Nintendo Wii with its motion-sensitive controls. Microsoft is also facing stiff competition from Sony, which cut the price of its Playstation 3 last month. Microsoft also revealed plans to launch a larger, 120 gigabyte model, the Xbox Elite, costing 449.99 euros in the eurozone or £299.99 in UK shops. And the price of the less advanced 360 core model, without a hard drive, will fall by 20 euros to 279.99 euros or by £20 to £179.99. Microsoft said the price cuts would "open the door" to more customers, expanding demand beyond the console's core target market of young men. Profit hunt Earlier this month, Microsoft cut Xbox prices in the US by 13%, reacting to Sony's 17% reduction in the price of its PlayStation 3 console. The Xbox 360 has comfortably outsold PS3 and Nintendo's Wii console in the US, not least because it launched a year earlier than its rivals. By the end of June it had notched up US sales of 5.6 million units, against 2.8 million Wii sold and 1.4 million PS3. However, Microsoft has yet to make a profit on the console business it launched in 2001. Story from BBC NEWS: |
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| Microsoft cuts Japan's Xbox price Microsoft is cutting the Japanese price of its Xbox 360 games console by 13% as it struggles to match sales of rivals Nintendo Wii and Sony PlayStation 3. Following similar price cuts earlier this year in the US and Europe, the standard model will now sell for 34,800 yen ($304; £148). Earlier this month, Sony also cut the cost of the PlayStation in the US and introduced a cheaper version. Both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 are now trailing behind sales of the Wii. Nintendo has a strong lead, not just in the Japanese market, but also in wider global sales. Festive focus In the first half of 2007, Microsoft sold 122,565 units of the Xbox 360 in Japan, compared with 503,554 PlayStation 3 units and 1.78 million of the Wii. Microsoft's basic Xbox 360 model will now sell in Japan for 29,800 yen. So far, Nintendo has shipped 9.3 million units of the Wii, which was introduced last year. Sony has sold 5 million of the PlayStation 3, which also first went on sale in 2006. Microsoft has sold 11.6 million of the Xbox 360, although it has been on sale for a year longer. All three firms are now targeting sales in the key pre-Christmas period. Story from BBC NEWS: |
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| Family-friendly Xbox goes on sale Microsoft wants to gain foothold in family market Microsoft has released a new Xbox 360 console - dubbed The Arcade - which is aimed squarely at the family market. The reworked, low-end version of the console will have a price tag of £199.99 and will go on sale in the UK from Friday 26 October. The move will be seen as an attempt to close the gap on Nintendo's Wii console which has been a big hit with families. Microsoft is also releasing two games aimed at younger players, including one based on the Shrek movies. Parental control "As families gather together this Christmas, it's the perfect time to launch a family orientated Xbox 360 package that plays games, video and music," said Stephen McGill, head of gaming and entertainment for Microsoft UK. The console will come bundled with five games, which were previously only available from its Xbox Live online service. It will also feature family settings to allow parents to control what their children watch and play, he added. The Arcade replaces the Core model of the console which had the same price tag but was not bundled with games. It does not have the hard drive found on more expensive Xbox models but will have a memory card for saving progress in games. Industry watchers will see the move as an attempt to gain ground on Nintendo. Nintendo's Wii is outselling its rivals In the UK, the Wii became the fastest-selling console ever, shifting one million units in just 38 weeks. In comparison, the world's best selling console, the PlayStation 2, took 50 weeks to reach one million in sales. The Xbox 360 took 60 weeks. In the first half of 2007, Microsoft sold 122,565 units of the Xbox 360 in Japan, compared with 503,554 PlayStation 3 units and 1.78 million of the Wii. In an effort to compete, Microsoft has cut the price of its Xbox console in Japan, Europe and the US. |
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| Microsoft cuts Europe Xbox price Microsoft has cut the price of its Xbox 360 video game console in Europe. From 14th March, the 20 gigabyte hard drive model will cost 270 euros, a drop in price of 80 euros. In the UK, the entry level machine, which does not come with any hard drive, will cost £159.99, £40 less than the current price. The price drops mean that the versions of the console are now cheaper than both of its competitors - the Nintendo Wii and Sony's PlayStation 3 (PS3). Sony's 40GB console currently retails for £299.99 compared to £259.99 for Microsoft's top level machine - the Xbox 360 Elite, which has a 120GB drive. The Nintendo Wii currently retails for £180 in the UK. Microsoft said that the price of the entry level machine had been chosen because historically it was "the price point where a console's audience begins to expand". The Xbox 360 has been losing ground to both of its competitors recently, despite having launched earlier. Story from BBC NEWS: |
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| 'No plans' for Xbox 360 Blu-ray Microsoft has no plans to release a Blu-ray add-on for the Xbox 360 and is instead backing digital delivery, the head of Xbox in the UK has said. Microsoft stopped production of its HD-DVD player following the decision by Toshiba, the format's creator, to concede victory to rival Blu-ray. Microsoft's Neil Thompson said physical media would give way to downloads in the next two to three years. "We have always said online is the way to go," he said. He denied that Microsoft had abandoned customers who had purchased the HD-DVD add-on for their Xbox 360 consoles. "We said to people they had the choice; we didn't force it on them as we didn't put it in the box," he said. Shift focus He said Microsoft had always planned to shift its focus to digital distribution of content. "Our belief was that in the lifetime of the Xbox 360 we were going to move to this online world and online distribution for content outside gaming. "If we didn't believe that we would have put a hi-def player in the console. The expanse and growth of consumption of digital content is exponential Neil Thompson, Xbox "But there was a time gap of us launching and getting to that world. We knew certain of our customers would want a hi-def format and we thought the most cost-efficient way of doing that was going down the hi-def peripheral route." More than 300,000 HD-DVD add-on drives are believed to have been sold to Xbox gamers. Mr Thompson said offering a Blu-ray player to Xbox 360 gamers would not be the best use of resources for the firm. "We think it's better to focus our efforts and resources on developing services in the digital domain," he said. He added: "More and more people are consuming more and more hi-def and standard-def content online. The expansion and growth of consumption of digital content is exponential." Microsoft has been criticised for the variety of downloads on its online video service in the UK. Mr Thompson said the firm would be adding more content and announcing new partners throughout the year. Story from BBC NEWS: |
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| GTA IV to 'drive next-gen sales' By Jim Reed Newsbeat technology reporter Grand Theft Auto IV is shaping up to be the biggest console release of the year when it hits the shelves next week, according to industry watchers. Analysts at Screen Digest say the game will drive sales of next generation machines like the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. Piers Harding Rolls at Screen Digest said: "There are just a handful of big brands and GTA is definitely up there with them. "The previous games in the franchise have all been fantastically successful. It is really unique in the industry." Over the years, the Grand Theft Auto series has been called everything from a design classic to a threat to the safety of our children. Top five title The game's developer, Edinburgh-based Rockstar, is not the publicity loving type. But then, it doesn't need to be. An incredible 70 million copies of the game have been sold since 1997, placing it in the top five selling titles of all time. So don't expect the same pre-release hype that you find with something like Nintendo's Wii Fit game. Instead Rockstar is relying on reputation, word of mouth and careful, targeted marketing. Over the last year, fans have been fed a slow drip of news, screen shots and video about the game. The plot, for any gamer hiding under a stone, doesn't stray too far from the tried and tested gangster theme. You play Niko Bellic, an Eastern European who comes to the United States in search of the American Dream. Cue a lot of driving, shooting and explosions around "Liberty City", codename for a slightly redesigned New York. No real change there. But GTA IV does promise some genuine innovations. First, there's the use of procedural-based animation technology developed by mathematicians at Oxford University. In the past, 3D graphics have relied on a set of predetermined animations. Real physics If an oil drum explodes, for example, it will explode in a set way described in code by the game's programmers. The new technology, called Euphoria, is based on real physics. It promises a more believable game world where characters can fall off ledges, bump into each other and collapse to the floor. Then there are the movie-like production values. Previous Grand Theft Auto titles have used famous voice actors like Samuel L. Jackson and Ray Liotta. The film-style cut scenes and trailers live on in Grant Theft Auto IV. But the game makes full use of next generation technology. The graphics are more realistic and, from the trailers at least, the game appears to take itself more seriously. That's not to say there won’t be celebrity involvement. The famous fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld appears as a guest DJ and the comedian Ricky Gervais crops up as an extra in the comedy club. If there is one company that will have mixed feelings about the release it is Sony. The Japanese electronics giant has been desperately looking for a key game that can drive sales of its Playstation 3 console. Previous GTA titles have been released on the Playstation first with other formats coming months or even years later. When Rockstar announced a simultaneous release, it sent small shockwaves around the industry Piers Harding Rolls But Grand Theft Auto IV will go on sale on April 29 on both the Playstation and the Xbox 360. To make matters worse Rockstar has entered into a partnership agreement with Microsoft to release future online updates exclusively through the Xbox marketplace. Piers Harding Rolls at Screen Digest said the deal could undermine PS3 sales of the game. He said: "GTA was always synonymous with the Playstation, so this is definitely a coup for Microsoft. "When Rockstar announced a simultaneous release, it sent small shockwaves around the industry." Story from BBC NEWS: |
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| GTA game smashes UK sales records Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Grand Theft Auto gamers' views Critically acclaimed video game Grand Theft Auto (GTA) IV is on course to beat the record for highest first week sales of any video game in the UK. The title sold a record 609,000 copies on its first day of release, generating an estimated £24.4m ($48.5m). The previous record holder was GTA: San Andreas, which sold 501,000 copies in 24 hours in October 2004. But despite its success the game has been hit by reports of software problems and crashes on some consoles. "The cut scene at the office is freezing up.. I get audio, but the video just freezes," wrote one gamer on Sony's PlayStation 3 forum. The problem was originally thought to be confined to games running on the 60GB version of the PlayStation 3 sold in the US. However, other models running the game also seem to be affected. In addition, gamers that have bought the version for the Xbox 360 have also reported problems. "Is anyone else experiencing major freezing issues? I cant play the game for more than 10 mins without it freezing," wrote one on the Xbox forums. Record-breaker Rockstar, the makers of the GTA series, has acknowledged the problem and is reportedly working on a fix. The developer experienced similar problems in March when it launched another title, Bully, on the Xbox 360. Rockstar eventually released a software patch to fix the problem. The latest bout of crashes could cast a shadow over the record-breaking GTA IV title. However, despite the problems, reviews have been almost been unanimous in their praise. The game currently has an average review score of 98.7%, according to Gamerankings.com, which amalgamates reviews from all publications. UK-based games website Eurogamer called it "game of the year" and handed it a 10 out of 10 review score. The title cost approximately $100m to make but could quickly recoup the costs. According to Chart Track it not only recorded the highest sales for any game in its first 24 hours, it also set new records for first day sales for any game on both the PS3 and the Xbox. The title smashed the PS3 record by nearly 200,000 copies. Previous record holder Gran Turismo 5: Prologue sold just 80,000 copies. However, it was a closer run race on the Xbox 360. Microsoft's Halo 3 had previously notched up first day figures of 266,000 compared to GTA's recorded 335,000. Rockstar will find out on Tuesday whether the title will also clinch records for first week sales. Story from BBC NEWS: |