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The Latest Xbox/PlayStation Pricing War

The Latest Xbox/PlayStation Pricing War

If you wait long enough…they’ll probably just start giving next-gen hardware away!

Everyone expected the holiday season of 2014 to be quite different than last year. I’m sure I don’t have to remind you of the slaughter it became for both the One and Wii U, as PlayStation simply couldn’t be touched during this period. Despite a lack-luster games library at the time, people still saw Sony as THE brand of the next generation of gaming. Since then, much as changed. Microsoft has finally gotten their collective sh*t together (doing away with all that Kinect BS) and is seemingly ready to go toe-to-toe with its rival on equal footing come the holidays.

At least that’s how it seemed until this past week. Now, all hell has essentially broken loose.

It would appear the figurative gloves have already come off, turning this sanctioned boxing match into an uncensored street fight. Both companies have already taken drastic measures to solidify their spots under this year’s Christmas trees, and we’ve barley reached the end of October! Microsoft was the first to draw blood, announcing it would offer several specially priced bundles (available starting this Saturday). After lowering the price point to match that of its PlayStation counterpart back in June, Team Xbox has now gone one step further in trimming an additional $50 from its price tag. Couple that with the $100 coupon you can receive by trading in your old 360 at a Microsoft store, and you’re out the door cost is just over $250. But things don’t stop there! The console of your choice will come with either the latest Assassins Creed game (entitled Unity ), or you can opt to pick up the special edition box that sports a sleek all-white case and ships with Sunset Overdrive . Needless to say, jaws around the CheatCC offices hit the floor when this news went live. It would appear Microsoft isn’t f*ckin’ around and finally looks to significantly push its sales needle into the black. Following the wave of positive press they garnered upon dropping this bomb-shell, exec Aaron Greenberg took to Twitter to enjoy an initial victory lap. “We have the best games, exclusives, and new IP. A bright future ahead for sure!” he happily tweeted.

But before the dust could even settle, GameStop kicked in the door with a “…not so fast there mofos.”

Almost cat-like in their response, those at the retail giant were determined to help Sony steal back a bit of Microsoft’s thunder. And boy did they ever! Not more than a day later, the headlines across the old interwebs filled with news of yet another monetary shift. It appears those gamers who are willing to part ways with their old PS3 systems (Xbox 360s also qualify, but certain restrictions apply) can get a substantial discount at GameStop as well. When all is said and done, a brand-spankin’ new PS4 can be yours for just $275. Now obviously this was a promotion whose wheels were likely in motion long-before these announcements were made public, but that doesn’t change the fact that this could be the most bat-sh*t crazy two months we’ve seen in recent memory! There has really been no better time to be a gamer, especially if your one who’s yet to take the next-gen plunge. Your patience (or cheap-skated-ness) is about to pay off HUGE! Just to put the Gamestop deal in perspective, I called the store and asked what an original model 360 with a 12 GB hard drive goes for in store credit (in research of this article). The grand total was a whopping $30 bucks. With the PS4 deal, you’ll score $125 in credit.

The Latest Xbox/PlayStation Pricing War

It’s hard to say which of these moves actually surprised me more. I mean, I knew Microsoft was hoping to post better numbers than they did last year…but d*mn! If you factor in the cost of the included free game you’d normally have to purchase at the register, you’re technically only paying like $190 bucks for a freakin’ Xbox One. That’s B-A-N-A-N-A-S people! However, if I had to choose, I’m definitely more stunned by the PlayStation deal. I truly never expected them to get drawn into a pricing war (even if it’s Gamestop taking the lead on their behalf). I always saw the value of the PlayStation 4 simply selling itself, divorced of such sales ploys. Clearly antics such as this help ensure they don’t lose a single inch of market share, even if stores take a loss in the short term.

All I can say is buckle up everyone, as this crazy holiday rollercoaster likely has more twists and turns ahead! We’ll keep you posted.

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