Sometimes you just need to dance with the one that brought ya’.
Before we get into the meat and potatoes of today’s article, first let me wish each and every one of you a fantastic New Year! 2014 was phenomenal for both CheatCC and yours truly, and I hope that all our readers are just as hyped for the weeks and months to come as we are. The gaming landscape is packed full of awesome releases on the horizon, which I’m sure we all can’t wait to get our hands on!
And speaking of 2015, that’s the subject of the topic I’m bringing to the table (specifically how it relates to Microsoft and the future of their Xbox One). As you probably know, the One kicked some serious ass over the holidays. The $50 price drop, coupled with a series of insane bundles and gift card giveaways, gave Microsoft the edge they needed to jerk the #1 spot out from under Sony in both the U.K. and here in the States for the last two months. After one hell of a run, Saturday marks the end of this stellar deal. The folks over at the Xbox Wire posted a rundown earlier this week, listing all the retailers still offering this special pricing that expires in about 48 hours. The locations (and the unique perks they include) are as follows:
- Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop and Target : $50 off Xbox One Assassin’s Creed Unity Bundle or Xbox One Assassin’s Creed Unity Bundle with Kinect, plus a free $50 gift card
- Toys ‘R Us : $50 off Xbox One Assassin’s Creed Unity Bundle or Xbox One Assassin’s Creed Unity Bundle with Kinect, plus a free Xbox One controller
- Meijer : $50 off Xbox One Assassin’s Creed Unity Bundle or Xbox One Assassin’s Creed Unity Bundle with Kinect, plus a free Xbox One game of your choice
- Newegg : $50 off Xbox One Assassin’s Creed Unity Bundle or Xbox One Assassin’s Creed Unity Bundle with Kinect, plus a free 12-month Xbox Live Gold subscription and a $20 Newegg gift card
Frankly, I think January 3 rd 2015 is a day which could go down in infamy for Microsoft. Not as what marked the end of a boom sales period, but rather as the date signifying their first misstep of the year. The brass at the Xbox front office have been on an apology/back-pedaling tour over the course of 2014, recanting or completely reversing positions they found were hampering the One’s success along the way (dropping the Kinect is a shining example). Here they had the opportunity to start things off right, but seemingly have not learned from their mistakes. Over the holiday, I wrote a list of ten things Microsoft could do to ensure their console’s new found success would carry over beyond just the Christmas season. Apparently no one at Microsoft read it (shame on you). The numero uno suggestion right at the top was to keep the $50 price cut in place permanently, making $349.99 the new entry point of the next-generation. It’s a battle-tested strategy that has already proven people will overlook the advantages of the PS4 in lieu of a saving a few bucks at the register.
Alas, my pleas fell on deaf ears. And now it looks like Microsoft is backsliding right back into their old ways. I get that habits sometimes die hard, but strangling the golden goose is a pretty stupid move if you ask me. Absolutely NO good can come of upping the price of a piece of hardware people already feel is second-rate, especially when you’ve currently pulled ahead in two of the biggest markets within our industry.
Mark my words faithful readers. If Microsoft does indeed go through with the price readjustment this weekend, you can kiss the ring of your returning console king. His name will forever be known as Lord PlayStation (and his reign will be long).