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The Xbox One is $349…Forever!

The Xbox One is $349…Forever!

As some sat hoping the Xbox One’s holiday price cut would one day return…I personally never saw it as a matter of hope. I simply saw it as a matter of time.

For weeks now I have been preaching one infallible truth that could mean ALL the difference to the struggling next-gen Xbox as it moves into year-two if the modern day console war. Say what you will about the system, it had one hell of a good run the last two months. In fact, it still clocks in as the highest selling piece of gaming hardware on the market as of this writing (which is no easy task considering the myriad of other options available).

Even if you’re a die-hard PS4 fanboy, you have to admit the pricing stunt Microsoft pulled to end the year was EXTREMELY well played. Ever since then, I’ve been prognosticating (or perhaps you’d call it strongly advising) that those on Team Green would soon make the price cut permanent in order to retain their position in 2015. Now, with news recently posted to the Xbox Wire , it appears Microsoft has finally seen the light! “Building off a record-setting holiday, we are excited to announce a new promotion in which fans in the U.S. can buy an Xbox One at a special price of $349, starting tomorrow, January 16, from their preferred retailer. We are thankful for all the excitement for Xbox One this holiday and proud to offer more fans the amazing games lineup, Xbox Live gaming community, and continual innovation that Xbox One fans have come to enjoy.” Said Corporate Vice President of Marketing Mike Nichols.

Xbox Head Phil Spencer also states the feedback they’ve received from the community since launch has been vital, calling it “…instrumental in helping us best determine what our fans want and expect from us, and it’s clear that the Xbox One wouldn’t be what it is today without their valued input. We’re incredibly proud of the Xbox One and are fully committed to ensuring it’s the best place to play console games in 2015 and beyond.”

I’m not going to say I told you so, as I feel the laundry-list of articles I’ve posted since November reading the tea leaves on this very issue speaks for themselves. I also know exactly what some of you are thinking, as I can almost see the comments section bellow filling with doubting Thomases as I speak. These folks will likely point to other comments Phil Spencer recently made, suggesting this is only a “temporary” price cut (thus invalidating my prediction). To them I say…not so fast! Think about it for a second. There is absolutely NO good reason to reinstate this type of “sale” (if you wanna’ call it that) right smack dab in the middle of a dead period in January. This also comes just a few short weeks after they already returned the One to its original price point, a move those at the Microsoft front offices claimed to be supremely confident in. So I must ask; why this strange flip-flop where we once again see the cost adjusted seemingly out of the blue?

The Xbox One is $349…Forever!

Because I propose it’s not out of the blue, but rather a well-calculated strategy. I implore our readers to dig a little deeper to get at the real motivations that lie just below the surface. Mark my words: what you’re seeing here is a “Beta test” of sorts. I am 100% convinced this is Microsoft tentatively testing the waters to see if undercutting their competition is an easy route to retaining the short-term ground they’ve gained over the long-term moving forward. If sales data from the register bears this out, it won’t be long before another huge announcement is unveiled.

And even if the price does momentarily go back up, inevitably CheatCC will one day be reporting on a Microsoft press release which reads something like this: ”We’re proud to announce the Xbox One console is now permanently available at all retailers around the world for $349! – Sincerely Microsoft. PS…suck it Sony.”

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