http://www.vg247.com/2014/02/24/xbox-one-uk-price-cut-is-a-middle-finger-to-early-adopters/
So not only has the Xbox One gotten a price cut in the UK, but they're also releasing a bundle with a free digital copy of Titanfall to boot. Thus shaving off over a hundred dollars off the launch price + Titanfall separately just three months into the Xone's life cycle.
While the timing was surprising, the reasoning behind it is not. The sales situation has deteriorated compared to the PS4; that will have supply shortages until April, according to Sony. The main culprit? The higher price point for worse performance, driven almost entirely by the cost of a peripheral that most people would gladly do without if.
Despite MS's claims of confidence,they are clearly worried about the fact that Sony is running circles around them right now--particularly in the US and UK, which were 360 strongholds throughout last generation. I don't buy for a second the UK executive's claims that they are happy with where it is and just want to provide "more value to the consumer". Why would they need a price cut AND a free giveaway of Titanfall if they had confidence in the system's value?
I suspect that this will help push units in a big way when Titanfall launches, but that it won't last more than a month or two. They don't have any exclusives anywhere near as big that can sustain the momentum until Fall. Meanwhile, people who bought the Xone day one aren't getting anything for their faith in MS in light of this deal, except an extra $100+ taken out of their bank accounts for the same stuff.
This kind of stuff is why I avoid buying consoles new. It's far better to wait and see how things play out, and until the library is built up to a respectable level, than take the plunge early only to see stuff like this.
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