Microsoft shrugs off PlayStation 2 price cut

by Griffin McElroy on Mar 31st 2009 5:12PM

If you were holding your breath for Microsoft's response to the PlayStation 2's recently announced $99 price point, it's now safe to exhale -- Microsoft vice-president of interactive entertainment business Chris Lewis recently issued a calm, cool and collected statement regarding the discount, stating, "The future lies in the growth of current generation consoles," a future in which he's confident the Xbox 360 will continue to trump the PS3.

Considering the original Xbox has been discontinued for nearly three years, Microsoft hasn't had a horse in the sixth-generation race for quite some time now. Still, it'll be interesting to see if the bargain-priced PS2 can take a bigger chunk out of current-gen console sales in light of the not-so-awesome state of the economy.

Source

Tags: chris-lewis, console, current-gen, microsoft, price-cut, sony

Reader Comments (70)

That picture made me laugh out loud :D

no literally i looked like a mentally challenged person laughing at my cell phone screen for whole 2 minutes

1. It's not that funny
2. No one need an explanation to your original statement, we'll take your word for it, it's not like anyone really cares anyway.

If no one cares then why are you replying?

Could it be sarcasm? Could he maybe not think the subtitle bubble thing isn't that funny? I should save that question for after I bite the dust.

Maybe I should save a question about double negatives too.

I'm commenting on a gaming blog, I have nothing better to do.

You're Peter Moore? Shouldn't you be working on that Playstation home EA space...or making some sort of cheap wii sports rip off/cash in? You're important!

Meanwhile, at the Microsoft headquarter:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvsboPUjrGc

man I hope microsoft angers sony into giving a price drop lolz

man I can't believe I got voted down

continue to trump?

As in continue its sales lead maybe?

Yeah, I'm pretty sure he was referring to the current lead in console sales. Obviously Microsoft isn't leading in Asian territories, but globally the 360 is still ahead.

i think microsoft are more happy that the ps3 didnt get a price cut because if it did they know they would have been in the shit big time.

Ain't that the truth. MS was shittin on themselves before the announcement. There probably relieved

Xbox priced at 200$? Next gen for only 100$ more.... oh wait, more like 300$. Meh, oh well.

As I said in the earlier thread, Sony should sell PS2 backwards compatibility for the PS3. There are a lot of games I'd like to try, but I'm not going to buy a PS2 to do it. Too much junk.

I think the other thing that people fail to mention is that it is not going to be real awesome for Sony when the PS2 starts outselling the PS3 again... two and a half years after the PS3 launched.

"This move from Sony at the end of the PS2’s life cycle is not unexpected," Chris Lewis, VP of the Interactive Entertainment Business for Microsoft, told GamesIndustry.biz.

"We believe, however, that the future lies in the growth of current generation consoles and Xbox 360, as the fastest growing games console last year, with sales up over 80 per cent, will continue to drive the market.

"Xbox 360 has clearly demonstrated that the combination of the right price, blockbuster games as well as the market-leading broad connected entertainment content available through Xbox Live will continue to resonate with the ever growing needs of today’s consumers," added Lewis.

Nothing too surprising, and I personally don't think it really sounds *that* dismissive. It's not like they're going to counter with a price drop on the original xbox or anything. Obviously it's an easy and good move for Sony, still has games, still will sell some and they can bleed it dry and still make dough off of it.

Feel sorry for the poor youngan who gets one as a gift now if he's expecting a PS3/360/Wii though. :P

HA, I'd rather have a PS2 than a Wii (or 360)!!!

HA I PRE-EMPTED YOU! YEAH, YOU, YOU GOBLIN HANDED GOON.

It's just so hard to type with my messed up gamer goblin-fingers. =(

It took me half an hour just to write the above.

And another half hour to write the line above this.

And another half hour to write the line above this.

The line above this was copy/pasted, though.

lmao Hyams

Peter,

1. I laughed at it too and ice's response made me laugh even more.
2. no one cares about your post either.
3. Don't be a douche.
4. I'm bored

5. Goooooolden riiiiings

PS - I guess you're lazy as well, you misfired :P

Snes price drop has to be on the horizon?

Mandatory price drop at garage sales around NA. Unless you pick up the seller's old collection of Wham! or Pet Shop Boys cassettes, then it's like an additional 10% off the SNES.

Followed quickly by a price drop for the Sega CD-ROM. Bram Stoker's Dracula here we come!

@343 - Psh, it's all about Willy Beamish and Sewer Shark

N64 has Rock Band though, so I'd imagine that it's still gonna be the console of choice for youngsters this holiday.

I dont know man, the snes and it's internet gaming fad might take off soon.

It's funny how the article says "a future in which he's confident the Xbox 360 will continue to trump the PS3." Can we please try to keep things in "time" perspective.

didn't the 360 come out a year ahead of the ps3. If you imagine comparing the 360 and ps3 for the same length of time after launch, i think they are pretty much doing the same as far as number of consoles sold....right?

Right but when they talk about who's "winning" the console war, it's the number of machines out in the wild that people discuss... and MS still has a significant lead there; Sony will have to do a lot better than move roughly the same number of consoles MS does... as you pointed out, MS had a year lead; that's a significant gap that Sony must close... and breaking even ain't gonna cut it, nor are PS2 sales...

Man I am getting so tired of this bitchy behavior between these companies. Seriously MS? Seriously you needed to troll Sony announcing a price-drop on their previous-gen console?

Well, it is Microsoft.. They troll any of their competition no matter what division. it's just that Sony keeps baiting them.

Dude, Sony trolls too, as does Nintendo for that matter; and neither Sony nor MS have nearly this much trash-talking in other markets they're in... for some reason they think it's acceptable or maybe even expected that they behave like petulant children. It's this that frustrates me, not just MS lashing out...

FWIW in terms of developing markets, the price drop is only for the Europe and NA. Probably some room for good growth in parts of Europe, not so much NA.

L.O. fucking L.! I'm still laughing at that picture!!!

@Markez

How about Mexico?

Gotta love Microsoft's claims that they're "driving the industry."

Well, if it was Nintendo driving the industry, we'd be in the ditch after slamming into a tree.

Then make sure you have your crash helmet on, my friend. ;)

Just because Nintedo has the plurality doesn't mean they are driving the industry. Superior marketing does not equal a superior product. (I feel like I spew a lot of Nintendo hate on this site.)

@ Reader
If your looking at hardware for driving the industry the 360 is still in the middle

Was that PS2 price drop really their "big global announcement" that was supposed to happen today? Really?

Sony never said it was going to be big. Kotaku is responsible for hyping it up.

DIOS MIO! YO OLVIDO, SEñOR! Next thing you know you'll probably tell me that Canada is part of North America and not a huge island circling the north pole.

You can bet Microsoft wishes they could have made a press release dropping the price of the original Xbox (meaning it would still be a source of revenue for them) instead of making a press release commenting on the PS2. Any home console maker goes to bed hoping and praying that at the end of the day their system sells as well as the PS2 did.

I believe sony made wrong move on price drop for ps2 now they gave ms and nintendo to control the game console market around all region sale show that in npd sale Martch April and the summer season i predict

#1 Nintendo WII
#2 xbox360
#3PlayStation 3

They need to gain some ground soon

PunctuationKiller79

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Microsoft shrugs off PlayStation 2 price cut

Reader Comments (70)

Posted: Mar 31st 2009 5:14PM The Kong said

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