Xbox 360 Kicking PlayStation 3 Two-to-One In Europe

Xbox 360‘s been seeing success in Europe, but nothing compares to the success they’ve seen since the recent price cuts. Sales for the 360 are up 214% which is pushing them past the two-to-one sales ratio against the more expensive PlayStation 3.

We’re assuming this 214% increase is due to the cheaper price combined with a large selection of great game titles. No doubt Microsoft is happy to hear the news that their price cut went over so well in all countries. Unfortunately, we’re not so sure a straight PlayStation 3 price cut would drastically change the sales ratio because the PS3 still has very few exciting games when compared to the Xbox 360 which has a year head start on its bigger competitor.

Microsoft’s new to console success, being the odd duck last generation. They’ve learned a lot and has kicked up the competitive nature of console gaming, giving PlayStation 3 a run for its money. Competition is wonderful and is probably making Sony’s exec’s wonder what tactic to chooes next.

Of course, the Wii is a sales rampage and has been for a few years now. At this point, it’s not even fair to compare the two. However, we’re sure Microsoft will eventually come out and boast their recent European victories as sales figures solidify and become “official.”

Can Sony put up any Resistance to this market domination?

Read on for more press release information from ChartTrack.

LONDON – 30 September 2008 – New figures announced today by ChartTrack saw sales of the Microsoft® Xbox 360 increase by 214% in the last two weeks<1>, outselling Sony’s PlayStation 3 by more than two-to-one and reaffirming its strong momentum in Europe in the wake of its recent reduction in estimated retail price (ERP).

A reduction in the Xbox 360 ERP last week has brought the entry-level price point for Xbox 360 down to£129.99. The reduction is only part of the story though, as the largest marketing campaign in the history of Xbox also launches, inviting everyone to live their music, movies and family gaming‘moments’ with Xbox 360 through new television, print and poster ads as well as a totally new look for Xbox.com. Combined with new launches to add to its already impressive line-up of games, movies and wider entertainment content, Xbox 360 is set to drive forward the success that saw sales reach over 6 million in Europe last week.

Through an incredible line-up of games in time for Christmas, including the new singing game Lips and the chance to star in your own B-movie with You’re in the Movies among many others, an ever-growing library of downloadable movies, a revolutionary new interface and new interactive games soon to be available through Xbox LIVE, the Xbox 360 is truly becoming the home of mass-market entertainment with something to offer every interest and budget.

Chris Lewis, Vice President, Interactive Entertainment Business EMEA, said:“This data shows that the Xbox 360 trajectory continues upwards, and not just in the UK. We’ve seen uplift in all countries in Europe and are confident that even at this rate of growth we can keep retail satisfied with a steady supply of consoles throughout the Christmas season. Our commitment to continuously improving and innovating new content, our new high-profile marketing campaign and the fact that we’re now the best-value next-gen console on the market with an entry-level ERP of£129.99 combine to make Xbox 360 the right blend of gaming and wider experiences at the right price to offer unparalleled entertainment for everyone. And these figures prove it.”

From last Friday, 19th September, Xbox 360, which includes a 60GB hard drive and one wireless controller, has an ERP of£169.99. The Xbox 360 Elite, which comes with a massive 120GB hard drive enabling consumers to store huge quantities of content downloaded from Xbox LIVE® Marketplace as well as their own music, has an ERP of£229.99. The Xbox 360 Arcade console, perfect for those wishing to make their first foray into the gaming and entertainment world of Xbox, has an ERP of £129.99.

<1> Figures based on ChartTrack published results for UK 29 September 2008

(Thanks, Kotaku)

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Microsoft has announced they’ll be giving Xbox Live silver accounts access to play some multi-player cross-platform games for free until the fall update. Recently, Microsoft announced free online play with Games for Windows titles, effectively giving PC gamers “gold accounts” to play online.

Most people agree the move to give gold subscriptions to PC gamers was done because PC gamers don’t care to play Games for Windows games online if they have to pay for it. The culture of PC gaming is much different than console gaming on XBL, gamers expect the online experience at no cost; they’re already paying an ISP for network access, paying for a match-making system with a yearly subscription is not desired.

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“Supported cross-platform titles include Universe at War, Shadowrun, and Lost Planet: Colonies Edition.” (gamespot)

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Microsoft has chosen to close the studio as part of their growth plan of Microsoft Games Studios much like FASA was closed in the past. The difference, there is a new landing point for Halo Wars unlike the uncertain future of Shadowrun.

Commenting on the reason for the closure, Microsoft said, “This was a fiscally rooted decision that keeps MGS on its growth path. While the decision to dissolve Ensemble was not an easy one, Microsoft is working to place as many Ensemble employees who do not move to the newly formed studio into open positions within Microsoft as possible.” (gamespot)

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The only question is… what is causing Microsoft to close down studios with actively working real franchise projects? FASA went down, Bungie was let go on their own and now Ensemble Studios? There has to be something going on here… idea?

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