GameTrailers is live streaming the Xbox Reveal Event at 10am PST / 1pm EST – check it out in the video below after the break and let us know what you think!
Xbox Reveal Live Stream
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Episode 555: Turkey Day VideogamesEpisode 555: Turkey Day Videogames
It’s Thanksgiving, and all three podcasters are in for turkey and videogames.
This week’s meaty news includes:
- Ubisoft wants Rainbow Six Siege to have more of a story next year
- Project Scarlett may cost $499 with 4x Xbox One X performance
- Phoenix Point has three human factions who have very different views on aliens
Let us know what you think.
Microsoft Confirms Price Cut on 20GB Xbox 360Microsoft Confirms Price Cut on 20GB Xbox 360
If you’re considering the Xbox 360 console, or plan to buy the Xbox 360 Arcade Edition for USD $279.99 please take pause, until the Xbox 360 20GB models dry up, you can now purchase them for USD $299.99. As Microsoft has bluntly stated, get them “while supplies last.”
We’re sure Microsoft is going to take a hit in Arcade sales while these supplies last, but that’s the sacrifice you make for drying up a console SKU and removing it from the market. So, while you can save $50.00 now, you’ll also be able to get a new 60GB model for the same price as the original Xbox 360 Preimum at USD $349.99.
You’ll still be able to purchase the Elite for its epic price of USD $449.99 if you really need the larger disk capacity (120GB). This is an official statement, leading up to E3, so we’ll have to see what Microsoft plans to announce at the event.
Will Sony respond to the price cut now that this is official? Probably not, as the Elite price is the same, the only concern Sony may have is the disk capacity comes closer to their high end console solution.
Studios Closing: The Good, Bad and UglyStudios Closing: The Good, Bad and Ugly
Gamers around the world are going to feel the pain in the 2009 holiday season after the economy shakes apart many great development studios. Electronic Arts feels the pain of being a public company as their investors complain about lackluster revenue, THQ deals with closing studios to extend their runway and other firms will lose more headcount in the coming months.
It’s not all bad. But, it’s going to get ugly before it gets better.
The financial market has played tricks on everyone in our global economy and companies across all industries are going to feel a bit of a tightening around the belt. Investors are shaken and doing their best to protect their investments and cutting loose those that aren’t projecting profits in the near future. Game studios are going to slow their financial burn rates, trim a bit of the fat and hunker down the long term. The end result, next years holiday season will have a few less games because those games are being dropped to the floor now.
Mid-sized studios within larger firms may find their projects canceled or put on hold and their employees re-structured or let go while big studios assess what projects will make the long haul. This is the ugly side of the business, having to make a decision on what games stay and what games go with the grief of having to tell some of your best talent “goodbye.”
The bad part of the industry is occurring today, with publishers posting mediocre profits and trying to convince their investors to be patient and trust they’ve got a firm hold on their destiny. The game industry is not alone in this, many firms are reducing head count and many startups are finding themselves without series A or B funding; they’re closing their doors because the money is being directed to more stable ventures.
What’s the good in all of this?