Maker of game console puts pressure on
rival Sony to go lower
Financial Times (UK) Sep 1, 08 1:24 PM CDT
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Microsoft appears to have fired the first shot in a new round of game-console price cuts, the Financial Times reports, trimming the cost of its Xbox 360 today in Japan. It plans to do likewise shortly in the US. In Japan, the Xbox now costs $184—less than half the price of rival Sony’s PlayStation 3—and Microsoft is primed for a Christmas bonanza unless Sony follows suit.
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After locking in young male gamers, mainstream consumer is next target
New York Times Jul 15, 08 10:18 CDT
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Microsoft hopes to discard the image of its Xbox 360 as a distinctly young, overwhelmingly male form of entertainment and push more casual experiences toward a wider, mainstream audience, the New York Times reports. Microsoft debuted more accessible entertainment fare at the annual E3 convention yesterday, including features to share photos and stream Netflix movies, as well as family-friendly games.
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Current model slashed $50; new version to offer larger hard drive
Seattle Post-Intelligencer Jul 14, 08 2:10 CDT
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Microsoft is slashing the price of its Xbox 360 video game system to clear shelf space for a new model with a larger hard drive, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports. The long-rumored price reduction knocks $50 off the $350 price of the 20-gigabyte model. The new pricetag places the Xbox 360 at $50 more than Nintendo’s wildly popular Wii system, and $100 below Sony’s Playstation 3 console.
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OPINION
Look for cheaper games with broader appeal in future, predicts writer
GigaOm Jun 19, 08 5:00 PM CDT
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Low sales of Grand Theft Auto IV herald the end of next-gen gaming’s heyday, writes Wagner James Au on GigaOm. The game is selling poorly compared to the previous version, and it hasn’t improved sales of the next-gen Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles. “The days when so-called “next-gen” gaming reigned supreme are coming to end,” predicts Au.
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EARNINGS REPORT
Price cut, new games create resurgence, $224M profit
Wall Street Journal May 15, 08 6:59 CDT
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Sony reported fourth quarter profits of $277 million yesterday, driven largely by its once-sputtering PlayStation 3, which passed Microsoft's Xbox 360 and is nipping at the heels of Nintendo’s Wii . The results vastly improved on a loss of $643.6 million a year ago, reports the Wall Street Journal .
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Exec makes predictions on top devices
Kotaku Mar 20, 08 4:10 PM CDT
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GameStop execs say they expect to be short on Wii consoles for the next two quarters and that $50 price drops are likely for the Xbox 360 and PS3. PSP shortfalls are also anticipated, but the PS3 should be well-stocked. The company’s CFO said several hardware prices cut were likely, Kotaku reports.
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Games made by gamers for gamers coming to XBox Live
MSNBC Feb 21, 08 4:01 CST
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Microsoft says it's going to bring democracy to video game creation and distribution, MSNBC reports. Microsoft's game-making kit has been a popular download, and the company is now introducing a way for gamers to share the games they make with millions of fellow enthusiasts. They plan to launch a YouTube-style XBox Live Community this fall where gamers will share, play, and rate their creations.
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Office, Vista, and Xbox behind $4.7B in quarterly revenue
Bloomberg Jan 24, 08 5:21 PM CST
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Microsoft topped estimates today, revealing a 79% jump in quarterly profits over the same period last year—and raising targets for the year. On Xbox 360 and Windows sales, the world's largest software maker boasted net income of $4.71 billion for the period ending December 31, up from the previous year’s $2.63 billion. Sales rose 30% to $16.4 billion, Bloomberg reports.
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Despite softening economy, $18B total in US marks 43% jump
Associated Press Jan 18, 08 10:23 CST
(Newser)
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More video games were sold in 2007 than ever before, with a total of $17.94 billion marking a 43% increase over 2006, reports the AP. Much of the growth came from sales of Nintendo's chronically undersupplied Wii and Microsoft's Halo 3, market researcher NPD Group said. Nintendo dominated gaming system sales, moving 6.3 million Wii units and 8.5 million of the most popular system, the portable DS.
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"Can't say it's not a bummer,' concedes Microsoft spokesman
Reuters Jan 9, 08 7:29 CST
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Microsoft could be changing roles in the HD wars, as the corporation may consider switching from Toshiba's HD-DVD players to rival Sony's Blu-ray technology in the Xbox 360 if the warning signs of HD-DVD's demise prove true, reports Reuters . The announcement comes in the wake of Warner Bros. last week announcing plans to drop HD-DVD in favor of Blu-ray.
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NEW RELEASE
Critics are wild for new XBox role-playing game
Metacritic Nov 23, 07 7:02 CST
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In Mass Effect, developed by BioWare for XBox 360, you play as a human with the singular ability to save the universe—and the game has critics raving. Paul Curthoy of the Official Xbox Magazine claims that "personally, it's the best game I've ever played, but even if you're not a hard-core sci-fi nerd like me, Mass Effect is a transcendent experience."
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Lower prices and a new low-cost model may help Sony to escape third place
Associated Press Nov 15, 07 9:02 PM CST
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Long lagging behind the Nintendo Wii and without a 'Halo 3' to rescue it, Sony's PlayStation 3 is finally seeing sales pick up in the weeks after a $100 price cut and introduction of a lower-end model. Sony said it sold 100,000 consoles last week, compared to sales of 30,000-40,000 a week before the Oct. 18 price cut.
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Microsoft's anticipated "Mass Effect" not showing up in Singapore
Reuters Nov 15, 07 8:53 CST
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Singaporeans anticipating Microsoft’s much-ballyhooed Mass Effect video game should stop anticipating. Thanks to a scene in which a human woman kisses and caresses an alien woman, Singapore has banned the action-RPG, Reuters reports. Microsoft said it would respect the ban, but outraged gamers decried the decision as too strict. Sex between men is against the law in Singapore.
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Popular feature boosts sales, inspires cheaters
Washington Post Nov 11, 07 12:18 PM CST
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“Gamerscore” could be Microsoft’s secret weapon in its bitter rivalry with Apple’s iPod, the Washington Post observes. The popular feature from the tech giant’s Xbox allows players to rack up points in the console’s social-networking world and flaunt their “achievements” for friends. The gamerscore may only bestow “vague, and nerdy, street cred,” the Post’s Mike Musgrove admits, but it’s effective.
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23% gains in first quarter; new PC
sales drive gains
Wall Street Journal Oct 26, 07 3:10 CDT
(Newser)
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Microsoft yesterday reported a 23% leap in net income and its best revenue growth since the dot-com boom, making it an isolated winner in a tumbling market. The announcement drove up the company's shares 10% in after-hours trading. The sales of new PCs with Windows installed helped drive the gains, especially in developing countries creating large new markets for computers.
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