When the Xbox One releases in certain countries later this year it will be priced a full $100 more than it’s competitor, the PlayStation 4. Veteran videogame analyst, Michael Pachter, however expects that to change very quickly.
Pachter thinks Microsoft made a mistake with their pricing by saying
“They’re going to regret the decision because I think people are now going to talk up Sony as the winner”
However it’s not all doom and gloom for us consumers, especially us in deepest darkest Africa, as Pachter goes on to say
“The good news is Microsoft will cut the price shortly after Christmas – probably will.”
Hopefully that’s true and we have a fair and vicious fight to the death between both consoles as a single dominant force isn’t good for anyone interested in video games.
As a side note, remember the PlayStation 3 fans used to shout out loud how much better the PS3 was than the Xbox 360 as it costs more which meant it was a better console. You get what you pay for sort of thing. It’s hilarious watching them now laud Sony for releasing the PlayStation 4 on the cheap… I guess you no longer get what you pay for after all?
The Xbox One is expected to be released in South Africa around January next year.
Last Updated: June 24, 2013
Admiral Chief Groot Wors
June 24, 2013 at 14:00
So no day one achievement then eh boyos?
Trevor Davies
June 24, 2013 at 14:12
Well it’s not like they built their PC themselves. trollol
RinceTheBurnWithIce
June 24, 2013 at 14:15
PC, that’s like a Vita, right?0-O
Trevor Davies
June 24, 2013 at 14:19
Stop stealing my troll thunder!
RinceTheBurnWithIce
June 24, 2013 at 14:21
Oww, boring! Here, something yo make you laugh 😉 http://9gag.com/gag/aM11dOW
Trevor Davies
June 24, 2013 at 14:28
Why would you think such a senseless act of violence perpetrated by a child of his defenseless mother would make me laugh? It does, but how did you know? :/
RinceTheBurnWithIce
June 24, 2013 at 14:30
I think it was the mother’s furtive glance at the camera before she’s nailed between the eyes that got me the most.
FoxOneZA - X-Therminator
June 24, 2013 at 14:05
There’s more to factor in than simply a $100’s. What bundles are we getting from either side? Also what are the chances of SK charging extra for the PS4 since it will be the only next-gen console on the market for like 6 months. Overseas consumers paid $600 for the PS3 at launch but in good ol’ SA it was R6700-R7500 without any freebies. Then there’s the cost of a second controller. Something that has put off many prospective Wii U buyers. There’s more to this than the Rand vs Dollar and it’s our money that they are playing with.
Here’s looking at you iPhone and Galaxy.
Argentil
June 24, 2013 at 14:11
There will, undoubtedly, be inflated pricing. Our country is pretty effed up when it comes to tech-related imports. I would see the console launching here at about R5 700, I reckon you’ll be able to pick up a few from certain sources like Games4U for around R5 000. The Xbox One will probably arrive at R6 500 (maybe less) depending.
Edit: R5 999 is not out of the question, our retailers luuurve the 9’s.
FoxOneZA - X-Therminator
June 24, 2013 at 14:15
Agreed. Last Friday I received and email from Esquire for the PS3 320gb going at R2299 excl. vat. Now retailers will sell the same console or much more and they also claim back VAT. Everyone is in it for a quick buck.
Argentil
June 24, 2013 at 14:18
I bought my PS2 in Thailand back in the early 00’s. It was R2 300 (11 000 Baht) with 2 controllers and 2 free games. One of which was MGS 2. It was even chipped, apparently (but the MGS2 was pirated :<). At the time, the PS2 was outrageously overpriced locally.
Trevor Davies
June 24, 2013 at 14:22
I had a friend in the UK bring me a 3G Kindle when he was on holiday a few years ago. It almost half the price of the wi-fi only Kindle with special offers that I could get locally. Not funny.
CaptainNemo42
June 24, 2013 at 14:29
The inflated prices we “enjoy” over here is more to do with the distributors. They rip us a new one. That being said. Surely the pricing that was revealed by both MS and Sony includes distributor and shipping costs?
So why the hell are we paying such inflated prices? Even if you go on the Euro price, The PS4 should not cost a cent more than R5400. Are the distributors taking a bigger cut than they should
Funny how we got used to being screwed over in this country. Talking about being happy to pay R6k for a PS4 or R7k for an Xbox One.
Argentil
June 24, 2013 at 14:29
It’s the way our country handles import taxes.
CaptainNemo42
June 24, 2013 at 14:43
I know import taxes. But we don’t have a strong manufacturing of hi-tech in ZA, so duties on the item will be lower. Also, it’s not imported by you and me as individuals, but rather in bulk, so it will be cheaper then as well.
Also, all EU countries and even the US “imports” electronics from somewhere. So once again, those costs should be calculated before hand.
Argentil
June 24, 2013 at 14:44
Then blame the distributors. If the PS4 debuts above R5899, I will be leading a pitchfork rally. Anyone know where SK HQ is? Bring your own Guy Fawkes mask.
CaptainNemo42
June 24, 2013 at 14:48
Imagine it launches on 5 November.
FoxOneZA - X-Therminator
June 24, 2013 at 14:49
Classico…
FoxOneZA - X-Therminator
June 24, 2013 at 14:54
They’ll use an excuse like the fuel cost over here is the highest in the world and that our land is far too vast to bring us our gaming needs. I bet there’s already a list of excuses being put together. I remember my Xbox 360 was held at the port by customs for half a day on launch day simply because nobody knew what it really was. Most shops only received stock the following weekend. Eventually MS resorted to bringing these consoles in by cargo planes which I think they still do.
HvR
June 24, 2013 at 15:14
The xbox 360 actually launched at around R500 below direct dollar to rand conversion. But that might have been the volatility of the rand (sometimes it can work in ones favour).
Argentil
June 24, 2013 at 14:07
The reason the PS3 was ‘better’ was because it was the cheapest Bluray player on the market at the time. The inclusion of bluray is what drove up the price of the console.
It costs R2000 to replace a broken bluray drive in a PS3 (or did a few years back, the tech is much cheaper now).
HvR
June 24, 2013 at 14:10
Just had flash backs of M$ punting Thosiba HD DVD. 🙂
Bought some audio stuff 2nd a few months back, the guy had a HD DVD player and all 3 HD DVD ever released proudly displayed in his living room. Who knows someday it might be worth as much as he paid for it as an scarce collectors item.
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
June 24, 2013 at 14:12
A bit like betamax. lol!
FoxOneZA - X-Therminator
June 24, 2013 at 14:49
Some say the Banana once featured on Beta-Max…
Argentil
June 24, 2013 at 14:13
Hah! Well, as a tech enthusiast, it might have some worth.
HvR
June 24, 2013 at 15:15
sorry, wrong reply button
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
June 24, 2013 at 14:08
At the end of the day it will come down to who wants what features and games I reckon. I don’t think the $100 price difference will make someone who wants an XBox go for anything else.
But I do think MS would do well dropping the price by at least $50
HvR
June 24, 2013 at 14:11
In the end it comes down to the games, have a friend who is so hard up on Forza he doesn’t care about anything he is getting an xbone.
Argentil
June 24, 2013 at 14:15
Yup, these are my thoughts as well. Xbox owners have enough incentive to purchase an Xbox One over a PS4 now. Their digital library and gamerscore (for what that’s worth). With the culling of DRM, MS will do alright. At least 50% of their current fanbase will buy a One at some stage.
CaptainNemo42
June 24, 2013 at 14:17
You do get what you pay for. In this case Kinect 2.0
Argentil
June 24, 2013 at 14:20
Wait, is that sarcasm, or genuine? Kinect 1.0 doesn’t have a killer app and is burdened by shovelware. Kinect 2.0 is bogged by privacy and security concerns. As of right now, there is no killer app for Kinect, and it acts as an arguable enhancement to the console’s featureset.
CaptainNemo42
June 24, 2013 at 14:34
A bit of sarcasm. It’s not officially said, but it is cited as being the reason why the Xbox One is more expensive than the PS4.
And yes, the Xbox One got no killer app. I think that is what’s going to be a huge deciding factor whether people will part with the extra $100. Maybe Halo and Forza, which got a big following, but not sure if its enough.
Argentil
June 24, 2013 at 14:38
I meant that Kinect 2.0 doesn’t have a killer app, but I guess they’re mutually exclusive now. Halo and Forza will be system sellers, for sure.
CaptainNemo42
June 24, 2013 at 14:47
But, Star Wars Kinect Episode II? 😛
Argentil
June 24, 2013 at 14:51
So many Star Wars fanboys were disappointed that day. As someone who enjoys the Star Wars series, but is not obsessed, I have only ever played one good Star Wars game. KotoR. I haven’t played Battlefront nor Jedi Academy, but I probably woulda liked em.
CaptainNemo42
June 24, 2013 at 14:55
I’m the same. I fell in love with Star Wars a a kid back in the 80s when M-Net showed the movies for the first time, but I never really played the games. I played Jedi Knight Academy and that is about it.
Man, Star Wars Kinect looked like a gimmicky money making thing right from the start.
Argentil
June 24, 2013 at 14:58
EA’s purchase of the rights to make SW games could be the best outcome available.
HvR
June 24, 2013 at 15:11
Plus you look like the star wars kid while playing it.
Deano
June 24, 2013 at 14:20
Sony fanboi’s are the funniest if Sony does anything that MS did its all of a sudden awesome!
If Sony put in a HD DVD into the PS4 the peeps would be singing from the heavens haha.
Xbox : The Xbox is cheaper so its worse just look at the PS3 specs!
Sony : PS4 is cheaper so its better! SONY FOREVA! boom! Xbots!
Xbox : Paid for Xbox live gold TERRIBLE BOO.
Sony : What paid for multiplayer aw thats okay cos we get free games.
I predict the next gen sony introduces 24 hour DRM and it will be AWESOME!
Argentil
June 24, 2013 at 14:21
Deano, where ya beeno?
We were lacking troll presence on this article.
Deano
June 24, 2013 at 14:22
Cant let you guys down.
by troll you mean none blinkered Sony fanboi without reason.
Harvey P. Cheesewinkle
June 24, 2013 at 15:32
Um…if Sony were one of the partner’s behind HD-DVD, and had put them in the PS3. Then HD-DVD would’ve won the format war. Sony’s ownership of Sony Pictures, is what gave them the bigger advantage in that situation. HD-DVD had no backing from any film studio at the time.
Xbox 360 was cheaper, and it did have less specs. PS4 is cheaper and it has better specs.
Don’t play MP on console, so that part is irrelevant to me. Always has been.
Tbone187
June 24, 2013 at 14:30
And the pricing speculation starts…I doubt MS will cut the price after all the adjustments they’ve already made.Perhaps a cheaper model will be on the cards…
Zubayr Bhyat
June 24, 2013 at 14:31
There is a model without Kinect. That’s most likely the one I’ll get if I go with the Xbox.
Argentil
June 24, 2013 at 14:33
There won’t be a version without Kinect. MS have said it multiple times. Developers design their games with Kinect’s presence in mind.
The price will drop in about a year as the components become cheaper.
Zubayr Bhyat
June 24, 2013 at 14:35
Think so? I’ll see how that goes tbh. I may just put my kinect into a duffle bag and tie the string in tight. That ought to make it nice and deaf 😛
Argentil
June 24, 2013 at 14:41
Nope, can’t obstruct the camera (apparently). How else will MS be able to detect the Dew and Doritos you’re consuming to determine if their advertising scheme is working?
Zubayr Bhyat
June 24, 2013 at 20:37
Good point. Good thing most of the food I eat doesn’t show brand names 😀
Happy Hamster
June 24, 2013 at 14:41
Prices might drop but knowing our luck *knock on wood* the rand wont stabilise against the dollar and we would be paying more
ALKi1234
June 24, 2013 at 14:44
Exactly what Nintendo did with the 3DS. M$ going to milk the fanboys!
Argentil
June 24, 2013 at 14:46
Well, at least Nintendo had an early adopters programme where they gave people free games for paying the launch price. MS are not that way inclined.
Case in point; the Gold member benefits of a free game a month only lasts until December 2013.
Ultimo_Cleric N7
June 24, 2013 at 14:53
Well it does make sense, wouldnt be suprised if the PS4 does the same thing. The heightened prices are probably only for the Christmas rush anyway.
Argentil
June 24, 2013 at 15:01
A price drop will come, but I would be very surprised if it’s within the next year. Andrew House revealed that they couldn’t drop the price of the console any lower than it is. Their executives would not allow them because of Sony’s financial position. I think Sony really needs to succeed this gen, they can’t take another near 3rd place. They will drop as their profits increase to a manageable level, and the components of the console cheapen up a bit.
berecon
June 24, 2013 at 15:44
Why do vg news sites even bother asking him his opinion on anything? His hit rate is horrendous and the things that ARE true are just common sense
Argentil
June 24, 2013 at 15:48
I think he has a 60% miss rate, actually. He had a few correct E3 predictions though! I’ll give him that. That said, he’s guessing, just like anyone else. Sometimes he has insider knowledge, but not often enough. I still enjoy his opinions, but I don’t take them as truth, obviously.