PS4, Xbox One prices could be cut sooner in cycle, says Activision

On its earnings call today, Activision Blizzard was asked a number of questions about the industry's market conditions, the console transition, and how it's handling its own franchises during this stretch. Interestingly, in a comment near the end of the call, CEO Bobby Kotick noted how Activision is actually encouraged that console installed bases could grow more quickly this time around because both Microsoft and Sony are better prepared and have improved manufacturing capabilities.

[mewhy32]

I'd like to see a kinectless 350.00 xbone.

[Regis]

Agreed hope they do it soon however I think they will when most of the launch games get low reviews.

[darthv72]

the chances of a kinect-less sku are about as good as the rumors of a bluray-less PS3 were.

If prices are to be reduced, both platforms will find ways to offset that loss one way or another.

[awesomeperson]

Have to agree with darthv there.

Sure, they would move a lot more units with a kinect-less SKU, especially in the short term.

But the Kinect, aside from the games, is the only thing setting the two consoles apart. It is what Microsoft is hoping the more casual market will hang on to, making it a mainstream success.

Their entire console has been designed around Kinect, they won't abandon it now.

[LordDhampire]

I'd say a kinectless xbox one chances are about as good as a slim ps4, guaranteed

[Computersaysno]

I'll be surprised if Xbox One doesn't have a price slash within about 6 months of it hitting the shelves.

Sony can sit on their price until Xbox one lowers itself closer to them. They will always have the cheaper console at this rate, if Microsoft don't ditch kinect which seems unlikely to me.

The machine seems so centred around it that taking it away would be a giant policy change, not an easy thing to do anymore or the longer they ship with it.

[LOGICWINS]

Hopefully not. That would give devs less of a reason to implement Kinect in meaningful ways. Look at PS Move, its HARDLY been mentioned with regards to the PS4 aside from Media Molecules new game. Why? Because its optional. Thats the downfall of giving gamers the choice to buy these devices in pieces. It would be a huge risk spending millions to develop a Kinect game like D4 and not having a guarantee that your potential consumers even have Kinect to begin with.

MS has stated that they want the Xbox One to be for everyone. Kinect allows that. Whether its for your toddlers that play casual games, to the techie non-gamer that enjoys using voice control/gestures to consume and navigate through media, to the core gamer who wants to play Halo.

Of all the initial stances MS has reversed, they CAN'T afford to make a Kinectless XB1.

[fenome]

I honestly don't see them doing an SKU without kinect. Kinect is the identity they chose for the X1, and it's the reason for the disparity in multi-plat games. I'm not saying that it's ~10% resource allocation has anything to do with it either. I mean they spent all their time and money on the camera and less real world assets in the console.

Personally, I think it would be a mistake for them to release the console without Kinect. Unless they were gonna charge like $300 for it and compete with the Wii-U. I'm not just talking out my ass either. The Wii-U runs Ghosts at 880 by 720 pixels, X1 runs it at 1280 by 720 pixels. Not a HUGE gap there.

Granted, the X1 does have an up-scaler, but so does my blu-ray player. Can I notice the difference between a blu-ray and an upscaled dvd? Night and day. The Kinect is what they focused everything on, they better support it 100% or it's gonna bite 'em in the ass I guarantee it.

Edit:
grammatical errors

[Ju]

What Kinect support? Neither of the big hitters make you want to get the camera - or it is even used in any meaningful way any any of those titles. MS has Just Dance and it's own Kinect title. That's about it. If MS really want's to sell, it has to go down in price. Significantly. It's the cheaper box. It should cost less. I could either get a $300 XO for Titan fall or a new GPU for less (for my PC). Take your pick...

[fenome]

@Ju
And then there's that too. Support so far is small things here and there, UI interface, dancing and sports. They put everything into this, yet what are they putting out for it? I just don't understand how they didn't consider that and really come out at launch with something that's like "Here you go: That's why". Something that totally uses it, and gives a reason for it being a part of the ecosystem. I've seen nothing but weird shit that doesn't really apply to games, or heard talk about how it'll be amazing. You're selling it, so SELL it. Prove it.

[Army_of_Darkness]

activision... Nobody will buy your games because they suck, not because xbone and ps4 is expensive.
OMG, sometimes I wanna smack the COD outta them.

[BBBirdistheWord]

I hope they keep the kinect as part of the package.

Kinect will be the thing that will make the xbo different and more fun than than the same old games plus some more pixels.

[LackTrue4K]

who cares what Activisions said, "there games should be in a bargain bin day one"

[Brazz]

if Playstation get something like 40-60% more sales worldwide than yes, microsoft will make X1 pricecut, probably a no kinect version.
I can't see Sony making pricecut, unless Ps4 flop ( I realy can't see Ps4 floping...). Sony need profit, sony can't bleed anymore, because they are very near "the edge".
Sony is poised to win this gen., and they need win this gen whit a huge profit! they need to work whit the advantage they have (they build a better and cheaper console) and start working their week point "cloud".. disagree if you want, but i made my homework and i know the Monster that is "Microsoft Azure clound", Sony need to step up their game to match microsoft in cloud ( and microsoft need to work in X-1 hardware/software, because Ps4 is kicking X-1 ass right now...)

[Regis]

Sony as a company is failing however the gaming division is just fine it's the movie and TV area failing.

[WeedyOne]

Its too late for MS to work on hardware though, Sony can always add things like cloud computing! Sony already aquired Gaikai, a cloud gaming service.

[mistertwoturbo]

I'd buy it

[Belking]

Don't count on that one. Sony is already losing $60 on every console sold. We may see MS drop kinect to get that price down lower next year though.

[Blastoise]

No, you wont. They've built the whole console around Kinect.

http://n4g.com/news/1372442...

[ABizzel1]

So Integral in fact that it can now be completely disconnected from the console.

http://kotaku.com/xbox-one-...

Since it's less powerful than the PS4 they need to price it reasonably, but don't expect a drop until 2014, and only if sales are down compared to the PS4 and M$ standards.

$349 - $379 w/o Kinect
$399 w. a game

[colonel179]

Microsoft is going to be the first to cut it, and it is most likely due to removing Kinect. Sales for the Xbox One won't be as good as PS4, and even if they are good enough for Microsoft (financially), they won't accept to sell less than PS4.

My guess is that by E3 next year, they will offer another SKU without Kinect, for the same price of the PS4, or even less.

[aviator189]

Ms may cut the price, but I don't see them offering a kinect-less version simply because microsoft wants the future of xbox to be dependent on kinect.
They want every user to get the same experience and want more devs to use the tech in their games.
They'll probably cut the price of the xbox one without removing kinect when the manufacturing costs are reduced by some amount.

[colonel179]

That what they say now! They don't care about their vision or the experience gamers get. They care about money, and if selling an Xbox without Kinect give them money, they will sell it.

How many times have they said that their vision of the console is this and that, and they backtrack? Really, right now they can get away with selling the Xbox with Kinect.. However, although demand is there for early owners, they are surely tasting if it will be successful.

Just give it time, it is likely MS will sell it. They don't care about any of the BS PR crap.

[Sitdown]

Microsoft doesn't care if they sale less than Sony, as long as they get a decent market share and make a ton In profits....its only fan boys who are concerned about who sold the most, so that they can justify their purchase and declare a winner in their mind.

[Ju]

If MS will have 30% market share in 6-12 month from now, I take a bet, they will lower the price. Guaranteed. And if Kinect saturation within those 30% is even lower (like 5-10%), this thing will go. Another given.

BTW: Like it MS never released a 360 without HDD - which in some cases isn't even able to play some games on those 4GB machines.

[Destrania]

Xbones yeah

[Godmars290]

Of course the systems aren't even out yet and Activision is already "asking" for price cuts in support of their own bottom line.

[mhunterjr]

Microsoft has plenty of room to prove their console more aggressively. The PS4 is being sold at a $60 loss. The xb1 is breaking even. Sony is simply playing the goodwill card, while Microsoft is playing supply and demand.it doesn't cost more because of Kinect. It costs more because lots of people will buy it at that price

After the initial hype dies down, and stores can actually keep these things on the shelves , Microsoft will see a drop or include more in the box...maybe around titanfalls launch. The ps4 will sit pretty at its current price at least until next Christmas.

PS xb1 will never have a Kinect-less sku. And I'd put money on the next halo using it extensively.

[Ju]

Anybody has a link which confirms that $60 loss? Or you just making this up because they say "with one title they make a profit already"? The loss - if so - is rather minimal and I doubt it's in the region of $60.

[mhunterjr]

http://www.eurogamer.net/ar...

Why do you doubt it's in the $60 region? The ps3 and Xbox 360 lost even more than that at launch...

[Ju]

Because the margin on a title is less than $60. Simple. And because I believe the PS4 is cheaper to build than the XO. DDR3 is maybe cheap, but XO's APU is a monster to build, has greater yields and probably offsets the cost in savings in the GDDR5. I even have a hard time believing MS can break even @ $500 - and the cost might be closer there; especially with Kinect included. They'd be lower if they could. Sony puts immense pressure on them with the $100 gap. Also, PS3 was at a loss, because it did not only include manufacturing costs but R&D which was insanely high for the PS3. PS4 R&D was nothing like that.

[That_Guy2u2]

I would love to see a cheaper kinectless bundle but would it make sense if your system is build around the kinect?

[Ac7iVe]

1st place ps4
2nd place WiiU
3rd place Xbone

After its all said n done

[Games_R_Us]

Wow, imagine MS cuts the price say $150, MS Does a 180! Sony does a cut a week later, praise the LORD! SOny is king, we dont do 180's either, only MS.

Cant wait to see this shit eventuate.

[Hicken]

Sony isn't going to need a price cut, as their device is already very cheap, and will be seen as a value straight out the gate. They're having no problem with interest in any of the countries they're releasing in.

They're not behind an average of 2:1 in preorders around the globe.

And hell, even with the Vita millions behind the 3DS, it was more than a year before it saw a price drop. Why would Sony drop the price on the PS4, when they're pretty much guaranteed to have greater sales?

I would suggest you use your head, but I don't think that's possible for you.

[SirBradders]

I think it will be likely to see new consoles in 2-3 years at this rate but just upgraded versions with the same OS/UI functions.