VG247: Xbox One Price Cut 'Middle Finger' To Early Adopters

Three months after release, Microsoft’s panic price cut is an insult to its most loyal fans. And as an added kick in the jewels they get to see later adopters pick up Titanfall for free.

Microsoft took a lot of people off guard today by announcing a price cut in the UK on the Xbox One, a games console it only released last November.

Critics, analysts, fans, marketers and everyone else with a throwaway opinion had been calling out Microsoft for its overpriced console since it first revealed the price point at E3 last year, but it was still a shock to see the company slash £30 off the machine and throw in a copy of Titanfall to boot.

Yep, Titanfall. The most anticipated game on the console. Possibly the most-anticipated game of the year. The one many had been holding off buying the console for. At the risk of repeating myself, now you can pick up the console for less and the game for free.

Surely none were more shocked than the early adopters of the Xbox One, those dedicated fans who bought the machine on day one. These are the fans who not only helped push the console to more than 3.9 million units shipped worldwide but also hoovered up the first batch of high-profile releases, no matter how they reviewed.

Clearly, sales of Microsoft’s Xbox One are lagging behind Sony’s PlayStation 4 in the UK. There’s no other way to assess such an immediate and drastic price cut less than three months after release. It’s a panic move from Microsoft.

It cannot let Sony get ahead and stay ahead this early in the console lifecycle otherwise it remains in second place for years. And in a race that only has two competitors, second place is first loser.

This may be Microsoft levelling the playing field with Sony, but it does so at the cost of pulling the rug out from under the asses of its most loyal supporters.

Obviously people buy a console on day one for many reasons, and no-one forced them to drop £429 on their hardware of choice.

But neither did they expect to see the price cut so quickly and have to fork out £50 for a game later adopters are now going to get for free.

When Microsoft cut the price of the original Xbox in 2002 (for the same reason – sluggish sales) it offered two free games to early adopters and an extra controller. So far, there has been no such “thank you package”.

Indeed, Microsoft’s latest backtrack for its games console – of which there have been a ludicrous amount – is more of a “**** you package” to the fans it should be grateful to for supporting it so far in this console war.

I really, really hope Microsoft has some sort of 'Ambassador Program' arranged here. They did it with the original Xbox, and they let fans have a game for free; Nintendo did it with the N64 (and allowed full refunds), and 3DS (and gave away twenty free games), so if Microsoft does not want to lose even more goodwill, they need to pacify early adopters.

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Is this only in the UK?

You know, I'm kind of split on this kind of thing. The thing is, they were willing to pay the original price on Day 1. They knew they could've waited, but they wanted to show their support. So will they really mind?

Only in the UK....but I will be mad if it happens in the states anytime soon.

So far, yes

I'm on board with you for that in that people who bought it for that price clearly thought the system was worth their money, right?

But the thing is, with a price cut this early, Microsoft stands to piss them off. I mean, even if I am an Xbox fan, why would I buy the next Xbox at launch if I know a major price cut is just about three months away, you know?

So the least Microsoft could do would be to pacify the fans, especially since early adopters not only had to pay more for the console, they also have to pay full price to buy the biggest game for their console that newcomers now get for free.

Microsoft probably should do something if they don't expect the Xbone to be the last console they every release. I don't think they need to go as far as Nintendo did with the Ambassador program, but they should probably consider giving all current owners a free year of XBLG or something.

NONE and I mean None of the latest consoles are worth their asking price currently.

Glad I waited :p
Let's hope this price cut comes to other territories.

I really don't think this price cut will help MS much, anyway, especially in Europe, where PC gaming is bigger than it is in the US. The only system seller the console is getting this year is going to be a whole lot better on the PC.

lol Microsoft

BUT you gotta also realize 399 EU is like $700 so its still expensive either ways and they wont change the US price one bit only in xbox fans dreams they would.

the sudden change in price must mean its doing terrible in there even worse than the 3DS price drop

I honestly don't think they will do that, but maybe just give away a full Killer Instinct package or something. Just, anything.

The discount is $60 in the US (Xbox One Titanfall bundle is $499). I feel a bit disappointed but not much. I have also already played several games on the XB1 since launch day - Ryse, DR3, Forza 5, FIFA 2014, Tomb Raider, and Plant vs Zombie (which will be released tonight digitally). I am also using the XB1 TV features and SmartGlass. So, I think that I got my money worth getting the XB1 early.

They knew the risks when buying a launch console. They shouldn't get anything.

If you purchased the X1 day one as I did you did so with the knowledge that a price cut was inevitable. Its ridiculous to get angry about an inevitability. My concern isnt with the price I CHOSE to pay. My concern is that the product I bought receives ongoing support and provides value for that money. By MS reducing the price they are going to encourage consumers to buy....the more consumers buy the more incentive MS has to provide the aforementioned support and value.

The cheaper this console gets the better.

They aren't entitled to anything, but if Microsoft cares at all about keeping them as loyal customers, they probably should get something. This console just launched in November.

TLHBO

But honestly, I would be pissed if i was an early adopter.

Sucker!!

I know there is a thread on the price cut, but none on this article, bro =p

Any one who bought an XBone in these first months should have known they were going to be used as a fap rag. That's the price you pay for following the hype.

This is not just true of Xbox One, to be fair. It's true of buying anything at launch, whether Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, or any consumer electronic, really.

So a price cut is giving the middle finger to the early adopters? Did anyone actually expect it to stay at it's launch price? Didn't Sony cut the price of the PS3 twice in the 1st year? It's asinine to think MS wasn't going to cut the price, especially if it wasn't selling well in a particular region.

How anyone would see this as an F U to the early adopters is beyond me. Product not meeting your expectation, you drop the price. This concept is not new nor is it exclusive.

Agreed. You buy something Day 1 to have the bragging rights or to be the first of your friends with the shiny new toy. That being said, Microsofts miscalculations sure have a way of sapping that "new console smell" right out of the living room lol

TLHBONED

Yeah lol... which is why they should extend an olive branch, I think. To kind of pacify pissed off early adopters.

I guess getting your ass kicked everywhere caused this. Good for them, MS admitting they are lacking behind.

Nah I love the Xbox One but at least give it a full year before a price drop, otherwise it is kind of a screw you to the people that supported MS.

How can you be mad about a product you bought getting a price cut? It's always going to happen. You can't expect a refund or something free.

Supporting.. MS.. You make it sound like a charity banquet or something LOL! God this is the best day ever!

When you buy something from a company are you not supporting them?

Is this a surprise? When do people finally learn not to adopt early? You will always pay more for less. So, sorry, can't feel sympathy for you.

the x1 was selling for nearly $700us in uk. of course it needed a price cut...

middle finger to early adopters... every single person knows damn well if they wait they can get something cheaper...

^^^^^ideal m$ customer right here people. doesnt care m$ offering discount just 3 months after release, he is just happy m$ is making money haha

Oh, for the love of Jesus, this is getting ridiculous. You people with f**king b*tch about everything MS does. Here's a piece of advice - if you are that insecure about the competition, then switch to the competition.

Nope doesn't bother me at all. Price drops happen and they happen all the time. This isn't new and I wasn't stupid enough to think it wasn't going to happen. No different that people paying premium prices for the PS4 on ebay just to be an early adopter.

What's lame is people like you trying to claim ownage for a price drop. SWs is getting dumber and dumber

Nope. Just getting a machine that plays games. I have no emotional investment in the process. If you support anything, support the developers that make the games.

Sometimes, being an Early adopter works.

I can play GBA games on my 3DS.

What xbox? Still no good reason to buy one.

Heh, I just bought mine used with 2 games, extra controller and plug n play kit for 500. So this doesn't bother me at all.

This was inevitable. The original price was higher than the PS3's launch price I think. I'm surprised they even launched it at £430. I'll still wait until the end of the year at the earliest to pick one up though. Don't have the cash or the conviction to buy it now.

If you give any company money for a product or service you are supporting that company or service, that's just common sense. It has nothing to do with emotion.

You buying a companies merchandise is you supporting them. It has nothing to do with emotions, especially to a company.

No emotional investment? HA HA HA HA!!! Dude, you are one of the biggest super-moo-cow-trolls on this site, and you are going to tell people you have no "emotional investment"?

What a bunch of bullshit.

u wouldnt survive in business with that mentality. even m$ offered free games to early original xbox adaptors after a early price drop because most people are casual/semi-casual gamers who feel ripped off and are unlikely to buy early from the company again which is why companies offer them something like nintendo ambassador scheme. price drops happen but they are not supposed to happen 3 months into lifecycle and those who buy of ebay do so knowingly, u think early adopters expected price drop after 3 months?

Just because you are a corporate fap rag doesn't mean everyone else is.

Whatever, man. You just made me laugh by insinuating you don't have "no emotional investment" in the PS4. Maybe if I was new to this forum, I might "possibly" believe you on face value; but come on, that's like the Pope saying he is agnostic.