CONSOLE WANNABE Microsoft has cut the price of its Xbox console in Japan in a bid to win more Christmas sales. That"s even though Christmas isn"t the flavour of Yule in Japan. Wires said that it will cut the cost of the Xbox by a staggering 30%, and is a reaction to the price cuts Sony made on its Playstation 2 earlier this month. And, says the Dow Jones wire, quoting a Microsoft Japan representative, prices are falling on the bill of materials to make the Xbox.
The Xbox is clearly a second runner compared to the Sony Playstation 2 in its own land, but it seems Microsoft will offer not just a cheaper Xbox, but Halo, two months of free Xbox Live, and other software as it takes the axe to the prices.