Xbox 360 Dips Below the $200 mark in Japan

[btarunr]

Microsoft has reduced the price of the Xbox 360 Arcade to 19,800 yen, which equates to $183 US Dollars, in Japan. This means that the console is the first of the latest generation parts to drop below the $200 US Dollar mark. This news was leaked earlier today following a story in Japan's Nikkei financial newspaper that was also picked up by Forbes, causing Takeshi Sensui, Xbox Japan general manager, to joke onstage that his announcement was the "official" one, during a media event held in Tokyo today.

Apparently this low price is to propagate the console, preparing a market for the launch of Square Enix and Tri-Ace's Infinite Undiscovery RPG, which comes out by September 11. In addition, on that date Microsoft will release a new Xbox 360 model equipped with a 60GB drive that will replace the current 20GB 360. It will be priced at 29,000 yen ($275) against 34,800 yen ($320) for the 60GB model. Last but not least comes Xbox 360 Elite 120GB which will be getting a price reduction of almost $80, down to 39,800 yen ($367).



Source: Wired

[alexp999]

Maybe this is the start of the september price cuts, which means Jasper could very well be right round the corner if not here already.
Which is good cus I think my 360 is dying

[btarunr]

Many Thanks to wolf2009 for sending this in.

[KieranD]

wish i lived in Japan, clean streets, high tech, cheap, relatively low crime rate, good transport links

only bad things is learning the difficult language, population is crowded, earthquakes

i want a 60gb jasper cant afford to replace my old 360 tho

[WhiteLotus]

Originally Posted by KieranD

wish i lived in Japan, clean streets, high tech, cheap, relatively low crime rate, good transport links

only bad things is learning the difficult language, population is crowded, earthquakes

i want a 60gb jasper cant afford to replace my old 360 tho

Japan is a very nice place. My sister has just got back from her travels around that part of the world and will happily upload some pictures of the place if anyone wishes to see them.


Also with these price cuts, how is the competition going to react? Usually when one person cuts prices they all tend to as well. I would really like an Xbox360 but the price tag just isn't worth it - seeing as i would also have to buy a new TV and wall brackets.

[Apocolypse007]

Originally Posted by WhiteLotus

Japan is a very nice place. My sister has just got back from her travels around that part of the world and will happily upload some pictures of the place if anyone wishes to see them.


Also with these price cuts, how is the competition going to react? Usually when one person cuts prices they all tend to as well. I would really like an Xbox360 but the price tag just isn't worth it - seeing as i would also have to buy a new TV and wall brackets.

I'd like to see some Japan pics! I've always wanted to go but i cant afford it for quite some time.

[mlupple]

Here's a bunch of pictures of things that I thought were interesting.



Turtles in Yoyogi Park


Interesting pop-culture in Harajuku


Yokohama from the Landmark Tower


Our Ryokan room in Izu


Bridge over river at Ryokan - that place is AWESOME. If you ever go to Japan, take a trip to Izu and stay at the tsuribashi-so


I don't want to stereotype


Izu, there are 7 waterfalls within 2 miles of our ryokan.


Kyoto


Philosopher's walk, Kyoto


Old style house


Japanese technology at it's best.


Shinkansen bullet train from Kyoto. 186mph


$100 for a single melon!!!!! WHAT?!??!


Shibuya. This many people cross the street every 2 or 3 minutes.


Lost in translation


Castle


Rock garden in Nikko


Shibuya, Shinkuku...? I can't remember. It's like this everywhere.


Festival far away from tourist parts of tokyo.



No way I would ever live in Japan. It's like 100% humidity and 100 degrees all the time! But they do have public waterslide toilets - you poop at the top of a waterslide, hit the button and watch your poop go down the slide into the hole. Too bad I didn't get a pic.

[WhiteLotus]

I PM'ed a selection of pics - if anyone would like to see them just send me a PM and i'll forward you thm. Lets not derail this thread anymore.

[holy_]

Aw, want to live in Japan so badly I hope someday I will. And nice pic

Anyway, that's great that 360 get pricecut (I don't have 360) and I so want badly to play Infinite Undiscovery (Star Ocean 3 fans~)

[Megasty]

Japan, huh. My great jig had me living right outside of Tyoko for most of 2005. I had to learn nearly 2000 kanji characters in 3 months I found that really stupid since I didn't hardly speak any Japanese at work. I guess they just wanted me to be able to read the newspapers It was a great experience if you like being around a WHOLE lot of ppl. For the most part in Tyoko, if you saw a car then you'd really saw something special.

Anyway, the only thing that isn't overpriced in Tyoko is technology. Everything else...food, clothes, toys, etc is sickly expensive. I say that because when tech first hit the shelves there, the prices are foolish...but most large stores will drop there tech prices a few hours after release to sell more of it faster, & that's a daily occurence

You can find several smaller stores on one block which fight for your business left & right. If you go into one place & ask for something, if you don't buy it there the whole damn block will know about it. Mainstream items like video systems & PCs are also effected by this. But I would only buy that kind of stuff in the larger stores. I'm pretty sure that you'll be able to find a 360 for about $150-160 if you search hard enough. They have special & deals in the larger stores every 5-10 mins. I wish we had price wars like that.

[mlupple]

They don't have any better tech than we can get in the US. Only thing higher tech is toilets and trains.

[Wile E]

Originally Posted by mlupple

They don't have any better tech than we can get in the US. Only thing higher tech is toilets and trains.

Their internet is vastly better than ours.

[WhiteLotus]

Originally Posted by Wile E

Their internet is vastly better than ours.

And they have robotics.

[zithe]

Originally Posted by Wile E

Their internet is vastly better than ours.

And cell phones.

[KieranD]

basically you can get everything thats in Japan in the US but its readily available in Japan and everything hits the market there first since thats where its manufactured mostly

it might not be this way but im guessing that Japan has hardware for a lot cheaper

also they just have tech everywhere youd have to pay for it in the US its not like you can go into the street and its totaly modern everywhere in the UK