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Canadians get $100 price drop on Xbox 360, but still pay more for console

Quickly following the official announcement of the Xbox 360 price drops in the U.S., Microsoft is applying its slashing tool to the Canadian market. Beginning August 8 at Canadian retailers nationwide, the Xbox 360 console will sell for as much as $100 less than it did at launch.

The new price of the Xbox 360 Premium in Canada is $399.99, down from $499.99. Interestingly enough, the Xbox 360 Premium has seen the $399.99 Canadian price point during a short period of time late 2006. Many large electronics retailers sold the console for $399.99 as part of a Boxing Day sale during the last week of the year.

For the other Xbox 360 consoles, the Core also drops $100 to $299.99. The Xbox 360 Elite, on the other hand, gets half the price cut of its brethren and drops from $549.99 to $499.99.

In anticipation of this year's largest blockbuster game launch, the Xbox 360 Halo 3 Special Edition console will hit store shelves in September with at $449.99. Although the 20GB hard drive may make the machine appear to be just a re-colored Premium console, the Halo 3 Special Edition includes HDMI output.

"The fact that we have been able to keep our launch price longer than any other console while retaining our leadership position demonstrates that consumers believe in the value of Xbox 360," said Mitch Koch, corporate vice president, Global Retail Sales and Marketing Group, Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft. "On the eve of the best holiday games lineup ever and the launch of 'Madden NFL 08,' there has never been a better time to jump into Xbox 360."

U.S. gamers shouldn’t feel slighted by their market’s $50 price drop as compared to Canada’s $100 cut. Even with the double-sized price cut, Canadians will have to pay a U.S. dollar equivalent of almost $380 for the Premium, $285 for the Core and $475 for the Elite.

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yep..
By omnicronx on 8/8/2007 9:57:28 AM , Rating: 3
ya.. we were getting screwed in the first place, the premium edition being 500 dollars here before, (100 dollars more than the US model) and the exchange being a whole $1.06 Canadian dollars to 1 American =P.. should have been 420 Canadian in the first place.




RE: yep..
By hemming on 8/8/2007 10:21:18 AM , Rating: 2
yeah, canadian side of the border in Niagara Falls have been doing 1:1 for USD to CAD. US outlet malls do it as a special by accepting CAD at par on top of usual sales.

Almost makes me want to buy across the border and risk the tarrifs with the border guards on the way back.

What I do realize is that the CAD vs. USD pricing is determined long before the release of a product, and changes don't make a heck of a lot of difference. If you take a look at books released recently, there is still a faily large rift between the two price points. It'll take at least a year for normalization of the pricepoints based on a current stable exchange rate.

What would be beneficial to canadians is if the exchange rate stays stable for a while, prices normalize, then the dollar weakens against the USD. That way we would end up spending "less" money because of the lag on pricing for some goods.


RE: yep..
By omnicronx on 8/8/2007 11:08:32 AM , Rating: 3
quote:
If you take a look at books released recently, there is still a faily large rift between the two price points. It'll take at least a year for normalization of the pricepoints based on a current stable exchange rate.


no it wont, especially with books and magazines. The Canadian dollar in the last 20 years has been in a constant flux, going from 1:1 to less than 60 cents to the dollar back to almost 1:1. Book prices throughout my lifetime have never changed, always remaining about the same, with about $2.50-3 difference on every 10 dollars. Just because the exchange changes, does not mean American based companies will follow suit, and if history repeats it self, they will not change this time either.. =P (especially with the dollar so close, they make a lot more money)


Are you sure..
By Alexstarfire on 8/8/2007 4:23:05 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
The fact that we have been able to keep our launch price longer than any other console while retaining our leadership position demonstrates that consumers believe in the value of Xbox 360


Are they sure about that. I know they are in the lead ATM, but they must be on crack if they think that's not gonna change. There isn't even a 2.5 million console difference between them and the Wii anymore. I say it's just a matter of time. Not to mention that while they have kept the console price the same as the starting price until now, the Wii has yet to change too. I don't see that changing anytime soon either.




Huh?
By borowki on 8/8/07, Rating: -1
RE: Huh?
By mdogs444 on 8/8/2007 10:10:54 AM , Rating: 2
Where does it mention the UK? Im confused.


RE: Huh?
By webdawg77 on 8/8/2007 10:11:53 AM , Rating: 2
When does UK = Canada? Pull out a globe or Google Earth.


RE: Huh?
By omnicronx on 8/8/2007 10:16:10 AM , Rating: 3
leave the man alone, maybe he was born pre 1867.. morse code dialup, or giant sunspot perhaps??


RE: Huh?
By borowki on 8/8/07, Rating: -1
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