GameTavern - Xbox Enjoys Euro Sales Boost

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Posted by C&VG

GameCube may have got off to a flyer in Europe, but Xbox certainly isn't going to roll over and die, according to a press release from Microsoft. The technology giant ordered a whopping £100 price cut effective as of April 26, and since then Microsoft states: "weekly [hardware] sales are running neck-and-neck with PlayStation 2."
According to the press release, in the week following the price cut - which precedes the launch of GameCube - Xbox accounted for 49% of next-gen hardware sales in the UK, with PS2 achieving a figure of 51%. The attachment rate for software is also impressive, with Microsoft stating an average of 3.7 games were purchased for every Xbox unit sold in the UK, the masterful Halo coming out as the biggest seller.

"Our customers have reacted positively to the price drop and we have seen an uplift in sales since April 26," said Alex Croft, head of buying for the GAME group. "This activity reaffirms Microsoft's commitment to the market and highlights the excellent value Xbox now represents to our customers."

"Our strategy is to give outstanding value to as many consumers as possible, and the increased Xbox sales since the price reduction indicate that strategy is on track," said Sandy Duncan, VP of Xbox Europe. "The new price allows us to be more competitive and make serious inroads into the hearts of European gamers leading up to Christmas 2002."

"As we've said before, this is a marathon, not a sprint - and these initial figures are extremely encouraging," continued Duncan. "But it is delivering great games and great experiences to hundreds of thousands of happy consumers in Europe over the long term that is our most important goal, and we will continue to drive initiatives to continue this cycle of success."

Maybe Xbox will not "end up like the DC" as some on this site have said!