Microsoft Slates Xbox 360 Price Cuts For Japan, Asia-Pacific

Japan will soon see its own Xbox 360 price cuts, as Microsoft prepares to hold a press conference there tomorrow. Other Asia-Pacific regions are expected to see price reductions go into effect beginning September 10, according to reports. Microsoft Hong Kong's Julie Leong told the Network World website that the slightly later timing for the Asia-Pacific regions is because it takes a little more time for the new price-reduced Elite SKUs, which will now lack HDMI cables, to reach stores. Leong also said there are slight regional differences in the hardware for the Eastern markets, in accordance with Japanese television standards. The new HDMI-less Elite, which has a 120GB hard drive, will see about a 28 percent price reduction to the equivalent of U.S. $305 in Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan, according to the report. HDMI cables can still be purchased separately for between $10 and $20. When Sony recently cut the price of its PlayStation 3 to $299 with the unveiling of a re-designed Slim model, Microsoft quickly followed suit with reductions of its own, cutting the Elite's price to match. The mid-range "Pro" SKU was also price-reduced to $249.99, to clear out stock with the aim of eventually eliminating that model altogether. Nintendo's Wii is the only console remaining at its $249.99 launch price, and analysts have suggested its rivals' pricing moves pressure it to implement its own reductions ahead of the holiday season.