Pachter predicts 360 price cut by E3 2009

by Richard Mitchell { Jan 13th 2009 at 1:15PM }

According to Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter, a price cut is in the cards for the Xbox 360 by the time E3 2009 rolls out this summer (June to be precise). The price cut, says Pachter, is likely to come on the heels of a price cut for Sony's Playstation 3, which he believes will drop to $299 in April. In response, Pachter expects the Xbox 360 Pro model (which currently comes packed with a 60GB hard drive) to drop to $249. While the article doesn't mention the Xbox 360 Arcade or Elite, we'd say it's a safe bet that they'll also drop in price whenever the Pro does. What about the Wii, you say? Don't expect a price cut until demand starts to decline (so, like, never?).

It's worth noting that Pachter's not the only one predicting a PS3 price cut. Even Microsoft is predicting one in the near future. Assuming that happens, it only makes sense that Microsoft would follow suit.

Tags: analysis, analyst, price-cut, rumors

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

xenocidic @ Jan 13th 2009 1:39PM

$149 for an arcade? that would be epic

john paul @ Jan 13th 2009 3:37PM

I'm predicting (damn i should be an analyst), that the arcade will stay put and the Elite and Pro will drop $30 and $50 respectively. They're not willing to lose money on the consoles yet.

Highimpact1 @ Jan 13th 2009 5:25PM

Well I'm going to remember your post and hunt you down if your wrong ;-)

Seriously though, I'm going to find you.

francisco @ Jan 13th 2009 9:50PM

pachter is a noob his prediction are always wrong

Jeramy @ Jan 14th 2009 2:14PM

i can't see them dropping the arcade below $280, but who knows

john paul @ Jan 15th 2009 3:23PM

but i'm not getting paid for it...if anyone should be hunted down, it should be Pachter :)

readmore @ Jan 13th 2009 1:44PM

Sony can cut the price but I still won't buy lol
I'd rather get another 360 for my gf

Felonius_Dan @ Jan 13th 2009 1:52PM

This seems so obvious, but Pachter is missing out on something: the 360 used to come with a 20gb HDD. What Microsoft will likely do is "drop" the price of the 360 by reissuing the 20gb model for a price of $199 or $249. Arcade (no HDD) could then be sold for $149 or $179.

Jeramy @ Jan 14th 2009 2:12PM

i highly doubt they would pull a move like that. they already phased out the 20gb models when they introduced the 60gb sku's. it would be awfully silly to bring them back out of nowhere. plus i'm sure the 20gb hdd probably isn't viable anymore since over time it becomes equally as expensive (or cheaper, maybe) to produce larger hdd's (the original xbox comes to mind). if the 20gb were to make a comeback for some odd reason, it would probably replace the arcade model.

Xiphias @ Jan 13th 2009 1:54PM

where you say 'it only makes sense that microsoft would follow suit', it implies that microsoft need to respond, whereas it is actually Sony needing to respond to the M$ price cuts. I doubt M$ would do a further price cut on the consoles, or perhaps just a bit, because to be honest it is quite cheap now...

Tony @ Jan 13th 2009 2:09PM

Yeah, I agree with you.

The fact is, MS will still be offering a far cheaper alternative. Clearly the PS3 offering "more" isn't doing much for it... I don't know that the average person who wants to get a 360 at this point probably doesn't sit and compare features, they just buy what's cheapest.

Yamagushi @ Jan 13th 2009 3:07PM

I agree, MS just cut there prices not to long back. Another price cut so soon would be overdoing it.

And WTF.. Patcher again, I was happy not having heard from this guy in a while. Why X3F, Why oh why do you listen to this moron. I can't recall one article where this dumbass was actually correct on something.

bioadam @ Jan 13th 2009 2:01PM

I'd be happy if they just dropped the price on the 120GB hard drive. More HD space = more downloads from Live Marketplace. So why isn't MS trying to sell us the bigger hard drives?

Mazrael @ Jan 13th 2009 2:56PM

not fussed over cheaper HDDs although, it'd be good to anyone who needs to upgrade.. I'd like to see a hdd case where you can put your own hdd into.. I've got an elite with only about 10GB left.. although I've used 40-60GB used on game installs. I even took all my music off (over 1000 tracks) to make room for them..
but it's unlikley we'd see one of those..

myabsolution @ Jan 13th 2009 2:02PM

I expect a Sony pricecut next september before the last few months of the year.

But I dont forsee a MS pricecut.

And since this is Pachter we are talking about, I'll have to disagree with him since he is generally always wrong.

DudeRed @ Jan 13th 2009 2:15PM

People are talking about a possible price cut for the PS3, which is could happen sometime this year. But a hundred dollar drop?! If so then I might really have to consider looking in to it.

Though it would be really nice for that to happen, I doubt the PS3 will even drop their price at all. Even if they do it will be at the most a $50 drop.

Deck @ Jan 13th 2009 2:53PM

Price cuts are always good. But I would be shocked if Microsoft really cut them a lot. As someone above said, it probably would be more of a re-adjusting of their current SKUs. Perhaps we'll see a price drop but they are still going to be cheaper than the PS3.

imbecile pete @ Jan 13th 2009 3:11PM

i think the demand for the wii will start to drop when the wii2 comes out

Yamagushi @ Jan 13th 2009 3:47PM

The wii is just a fad. One i'm suprised has lasted as long as it has. Nintendo has gone downhill, all they care about is ripping people off. There justification for no price cuts is "They don't want people who bought it when it first came out to feel ripped off". That is nonsense, They just want to bank on it and don't have the balls to admit it.

If the wiis popularity does last until "Wii2", I assure you it will die there. Nintendo is about as innovative as a doornob.

Please no Wii-Fanboy responses to this. What I said is true and you all know it.

cloud858rk @ Jan 13th 2009 4:41PM

Nintendo isn't dropping the price on the Wii because they don't need to. Demand is still high, so why make it any higher?

matty @ Jan 13th 2009 5:07PM

@Yamagushi
obviously the wii isnt a fad. that statement would be true if it hadnt continually outsold all other consoles and handhelds since it was released.

"Please no Wii-Fanboy responses to this. What I said is true and you all know it."
^probably the most ignorant comment i've ever read in x3f comments, and thats saying a lot.

Knight Marquise @ Jan 13th 2009 5:17PM

matty said...
"^probably the most ignorant comment i've ever read in x3f comments, and thats saying a lot."

If ignorant comments upset you, Gawd help you should you ever visit PS3fanboy.com. Some of the blind zealot comments on that site bring tears to my eyes from laughing.

myabsolution @ Jan 13th 2009 5:45PM

@ Knight

"If ignorant comments upset you, Gawd help you should you ever visit PS3fanboy.com. Some of the blind zealot comments on that site bring tears to my eyes from laughing."

Bah thats childs play, go to www.n4g.com and look at THOSE comments. HOLY HELL its like a f'ing circus there for blind zealots of a certain breed.

Avada Kadavra 9 @ Jan 13th 2009 3:57PM

Wasn't it Microsoft Game Studio's that said recently because of the 08' price cuts that they did not see the 360 dropping in price in the foreseeable future? I do believe I saw that article, even on this very website. But I guess things change, but I don't really expect PS3 to drop sales they are already losing a tremendous amount on sales due to the already lowered price than it takes them to manufacture the PS3 due to the blu-ray. Idiots.

Tann @ Jan 13th 2009 4:08PM

They can't let the ps3 drop to below the price of an elite.. that would be crazy=/

i mean here in the UK its already 70£ cheaper to buy an elite than a ps3..
thats over 100$! haha

I don't get this country..
60gb pro's are going at nearly half the price of a ps3, which is nice:)