14 DAY TRIAL // It seems that the early success the Xbox One delivered on the Chinese market has not been enough for the team in charge of the home console at Microsoft and a decision was made to cut the price of the device by 500 RMB, which is about 80 dollars (56 Euro), in order to make it more attractive to potential customers.
At the same time, the move is designed to shield the platform from the upcoming launch of the PlayStation 4 from Sony.
When it was first introduced in China, the Xbox One was selling for 4,299 RMB, the equivalent of 625 dollars (487 Euro).
Now gamers can choose between a version of the device which includes a Kinect motion tracking system, for the price of 3,799 RMB (545 dollars or 430 Euro), and one without it, according to a report translated from Kotaku.
The first package also includes two free games, and a version of the platform without the motion tracking accessory costs 3,199 RMB (455 dollars or 330 Euro).
It's unclear whether Microsoft has made the move because of local market conditions or in order to make sure that in the long term it will continue to deliver solid sales.
A big competition for the Chinese market
The PlayStation 4 launches in China on January 11 alongside the PlayStation Vita handheld and will be priced at 2,900 RMB, the equivalent of 440 dollars or 325 Euro.
Sony says that it has big plans for the massive market and that it is working with a number of local studios in order to create specialized content, which will be delivered to buyers all through the coming year.
Microsoft also has plans for local content production and it will be interesting to see the kinds of video games the two companies will launch in China and the kinds of changes they are willing to make for platform exclusives in order to make sure that they pass censorship boards.
The market for home consoles in the Communist country is massive, but it’s still unclear whether in the long term devices offered directly by Microsoft, Sony and their local partners will be more attractive to customers than those offered on the secondary and sometimes gray market.
The Xbox One and the PlayStation 4 are currently engaged in a heated competition all over the world, with the Sony device currently in the lead, while the platform from Microsoft has managed to take the top spot in the NPD Group-compiled chart for the month of November in the United States.
