The company might drop the price of the Xbox One even after 399 USD/EUR bundle

May 19, 2014 06:30 GMT  ·  By

Microsoft has talked a bit more about its relationship with consumers and promised that it will continue to listen to feedback about the Xbox One and doesn't exclude new temporary price cuts after the launch of the 399 USD/EUR bundle without the Kinect.

The Xbox One made its debut on November 22 in 13 countries around the world and, while Microsoft had hoped that the steep price of 499 USD/EUR wouldn't prevent the device from reaching success, reality was different, as gamers started buying the 399 USD/EUR PS4 from Sony.

After brief attempts at spurring sales during the launch of Titanfall on the console, Microsoft finally confirmed earlier this week that it was going to debut a new Xbox One bundle that no longer includes the Kinect and will cost just 399 USD/EUR.

The Xbox Marketing head, Yusuf Mehdi, has talked a bit with Forbes about the things that went into consideration before the decision was announced and emphasized the feedback from fans.

"I think in general we prioritize listening to our customers and being fan-driven. I think that’s really the key. But look, a lot of times when you’re trying to pioneer a new system or new technology, it’s harder. You have to take some risks, outline your vision for the future and share it with customers. Hopefully when you do, they see [your vision]. The good thing about our fans is that they know their stuff, the games, the system, and they’re good guides as to how to take the system forward."

Mehdi also took the chance to say that Microsoft had different ways of making the Xbox One more appealing and that the new bundle without the Kinect is just one of them. The company can certainly implement temporary price cuts, like it did with the console in and around the launch of Titanfall.

"The way we think about this is that the ability to offer more choice as to how you package these bundles is a no-brainer. This way we’re allowing more people to come and try it, and based on the feedback we’d gotten, that made sense. Certainly, it’s part of the general marketing of Xbox One," he added.

"We’ve had promotional offers with games included with Xbox One. If you look back to Xbox 360, we’ve done temporary price reductions. We’re going to be doing those throughout the lifecycle of the console. The way I think about this is that you’re repackaging to allow you to have a better opening price."

The lower-priced Xbox One will make its debut on June 9, when Microsoft holds its E3 2014 press conference.