ALKHOBAR, 28 August 2007 — For more than a decade, Sony’s PlayStation has dominated the Kingdom’s interactive entertainment market. Now, Microsoft has finally decided that it is ready to make the Xbox 360 a contender. It really goes without saying that this long awaited move should bring nothing but good to the Kingdom’s gamers.
In the first move to increase market share, Microsoft has announced a price drop for its Xbox 360 family of consoles in the Middle East. Starting this week, the price of the Xbox 360, which includes a 20GB hard drive and one wireless controller, will be reduced by SR300, to carry a new retail price of SR1,599.
Microsoft also plans to introduce the Xbox 360 Elite to the region. Available in Saudi Arabia in October, the Xbox 360 Elite will be priced at SR1,999. The console comes with a massive 120GB hard drive. The Xbox 360 Elite includes a high-definition multimedia interface port (HDMI), designed for the expanding groups of consumers with HD TVs.
For the past year, the Xbox 360 has been the No. 1 console in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region, obtaining more than 30 percent of the market in terms of overall revenue. Even more important for developers, the Xbox 360 continues to enjoy the highest software attach rate of any game console in Europe with more than 5.5 games sold per console since launch.
Microsoft will be launching a range of accessories to capitalize on the functionality of the Xbox 360 consoles. These include:
• The Xbox 360 120GB Hard Drive: The 120GB detachable hard drive allows gamers to save their games, video, music, pictures, trailers, levels and demos. It is designed for Xbox 360 owners who want to upgrade to higher storage capacity. The hard drive will be priced at SR799.
• The Xbox 360 Wireless Controller: Available with a sleek black finish to match the Xbox 360 Elite, this high-performance wireless controller features the Xbox Guide Button for quick, in-game access to friends and music. It has a range of up to 30 feet and a battery life of 30 hours on two AA batteries. Priced at SR199.
• The Xbox 360 Play & Charge Kit: Complete with a charging cable and a black rechargeable battery pack, the Xbox 360 Play & Charge Kit allows gamers to recharge their Xbox 360 Wireless Controller without interrupting their game play. Priced at SR199.
• The Xbox 360 Rechargeable Battery: The rechargeable battery pack, now in black, provides more than 25 hours of gameplay per charge. Priced at SR89.
• The Xbox 360 HDMI Cable: The HDMI cable allows consumers to get HD video (up to 1080p) and multichannel surround sound, from one cable. Priced at SR249.
At the same time that Microsoft announced all this terrific Xbox 360 news, the company also put out a recall. As a precautionary measure, Microsoft is voluntarily providing customers with a free retrofit to the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel.
The action is being taken after Microsoft was informed of a very small number of incidents of a malfunction in the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel, in which a component in the wheel chassis may overheat and release smoke when the AC/DC power supply is used to energize the wheel. There have been no reported incidences of fire, personal injury or property damage resulting from the component failure in the wheel.
Owners of the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel should stop using the AC/DC power supply until they have obtained their retrofit. They may continue to operate the wheel using battery power. Owners of the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel should visit www.xbox.com/support to register for the free retrofit.