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[Banjo64]

https://www.videogameschronicle.com...-xbox-series-x-and-series-s-prices-in-sweden/

Microsoft has raised Xbox Series X/S console prices in Sweden​

THE PLATFORM HOLDER ALSO RECENTLY INCREASED CONSOLE PRICES IN JAPAN
VIDEO GAME NEWS
20TH FEB 2023 / 6:15 PM
Posted by

Tom Ivan​

Microsoft has raised the prices of its Xbox Series X and Series S consoles in Sweden.

The Xbox Series X price has increased from 5,695 SEK ($550) to 6,195 SEK ($599), over two years after the console launched in November 2020.
As spotted by Gaming Deputy, the Xbox Series S price has also risen from 3,595 SEK ($347) to 3,894 SEK ($376).
VGC has contacted Microsoft for comment on its decision to increase console prices in Sweden.
Subscribe to VGC on YouTube


In January, Microsoft also raised the prices of Xbox Series X/S consoles in Japan.

“We regularly evaluate the impact of local pricing to maintain reasonable consistency across regions,” it said in at the time.

 

[Eddie-Griffin]

Dern you Banjo, 2 mins.

Anyway, I'm surprised they aren't just doing a universal price raise. I guess they want to keep the perception they haven't rose the price in most countries as long and as much as possible vs. Sony.

 

[Daneel Elijah]

 

[yazenov]

Sony leads, MS follows. I hope the people who were shitting on Sony for increasing prices keep the same consistency and energy.

 

[Kilau]

 

[RoadHazard]

Well, a PS5 is like 7,300 SEK ($705) in most places now. Don't know why, it wasn't that expensive at launch (I paid 6,000 for mine), but yeah.

 

[GHG]

Damn it Jimbo, stop with the anti-consumer practices.

 

[Captain Toad]

Who has the balls to raise prices in North America first?

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

"they can afford it" it was said by analysts.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

Who has the balls to raise prices in North America first?

probably Nintendo

 

[Mr Moose]

Anti-consumer! The article needs editing, Xbox announced price increase in Japan in January, they didn't increase it until like... A week ago.

 

[Spyxos]

Who has the balls to raise prices in North America first?

Probably Sony. Ps3 pricing.

During a recent interview with Japanese economic website Toyo Keizai, ever-charming Ken Kutaragi had this to say about Sony's goal for the PS3: "for consumers to think to themselves 'I will work more hours to buy one'. We want people to feel that they want it, irrespective of anything else." In other words: Get a job! Get two jobs, ya lazy bums! Seriously though, is that their marketing plan? As tipster KD suggests, someone should start compiling all of the absurdities that fly outta this guy's mouth.

 

[GHG]

Who has the balls to raise prices in North America first?

It's not about balls, there is simple no need to as long as the dollar remains strong relative to other global currencies.

There seems to be a gross misunderstanding as to why this is happening. If/When the dollar starts to tumble that's when it's time for everyone to panic. But I'll say this, if that happens then console prices will be the least of everyone's worries.

 

[Captain Toad]

Probably Sony. Ps3 pricing.

During a recent interview with Japanese economic website Toyo Keizai, ever-charming Ken Kutaragi had this to say about Sony's goal for the PS3: "for consumers to think to themselves 'I will work more hours to buy one'. We want people to feel that they want it, irrespective of anything else." In other words: Get a job! Get two jobs, ya lazy bums! Seriously though, is that their marketing plan? As tipster KD suggests, someone should start compiling all of the absurdities that fly outta this guy's mouth.

Yes, we all remember 20 years ago.

 

[Spyxos]

Yes, we all remember 20 years ago.

2006?

 

[Captain Toad]

It's not about balls, there is simple no need to as long as the dollar remains strong relative to other global currencies.

There seems to be a gross misunderstanding as to why this is happening.

Prices of everything here are going up, including the Meta Quest 2 raising its price by $100.

 

[graywolf323]

Who has the balls to raise prices in North America first?

haven’t both companies been pushing out more bundles than standalone consoles recently? that’s basically a stealth price hike if you can only find the system with a packaged game

 

[SLB1904]

Prices of everything here are going up, including the Meta Quest 2 raising its price by $100.

Meta was losing money already. So not really barometer for anything

 

[SlimySnake]

Increasing prices 2 years after launch. Just an astounding display of greed by both companies.When the industry crashes, they will blame it on us. Just watch.

 

[remember_spinal]

Chad Ryan wins again

And he finger banged your gf

 

[StreetsofBeige]

Who has the balls to raise prices in North America first?

Sony increased price of PS5 $30 last summer in Canada

 

[The_Mike]

Sony leads, MS follows. I hope the people who were shitting on Sony for increasing prices keep the same consistency and energy.

Can't tell for everyone, but I do.

Hate Sony for starting the trend, hate Microsoft for following.

 

[Elios83]

For what is worth in Europe Series X now seems to be only available through the new Forza bundle which costs 549.99€.
Given that they're both old games, they're also available on Gamepass so the added value is questionable, it definetly feels like a way to sweeten a 50€ price increase for mainland Europe as well.

 

[GHG]

Prices of everything here are going up, including the Meta Quest 2 raising its price by $100.

The reason for the Quest 2 going up in price are completely different to why Microsoft and Sony are raising their hardware prices in certain regions.

The quest 2 price increase was due to manufacturing costs and "sustainability" (they were selling each unit at a deep loss, upwards of -$100 per unit) whereas both Microsoft and Sony have cited currency trends as reasons for theirs.

Of course its at every company's own discretion to price their products as they see fit during tough times but the impact is not the same for every business.

Can't tell for everyone, but I do.

Hate Sony for starting the trend, hate Microsoft for following.

What's the solution then? More layoffs? Budget cuts for the division?

You tell me, since I'm not seeing how else they can shield themselves when currencies are weakening against the dollar as they have been in the last 12 months.

 

[knocksky]

Prices going through the roof for everything. I'm surprised that they have waited for so long.

 

[Dick Jones]

MS better off pulling the band aid off quickly and raise whatever prices they plan to do. A piecemeal approach will just keep the bad news in the public eye for more news cycles

 

[kazuyamishima]

Everything goes around the USD, I guess not all people realised that already, Meta increasing their prices was because they were already losing money and they still are losing it.

Interesting to see that MS is going slowly but steadily with the increases, wonder when they will do it in LATAM and Europe.

 

[Lupin3]

Good luck with that.

 

[DeltaPolarBear]

Everything goes around the USD, I guess not all people realised that already, Meta increasing their prices was because they were already losing money and they still are losing it.

Interesting to see that MS is going slowly but steadily with the increases, wonder when they will do it in LATAM and Europe.

I mean, I hate to sound like some waring idiot since i still don't have a PS5... But if you sell things at a loss, you have a worse effect the more units you sell. So Sony started raising prices because the costs are starting to add up. But if Microsoft is selling far LESS units than Sony, then theoretically the total dollar losses would be less severe and can be treated like a rounding error.

I am sorry, i know it sounds rather extreme a view, but the math makes sense.

 

[Captain Toad]

Sony increased price of PS5 $30 last summer in Canada

I meant the parts of North America below Canada and above Mexico.

 

[kazuyamishima]

I mean, I hate to sound like some waring idiot since i still don't have a PS5... But if you sell things at a loss, you have a worse effect the more units you sell. So Sony started raising prices because the costs are starting to add up.

It's very possible that the cost of manufacturing has increased even for Sony with the PS5 and especially distribution costs, but IMO, the increase in price for Sony was due to bad exchange rates of other currencies compared to the USD. If what Sony said some months ago about the disc version of the PS5 breaking even around last year, only the DE would be losing money, but nobody knows except them.

As for MS, the possibility for them losing money for both the Series X/S is very high, and they are selling way less than the competition.

 

[Mercador]

Is the inflation the same around the world? At 7-10%, I expect that every product cost more... At the same time, console prices are generally going down. The main issue is that people salary don't follow the inflation.

 

[GHG]

I mean, I hate to sound like some waring idiot since i still don't have a PS5... But if you sell things at a loss, you have a worse effect the more units you sell. So Sony started raising prices because the costs are starting to add up. But if Microsoft is selling far LESS units than Sony, then theoretically the total dollar losses would be less severe and can be treated like a rounding error.

I am sorry, i know it sounds rather extreme a view, but the math makes sense.

Margins are margins and businesses scale based on margins.

 

[Unknown?]

It's not about balls, there is simple no need to as long as the dollar remains strong relative to other global currencies.

There seems to be a gross misunderstanding as to why this is happening. If/When the dollar starts to tumble that's when it's time for everyone to panic. But I'll say this, if that happens then console prices will be the least of everyone's worries.

The dollar is constantly going down though just not as fast as other currencies. That's a big reason why games aren't $50 anymore.

With how fast they are borrowing money into existence, someone will have to raise prices eventually.

 

[GHG]

The dollar is constantly going down though just not as fast as other currencies. That's a big reason why games aren't $50 anymore.

With how fast they are borrowing money into existence, someone will have to raise prices eventually.

Yep this is true, its just that inflation has been higher elsewhere along with the fact that there has been a "flight to safety" towards the Dollar. As long as those two things remain true, not much will change.

 

[ReBurn]

probably Nintendo

OLED Switch price confirms.

 

[Celcius]

Is this the first generation where prices have gone up instead of coming down over the course of the generation?

 

[ZoukGalaxy]

Price rise for everyone ! Rejoice people ! No more jealousy !

 

[Js562]

Sony leads, MS follows. I hope the people who were shitting on Sony for increasing prices keep the same consistency and energy.

Why not shit on both lol

 

[Mr Reasonable]

Is this the first generation where prices have gone up instead of coming down over the course of the generation?

There was a time when Super Nintendo games got more expensive to produce, but I'm not sure if that was passed on to the consumer. I think the Yen had gone up in value and Nintendo immediately told publishers that if they were paying fees for licensing and cartridge manufacture in other currencies (which was entirely standard, iirc) then the bill would need to be recalculated to reflect the Yen's soaring value and Nintendo's refusal to miss out on any revenue, no matter how small.

Publishers begged and said they might go out of business as Nintendo ate into their profits. It was a different time - video game company CEOs from Japan ruled with an iron fist. There was no talk of "maintaining value for consumers" or of "working with our partners to deliver..." or other weak sauce language.

Apparently, when the head of Acclaim visited Nintendo in Kyoto to beg that Nintendo reconsider, he bowed deeply and fell to the floor to plead at Hiroshi Yamauchi's feet. Holding a picture of his wife and children up, explaining that they might all be left homeless if Nintendo didn't reconsider.

Yamauchi, who had never been heard to speak a word of English before, slowly bent down to the sobbing executive and softly spoke directly into his ear. Just two words. "Fuck. You."

Yamauchi strode purposefully out of the room.

It was a more honest time where CEOs knew who they were and what they were there to do.

 

[MarkMe2525]

Dang, I wonder what territories are next. What a bizarre time we live in. Who could imagine a world were, two years into a console generation, prices increase vs decrease.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

Is this the first generation where prices have gone up instead of coming down over the course of the generation?

If were talking US, maybe. But globally no.

US/Can currency fluctuations have made games anything from par value with the US at $60 when it was 1:1 to $80 cdn/$60 us when currency changed. And within a generation definitely yes as it's creeps up $5-10. The current prices at now $90-95 cdn/$70 us.

For consoles in Canada, Nintendo already raised prices in 2019. Sony did it for PS4 in 2014. A quick google check came up with these. Nintnedo's was a increase after a decrease.

Nintendo raises the Switch's price back to $399 CAD in Canada

Nintendo has quietly reverted the Switch to its launch price of $399 CAD in Canada -- $20 more than the reduced cost introduced in 2018.

mobilesyrup.com

Sony raising PS4 price in Canada

PS4 exclusives Infamous: Second Son and MLB 14: The Show get higher prices as well.

www.gamespot.com

 

[akaFullmetal]

That sucks, anything going up in price isn't pleasant.

 

[Banjo64]

Apparently, when the head of Acclaim visited Nintendo in Kyoto to beg that Nintendo reconsider, he bowed deeply and fell to the floor to plead at Hiroshi Yamauchi's feet. Holding a picture of his wife and children up, explaining that they might all be left homeless if Nintendo didn't reconsider.

Yamauchi, who had never been heard to speak a word of English before, slowly bent down to the sobbing executive and softly spoke directly into his ear. Just two words. "Fuck. You."

Yamauchi strode purposefully out of the room.

It was a more honest time where CEOs knew who they were and what they were there to do.

 

[Fredrik]

I know some people that will be mad about this. But I’ve said they should jump in for two years now. Should’ve listened to me.
Games cost 789SEK now too, or at least Hogwarts did, that’s $75.

 

[supernova8]

Price rise for everyone ! Rejoice people ! No more jealousy !

Except the Americans of course

 

[Heisenberg007]

Prices were gonna rise eventually, even if people had us believe otherwise for temporary PR points, so not surprising for me, at least.

But the more important takeaway is that these XSX price increases further validate that even Microsoft's loss leader strategy for Xbox has a ceiling, which continues to come down. They aren't willing to take as much loss anymore in order to gain market share.

 

[balls of snow]

If they raise the price in the rest of Asia, its game over for ms. Its now price quite competitively with ps5 and last year was damn bit cheaper too. Now that the floodgate stock is open people will opt for the box that they want instead of whats available.

 

[Klosshufvud]

Swedish economy is currently in the shitter. The Krona is losing all value. Our politicians, bankers and the upper middle class that made it so refuse to admit responsibility. Really bad times here.

 

[Rhazkul]

Well, that's a new one. For decades we have seen a PRICE DROP after 2 years into a generation. A Price Raise for the same hardware, 2 years into current gen, is a bit concerning.

Swedish economy is currently in the shitter. The Krona is losing all value. Our politicians, bankers and the upper middle class that made it so refuse to admit responsibility. Really bad times here.

It's the same everywhere. Global economy is seriously in the gutter. I am thinking locking down the global economy for several months wasn't such a good idea.