In addition to criticisms about the Xbox One’s connectivity policies, its used game policies, its supposedly invasive Kinect sensor and its policies toward independent game developers, Microsoft has also had to deal with criticisms that the Xbox One is overpriced at $500, which just happens to be $100 more than what Sony is charging for the PlayStation 4. Gamespot U.K. has spotted an interview that Xbox boss Don Mattrick had with Bloomberg TV last week where he defended the $500 price point and said that it was cheaper than many analysts had been expecting.
“We’re over-delivering value against other choices I think consumers can get,” Mattrick said. “Any modern product these days you look at it [and] $499 isn’t a ridiculous price point. We’re delivering thousands of dollars of value to people, so I think they’re going to love it when they use it.”
Microsoft has been billing the Xbox One as more than a gaming console and has been touting features such as the ability to flip through live television, music apps, gaming dashboards and Internet Explorer just through the use of voice commands, as well as the ability to make Skype calls to other users while watching television. The question, however, is whether the company’s core gaming audience thinks all these features are worth an extra $100, or whether they’d prefer to pay less money to buy a console that’s primarily focussed on gaming.
