Mark Androvich
19:31 (BST)
04/02/2008
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Cheaper Xbox 360 coming to Japan
Identical to Arcade SKU released in the US
Microsoft has announced that it will sell a cheaper model Xbox 360 in Japan beginning on March 6.
The new model is identical to the Arcade SKU released in the US last fall, with HDMI output, a wireless controller and a 256MB memory card in lieu of a hard drive.
Microsoft's entry-level Xbox 360 will retail for JPY 27,800 (USD 260), about one-fifth less than the current price.
The company has sold 17.7 million Xbox 360 consoles worldwide, but refuses to give a regional breakdown. Even so, analysts say that the console is struggling in Japan against the Wii and PlayStation 3.
According to an AP report, Tokyo-based Enterbrain says only 257,800 Xbox 360 consoles were sold in Japan last year in contrast to 1.2 million PS3s and 3.6 million Wiis.
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