The Xbox One price tag has been branded as ‘cheap’ by Level-5 studio head Akihiro Hino, despite Microsoft’s next-gen console having been widely criticised for costing £429.
Although defending the Xbox One price, Hino has suggested that the PS4 will lead the way in the next-gen console race, with Sony’s pricing of its PS3 follow-on highlighting the company’s intentions to regain its crown as the leader of the gaming sector.
"I think the Xbox One is pretty cheap considering what you get with it as well,” Hino, CEO of the studio behind the Professor Layton franchise said in a recent interview. Suggesting the PS4 price will force Microsoft to react sooner rather than later, he added: “But with this PS4 price point, they'll have to do something to oppose that."
Discussing the PS4 price, which has been set at £349 in the UK, £80 cheaper than its Xbox branded rival, Hino stated: "I think anyone can look at that and think this is cheap! Putting cutting-edge PC specs into a game machine that costs just a few hundred dollars really brings across how serious SCE (Sony Computer Entertainment) is about this generation,"
While Microsoft has understandably attempted to defend the Xbox One price, stating it is “over-delivering value against other choices,” consumers have been less complimentary of the proposed console fees.
Last month industry analysts predicted Microsoft would be forced to introduce Xbox One price cuts shortly after launch in order to compete with the PS4.
“We think that Microsoft is prepared to lower price next year,” Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter said in a research note to investors.
He added: "Microsoft intends to offer a more robust hardware bundle than Sony will offer, and Microsoft is convinced that consumers will ultimately appreciate the value proposition presented by Kinect.
“We are confident that with six months of focused messaging, Microsoft can fully level the playing field with Sony, and we expect the Xbox One to sell as many units as the PS4. If we are wrong, we think that Microsoft is prepared to lower price next year.”
Read More: Xbox One vs PS4
Via: CVG
