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Historically, console redesigns have always been a good way for hardware manufacturers to boost the sales of their consoles. Unsurprisingly, the same held true with Microsoft’s newly released Xbox 360 250GB version, which helped Xbox 360 sales overtake those of the Wii for the month of June. However, according to GameIndustry.biz, the reason for the sales increase may have less to do with the redesigned console than one might think.  Details revealed by a note to investors from Michael Pachter indicate that the new console only accounted for 40% of the Xbox 360s sold in June. In contrast, 35% of sales came from the Arcade unit, which was discounted to $149 and even came with a $50 gift card if purchased at Walmart. Pachter states “It is clear that the sales spike for the 360 was largely temporary, as clearance items accounted for around 60 per cent of total sales, and it is not clear that software attached heavily to these purchase.” Perhaps many people are still hesitant to pick up a first generation redesigned Xbox 360, given the failure rates of the initial batch of original launch consoles. However, maybe getting a deal on the older hardware is just more important to folks during these trying economic times. |