Microsoft’s Xbox One has had a pretty eventful week. Along with 343 Industries revealing Halo 5: Guardians for release in 2015 and “special plans” for the franchise in 2014, the Xbox One was also announced to be de-coupled from Kinect from June 9th onwards. The standalone console will retail for $399, effectively putting it in direct competition with Sony’s PlayStation 4.
While some reactions have been mixed, Take Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick, who’s company publishes Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto 5, is pleased with the price cut. Speaking to Games Industry International, Zelnick stated that, “Anything that increases the installed base is a good thing for Take-Two and other publishers. We’re happy with the way Xbox One has performed. The next generation launch of both platforms has been successful from our point of view.”
It will be interesting to see how the price cut effects sales numbers, especially since the Xbox One sold a surprisingly low 114,000 units in the United States for April 2014 according to the NPD. Stay tuned for more details.