India rejects Xbox 360 ,love is for Ps2

[tarey_g]

Xbox 360, the only next-gen console to be launched in India. Yet it is still one of the most mysterious gaming devices in terms of the total numbers sold. There were many reports on international gaming websites such as Kotaku, Joystiq and Gamasutra regarding the Indian chapter of the Xbox 360. So we decided to investigate the real story behind the Xbox 360 in India and opted to do a telephonic survey. We went to the Xbox website and found out the names and the numbers of the dealers who were selling the Xbox 360 in India.

Sales figures on Xbox 360 in India :-
Total Xbox 360 sold: 839
Total Premium Versions sold: 458
Total Core Versions Sold: 235
Total Xbox 360 Game CDs sold: 1359 (not even 2 games per Xbox 360 sold , reason out of control prices)

Don’t be surprised when you add 235 and 458 and you don’t get 839. That is because some of the dealers did not want to reveal the exact figures.

we divided India on to 9, i.e. eight major cities and one Rest of India. Here’s how the figures mapped out:
Mumbai: 198
Kolkata: 49
Delhi: 124
Chennai: 83
Bangalore: 104
Hyderabad: 141
Ahmedabad: 10
Rest Of India: 130



These were the numbers of the console sold. Let’s talk about Xbox 360 game CDs. A total of 1359 Xbox 360 CDs were sold, out of which, 44% were sold in the Southern Zone, then came the Western Zone with 41%, followed by the Northern Zone at 13%. Here too, like the Xbox 360 consoles, Eastern Zone was last with just 2%.

Apart from all this, we had a chance to talk to the dealers themselves and many of them gave their valuable time and spoke about the Xbox 360 and Microsoft. Some of the comments what we received were nice, many of them not. This is what we observed after talking to most of them:

• There are lots of enquires for the Xbox 360.
• In some areas, most people do not know what the Xbox 360 is exactly.
• Microsoft has not done enough to advertise the product.
• The graphics of the Xbox 360 are amazing.
• The price is too high. Indian consumers find the Xbox 360 costly.
• However, the Premium version on the Xbox 360, which costs Rs. 27, 750 (approx $630) is doing better than the Core version, which costs Rs, 19, 990 (approx. $450). These prices are above the average monthly wage of the common Indian.
• Most of the dealers refer to the Premium version as the ‘Pro’ version.
• Most of the customers rather buy the PS2 and if they have more money, are waiting for the PS3 to release in India.
• People also prefer the PS2 as pirated CDs of the console are readily available while there is no way to get a pirated Xbox 360 CD.
• Most of the sales were good in the affluent areas of the city.
• Dealers want that Microsoft should introduce more schemes like the ICICI one, and they want that scheme expanded.
• Most of the dealers were unhappy with the sales, but some of them were very happy with the way Xbox 360 was selling at their shop.
• 21 dealers scored ducks, i.e. they failed to sell a single Xbox 360 console or an Xbox 360 game.
• There were 2 dealers who were so frustrated that they gave up the dealership for the Xbox 360 console.
• There were many dealers who had just tied up with Microsoft and they were yet to receive stocks.
• Most of the dealers were happy with the Kiosks and said people enjoyed the Xbox 360, but as we mentioned above, left after hearing the price.
• There was a dealer who said, after seeing the Xbox graphics on the Samsung LCD, a customer instead opted for the LCD!(haha..)

What we can make out is, that compared to the global figures, Xbox 360 is not doing that well in India. But the ones who will be happy to hear this are Sony, as Sony PS2 has become a rage over here. But on the flip side, if Indian customers find the Xbox 360 expensive, they will definitely find the PS3 steep too.

http://www.gameguru.in/features/2007...he-real-story/

MS should seriously rethink the price of the console ,and most importantly the games , 2500-3000Rs for a game is outrageous. 400/- for an orignal game and India may buy it, this is not US/UK for ppl to buy 3k games or 27k consoles. If a business wants to be succesful, it needs to keep the middle class in mind or else you are a flop.

[abhijit_reddevil]

Exactly. MS must reduce the price from >25k to sub 10k for the console and then the cost of the CD's from Rs.2599 to sub Rs.500.. Otherwise MS can forget market penetration with X360 in India.

[Cool G5]

Yes MS should have priced the XBOX 360 & it's games keeping in mind the economic sensitive people of India.

[kumarmohit]

Yay, I am planning to buy PS2.

[Pathik]

jus wait till pirated xbox 360 games come in the market..

[tarey_g]

^^ Wait has gone more than 1 year long. And modding is not going to be easy as it was in last gen. New generation consoles get firmware updates to encounter modding techniques, companies force consumers to update firmware to play new games, which gives them chance to keep moding thing to minimum. Same has happened with PSP , users have to get firmware updated to play new releases.

[kirangp]

XBox 360 will never be a hit in India...the reasons are
1. MS can never reduce the price of the console nearing 10 k atleast for another 3-4 yrs
2. original games for console r costly compared to PC games...almost a grand more
3. MS always eyes India as a low market compared to other countries
4. Less number of games itself---there r hardly any games for Xbox 360...
5.parents in India still eye gaming activity as time waste & will never get their children these consoles....