[UPDATE] Microsoft has since denied this rumor, commenting that Australian retailers “are excited about our current and upcoming offers, and we’re looking forward to another bumper year.”
Original story:
A new survey conducted by ChannelNews and SmartHouse of 10 retail chains who operate more than 2,000 stores across Australia has revealed that the Xbox 360 is “on the skids,” as the retailers see growth coming mainly from the PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii.
According to the survey, retailers claimed that the PS3 was selling well because of its Blu-ray drive, while the Wii appealed to women and children.
Other retailers said the Xbox 360 has suffered as a brand since its Red Ring of Death problems last year. They also cited that compared to the PS3 and Wii, consumers did not see value in Microsoft’s console.
“The Xbox 360 is dead. We are stocking it because of our relationship with Microsoft however all our energy and marketing is going into the PS3 and the Nintendo Wii unless Microsoft come up with something new or additional marketing dollars,” a Melbourne-based retailer said. “Halo 3 was big on the Xbox but that was about it.”
“They have tried discounting and value add offers and even that is not working. We are even thinking of dumping the console all together.”
