Microsoft Corp's Xbox video-game console is being sold at a discount of as much as 20 percent by some Japanese retailers in a bid to generate sales by undercutting the price of Sony Corp's PlayStation2 machine.
Laox Co, which has more than 20 outlets selling consumer electronics in Tokyo, said it's offering the Xbox for Japanese Yen 19,800 (US$160) until Dec. 25 at its stores and through its Web site. Chain retailers Sofmap Co and Sakuraya Co are selling the game machine at the same price.
The discount places the price of Microsoft's Xbox at about a fifth less than the Japanese Yen 24,800 selling price of Sony's older PlayStation2 console at the same retailers. Sony's Playstation2 has outsold the Xbox about 11-fold in Japan, while Nintendo Co has sold about three times as many of its GameCube consoles.
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