A console and video game discount from Xbox and five days' worth of announcements from PlayStation help set the stage for keynote briefings at annual video game trade show E3, the Electronic Entertainment Expo.
Both Microsoft Xbox and Sony PlayStation are among the manufacturers and publishers preparing open-access press conferences at the 2018 Electronic Entertainment Expo.
In advance of those showcases, Xbox is offering a discount on its Xbox One console range while PlayStation has laid out a schedule of mystery announcements.
Xbox's current top tier console, the Xbox One X, is dropping its price from US$499 (RM1,982) to US$449 (RM1,783) between June 7 and June 23.
The move can be seen as a taste of things to come once a permanent price cut arrives, a bid to boost mid-year spend in Xbox's favour, and a market test confirming how much a price drop affects consumer uptake and the Microsoft division's revenues.
Lower down the scale, a US$50 (RM199) reduction puts extra pressure on PlayStation's line with a basic Xbox One S package temporarily retailing for US$199 (RM791).
Reductions of up to 75% are to be visited upon selected titles – Xbox namedropping popular recent releases such as Sea Of Thieves, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, and Monster Hunter: World, though not specifying discounts on a case by case basis – while optional subscription services Xbox Game Pass (downloadable game library) and Xbox Live Gold (online multiplayer) dip from US$9.99 (RM39.68) to US$1 (RM3.97) for one month's access.
Xbox holds its E3 2018 Media Briefing on June 10 from 1pm PDT (4am, June 11, Malaysia).
As for Sony's PlayStation, five days' worth of announcements are set for 8am PDT (11pm, Malaysia) from June 6 to June 10.
Previously, PlayStation had stated its intention to focus on four exclusive titles during its June 11 E3 briefing: The Last Of Us Part II, Marvel's Spider-Man, Ghost Of Tsushima and Death Stranding.
Therefore, a schedule of pre-conference announcements allows it to ramp up excitement while maintaining focus during the main briefing.
On June 6, at 8am Pacific (11pm, Malaysia), a new PlayStation 4 game with PS VR virtual reality headset support will be announced; on June 7, there'll be a release date for an upcoming Sony Worldwide Studios title.
June 8 will bring the announcement of a new PlayStation 4 game and June 9 a new PS VR title.
Then on June 10, ahead of Microsoft's aforementioned briefing as well as a presentation from Bethesda, there's to be details on "an eagerly awaited game" that is coming to PS VR. — AFP Relaxnews
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