April 10^th, 2003 (12:00am) - Xbox, the future generation video game system from Microsoft, is celebrating with a new European price. Effective from today, Xbox will retail at an estimated street price of €199.99/£129.99 in the UK.

"We had a great Christmas and firmly established ourselves as the number-two console player in this region," said Peter Moore, Corporate Vice President, Worldwide Retail Sales and Marketing, Home and Entertainment Division, Microsoft. "We outsold some very long-established competition and enjoyed near sell-out status, gaining market share along the way. This price change shows we are not content to rest on our laurels – we will continue to be aggressive in building upon this momentum throughout the year.

"This is also great news for gamers," said Moore. "Our success in Europe and increased market share means we can take action to remain competitive and allow even more gamers to experience Xbox - and this is a fantastic time to experience Xbox. Hotly anticipated games like Brute Force, Midtown Madness 3 and MotoGP 2 are on the way in the coming months. Also, Xbox Live (which launched 14th March in eight European countries) is bringing Xbox gamers the very best in always-on, fast-action Live gaming. We’re looking forward to continuing our success in Europe through the year."

Xbox has exceeded the two million console mark in Europe, placing it well ahead of Nintendo’s GameCube.

"Xbox launched in Europe just over a year ago and our first Christmas in the region saw us clearly emerge as the number two player," said Moore. "Games designed for Xbox such as Splinter Cell and Panzer Dragoon Orta clearly demonstrate the advanced hardware features on the Xbox and have sold incredibly well. Other games that have fired the imagination of gamers include cross-platform games such as Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, FIFA 2003, and Colin McRae Rally 3 – these titles have proved the Xbox Difference and enjoyed remarkable sales. With over 250 new titles available this year, 2003 will bring even more must-have titles for Xbox.

"Consumers know that when they buy Xbox they are buying something that offers amazing features and abilities which really set Xbox apart from the competition," said Moore. "A built-in hard disc and broadband connection allowing people to play Xbox Live right out of the box, together with unrivalled graphics and Dolby 5.1 surround sound, revolutionary gameplay, and top-quality DVD playback, lets gamers get even more from their Xbox."