Arcade hike due to currency fluctuations

Alongside this morning’s confirmation that the Xbox 360 Elite is dropping by 30, Microsoft has also confirmed a 30 price rise for the Arcade SKU – a decision brought about by the fluctuating value of sterling, according to Chris Lewis, European VP of the firm’s interactive entertainment business.

We are making modest increases on the Xbox 360 Arcade console as you can see,” Lewis told MCV. The reality now is partly to offset currency exchange rate fluctuations which have impacted us in local market conditions – particularly in the UK.

And you’ve seen other consumer products operate in the same way. But I think even with that we still offer the most affordable console in the marketplace out there.

So we’ve reset the price point largely based on exchange rate fluctuations, but are still very happy we offer great value through the Xbox 360 Arcade.”

The price of the Xbox 360 Arcade in North America remains unchanged.