Threads
- Blizzard’s former President has slammed Microsoft on X for its recent Xbox price increase.
- Ybarra stated that the tariffs are just an excuse to surge console prices.
- The ex-president of Blizzard also hinted that Microsoft doesn’t care enough about hardware to manage price points.
The console market experienced a massive shakeup this year after tariffs introduced by Donald Trump resulted in a price increase that affected both PlayStation and Xbox, with the latter taking a greater reputation hit than its competitor.
Microsoft increased the price of Series consoles for a second time recently, which resulted in massive backlash from the fans, and now even ex-Blizzard boss Mike Ybarra has also chimed in on the topic.
Why This Matters: Such anti-consumer behaviour from one of the biggest companies in gaming might be a sign that it wants to leave the console space very soon.
On X, Ybarra posted that increasing console prices for a second time in one year has nothing to do with tariffs but rather profit. He blasted Microsoft for its practices and stated that the inclination of major companies towards profit is a much bigger issue than tariffs.
The ex-Blizzard boss further clarified his position in the replies, stating that if Microsoft wanted people to adopt the console more, they would have absorbed the extra losses resulting from tariffs and not increased the cost.
Tariffs are not enough for Microsoft or any other company, for that matter, to justify a $200 price increase for their consoles in one year, especially since the tariffs have remained unchanged for some time, according to Mike Ybarra.
Fans are already fearing the worst for Xbox in the console market, with many thinking that this second surge in price is a clear sign that the company is looking for a way out from the hardware industry as soon as possible.
PlayStation has also been under the lens of bad economics and has even been slammed by Capcom for hefty console prices. But, Xbox and Microsoft, without a doubt, have handled this situation a lot worse.
Do you think Xbox will still be in the console market a few years down the line? Tell us in the comments below or head to the Tech4Gamers forum for discussion.
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Shameer Sarfaraz has previously worked for eXputer as a Senior News Writer for several years. Now with Tech4Gamers, he loves to devoutly keep up with the latest gaming and entertainment industries. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and years of experience reporting on games. Besides his passion for breaking news stories, Shahmeer loves spending his leisure time farming away in Stardew Valley. VGC, IGN, GameSpot, Game Rant, TheGamer, GamingBolt, The Verge, NME, Metro, Dot Esports, GameByte, Kotaku Australia, PC Gamer, and more have cited his articles.
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