We already know that a video game console launch practically always means a loss with each sold console to the manufacturer. The development and production costs almost always surpass the market price of the console and this is simply something you have to get used to. What many are wondering though, is what kind of margins the resellers have to work with. These are not selling at a loss, obviously, but how much are the console manufacturers ready to lose in the form of sales margins? This has now been answered, more or less, after leaks at CompUSA.
An anonymous source at the company has shared the CompUSA’s purchase costs for Microsoft’s Xbox 360 consoles and Nintendo’s Wii. At Joystiq they’ce compiled a simple table over the whole and the differences between the consoles are quite interesting.
Microsoft offers a lower sales margin than Nintendo, but at the same time the retailes make more for each Xbox 360 Premium console sold compared to a Nintendo Wii. At the same time it’s considerably easier to sell a console at $250 than one at $399. Although, the margins are still rather small and it would be interesting to see what Sony and PlayStation 3 would add to the list.
