Supermarket chain Asda has become the latest retailer to offer the Xbox One up for pre-order, as they plan to support both physical and digital products.
For £20 you can now pre-order an Xbox One console at Asdas website here. Theyre not the first retailer to start listing Microsofts new console, but they do seem one of the most enthusiastic so we had a quick Q&A with their games buyer Greg Walton.
Of course hes unlikely to say anything to put you off pre-ordering, but his comments about the amount of interest in Xbox One tally exactly with other retailers, such as Blockbuster and GameStop.
Despite the huge amount of controversy amongst gamers, many ordinary customers seem unaware or simply dont care about the issues of always-online and second-hand games.
Since E3 is only likely to sweeten the deal further, by revealing a much larger number of new games, it doesnt seem likely at this stage that Microsoft will be too damaged by the bad press of the last month.
GC: What are your sales expectations of the Xbox One and can you give any indication of pre-order interest so far?
GW: We have already seen an unprecedented number of hits on our web site. So far the Xbox One is our fastest selling pre-order console online. We expect this will be hugely anticipated by customers and be a best-selling console for Christmas at Asda.
GC: How aware are you of the controversy with always-online requirements and the restriction on second-hand game sales? Do you think these will have a significant negative effect on the Xbox One or any other console that uses similar policies?
GW: We are aware of the press coverage on these topics and will wait for official confirmation from Microsoft on what will and what will not be part of the Xbox One service.
GC: How committed is Asda to the video games industry and how would your interest be affected if second-hand game sales were limited or simply if digital downloads became more prominent?
GW: We are committed to our customers and our publishing partners to deliver great gaming products no matter what the platform is. As a retailer with an in store pre-owned offer it would be a shame for the next generation of consoles not to allow the customers to trade in and buy pre-owned games in the same way as the current generation. We completely support both physical and digital products and will continue to offer all options for our customers.
GC: Will the focus of the unveiling of the multimedia features of the Xbox One alter how you are likely to position it in-store, or will it still be promoted purely as a games console?
GW: We will work closely with Microsoft to ensure we communicate all benefits of the Xbox One for the customers.
GC: Will you be following E3 closely next week and what do you hope will be announced there?
GW: We will be attending E3 and will look forward to finding out even more about Xbox One and PlayStation 4, along with the amazing expected games line-up ahead of Christmas.
http://metro.co.uk/2013/06/03/asda-xbox-one-is-our-fastest-selling-pre-order-console-3826800/
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