Microsoft Corp. on Wednesday reduced pricing of its Xbox 360 video game console on several Asian markets. The company said in a statement that it decided to let broader audience of people to get its latest game system.

The price of the Xbox 360 Premium version with a 20GB hard disk drive was cut nearly 20% in Singapore, 17% in Taiwan, nearly 11% in Hong Kong, and 5% in South Korea, Reuters news-agency reports. The prices of the Xbox 360 Arcade and Xbox 360 Elite were lowered too. For example, Xbox 360 Arcade, Premium and Elite game consoles now cost S$399 ($294, €188), S$499 ($367, €235) and S$699 ($515, €329) in Singapore, respectively, down 13% or 20%, depending on the version..

“This price drop is part of Microsoft’s ongoing strategy to bring high-definition gaming and entertainment to an even wider audience, with great experiences for everyone,” a statement by Microsoft reads.

Earlier this year – in February and March – the world’s largest developer of software lowered pricing of its Xbox 360 game console in Japan and Europe in order to better compete against Nintendo’s Wii and Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.’s PlayStation 3. Given that in Asia gamers prefer different titles than in the U.S., it is logical for Microsoft to make its latest game system more affordable so that to keep sales on current levels.

Microsoft Xbox 360 console is based around triple-core microprocessor developed by IBM, high-definition visual processing unit designed by ATI Technologies, I/O controller engineered by SiS and some other key components. The gaming machine provides a broad set of multimedia capabilities in addition to games. Currently Microsoft Xbox 360 is available for $279, $349 or $449 in the USA depending on the version.