Breaking News: Xbox 360 Gets Price Drop

By Andrew Shin

These past few weeks, Sony has made a lot of noise and news with the recent introduction of the 120GB PS3 for $299 and a price drop of their existing 80GB and 160GB models to $299 and $399 respectively. This past weekend NextGen Player's feature Mind Games asked our readers the question of how long it would be before Microsoft and Nintendo were to respond, if at all, with their own console price reductions. Well it surely didn't take Microsoft too long to respond. It definitely surprised me as I didn't expect it this soon.

This morning, Microsoft has announced that beginning August 28th, both the Xbox 360 Pro and Elite consoles will see a price drop. The Xbox 360 Pro that currently sells for $299 will now be priced at $279. The Xbox 360 Elite will get an even greater reduction going from $399 to $329. The Xbox 360 Arcade will continue to be sold for $229.

"With the holiday season right around the corner, it's already time to start looking for entertainment and gifts that everyone will enjoy," said Shane Kim, corporate vice president of strategy and business development for the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft Corp. "If you're looking for deep experiences that don't require deep pockets, now is the time to purchase an Xbox 360. We've got the best games, a vast library of movies, new music experiences, more ways to connect friends and family, and so much more on the horizon including 'Project Natal' — no controller required."

At the very least with Microsoft's price drop announcement, we now have a more competitive playing field amongst all consoles. Should make for an interesting fall and holiday season for console sales.