14 DAY TRIAL // So, there were rumors and then there was certainty. Microsoft has decided to drop the price of the 20 GB hard drive Xbox 360 to 299 dollars, while supplies last, as it was discontinuing it, while also introducing a new version of the console, sporting a 60 GB hard drive, which was set to retail for 349 dollars.
Actually, if we look closer at the issue, we will see that the E3 announced "price cut" was only in fact as "special offer" made as the 20 GB version of the gaming console has reached the end of its shelf life. The "while supplies last" offer notwithstanding the Xbox 360 is still priced too high to effectively compete with the Nintendo Wii, as the Arcade version, which does not have a hard drive, is still priced above 200 dollars.
Now there are rumors again, so maybe certainty will make an appearance again. A source within Microsoft, which gave Ars Technica a heads up about the above mentioned announcement, says that the Redmond giant will cut the price of the Xbox 360 in early September. It seems that we are now talking about a real cut, which would bring the price of the Arcade version to 199 dollars. The 60 GB Pro console would reach 299 dollars while the Elite one would retail for 399 dollars.
The source also says that all the versions of the Xbox 360 will feature in-game bundles that will be very well placed to take on the Nintendo Wii as the holidays draw near. No exact titles for games that will be bundled and no exact prices were mentioned.
If the price reduction rumors are true, then the gaming consoles from Microsoft might become more attractive than the PlayStation 3, which has been outselling it during recent months, and will likely even draw a portion of the people that are now considering buying a Nintendo Wii. And as the Xbox division from Microsoft has just broken into positive numbers, there's no real reason to keep the price of the console up.