Mole sez Xbox 360 price cuts coming in September: Arcade for $199

Microsoft's 20GB Xbox 360 Pro already stooped to $299, but one particular mole -- the same one who correctly called the 60GB edition of the console -- is suggesting that further slashing is in store. To be specific, we're talking about a $199 Arcade (no HDD), $299 Pro (60GB HDD) and a $399 Elite (120GB HDD), all of which should be available at those prices sometime next month. Furthermore, it's likely that Microsoft will toss out a few bundles in order to reel in the holiday shoppers, though details are sparse about which ones we'll be seeing. Our take? Hold off just a bit -- we get the feeling this here is more than hot air.

[FotoGenetix @ Aug 1st 2008 5:14PM]

nice i'll have to pick one up now.

so who's gonna be the first to say "Sony is sooo screwed?"

[OneLove @ Aug 1st 2008 5:20PM]

...you put de lime in da coconut.

[rock99rock @ Aug 1st 2008 5:25PM]

you drank 'em both up.

Nilsson :)

[icepop4who @ Aug 1st 2008 6:17PM]

this is microsoft's counter attack. sony has been overtaking xbox recently (in no small part to bluray) and ms needed to amp its game.

so, realize that the PS3 has a wider base of customers than xbox 360. the massive number of people jumping onto the HD home theater wagon.

[diode3diode @ Aug 1st 2008 6:55PM]

@icepop4who
"...realize that the PS3 has a wider base of customers ... jumping onto the HD home theater wagon."
Ah..and so we come to the crux of the matter between 360 and PS3. Although both are fundamentally gaming machines, the 360 caters to gamers and the PS3 appeals to the movie buffs. So comparing the two is like comparing apples to oranges.

I think icepop4who, you just made it easier for me to get a gaming machine, Thanks.

[Brian @ Aug 1st 2008 5:16PM]

Sony is sooo screwed

[Lowest Ranked @ Aug 1st 2008 6:05PM]

Does that count as a 'First!'?

[Tyler Ransom @ Aug 1st 2008 5:16PM]

I'll take two please.... Since one is still probably gonna break.

[quomen @ Aug 1st 2008 5:18PM]

That's dirt cheap.
However, that's $200 dollars less that I could use to save for a PS3.
I choose the PS3.

[FreeRange @ Aug 1st 2008 5:23PM]

You do that.

[Darth Abe @ Aug 1st 2008 5:27PM]

You have neither an Xbox nor a PS3 this far into the generation and you're talking like a fanboy? Your mom won't let you get one or what?

[quomen @ Aug 1st 2008 5:33PM]

OH, because people with jobs aren't allowed to save money? Fine, if you want me to justify my "fanboyism", I'd be buying a PS3 for Little Big Planet and for media center capabilities. No fanboyism involved.

You might not be a fanyboy darth, but you certainly are an asshole.

[diode3diode @ Aug 1st 2008 5:38PM]

Okay let's see...
In one hand $500 PS3 (no games) and in the other hand a $500 Xbox360 60g Pro (w/ $200 spent on 3 - 4 games)...hmm...
PS3 loses by a 3 to 4 gaming margin.

[Evan @ Aug 1st 2008 5:49PM]

@diode3diode
The PS3 is $399. I think the $100 extra over the 360 Pro justifies the Blu-Ray player, WiFi, and free online.

[Ordeith @ Aug 1st 2008 6:01PM]

You Choose Fail.

[diode3diode @ Aug 1st 2008 6:09PM]

@Evan
Yeah, I can see your point. For myself, I'm thinking of going 360 for the media center and the gaming library (gonna try vista soon w/ a tablet purchase). Blu-Ray would only make me want to spend more. Free-online gaming would make me less productive, less engadget reader.

[icepop4who @ Aug 1st 2008 6:19PM]

@diode3diode

lol. you're saying free online gaming and blu ray is a bad thing?

[diode3diode @ Aug 1st 2008 6:29PM]

For a guy that still uses his Commodore64 CRT for gaming, yeah. Going BR would mean putting the ol' amiga screen to pasture. Online gaming, well you get what you pay for, so the $40 isn't so much since most of the FPS are on 360.

[Owen @ Aug 2nd 2008 3:13PM]

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/home-entertainment/ps3-twice-as-powerhungry-as-xbox-360-211005.php



http://www.digitalbattle.com/2008/06/03/ps3-uses-more-power-than-a-medium-sized-fridge/

[DYMongoose @ Aug 1st 2008 5:18PM]

Next month meaning sometime in September? Or (hopefully) meaning "oh, I forgot today is August 1st"?

[DYMongoose @ Aug 1st 2008 5:19PM]

Ignore this post... I forgot how to follow a [read] link.

[GreezyG @ Aug 1st 2008 5:22PM]

Its the 1st? Uh oh.. rent is due

[Kamokazi @ Aug 1st 2008 6:22PM]

I really hope she isn't your landlord:

http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/74

[sshafer @ Aug 1st 2008 5:24PM]

needs a hardware update to appeal.

[Andrew @ Aug 1st 2008 7:35PM]

No shit.

[Totalfixation @ Aug 1st 2008 5:25PM]

Give me a 500GB Xbox and the ability to load my own files on it and I would be super happy.

[Ordeith @ Aug 1st 2008 6:03PM]

Or..... get a PC, link it to your 360, and store all your files there.

+ get VMC

[Totalfixation @ Aug 1st 2008 6:24PM]

I don't understand why people would want to have their computer on and have their xbox on at the same time. I would rather load all my movies, musics and pictures on the xbox rather than bogging down the network and have the computer waste electricity.

[vileta2 @ Aug 1st 2008 6:35PM]

@totalfixation

Disc drive space isn't plentiful for all of us. With my PS3 I use my pc as a media server because storing high def movies, 50GB of music, and 20GB of photos isn't the best to way to use it up when games are starting to require heavy installations (GTA4, MGS4, etc).

[sracer @ Aug 1st 2008 8:38PM]

I find that a 1TB harddrive on a PS3 makes a more capable multimedia jukebox than an XBox360 (with or without access to a WMCE PC).

[Jack @ Aug 1st 2008 9:30PM]

@sracer

I would love, and I mean love, to know what the fuck 2.5" drive has a 1TB option that maintains the standard form factor.

Otherwise, I call bullshat.

[Darth Abe @ Aug 1st 2008 5:26PM]

At least one company in these console wars is lowering their prices over time.

[Haikibutsu @ Aug 1st 2008 5:35PM]

Are you kidding? The PS3 has dropped 200 dollars over the past 2 years!

[Darth Abe @ Aug 1st 2008 6:18PM]

After some googling it looks like the cheapest PS3 is still $400 down from $500. Correct me if I'm wrong.

[icepop4who @ Aug 1st 2008 6:22PM]

what's wrong with getting a free bump from 40GB to 80GB? FYI, the $399 80GB PS3 is coming in september.

and seriously, sony does not need to lower the price right now, after blu-ray is taking hold in the home theater market. at $399, for those who want Hi Def movies, PS3 is best and cheapest bluray player. (and trust me, a lot of people want hi def now.)

[David M @ Aug 1st 2008 5:51PM]

Ahh makes it even harder for me to choose between getting a 360 and PS3. Although right now you can buy a 360 Elite with Forza and Marvel Ultimate Alliance for $399 from Dell and when they announced the original 20gb price drop Amazon had the Elite for $399 by itself for a while as well.

If September has the 360 60gb for $299 WITH a game or two bundle then I guess I'll bite and finally get a gaming console. Otherwise, PS3 might win me over since it has BluRay (which I don't care too much about now) and included wifi/wireless adapter and online (which is minor but nice).

[whatever @ Aug 1st 2008 5:35PM]

Still a total POS at any price. Don't forget to add $50 just for playing online kiddies. Oh, and $100 if you want WiFi. Oh oh oh...add $30 if you want rechargeable batteries.

Hmmm.....that makes it 20 bucks cheaper than a PS3 if you add add all that in. 'Course, the Arcade doesn't have HD or BD player either.

Enjoy your 'price cut' suckers!

[Curtis Joslin @ Aug 4th 2008 11:13AM]

enjoy the 5 games you have for the ps3.
By the way i have a ps3 and i fucking sucks. it sucks as a music/movies streamer it sucks in the lack of games it has. it sucks that it has no IR receiver. it sucks that i have to INSTALL games. with out the option NOT TO. it sucks that it uses way more power then my 360 and it sucks because of how expensive it was.
i am selling this piece of shit for whatever i can get for it. fuck the blue ray player in it too.. worthless if i can't even use my harmony remote for it. i will stick to the BD player in my HTPC.

BTW my 360 has red ringed and i fixed it my self and modded it so i could play burnt games.. oh and the 360 controller is way fucking better then that POS sony thingy.

the ps3 may have couple things going for it, but actual usability isn't one of them.

[caramelzappa @ Aug 1st 2008 5:50PM]

All those things have been there from the start. The point is the 360 is getting cheaper than it was, and with the newer mobo's they've been using it's also more reliable. Who's a sucker for getting a better product for a cheaper price?

Some people, like myself, don't want to use spotty wifi to connect their gaming console to the internet, and wires to their xbox. It's faster and more reliable.

$30 for rechargable batteries? You can get those charge and play kits for $15, which doubles as a usb adapter to use your 360 controller with your pc.

Blu-Ray is nice, and it would be nice to have a 360 sku with it, but it's not that important of a feature on a console that's focus is gaming.

[Ordeith @ Aug 1st 2008 6:08PM]

Where do you shop that you have to pay so much?

Live! Gold is MSRP $50 but is sold for $40 all over the place. $40 for 13 months = $3.08/month.

Any wireless bridge works with the 360, these can be purchased for less than $30.

Regular AA rechargeable batteries work with the 360 controllers. You can get 4 2300mAH with charger for $20. Good for two controllers.

Stop fanboing.

[joshua @ Aug 4th 2008 4:40PM]

lol stupid who the hell gonna want wi-fi to play onine games?? it sucks big time. hard wire is the best way to go.

[broli @ Aug 1st 2008 5:37PM]

Wow 100$/60GB. Someone should tell Microsoft you can buy a 250GB 2.5" hd with 100$.

[caramelzappa @ Aug 1st 2008 5:38PM]

For $200 I'd pick up a second xbox for the bedroom.

[eilegz @ Aug 1st 2008 5:40PM]

well, this its good news, for those with RROD machine out of warranty the arcade version make sense, since its cheaper than the Wii it will push nintendo to make a price cut

[PIRATE @ Aug 1st 2008 5:49PM]

Nope, Liteon drive = no free gamez 4 da interwebz :(((((

[diode3diode @ Aug 1st 2008 5:54PM]

It looks like the Wii is stuck btwn a rock and a hard place, now.

They either have to make more consoles to satisfy the masses or lower the price of a product that has been in such a high demand. Both choices shoots themselves in the foot. Over saturation for the first and profit loss for the second.

[Michael Chastain @ Aug 1st 2008 10:44PM]

"have to make more consoles to satisfy the masses or lower the price"

Your comment makes no sense. How would making more consoles keep them from having to lower prices? Supply and demand theory tells us that if anything making more consoles would force them to lower the price.

At any rate the Wii was the only console to be sold for a profit at launch, and it's the only one that hasn't had a price cut yet. Nintendo's in first place in the console wars and they'll still have a great profit margin even with a price cut. How that adds up to being "between a rock and a hard place" is mind boggling.

[Christian @ Aug 1st 2008 5:45PM]

Knock on wood this happens.

I really want to see this go through since this will be cheaper than wii and actually an ideal price to buy (the arcade version.)

Just think of it also as a less expensive media extender that can play games.

[icepop4who @ Aug 1st 2008 6:29PM]

media extender with no wifi and no hard drive? uh...

[Ruben @ Aug 1st 2008 8:36PM]

"media extender with no wifi and no hard drive? uh..."

Thats right. A Media Center Extender with no WiFi and no hard drive. Your PC serves Windows Media Center and all the media you have linked to it to your 360.

And 802.11G is not very reliable for transmitting really high def movies to all your appliances. If this chap was smart enough to get some ethernet wired to his house, then no need for WiFi. And if not, a wireless N bridge should cost about the same (if not less) than the 360 WiFi adapter, and give you a much more reliable and faster link.