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Microsoft quietly drops subsidized $99 Xbox 360
Microsoft discontinued its subsidized $99 Xbox 360 with Kinect bundle in July 2013, the console manufacturer confirmed with the Wall Street Journal. The low-cost console was introduced in May 2012 and required a two-year Xbox Live commitment of buyers at a rate of $14.99 per month. The bundle worked out to be roughly $60 more than the closest option, a $299 4GB Xbox 360 console paired with two years of Xbox Live Gold as separate purchases. "This program was intended to be a pilot experiment from the start, and Microsoft routinely adjusts the mix of offers available to its customers and this change was simply standard business practice," Microsoft spokesman David Dennis said. He added that the subsidized Xbox 360 option was for "squeezing the last 10 to 15 percent out of the potential market." [Image: Microsoft]
$99 Xbox 360 with two-year contract now at GameStop, Best Buy
The discounted 4GB Xbox 360 Kinect bundle with bonus two-year contract is available now at participating Best Buy and GameStop locations. The basics of the deal (term used loosely): the package costs $99 upfront, with a 24-month contract at $14.99 a month, which will include Xbox Live Gold.Sparing the need to whip out the TI-82 calculator, the cost of the contract would total roughly $460 over the next two years. A 4GB Xbox 360 Kinect bundle currently has a suggested retail price of $299, with Xbox Live Gold at about $50 a year, for an eventual total of $399. Of course, all of this math is subject to change over the next two years at the potential whims of retailer deals or official console price drops.
250GB Xbox Kinect bundle spotted on 4GB bundle packaging
Although the bundle has yet to be announced, a 250GB Xbox 360 / Kinect bundle can be seen on Microsoft's Australian packaging for the 4GB Xbox 360 / Kinect box. The 250GB bundle appears to be very similar to the matte 4GB bundle, with the exception of the larger capacity hard drive, a glossy finish, and the inclusion of a headset. It isn't clear what game comes with the bundle, though it's most likely Kinect Adventures, the standard offering in both the standalone Kinect package and the 4GB Xbox bundle. The 250GB model also has the following note: "Hard Drive includes game and demos." The demos we're used to, but it seems that Microsoft may be foregoing an extra disc and putting the pack-in game on the hard drive itself. We're following up with Microsoft for more details, pricing and – yes – international release plans. Update: Microsoft's official response to Joystiq: "We have nothing to announce at this time."
