Xbox 360 HD-DVD bundle to undercut PS3 in Europe, according to uh-oh ... "retail sources"
According to GamesIndustry.biz, "retail sources" have suggested that Microsoft will bundle the Premium Xbox 360 unit with a HD-DVD drive for under £400/€589 ($750), and apparently as low as £375/€552 ($700). By comparison, PlayStation 3 (Premium SKU) is expected to retail for £425 ($800) in the UK.
GamesIndustry.biz also reports that the standalone HD-DVD drive's price tag is projected to be £199/€293 ($370), which also includes a pair of predetermined movies. We must reiterate that this data has been compiled by GamesIndustry.biz via anonymous retail sources and has not been confirmed by Microsoft.
Ironic as it is, the fact that these sources remain anonymous actually lends more credibility to the information than if it were plucked from a retailer's public website. That retailers are not using these figures for preordering purposes suggests that the prices could be accurate, and that Microsoft has requested their suppression from public eye, for now. Regardless, with Sony out of the next-gen picture in Europe until next spring, Microsoft has been afforded enough flexibility to experiment with a range of SKUs on the market and test consumer interest in the next evolution of media resolution. You buyin' in?
