Surprise! Xbox 360 drops in price this Wednesday. Destructoid offers reviews, previews, trailers, cheats, and more.

Surprise! Xbox 360 drops in price this Wednesday


Hamza CTZ Aziz \\ 08.06.2007	41 comments

Oh Internet, you always spoil everything for everyone. In case you missed the storm of "rumors" from last week, all Xbox 360 models will drop in price this Wednesday. The Premium will now sell for $349.99, the Core will sell for $279.99, the Elite will sell for $449.99 and the Halo 3 edition of the Xbox 360 coming out in September will retail for $399.99.

The timing of the price drop is meant to coincide with the release of Madden 2008 next week, which is "one of many titles that make up the greatest holiday lineup in video game history."

So readers, now that the system has dropped in price, are you going to go pick one up? Or are there still too many factors preventing you from purchasing the unit?

Press release after the jump.

Microsoft Lowers Price of Xbox 360 by $50
Price drop coincides with release of "Madden NFL 08" on Xbox 360, one of many titles that make up the greatest holiday lineup in video game history.
REDMOND, Wash. — Aug. 6, 2007 — Microsoft Corp. today kicked off the greatest holiday lineup in video game history by announcing it will reduce the estimated retail price (ERP) of Xbox 360™ by $50 ( U.S.) beginning Aug. 8. Soon to follow, Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) will release its blockbuster video game title "Madden NFL 08" on Aug. 14. "Madden NFL Football," one of the most important mass-appeal franchises in video games, was the top-selling game of 2006 and is the top-selling franchise of the past 10 years. Only Xbox 360 offers a console for all interests and budgets.
"The fact that we have been able to keep our launch price longer than any other console while retaining our leadership position demonstrates that consumers believe in the value of Xbox 360," said Mitch Koch, corporate vice president, Global Retail Sales and Marketing Group, Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft. "On the eve of the best holiday games lineup ever and the launch of 'Madden NFL 08,' there has never been a better time to jump into Xbox 360."
Xbox 360 will enhance the value of its entire family of consoles beginning on Aug. 8. At a new ERP of $349.99 (U.S.), Xbox 360 offers an unsurpassed experience right out of the box with a 20GB hard drive, wireless controller, Xbox 360 headset, and more. For those looking for the ultimate value and the freedom to customize their console as they see fit, Xbox 360 Core System now has an ERP of $279.99 ( U.S.). Xbox 360 Core System provides everything needed to start gaming while giving consumers the ability to add new features and accessories they want. Dressed in black and equipped with a 120GB hard drive, Xbox 360 Elite will be priced at an ERP of $449.99 ( U.S.) for those who want the premium games and entertainment experience. In anticipation of this year's largest blockbuster game launch, the Xbox 360 Halo^® 3 Special Edition Console will hit store shelves in September with an ERP of $399.99 ( U.S.). Featuring an authentic Spartan green-and-gold finish, this console will include a matching Xbox 360 Wireless Controller, Xbox 360 20GB hard drive, Xbox 360 Headset, an Xbox 360 Play and Charge Kit, and more.
In addition to being a great value, Xbox 360 is the only console on which consumers will be able to play all of this year's biggest titles: "Guitar Hero III™: Legends of Rock" (RedOctane/Activision), "Halo 3" (Bungie Studios), "Madden NFL 08" (EA) and "Rock Band" (MTV Games). Xbox 360 is also home to the most exclusive games, such as "BioShock" (2K Games), "Lost Odyssey™" (Mistwalker/Feel Plus), "Blue Dragon" (Mistwalker/Artoon Co. Ltd.), "Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action," (Screenlife), "Project Gotham Racing ^® 4" (Bizarre Creations Ltd.), "Mass Effect" (BioWare Corp.), "Naruto: Rise of a Ninja" (Ubisoft), and "Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation" (NAMCO BANDAI Games). With a record-setting attach rate of 6.1 games per console sold (NPD, Life-to-date, June 2007), a new price and the greatest holiday games lineup ever, Xbox 360 has proved itself as the home of the best games and entertainment at the best value.

41 COMMENTS, LATEST BY Furnimus
Listen, I know there are many problems with the 360, but people are cracking this up to be the most problematic thing ever, and that every 360 is teh suxx0rz and will break right when you turn Ge... - view discussion

There are 36 comments about this post:

TheGoldenDonut says:
08/06/2007 23:47

The announced price drops are U.S. only.

Sienar says:
08/06/2007 23:49

Fuck yes

Edarios says:
08/06/2007 23:53

the prices in Canada will drop as well, just like with the PS3.

Mxyzptlk says:
08/06/2007 23:56

So another yearly update to Madden is contributing to "greatest holiday lineup in video game history"? Can I have some of what they're smoking?

I'm still holding out until I can be sure I'm getting a system with the Falcon.

GrayFox says:
08/07/2007 00:01

I'm picking one up as soon as they drop the prices in Canada. I'm also thinking about getting a warranty where I can trade in my system for a new one immediately if anything happens (or the Falcon unit drops).

Mister Disco says:
08/07/2007 00:01

Haha, I told everyone. So, yeah. I gots mine set aside for Wednesday.

jakebattey says:
08/07/2007 00:01

I like how the addition of Halo 3 makes the 360 the ONLY place to play this year's hottest games.
The price drop is nice and all, but I'd rather be sure that I'm not getting a piece of hardware that fails 30% of the time and is then fixed with Duct Tape and Bailing Wire.

kawitchate says:
08/07/2007 00:05

as a 360 owner, i implore you, do NOT buy a 360 until they announce a change in the design of the hardware! wait for the 65nm chip, wait for some answer to the overheating problems...

or you'll end up with a 360 you have to send back after only 6 months of ownership.

Edarios says:
08/07/2007 00:08

its too bad that most buyers wont know about the many problems, and will eat up this price drop like <insert analogy>

Lowtax says:
08/07/2007 00:12

LOL THE HALO 3 IS 399?? :l I lol at this, oh I don't give a shit anymore, back to masterbation.

Ritalin Twitch says:
08/07/2007 00:12

Just out of my own morbid curiosity, what metric are we using to determine that the 360s have been fixed, since Im guessing nobody trusts anything coming out of MS. Is it when the new chips come out? When internet matlocks say so? When you read the intestines of a guinea pig?

Ive had mine since feb and nothing has blown up yet, so I dont know if im lucky or my box is a bit more solidly built than the launch ones.

16bitmonster says:
08/07/2007 00:14

Who's with me? I own a 360 and do not plan on playing halo 3. Yes Yes i know... "ARE YOU INSANE! ZOMG!" Any others buy a three sixty for something other then the alleged King of all leet games? I did and i am going to start some sort of boycott of both the game and all its Pointless...yes i said pointless versions and the godforsaken banished from hell its so unnecessary "edition" of my shiny green ringed dead rising oblivion waitin for fable box. Where i work i do have say in what people buy there kids... it is a small step but goddamnit the lack of games on ps3 and now this ungodly worship of a game that has "changed" so many GAMERS to LEET NINJAS... i have a breaking point just like most of you... lets as a whole boycott this shit... even if you like the stupid game... boycott it for at least a month or two so microsoft craps its pants for a little bit...

what this had to do about the price drops? maybe nothing... but maybe everything.

Corak says:
08/07/2007 00:17

Microsoft would never lend its name to a product that doesn't work very well would they? Joking aside the price drop should help more people experience next-gen consoles so that part is good. But one thing that worries me is that people who don't know about the red rings of death will dive head first only to be very disappointed after they play halo 3 for 2 hours and it locks up and they have to send it away to get fixed. Have they addressed the overheating problems with these newer systems? I don't know why they would be making a console that has a known heat distribution problem and not fix it before they sold more faulty systems.

donkeykong says:
08/07/2007 00:46

Holiday titles, in August? now I've heard everything.

An alligator with sunglasses?

Something that nobody has noticed is that the 360 has almost nothing going for it in 2008 on besides sequels. That, or they haven't found a game to bundle with Crackdown 2 yet.

Every god damned year they make us sit through droughts. Haven't they figured out that a good release in a drought will cause everybody on the system to flock to it, fan or not? I'd seriously buy Halo 3 just because it's something to play, but no, it has to come out on the same say as Orange Box, which means I won't even bother GameFlying it.

Zero Iscariot says:
08/07/2007 01:36

remember when I broke this story 3 weeks ago?

cbre88x says:
08/07/2007 01:56

That's wonderful, but I'm still not going to buy that piece of shit machinery until I know they've fixed that shitload of techincal problems they have with it.

Poor design at it's finest.

cbre88x says:
08/07/2007 01:59

Y'know..speaking of piss poor design..let's talk about Windows Vista.

Or any Windows OS for that matter.

Morrius says:
08/07/2007 02:01

Unless of course, you live in the UK, where an elite will set you back 669 FUCKING DOLLARS.

I really, really, really despise this shitty little rock that's slowly sinking into the sea. The sooner the better.

Rainbowblack says:
08/07/2007 03:29

Oh take the plunge you pussies, my launch unit is just fine

lowercaseluke says:
08/07/2007 03:51

I don't care, it's still too expensive to take a risk on. I'd much rather pay the original price and have a guarantee that it won't red ring.

ceark says:
08/07/2007 03:53

my 360 launch unit was a pos that died. I'll wait for a design change.

kawitchate says:
08/07/2007 04:25

my unit was built in October 06 (said so right on the back). i purchased it two months later in December. 6 months later, in June 07, my drive stopped reading discs of any kind.

6 months.

just be warned.

Electrobes says:
08/07/2007 05:36

I got mine July 29th after Circuit City said they would reimburse me after a month of the purchase should their be a price change. Granted I am only getting 30 bucks back, I still don't think I made a mistake.

When people say to wait... they all have a good point. Mine was made 06-16-07 and I am hoping it doesn't have problems, but after waiting and watching some great games go by me that I could have played online when it was more popular, now I come play them and a lot more people moved onto newer games. It's a never ending debate but I'm happy now with my new baby : P

bipolar beers says:
08/07/2007 05:55

yeah sony did their price drop to get their 60gb ps3 design off the market. seems like microsoft is doing this to get their defective systems out the market as well. no thanks.

tehArtist says:
08/07/2007 06:37

The Price will have to drop by at least another 150$ before I will pick one up.

Tubatic says:
08/07/2007 07:27

The core is a little more attractive, but it considering all the crap going on, its just got to get way more attractive before i put out.

Maybe when GTA4 comes out . . . one day . . .

RoyRP216 says:
08/07/2007 08:46

i'm getting a premium, used, for $200 :-D

gamesronlygames says:
08/07/2007 08:56

Yippee-something that breaks is less money now. I'll take two. One for back up when the other goes back to MS

topgeargorilla says:
08/07/2007 09:14

no, I won't be getting one now, I got plans for Paris right now. This drop just means I'll be getting one in November, or right after Christmas.

And I won't be playing Halo.

Crackhippo says:
08/07/2007 09:32

so Canada is only getting $50 price drop?...if so im crossing the border to get one...cuz thats about $70 more, that Canadians have to pay.

mix says:
08/07/2007 10:05

Hrm I would for sure pick up an Elite but the overheating issues still are a huge concern with me. I will not and could not ever buy equipment with such a high percentage of fail.

I would rather pay the extra $100-$200 knowing I have a solid piece of equipment as cheap does not run in my veins

kintaeb says:
08/07/2007 10:46

I'm with most of the people here, I wouldn't consider picking one up until Falcon chips are definitely in. Even then it's not guaranteed that all problems are fixed.

RskimB says:
08/07/2007 12:08

Perked my ears up but I think I'm leaning toward getting a PS3 right now

Sharpless says:
08/07/2007 14:07

Well, this was bleeding obvious. Good to hear it's official, though. $399 for the Halo edition is reasonable. An extra $50 for HDMI and the Halo name isn't too bad. It's only the hardcores that are going to buy it, anyway. I'm a little surprised they didn't drop the Core to $249, though.

I'm probably going to hold out for the Falcons. I hope they come out soon. When will we know?

Furnimus says:
08/07/2007 14:19

Listen, I know there are many problems with the 360, but people are cracking this up to be the most problematic thing ever, and that every 360 is teh suxx0rz and will break right when you turn Gears on. I have an origianl launch 360. I have no Intercooler. I once played Gears of War for 7 hours straight, and Halo 3 for maybe 6. I leave it on all the time to download things. I have had no problems with it at all. I don't baby it, I don't keep it in the open, it is stuffed in my entertainment center and I play it like a normal person would.

So don't say its a POS and all are faulted. They did make a mistake. No doubt. But c'mon, give the richest guy ever a break for being...chea...cheap...well I guess that didn't come out right...EFF YOU BILL GATES!!! STOP FEEDING US MALAYSIANS!

You must be logged in to post a comment. Click here to login or create a user account now.