What’s the word? I love games, but I don’t follow the industry trends like the latest generation of nerds. I just got a fat tax refund, and I was thinking about getting a 360 - with Grand Theft Auto on the horizon and “Bioshock” coming in June, I know I’m going to want one and I should probably get one now while I have cash in-hand.
But is there some sort of price break on the horizon? I’d hate to buy one and have it drop $50 or $100 a month or two later.
Seems doubtful for the time being, considering Microsoft is releasing a third, more expensive version of the 360 this summer, called the Elite. It has a 12-gb hard drive, HDMI port, and is all black. It also retails for, IIRC, $70-80 more than the $400 model.
Personally I expect a $100 price drop for the original two models for Christmas. Microsoft is shifting its manufacturing technique to make them cheaper to produce as we speak, even if they are introducing a third higher end model. We may see this as early as August but October, just in time to gear up for November and get it in people’s heads that the price has fallen, seems likelier.
But all that is speculation. It’s just part of doing business that no one is going to announce that they’re dropping price until they actually do it.
Argh, in my previous post, I meant to write 120gb HD, as opposed to the “12” I wrote.
I agree with all of this. If I were a betting man (and if anyone is following the lotto thread in The Pit you know I am), I’d say the price will drop the third week in October.
I concur with the above posters. There are plenty reasons for the X360 to drop in price in November, not least because it’s being produced cheaper and to pimp the new model, but also to try to squeeze their price-based advantage over the PS3 as the Christmas package of choice.
Also, there are rumours that MS will announce a new console in the making (long-term) around Christmas.
They already semi-announced for 2012, I think.