Hurray!  Beginning Sept 5, Microsoft will finally lower the suggested retail price of the Xbox 360 Arcade to $199.99, the Xbox 360 console to $299.99 and Xbox 360 Elite to $399.99.  “We are thrilled to be the first next-generation console on the market to reach $199, a price that invites everyone to enjoy Xbox 360,” said Don Mattrick, senior vice president of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft.  “Xbox 360 delivers amazing performance at an extraordinary value with the leading online service and best lineup of games, downloadable movies and TV shows available from a console.  The majority of consumers make the decision to buy consoles once the price falls to this mark, making this an important milestone for consumers and the industry.”.

By declaring a price war on the Nintendo Wii and the Sony Playstation 3, Microsoft is hoping to generate a big sales surge before the holiday season.  The Xbox 360 is the first next generation console to dip under the $200 price tag.

Christmas has truly arrived early for budget conscious  The price cut on the Xbox 360 makes the console the very first to sell under $200.  If you plan to purchase an Xbox 360 anytime soon, I would highly advise that you get one right away, especially before the fast holiday shopping season. 

I haven’t bought a Xbox 360 yet so maybe it’s time to finally empty my piggy bank and get one!

Source: Bloomberg and PR Newswire