Xbox 360 Elite Price Drop to $299.99? - Meijer Sunday (8/30) Ad Leak

[wildnuts02]

Looks like the the Elite might drop to $299 starting on August 30. This shot from a Meijer flyer:

http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/9/2009/08/504x_300pro.jpg

rumor still. here is link (http://kotaku.com/5335673/elite-360-dropping-in-price-rip-pro-model)

[KMunley]

Interesting, I wouldn't say the pro model is finished because I'd expect that to drop in price as well. Maybe 200-250 and the arcade done with completely.

[CaptainJoel]

That's awesome, if that happens I'll buy another 360 instead of buying a PS3.

[Cindaddy]

If you combine this with the Xbox 360 boxes that no longer show the Pro model, I think the evidence has mounted past the point of speculation. This is happening and makes perfect sense with the rumors of the PS3 slim and price drop. Good show by MS, really.

[anotherpoorgamer]

Does this mean that the 60 GB starter kit will be discounted? I might have to jump on this deal. I heard rumors about a pricedrop next month, finally some supporting evidence.

[oxidative]

Uh oh.

Kotaku + Rumor + CAG = OMGWTFWHARRGARBLBBQ

[johnsdoe00]

I wonder if I'd be able to find that red elite jasper re5 bundle for cheaper after the price drop... hmm. for $300 tho, i might just buy the halo/fable bundle.

[Remeard]

I might end up getting a 360 after all; I wonder if it includes the bundles, particularly Halo 3/Fable

[ps360gamer]

Are they also going to drop the price of the 120 GB hard drive? It makes no sense to me to keep it at $149 now does it?

[Cindaddy]

Are they also going to drop the price of the 120 GB hard drive? It makes no sense to me to keep it at $149 now does it?

Depends. If they drop the Arcade model to $150, it still makes sense.

Like others have said this Practically guarantees that the PS3 will drop to $299

my advice.

Buy a PS3 before 8-22-09 at Best Buy to get a $25 gift card, then go back in a few days after Sony drops its PS3 price to $299 and get a $100 back.

You just got a new PS3 for $275.

Question is will Sony drop the PS3 price before or After August 30th

if its before, they lose more profits
if its after 8-30 it looks like they are reacting to Microsoft's move.

Well, you can get 15% from Dell right now, so I'm not sure that it's worth all that hassle. Plus, I would wait on the PS3 slim. There's another rumor that the PS3 price drop could come at the German game convention next week, but we'll see.

[Ryukahn]

Why would this topic be moved? Anyone wanting a 360 could wait until this price drop and save $100, which is a huge savings.

[paperless]

If the PS3 drops to $299 as well it's gonna be a huge fail for MS.

The PS3 has a Blu-Ray drive, built-in Wi-Fi...srsly, the X360 can't stay in the $299, there's no reason for it in terms of hardware. I seriously hope these practices of overpricing their stuff bites their sorry ass.

[zeldaking]

Wondering if the Wii will follow with their own price drop?

[wildnuts02]

Why would this topic be moved? Anyone wanting a 360 could wait until this price drop and save $100, which is a huge savings.

yeah i don't get it. it's a deal not wasting $100...also a deal b/c if you pick some of the on the shelf elites you get the HDMI cable which won't be packed in anymore

[Cindaddy]

If the PS3 drops to $299 as well it's gonna be a huge fail for MS.

The PS3 has a Blu-Ray drive, built-in Wi-Fi...srsly, the X360 can't stay in the $299, there's no reason for it in terms of hardware. I seriously hope these practices of overpricing their stuff bites their sorry ass.

Dropping $100 off the price of the Elite is a huge fail? Not quite. You're making a value argument that could go either way depending on degrees of fanboyness. One could argue that Sony already failed when they didn't match the Pro price drop last time around.

[paperless]

Dropping $100 off the price of the Elite is a huge fail? Not quite. You're making a value argument that could go either way depending on degrees of fanboyness. One could argue that Sony already failed when they didn't match the Pro price drop last time around.

It is fail if the PS3 goes for the same price.

The PS3 offers more in terms of hardware, it's not fair to pay the same for less (which is what's going to happen if the elite 360 and PS3 ever go for the same price).

[MootPoon817]

But the Xbox 360 has better online and has better games than the PS3, although the PS3 has some good exclusives.

[johnsdoe00]

But when you buy a 360 you're buying more than hardware... you're buying the xbox live community and all those exclusives and games that are just better on 360. it goes beyond the hardware. i got a ps3 and all i do is watch blu-rays and play music on it...

also, maybe this thread got moved because it's listed as a rumor in the op.

[Cindaddy]

It is fail if the PS3 goes for the same price.

The PS3 offers more in terms of hardware, it's not fair to pay the same for less (which is what's going to happen if the elite 360 and PS3 ever go for the same price).

The PS3 already goes for the same price. The Elite has been competing head-to-head for quite some time and is merely continuing to do so. You're arguing that Blu-ray and wireless (and probably free PSN, although you didn't say that) make it a better system. Others would argue that MS has full current gen game downloads, a robust Xbox Live, exclusive Netflix access and instant watch 1080p movies coming in a couple months. Essentially, better software. It's all fanboy nonsense. You buy what you like. MS dropping the Elite $100 cannot possibly be a fail. It's a win for those wanting an Elite.

[crzyjoeguy]

If the PS3 drops to $299 as well it's gonna be a huge fail for MS.

The PS3 has a Blu-Ray drive, built-in Wi-Fi...srsly, the X360 can't stay in the $299, there's no reason for it in terms of hardware. I seriously hope these practices of overpricing their stuff bites their sorry ass.

well, they are already competing at the $400 price point, and microsoft is kicking sony's "sorry ass" in terms of sales, (dont forget about the other model's, they will NOT be $300, so people that want a console for $200-$250, are not stuck with just the option of the wii at $250). i do hope the ps3 drops though, because i wouldnt mind getting one adventually. but i couldnt care less about the blu-ray drive, i dont feel like paying $30 to watch a movie that looks slightly better then on regular dvd.:cry: reg. dvd's for me even if i had a blu-ray player :D

[MootPoon817]

If the Slim comes this year before holidays, I'm getting one.

[KaneRobot]

The PS3 offers more in terms of hardware, it's not fair to pay the same for less (which is what's going to happen if the elite 360 and PS3 ever go for the same price).
On the surface I agree, but I we don't know for sure what is going to be included for this price. The 360 may include better cables as it has in the past, it may (and likely will) include the Fable 2 / Halo 3 bundle, etc. The Slim is still a mystery as far as what you're actually getting outside of a Blu-Ray player.

[willardhaven]

Sony and Microsoft are failing in the game department no matter how you look at it. That said I really like my 360 and plan to get a PS3 when the price comes crashing down.

[Ryukahn]

To be fair about them currently competing, Sony only has the $400 sku at the moment, while the 360 has $200, $300, and a $400 sku, making it much easier to pick up a cheaper sku for those that want a cheaper console.

Also, as far as having to buy more hardware for the 360, while that is true, you don't have to buy it all up front and can purchase it in waves. A lot of people can space out their purchase better that way and get exactly what they want. While the WiFi and Bluray built in is awesome for the PS3, many won't want those features and don't want to pay for them.

[paperless]

The Elite has been going for the same price as the PS3 but you are forgetting that you had the Pro, now you don't.

Also, Xbox Live is not that wonderful, PSN is good enough and is free. I'm not a PS3 fanboy, I dont even have a PS3, i own a 360 and pay Xbox Live gold but im not blind.

You don't choose a console just on the hardware, it's true, but the PS3 has good exclusives, you can play online for free, it has a blu-ray drive, you can use any HD on it, etc. If we look at the hardware alone which is what you pay for at the store, the Xbox has less.

Microsoft also charges crazy prices for the HD, the wi-fi thingy and has proprietary memory units which is just ridiculous. I'm happy the elite has dropped but if the PS3 drops to to the same price I don't think the 360 will be a good deal compared to the PS3 because Xbox Live is not good enough to compensate for it.

Many of us here already have our preferences, mainly when it comes to exclusives but when i bought my 360 back in January i just wanted a console to play, and i had to choose between the 360 and the PS3, i went for the 360 because it was cheaper. What hapenned to me happens to a lot of people, I believe. I don't regret buying the 360 in any way but if the PS3 was at the same price at the time i would have went with the PS3.

[polishpride212]

Interesting. Does anyone know if this will still come packed with Fable 2 and Halo 3. That would make it an amazing deal, and essentially make the arcade useless, as for $100 more, you get a 120GB HDD, a headset, a HDMI cable, and 2 games.

[Cindaddy]

The Elite has been going for the same price as the PS3 but you are forgetting that you had the Pro, now you don't.

Also, Xbox Live is not that wonderful, PSN is good enough and is free. I'm not a PS3 fanboy, I dont even have a PS3, i own a 360 and pay Xbox Live gold but im not blind.

You don't choose a console just on the hardware, it's true, but the PS3 has good exclusives, you can play online for free, it has a blu-ray drive, you can use any HD on it, etc. If we look at the hardware alone which is what you pay for at the store, the Xbox has less.

Microsoft also charges crazy prices for the HD, the wi-fi thingy and has proprietary memory units which is just ridiculous. I'm happy the elite has dropped but if the PS3 drops to to the same price I don't think the 360 will be a good deal compared to the PS3 because Xbox Live is not good enough to compensate for it.

Many of us here already have our preferences, mainly when it comes to exclusives but when i bought my 360 back in January i just wanted a console to play, and i had to choose between the 360 and the PS3, i went for the 360 because it was cheaper. What hapenned to me happens to a lot of people, I believe. I don't regret buying the 360 in any way but if the PS3 was at the same price at the time i would have went with the PS3.

I'm pretty sure no one forgot there were cheaper Xbox 360 options. Even after the price drop, MS will still have the cheapest console at under $200. I never said I didn't understand your argument. I do. I just think it's biased. You can't make a hardware only argument because a console isn't just hardware. For you, you don't see an advantage in Xbox Live. Fair enough. Your preference is your preference. That doesn't make the move by MS a fail. It just means that, at this price point, you would have made a different decision. MS is pretty smart. They've been, at least, one step ahead of Sony during this gen. At this point, most people will buy the 360 because it's what their friends have or because of the online community or because of Halo in it's various incarnations. Blu-ray adoption is much lower than expected and MS is going to strike a blow with 1080p instant watch. There's a lot of people who would rather rent than buy. This is evident from the huge uptick in Netflix subscribers when it was added to the 360. For what it's worth, I'm tempted to pick up the PS3 slim with all the GS credit I have. I don't have anything against Sony, but this price drop is too little too late IMHO.

[johnsdoe00]

i couldnt care less about the blu-ray drive, i dont feel like paying $30 to watch a movie that looks slightly better then on regular dvd.:cry: reg. dvd's for me even if i had a blu-ray player :D

a) i almost never pay $30 for a blu-ray.
b) :hot: have you never seen a blu-ray movie played on a hi-def lcd tv?

The PS3 already goes for the same price. The Elite has been competing head-to-head for quite some time and is merely continuing to do so. You're arguing that Blu-ray and wireless (and probably free PSN, although you didn't say that) make it a better system. Others would argue that MS has full current gen game downloads, a robust Xbox Live, exclusive Netflix access and instant watch 1080p movies coming in a couple months. Essentially, better software. It's all fanboy nonsense. You buy what you like. MS dropping the Elite $100 cannot possibly be a fail. It's a win for those wanting an Elite.

Agreed!

[AntiCommie]

Honestly, both the 360 and PS3 are ripoffs when you look at hardware alone. You dont buy a console for the hardware, you buy it for the games it plays. In that regard, both are good options, but the 360 has more games overall, and generally more exclusives. While you may not like Halo, Gears, or other 360 exclusives, the same can be said of MGS, LBP, and Drake.

The PS3 does offer blu ray, and Blu's are nice... Unfortunately for Sony, a lot of people already have blu in their HTPC, or a standalone player. So PS3 offering it doesnt really matter.

You really have to look at the big picture, and both camps are about equal, just in different ways. Buy the console that fits your needs the best.

[danstabbingworth]

You don't choose a console just on the hardware, it's true, but the PS3 has good exclusives, you can play online for free, it has a blu-ray drive, you can use any HD on it, etc. If we look at the hardware alone which is what you pay for at the store, the Xbox has less.

You're assuming people care about blu-ray and wifi. It really has everything to do with the games. It's a gaming console. I could not care less about having a blu-ray player or wifi. DVDs and a cord to my router work just fine. And the 360 has the best games this gen, hands down.

[Remeard]

I hate to sound rude, but can we please drop the fanboy discussion? It got old the moment it started. Both systems would be great deals at $299.

[redneckokie]

any idea what that will end up making the pro's price?
will they just blow 'em out?

[Blackout]

Would the Halo/Fable bundles drop too? I'm going to sell my Pro Model and buy the Elite when it hits $300. It would be sweet if I could get those games as well.

[JJSP]

proprietary memory units which is just ridiculous.
Sony's Memory Stick says hello.

Add to that mandatory hard drive installs, and your included hard drive on the PS3 quickly shrinks if you have to install every game you want to play. Console exclusives are becoming a thing of the past, with only a matter of time before releases for both systems are announced.

The biggest difference between the two consoles these days is the PS3's Blu-Ray - but when we're seeing a good portion of America panicking over the analog/digital switch, it's a fair assumption that most American households couldn't give two shits about Blu Ray and many don't even know what it is.

Buy what you like. Saying one console is going to destroy another based on a simple price cut is ridiculous - saving money on the console is only good if there's solid games to spend the money on.

[crzyjoeguy]

a) i almost never pay $30 for a blu-ray.
b) :hot: have you never seen a blu-ray movie played on a hi-def lcd tv?


yes, yes i have. but to be honest, i dont care if it looks better,(yes i do KNOW it looks better) but the fact that it looks better does not make the movie any better or worse. if the movie is good, it will be good even if it is not a blu-ray, i do not see where the picture being better makes the movie that much more enjoyable. plus i have better things to spend my money on over a blu-ray player and blu-ray movies,it is not worth how much more they want for it imho. i know alot of people like it, its just not for me. i mean hell i have the hd channels for football season, but i am thinking i should go ahead and cancel that to save some money because i dont think it is worth the extra cash. all i was saying is blu-ray is not for everyone;) and it is not for me as i am cheap as hell so i dont want to fork up the extra cash.

EDIT: oh and the $30 reference was just in comparison to new release movies. $30 for a blu-ray as apposed to $20 for dvd. wasnt saying everyone pay's that much for their movies. the price of a reg. dvd is easier to take imo. and if im not willing to pay $20 for new release dvd's, i feel i have no buisness entering the blu-ray market.

[life.exe]

yes, yes i have. but to be honest, i dont care if it looks better,(yes i do KNOW it looks better) but the fact that it looks better does not make the movie any better or worse. if the movie is good, it will be good even if it is not a blu-ray, i do not see where the picture being better makes the movie that much more enjoyable. plus i have better things to spend my money on over a blu-ray player and blu-ray movies,it is not worth how much more they want for it imho. i know alot of people like it, its just not for me. i mean hell i have the hd channels for football season, but i am thinking i should go ahead and cancel that to save some money because i dont think it is worth the extra cash. all i was saying is blu-ray is not for everyone;) and it is not for me as i am cheap as hell so i dont want to fork up the extra cash.

EDIT: oh and the $30 reference was just in comparison to new release movies. $30 for a blu-ray as apposed to $20 for dvd. wasnt saying everyone pay's that much for their movies. the price of a reg. dvd is easier to take imo. and if im not willing to pay $20 for new release dvd's, i feel i have no buisness entering the blu-ray market.

I agree, I'm one of those people who couldn't care less about blu-ray. Until you can find blu-ray movies at stores/flee markets for only $3 and blu-ray players for less than $50 I'm not buying.

[Ziv]

A heads up on the newer Elites (the ones that omit any mention of the 60gig pro), they no longer come with HDMI cables or component cables. Much like the PS3, you'll be paying extra for HD.

[anotherpoorgamer]

^I kind of wish the newer Elites came with that hybrid component/composite cable instead of a plain composite cable. I suppose this means if you want an Elite with HDMI and component cables, your best bet is to go buy an older stock Elite now, huh?

I too would like to know what is going to happen to the Pro model prices? What about the prices of 60 GB starter kit and the 120 GB harddrive kit?

[chubbyninja1319]

Any word on what's your best option regarding reliability.....

Get a currently on the market Elite w/ Halo 3/Fable 2 bundle

or

New box (minus Pro model) Elite?

My pro just E74'd and I'm getting an Elite and I want to avoid hardware failure as much as possible (duh!).