READ: Xbox 360 Costs

[TechZ]

Speaking to the financial news site TheStreet.com, Microsoft corporate vice president and chief XNA architect J Allard was asked if the Xbox 360 would launch with the same $299 price tag as the original. "It's going to be in the neighborhood [of $300]," he said, apparently dispelling fears of a $399 or even $499 machine, although $350 could still be possible. However, Allard also stressed that any final decision on the 360's price was "about two months away."

[confus-ed]

... However, Allard also stressed that any final decision on the 360's price was "about two months away."

Yeah when they figure out what they can get away with in the face of competition from sony & nintendo

Whatever price they pick, it'll come down pretty quick as competition is fierce in the games console sector & sooner or latter these guys figure out that the profit to be made on unit sales, gets outweighed by license fees paid for games, which is pretty 'pants' if you are a 'first buyer', but thats the price you pay for wanting things straight away !

[TechZ]

300$ doesnt seem that bad a price to pay for it, i've not owned a ps2/xbox before, but if that price is what they intro it in Bahrain, i might consider it.


Another worthy read:

Price of next-gen gaming, the complete setup

CNN Money's Chris Morris is speculating that the cost of an Xbox 360 including all the accessories could run you as high as $1710.00! Here's an excerpt:

Now, granted, the calculations for that $1,710 quote we gave are unscientific. Your final price might be lower. But it could also be significantly higher. Let's break it down.

Figuring it's better to budget too much instead of too little, we went with the $399 price for the Xbox 360. And following Taylor's guidance, we'll assume nearly $60 per title.

To see your new game in all its glory, you're going to need a high definition television. Microsoft, after all, has insisted all Xbox 360 titles be high-def compatible -- and it's a safe bet many, if not all, PlayStation 3 games will follow that lead. If you've already got a HDTV, you're all set. If not, the average price these days is around $1,000, according to the Consumer Electronics Association.

You'll also need a surround sound system to make the most of the audio effects that are increasingly important in games. You wouldn't want enemies to sneak up from behind, would you? We'll go easy there and assign $250, the typical price of a low-end home theater in a box, to the budget.

Total price: $1,709.