Kinect-equipped hardware to be sold through Microsoft at a discount with two-year commitment to Xbox Live, according to unnamed sources.
Microsoft wants people to get Kinect-ed.Gamers holding out for a price cut on the Xbox 360 might have a new deal to consider soon, as The Verge is reporting that Microsoft will soon offer its 4GB Xbox 360 hardware with Kinect for $99, provided purchasers sign up for a two-year Xbox Live subscription that will cost $15 a month.
Attributing the info to unspecified sources, the site reports that the package will be offered through Microsoft Stores in the US, and is being positioned as a competing product to streaming media offerings like Apple TV and Roku, as well as the PlayStation 3. The deal will come with a two-year warranty, as well as an early termination fee for those who want out before the end of the deal. The report also suggests those who sign up will be given access to some of the paid media and sports streaming services on Xbox Live.
If purchased separately at today's standard prices, the console and two-year Xbox Live subscription would cost $420. If purchased under this promotion, the total cost at the end of the two years would come out to $460. As of press time, Microsoft had not returned GameSpot's request for comment on the report.
The Xbox 360 hasn't received a price cut to its entry-level configuration since September of 2008, when the hard drive-less Xbox 360 Arcade was dropped to $199. However, when the redesigned Xbox 360 was launched in 2010, previous bundles of the hardware were dropped by $50, putting the discontinued Xbox 360 Arcade at $149 for a brief time.
