Microsoft Corp is slashing the price of its high-end Xbox 360 model by US$100, ratcheting up the stakes in the game console fight this holiday season.
Microsoft will drop the price of the Xbox 360 Elite to US$299.99, it said yesterday, just days after Sony cut the rival PlayStation 3 to US$299.
The price on the entry-level Xbox Arcade model will stay at US$199.99, and Microsoft will phase out its mid-range Pro console, leaving it with two models. The Pro will sell for US$249.99 until supplies run out. The global price cut is effective today.
The Xbox is the No. 2 console in the US, behind Nintendo’s Wii, which sells for US$249. But Xbox sales have showed strength this year, up 17 percent in the US, the only console in positive territory.
Game publishers have been clamoring for console price cuts, which help boost software sales.
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