As I'm sure all of you already know, at E3 Microsoft announced plans to release a special edition 360 for Halo 3. At their press conference, very few details about this machine were released except for some pictures of what it looks like. Following E3 it was discovered that this edition of the 360 would be a sort of Premium/Elite hybrid. It will have the HDMI port found on the Elite, but the 20 gig drive of the Premium. What seems odd to me is that Microsoft didn't add the 120 gig drive to get the price up around the Elite pricing, and therefor achieve the higher profit margins (or lower loss margins).
Since they decided against the 20 gig drive, it seems that MS is not targeting current owners of 360s who want to upgrade, but rather the legions of Halo fans who have yet to pick up a 360. Since the 360 will be Halo 3 branded, I think it's very likely that they will include Halo 3 in the box for a small discount (just like they did with the Halo Edition Original Xbox). Also since Halo 3 is the biggest factor in this demographic, Microsoft probably realizes that they are more price sensitive than the more hardcore gamers. Most of these buyers will be less interested in a larger Hard Disc, and more interested in a machine that plays Halo 3.
Now the final thing is that Microsoft didn't release any pricing details for this Halo 3 360. This could be because it is yet to be decided, but I think it has to do with a price cut. I believe that Microsoft is planning a price cut before the release of Halo 3 (Sept. 25) and along with it the Halo Edition 360. Microsoft cannot yet release the price of the Halo 3 360 because it would expose their plans for a price cut.
If the previous pricing rumors come true, the planned price for the 360 will be as follows:
Core: $200
Premium: $300
Elite: $400
It is my prediction that the Halo 3 console will drop in at $350 ($300 premium + $60 Halo 3 - $10 Bundle discount).
Go ahead discuss, poke holes, prove me wrong. I wouldn't be surprised if I'm way off the mark here, but it's a situation that seems to make sense (at least in my mind).
And yea, perhaps this isn't a Conspiracy, but it's a good headline.
Since they decided against the 20 gig drive, it seems that MS is not targeting current owners of 360s who want to upgrade, but rather the legions of Halo fans who have yet to pick up a 360. Since the 360 will be Halo 3 branded, I think it's very likely that they will include Halo 3 in the box for a small discount (just like they did with the Halo Edition Original Xbox). Also since Halo 3 is the biggest factor in this demographic, Microsoft probably realizes that they are more price sensitive than the more hardcore gamers. Most of these buyers will be less interested in a larger Hard Disc, and more interested in a machine that plays Halo 3.
Now the final thing is that Microsoft didn't release any pricing details for this Halo 3 360. This could be because it is yet to be decided, but I think it has to do with a price cut. I believe that Microsoft is planning a price cut before the release of Halo 3 (Sept. 25) and along with it the Halo Edition 360. Microsoft cannot yet release the price of the Halo 3 360 because it would expose their plans for a price cut.
If the previous pricing rumors come true, the planned price for the 360 will be as follows:
Core: $200
Premium: $300
Elite: $400
It is my prediction that the Halo 3 console will drop in at $350 ($300 premium + $60 Halo 3 - $10 Bundle discount).
Go ahead discuss, poke holes, prove me wrong. I wouldn't be surprised if I'm way off the mark here, but it's a situation that seems to make sense (at least in my mind).
And yea, perhaps this isn't a Conspiracy, but it's a good headline.
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