Xbox 360 price cuts are official

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Microsoft has announced price cuts to its Arcade, Premium and Elite model Xbox 360 consoles as of Friday March 14. The Arcade sees a £40 cut, down from £199.99 to £159.99, making the console £20 cheaper than the Wii.

The 20GB model sees a £50 cut, down from £249.99 to £199.99, while the Elite falls £40 from £299.99 to £259.99.

“Xbox 360 is now mass market in Europe,” said Chris Lewis, Vice President, Microsoft Interactive Entertainment Business Europe. “We have reached and surpassed several key milestones that form part of our long term strategic plan to achieve critical mass in Europe; and our portfolio now offers the kind of mainstream entertainment experiences that secure wider appeal for Xbox 360. These factors allow us to execute on our strategy to widen the market for Xbox 360, as planned.

“We continue to offer intense, immersive gaming experiences for gamers – but now we’re priced in a way that will allow new consumers to find out for themselves why Xbox 360 is the ultimate in high-definition entertainment,” said Lewis. “History shows that £159.99 is the price point where a console’s audience begins to expand, and with these new ERPs in place we’re ready to bring more consumers into the Xbox 360 world.”

The cuts come at just the right time for Microsoft with the release of Grand Theft Auto IV just around the corner, a game likely to see many previous-gen gamers (PS2, Xbox) adopting either the Xbox 360 or PS3. The cuts make even the most expensive Xbox 360 model cheaper than the 40GB PlayStation 3, which currently retails at £299.99.

While no price cuts are on the cards for the PS3, Sony does have a Gran Turismo 5 Prologue bundle lined-up for release on March 28 – currently available to pre-order at GameStation for £299.99.

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