Even though it has released the Xbox One, Microsoft is not letting the Xbox 360 fade into oblivion this holiday season. Three new Xbox 360 bundles have been announced via the official Xbox blog, Major Nelson.
First is an Xbox 360 with Call of Duty: Ghosts and Call of Duty: Black Ops II, for $249.
Second is the same as the first, but with a blue Xbox.
The third comes with a Kinect with the games Kinect Adventures, Kinect Sports, and Forza Horizon, also for $249.
Game Informer offered their take on the deal:
It’s annoying that some of the bundles are associated with specific retailers, but it’s smart to keep nurturing the Xbox 360. Microsoft certainly hopes these owners will transfer over to the Xbox One in the future.
The best part is, you don’t have to wait for the holiday season to purchase it. Microsoft told Polygon that the first and the third bundle have been released today, while the special blue bundle goes on sale October 7th. According to MVC, you can only go to Walmart to buy it.
Xbox 360 Holiday bundles include blue console http://t.co/zejsF8KmHe pic.twitter.com/dgP0atrSak
— WinBuzzer (@WBuzzer) September 13, 2014
Why is Microsoft nurturing the Xbox 360, when the argument could be made that the console is out of date with the release of the Xbox One? “Xbox 360 continues to be an important piece of the Xbox portfolio and still offers amazing games and entertainment experiences to fans,” an Xbox spokesperson told CNET, “We’re pleased to bring more offerings and price points for fans this holiday.”
Last year, the Xbox 360 bundles ran $300 to $400. One deal featured a Kinect with Kinect Adventures and Kinect Sports, while the $400 version added Forza Horizon. Also, Microsoft waited last year to release these bundles on October 13th.
Comparatively, consumers are getting a much better deal this year even earlier.