Microsoft To Sell <cite>Halo 3</cite> Xbox For $400

Halo 3 fans had better get out their wallets. Microsoft said Monday evening that it will sell the limited-edition Halo 3 Xbox 360 console for $400.

Microsoft also came clean and admitted that all the rumors were true: the company will lower the price of the current three Xbox 360 SKUs, but by uneven amounts.

The price drops will take effect on August 8. The $300 Core will drop by $20, the $480 Elite by $30, and the $400 Premium by $50.

The limited-edition Halo 3 version of the Xbox 360 combines elements of the other versions: it has a 20 GB hard drive like the Premium unit, but features HDMI output like the Elite. The design is a muted military green, and it will also include a wireless wired* headset microphone and a
Play and Charge Kit. It will appear in stores this September alongside the anticipated game.

By the way, remember what Shane Kim told Game|Life at E3, less than a month ago?

I think July is a terrible time to announce a price cut. Forget about E3. There's no business that gets done. Consumers are not buying a lot of consoles in July, or in August for that matter. The bulk of the business gets done in the holiday, the last three months of the year. Spring is the other big "season." (emphasis added)

So... what happened there?

**I guess they've changed the package on the sly. I mean, you can clearly see in the E3 picture above that the set originally contained a *wireless headset. Sigh.