Did Microsoft Put The Brakes On A Price Cut Announcement? News

While speculation about a price hike for Microsoft's Xbox 360 Arcade model, the phasing out of its Pro model, and a price cut for the Elite SKU has been rampant in recent times, the company still failed to reveal any info on its planned pricing strategy for the run-up to Christmas at its GamesCom address this morning.

Perhaps that's because the speculation is misplaced or, much more likely, that Microsoft is planning to announce pricing changes at a later date. This could be because an Elite price cut would be overshadowed by Sony's PS3 Slim fanfare or, as MCV is reporting, it could be down to other industry forces.

A national electronics retailer has revealed that an unusually high level of Xbox 360 Arcade and Elite stock in retail channels is what's delaying the announcement from Microsoft, or at least that was the official line from Microsoft to the source yesterday.

Previous rumour, which has been proven accurate following Sony's PS3 Slim announcement yesterday, has indicated that Microsoft is planning to cut the price of its Elite model in September. Similarly, UK retailers have suggested that an Xbox 360 Arcade price hike will come into effect on September 1st.

On top of this, there are already indications that the Xbox 360's Pro model is fading into obscurity. If not at GamesCom, surely an announcement from Microsoft can now only be a matter of days away, or weeks at the most? Let us know your thoughts in the comments...