By SE YOUNG LEE
SINGAPORE -- Microsoft Corp. is lowering the price of the high-end model of its Xbox 360 gaming console by $100 starting Friday amid mounting pressure on console makers as the videogame industry's sales continue to struggle.
Microsoft is cutting the price of the high-end Xbox 360 console by $100, matching Sony's PlayStation 3, which saw its price slashed by $100 last week.
Microsoft, in a statement dated Wednesday, said prices for the Xbox 360 Elite console will be lowered to $299.99 starting Friday. The device comes with a 120 gigabyte hard drive.
Microsoft also said it will lower the price of the Xbox 360 Pro model, which has a smaller hard drive, to $249.99 from $299.99 while supplies last. The price of the Xbox 360 Arcade model, which doesn't come with a hard drive, will remain at $199.99.
The Xbox 360 Pro model will be phased out once current supply runs out, leaving the Elite and the Arcade as the two models for the console.
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Microsoft is following Sony in cutting the price of its higher-end Xbox 360 system. Are you more willing to buy an Xbox or PS3 with the price drop?
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* Earlier: Sony Drops Price of PS3
The announcement follows a fall in videogame hardware and software sales stemming from the economic downturn, which has increased pressure on console makers to cut prices before the holiday season. According to NPD Group, industry sales for hardware and software in the U.S. in July were down 29% from the same month a year ago.
On Aug. 18, Sony said it would cut the price of the PlayStation 3 by $100 to $299 and that a slimmer version of the gaming console will debut on Sept. 1. The price reduction had been widely expected, as the console has struggled against its lower-price competitors amid the sales slump.
Nintendo Co. hasn't cut the price of the Wii, the market leader among the latest generation of videogame consoles in the U.S. It's price has remained at $250 since late 2006. But analysts believe the company will need to reduce this to meet its year-end sales targets as demand for the device has slowed considerably so far in 2009.