Mixed news for Xbox price changes

The cut makes the Elite cheaper than the Playstation

Microsoft is to cut the UK price of its Xbox 360 Elite gaming console by £30 to £199.99 and by $100 to $299 in the US.

But the price of Xbox's entry-level model the Arcade will rise to £159.99 from £129.99, although its US price remains the same at $199.

The cut follows Sony's decision to drop the price of its PlayStation 3, to £249 in the UK and $299 in the US.

The Xbox Pro mid-range model will be discontinued altogether, priced at $249 (£154) until it sells out.

Recent figures suggest that overall sales of both games and consoles have slumped this year - with a drop of some 29% in the US.

However, Xbox sales are the only console in positive growth in the US this year, rising by 17%.

The new prices will come into effect on Friday, ahead of the release next week of the recently announced slimmed-down PlayStation 3.

So, the Pro is now cheaper than the Arcade? They're gonna go out of stock very quickly.

And there's only a £40 gap between the Arcade and the Elite? Well, it's pretty obvious which one to get, once the Pros run out.

So now we have the Wii at the same RRP as the 360 Elite, and the PS3 just £50 more expensive...

The HD consoles are running out of excuses.

They will get good reception this holiday.