The bait and switch tactic might work in the short-term but it does not work in the long-term. If MS plays the bait and switch game, they will pay for it next generation so as long as Sony doesn't screw up their launch again. The $299 PS3 slim is too little, too late to salvage North America. Their hope is Europe and Japan. But I'm expecting that Sony won't screw up with the PS4. Of course you just never know with Sony though.

Let's assume it's only a conspiracy theory: then Windows 7 Launch Orgies are too? And how about japanese touch screens?

Im willing to pay my life for XBL!

Being hacked and tampered with is Microsofts doing? They put trojans with every windows installation?.....its not the same, any popular OS will be hacked and tampered with with malware and the like.

hahahaha that's one of the funniest things I've heard. MS started a rumour about themselves.

If it did cost $100 they would need to up the number of features because right now all it has on PSN is less lag (which is arguable) and cross game party chat.

You cannot be serious about this... Microsoft does nickel and dime on many accounts but... this is just wrong. They already make billions every year essentially as a monopoly for Windows and profit from the Xbox brand (or am I wrong on that) so there is not much of a reason to do this except out of greed (if they even did this in the first place). I just think there are people out there trying to badmouth the 360. If people are wiling to pay, let them pay, but taking advantage of the consumer base would just be despicable.

Well outside of that blog, it would have been smart of them to start it, since it would get people to go and buy XBL for $50 a year and try to jump on that deal before its $100

My thoughts exactly. 

I keep thinking this is what microsoft wants to raise the price for the 'new' xbox live when they launch xb720. They want the rumor to mull around right now to soften people up to it when they finally do, or at least try to gauge how big the web outcry would be.

It's so they can knock $200 off the entry price of the new console by getting people on to two year live gold contracts - That way they can still price match or be close to in price the PS3, at least as it seems to average joe. In effect it might actually force PS4 onto paid online.

Wut?