$99 Xbox 360 Console And Kinect Sensor Offer From Microsoft, Is The Deal Worth It?

Microsoft is planning the deal of a lifetime for gamers who have not yet purchased an Xbox, as the company is offering the console package along with a monthly subscription for just $99 beginning next week.

According to The Verge, Microsoft will give the 4GB Xbox console with a Kinect sensor and a two-year subscription for users to access the Xbox Live Gold service for $99. Currently the price of an Xbox and a Kinect would total to $300. The deal may possibly include some streaming content, like the paid media and sports streaming services along with a two-year warranty.

The deal will be offered exclusively in Microsoft stores throughout the U.S., The Verge reported, beginning the second week of May. So far, the deal appears that it will only be available in Microsoft stores, as opposed to consumer electronics retailers and online.

However, the deal includes a mandatory two-year subscription to Xbox Live, which will cost a subsidized $15 per month. The caveat is that there will be an early termination fee for people who want to opt out of the two-year deal, a price that was not disclosed by Microsoft.

The Verge pointed out that while the deal sounds appealing, the mandatory $15 per month subscription to Xbox Live would actually cost more. Currently, the 4GB bundle with a Kinect totals $300, with a $60 per year subscription to Live Gold, totaling $420. The new deal would cost $460, after factoring in the two-year subscription at $15 monthly.

The Xbox bundle comes in an attempt for Microsoft to keep up with competitors, like Apple TV, Roku and PlayStation 3, offering the Xbox as more than just a gaming device.

While the Xbox 360 has been one of the best-selling games consoles in the U.S. for fifteen months since it debuted six-and-a-half years ago, sales have plummeted by almost 50 percent in the past year, according to Forbes.