Microsoft could soon offer a subsidized Xbox 360 for $99 along with a two-year contract for Xbox Live Gold in anattempt to popularize the Xbox as the main digital hub in living rooms across the U.S., according to an online report. Asearly as next week, Microsoft may start offering a 4GB Xbox 360with Kinect sensor plus a two-year commitment to pay $15 per monthfor Xbox Live Gold, giving you access to the console's onlineservices. The new deal is expected to be offered at Microsoft s retailstores, and the Xbox Live Gold subscription may include additionalstreaming content currently unavailable to Xbox Live Gold members,according to The Verge . It's unclear whether Microsoft would also offer the supposedsubscription deal online or through other retailers such as BestBuy or Amazon.
If the report is accurate, this could be an interesting move forMicrosoft since the company has spent so much effort recently onexpanding the Xbox's entertainment options . In addition to playing traditional console video games on theXbox, you can also access a long list of online content services.Xbox Live Gold members can currently stream content from Netflix,ESPN, Epix movie streaming, Hulu Plus, Sony's Crackle, Syfy, TMZ,HBO Go, MLB.TV, and Vudu. Comcast and Verizon cable and Internetsubscribers can also use Xbox Live to access their respectiveonline streaming services including Xfinity On Demand and FIOS TV . Microsoft s plan, according to Jason Cross at TechHive , is similar to wireless cellphone providers that sell subsidizeddevices to attract customers.
Microsoft would take this to anotherlevel, according to Cross, because the company would get money fromits Xbox Live Gold subscription fee and royalties from all thegames its new customers are buying. Online entertainment consumption is on the rise in the UnitedStates, so it's no surprise tech companies have reinvigorated their age-old quest to merge online entertainment with your home television . In March, 181 million U.S. Internet users watching an average of21.7 hours of online video, according to metrics firm comScore. Flexible Led Display Screen
The previous year, comScore reported 174 million AmericanInternet users were watching an average of 14.8 hours. There's practically no end to the number of devices that candeliver online entertainment to the living room including thePlayStation 3, Apple TV , Roku set-top box, and a host of Internet-connected televisionsfeaturing services such as Google TV and Yahoo Connected TV widgets. There are also high expectationsfor a rumored high-definition television set from Apple, and othercompanies such as Canonical and Lenovo may soon offer living room entertainment products as well. If Microsoft does offer a subsidized Xbox, it would end up costingyou a little bit more to get the cheaper console. Best Buycurrently sells the 4GB Xbox with Kinect sensor for $300, plus youcan buy a two-year subscription to Xbox Live Gold for $60 per yearfor a total of $420 over 24 months. China Pharmacy Led Sign
The purported subsidized Xbox360, as reported, would set you back about an extra $39 at $459 forthe two years. And don't forget subscriptions to services such asNetflix, MLB.TV, and Hulu Plus will also set you back a few bucksper month, raising the cost of an Xbox entertainment center evenhigher. Costs aside, it's clear more and more people are turning to theInternet for on-demand entertainment consumption, and techcompanies are looking to fill that void with consoles, set-topboxes, and Internet-capable televisions. Microsoft said last June that it would support the Xbox 360 until 2016. Led Curtain Displays
Next-generation PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles are alsoexpected before the end of 2013. Connect with Ian Paul ( @ianpaul ) on Twitter and Google+, and with Today@PCWorld on Twitter for the latest tech news and analysis.
If the report is accurate, this could be an interesting move forMicrosoft since the company has spent so much effort recently onexpanding the Xbox's entertainment options . In addition to playing traditional console video games on theXbox, you can also access a long list of online content services.Xbox Live Gold members can currently stream content from Netflix,ESPN, Epix movie streaming, Hulu Plus, Sony's Crackle, Syfy, TMZ,HBO Go, MLB.TV, and Vudu. Comcast and Verizon cable and Internetsubscribers can also use Xbox Live to access their respectiveonline streaming services including Xfinity On Demand and FIOS TV . Microsoft s plan, according to Jason Cross at TechHive , is similar to wireless cellphone providers that sell subsidizeddevices to attract customers.
Microsoft would take this to anotherlevel, according to Cross, because the company would get money fromits Xbox Live Gold subscription fee and royalties from all thegames its new customers are buying. Online entertainment consumption is on the rise in the UnitedStates, so it's no surprise tech companies have reinvigorated their age-old quest to merge online entertainment with your home television . In March, 181 million U.S. Internet users watching an average of21.7 hours of online video, according to metrics firm comScore. Flexible Led Display Screen
The previous year, comScore reported 174 million AmericanInternet users were watching an average of 14.8 hours. There's practically no end to the number of devices that candeliver online entertainment to the living room including thePlayStation 3, Apple TV , Roku set-top box, and a host of Internet-connected televisionsfeaturing services such as Google TV and Yahoo Connected TV widgets. There are also high expectationsfor a rumored high-definition television set from Apple, and othercompanies such as Canonical and Lenovo may soon offer living room entertainment products as well. If Microsoft does offer a subsidized Xbox, it would end up costingyou a little bit more to get the cheaper console. Best Buycurrently sells the 4GB Xbox with Kinect sensor for $300, plus youcan buy a two-year subscription to Xbox Live Gold for $60 per yearfor a total of $420 over 24 months. China Pharmacy Led Sign
The purported subsidized Xbox360, as reported, would set you back about an extra $39 at $459 forthe two years. And don't forget subscriptions to services such asNetflix, MLB.TV, and Hulu Plus will also set you back a few bucksper month, raising the cost of an Xbox entertainment center evenhigher. Costs aside, it's clear more and more people are turning to theInternet for on-demand entertainment consumption, and techcompanies are looking to fill that void with consoles, set-topboxes, and Internet-capable televisions. Microsoft said last June that it would support the Xbox 360 until 2016. Led Curtain Displays
Next-generation PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles are alsoexpected before the end of 2013. Connect with Ian Paul ( @ianpaul ) on Twitter and Google+, and with Today@PCWorld on Twitter for the latest tech news and analysis.