Microsoft is extending a deal for steeply discounted Xbox 360 consoles and Kinect motion controllers to Best Buy and GameStop stores in the United States, the company said this week.
In early May, the software giant began offering an Xbox 360 and Kinect bundle for $99 on its own online store and at Microsoft Stores to purchasers who also signed up for a two-year Xbox Live Gold Membership.
That same deal will be extended later this month at all Best Buy outlets in the U.S. and select GameStop stores, the company said.
"We're excited to announce the expansion of this program, a new retail model that provides yet another way for consumers to get the complete Xbox 360, Kinect, and Xbox Live experience," a Microsoft spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
The deal includes a 4GB Xbox 360, normally priced at about $300, plus the Kinect accessory. Xbox Live Gold, which lets gamers play other Xbox 360 users online as well as access various types of content, costs $14.99 a month—which means those who participate in the program will actually be shelling out close to $460 over the life of the two-year contract.
According to the Xbox website, users can return the hardware and cancel their subscription within 30 days, but the first month's $14.99 payment is non-refundable. After 30 days, users will incur an early termination fee (ETF) that will start at $250 and decrease as the two years progress; a user would owe $144 after one year, for example.
Meanwhile, at the E3 show in Los Angeles on Monday, Microsoft unveiled Xbox SmartGlass, which will tie together Xbox content with devices on iOS and Android, as well as other platforms.
At its E3 press conference, the company showed quick switching between Xbox 360, tablets, and smartphones, with the mobile devices offering additional information while users watched television. The presentation showed Game of Thrones on an HDTV, while a tablet connected through Xbox SmartGlass showed a map of the land where the action took place.
Xbox SmartGlass will also extend to games, with integration similar to the Nintendo Wii U's "Nintablet." Concept video showed Madden NFL 13 letting users call plays on their tablets through Xbox SmartGlass, and seamlessly switching between online and multiplayer games in Halo 4 with the tablet as a game browser.
For more, see PCMag's full review of the Kinect sensor and the slideshow below.
With additional reporting by Chloe Albanesius and Will Greenwald.
For more from Damon, follow him on Twitter @dpoeter.
