' As we continue to refine and make improvements on the internal components for the Xbox 360 and costs come down we pass those savings on to our customers in the form of price drops,' said Microsoft's Aaron Greenburg in a press statement. Microsoft claims the motives are a tad more philanthropic however. The most likely reason for the price changes are clearing things up for a new Natal bundle in the coming months, as well as trying to compete with Sony, who recently lowered the price of the PlayStation 3 to £249.99 in the UK and announced the introduction of the PlayStation 3 Slim. In both territories the Xbox 360 60Gb Pro bundle will be completely phased out and the Xbox 360 Elite will no longer come with an HDMI cable. In the US meanwhile the Xbox 360 Elite will fall to $299.99, while the Xbox 360 Arcade will cost $199.99. The Xbox 360 Elite will be cut to just £199.99 starting tomorrow, while the Xbox 360 Arcade will get a price raise to £159.99 and will not now be bundled with any games or software. Microsoft will officially cut the price of the Xbox 360 Elite SKU tomorrow across the UK and US as part of a move to phase out the Xbox 360 Pro bundle and help make room for the coming Natal controller - which many see as a re-launch of the Xbox 360.

Mark ten elite phased out