Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) Cuts Kinect Price, Adds Xbox Essentials Pack

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) is continuing its push toward overtaking the family room – or at least the TV room – by announcing a couple moves involving its Kinect for Xbox 360. And no, neither move has to do with the creation of a Windows TV.

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) is lowering the price on the Kinect controller with Kinect Sports from $150 down to $110 in a further attempt to generate more penetration into America’s TV rooms. There is no word, however, on whether Xbox 360 itself will see a price cut – right now Microsoft is testing a deal where the hardware can be purchased for $99 with a two-year Xbox Live Gold subscription. However, it seems that isn’t quite the deal – over two years, it appears to be better to pay full retail for the hardware and buy the Gold subscription separately.

In addition to the price cut for the Kinect controller, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) also announced the creation of an “Xbox 360 Essentials Pack” for $80, which will be released in October. The “Essentials Pack” will contain a wireless controller, media remote, HDMI cable and a three-month Live Gold subscription. The pack retails at about $135 with all items sold separately.

Over the last year, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) has stepped up its efforts to be the central of America’s TV entertainment world. It has affixed new music and video apps to the Xbox which include YouTube, Amazon Instant Video and iHeartRadio and HBO Go, while the console can stream content from cable providers Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSA) and Time Warner Cable Inc. (NYSE:TWC) for those subscribed to those services.

Drumming up more business can only be seen as a positive step to investors in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), which includes prominent hedge-fund managers like David Einhorn of Greenlight Capital.