Well it’s finally here folks. The $199 next gen price point. I have to admit, I hated the idea of the Core system and personally, I still don’t like the Arcade. I have to have a hard disk with my Xbox 360. Microsoft spoiled me last gen and I still haven’t used 1/4th of that hard disk on my Xbox 1. Still though, you have to put this into perspective. You can get an Xbox 360 with a wireless controller and a memory card for $199 and still be able to play every single game in the 360’s library. That’s not bad at all. How will it affect the industry though?

Since the news of the price drop hit, I’ve seen many PS3 and Wii owners talking about picking up an Arcade or maybe even a Pro. This means that more gamers are going to become multiconsole owners. I’ve even seen posts of 360 owners planning on getting an Arcade just to have it in another room. What Microsoft has done is ignited a frenzy in the gaming community.

Not only is it a great time to be a gamer, it’s also a time for non-gamers to look at other options besides the Wii. The Wii has been outselling the PS3 and the 360 based on the gimmick of the system, great first party titles and the price. Availability has been sketchy though. Those missing out on the Wiitrain this holiday might opt for the $199 Arcade system. You can’t say that Microsoft hasn’t made all the right moves to battle the Nintendo Wii. They have a good set of casual games and a price that is now less than a Wii.

And how does this price drop affect sales of the Playstation 3? I don’t think that those who were planning on buying a PS3 will change their mind, but cash conscious parents might buy little Johnny a 360 instead this Christmas. Considering the many cross platform titles available for both systems, it makes it very difficult to make an argument for the $399 40gb system that doesn’t play your old PS2 games. I mean it’s not like little Johnny can say that he wants a PS3 for FFXIII anymore. Only time will tell and that time is less than 4 months away.

I think Microsoft has learned their lessons from last gen. Let’s hope when the X3 hits the shelves in a few years it has a less than 1% failure rate. They’ve done everything right this time around except QA. In retrospect, I’m glad to see that they went deep into their pockets to keep us gamers happy. Here’s to gaming no matter what console you choose.