Microsoft cuts Kinect price by $40 permanently

If you weren't convinced by the Xbox 360 Essentials Pack revealed earlier today, Microsoft has another deal for you gamers out there – a $40 price cut on the Kinect. This piece of hardware is the sensor that allows your body to become the controller, connected here to the Xbox 360 with a "permanent price drop" on the books now per Microsoft's own Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb. This makes the unit a $109.99 peripheral and still requires that you purchase an Xbox 360 unit besides – unless you've already got one, of course.

Depending on where you live in the world, the price will be dropping by different amounts. At the moment it appears that Japan and EMEA will not be getting any sort of price cuts at all, and on October 4th, the price will be dropped in Australia and New Zealand. The price drop hitting today will take place in North America, Latin America and Asia Pacific regions where Kinect is sold.

This price drop is ready for the holiday season, of course, making the Xbox 360 a unit that's once again a console to be desired by gaming kids and adults of all shapes and sizes. The Kinect continues to have games developed for it specifically, with several big-name brands popping up in the next few months. For those of you looking to get in on the Kinect game here and do not have an Xbox 360, there's also a Kinect for your PC – but there's no price drop there, you should note.

Have a peek at our timeline of Kinect bits and pieces below to make sure you're fully up to date on all things body controlled fun and action. It's time to get busy with the next level of strange game-controlling action, and Microsoft demands that you participate as soon as possible. Right now!