It seems that the Christmas season starts earlier and earlier every year. Christmas decorations and gifts used to come out on Black Friday, but nowadays, the holiday season seems to start on the day after Halloween. In essence, the entire month of November acts like Christmas: Part 1; by the time Christmas actually comes around, people are already completely sick of the holiday.
For the most part, the extended Christmas season is obnoxious. That being said, this year's holiday season may have a silver lining: starting next week, the Xbox One is getting a massive holiday discount that lasts until the new year. The Xbox One has been gaining momentum steadily over the last few months, and Microsoft is hoping to keep that going.
Starting Nov. 2, the Xbox One is set to be priced at $350. Not only does that include the Kinect-less Xbox One SKU, but it also includes all other versions of the console. Upcoming bundles like the Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare and the Sunset Overdrive models are getting the discount, and even the Assassin's Creed Unity bundle (which includes the newest Assassin's Creed game along with Black Flag) is priced at $350.
Then again, bundled consoles receiving a discount are nothing new to the video game industry. What's surprising is that the discount also applies to consoles that include Microsoft's Kinect - meaning that savings jump from $50 to $150. This is the first time Microsoft has offered the Kinect at a discount, and with the new deal, the motion camera is basically a free accessory.
2014 has been a good year for the Xbox One. Despite a slow start, the Xbox One had moved close to 8 million units by September 2014, which is great compared to the roughly 5 million Xbox 360 sales during the previous console's first year. Microsoft's newest console is still lagging behind Sony's Playstation 4, but the Xbox One is far from losing the console war.
The sale may seem like a minor change, but it could have huge ramifications for the console's sales numbers. Millions of shoppers specifically wait until holiday sales begin to purchase new consoles, and combined with huge releases like Halo: The Master Chief Collection and Call of Duty, Microsoft could have a big advantage this season. The early start date gives the Xbox One a full four-week head-start over Sony, and considering there have been no holiday deals announced for the Playstation 4, Microsoft definitely has the advantage so far.
If all goes according to Microsoft's plans, Christmas 2014 could belong to the Xbox One. The holiday deal begins nationwide on Nov. 2.
