I was very sad when I first read this, because I remember a day when we didn’t have to fork over extra cash just to get the most out of our systems. It looks as though that’s really no longer the case, and Microsoft finally joinned in on that by removing the HDMI cable that came with the originally Xbox 360 Elite models. That said, it’s not quite going for the original asking price of $479 these days, having slashed the price of the console to $399 last September. While I’m sure there were some enhancements to manufacting that helped them bring that price down, I’d hate to think the majority of that cost was the HDMI cable itself, especially when I’ve seen them going for as low as $24.

While this model of the console makes it the most expensive console on the market, some could argue that it’s still a great deal, and if you look hard enough, you might find it as low as $299, or even better at $269. Though, I’m not too fond of either of the games that come bundled with the holiday package–at least that one comes with the HDMI cable. Lego Indiana Jones was okay, but Kung-Fu Panda? Really? Something tells me that they couldn’t give that game away for free. I suppose if you have kids who loved the movie though, they might enjoy it. Someone has to, right? Either one of these would make a great gift, and with the holiday season coming up, it’s never too early to buy your presents, so keep those deals in mind.

[Image Source: Microsoft]
[via Kotaku]