They used to call it the "Core" system, but now it's the Xbox Arcade! That's right, Microsoft has officially announced an addition to the Xbox family: The Arcade.
The Arcade costs $279 and includes a wireless controller, and at least three Xbox Live Arcade games: Pac-Man, Uno, and Luxor 2, although online reports say the game will come with five games in total, including Boom-Boom Rocket and Feeding Frenzy.
It does not come with a hard drive.
The systems is a shot across the bow of both Nintendo and Sony: The price point puts the 360 in direct competition with the Wii for casual gamers and the timing of the announcement coincides with Sony's announcement of a cheaper PlayStation 3.
What do you think, gamers? Is the cheaper 360 a cost-effective alternative to too-expensive gaming? Or is it too gimped-out to deal with?