The Xbox 360 arcade has just been released for $279 USD (~$417 NZD inc GST). The arcade version doesn't have a hard drive, instead it has a 256MB memory card and comes with a few Xbox Live Arcade games. This seems like an OK deal, but if you shop around like I did you can get a much, much better deal.

Here is the deal I managed to get, all parts were bought brand new and are official Microsoft products. Prices which are shown first in New Zealand dollars (NZD) include GST of 12.5%, so the converted price may actually be a bit higher than the actual USD equivalent.

• Xbox 360 Core $349 NZD (~$262 USD) - Dick Smith Electronics.
• Massive Entertainment Pack (1x wireless controller, 2 Xbox 360 games(PGR3 and DOA4)) + bonus wireless controller $90 NZD (~$67 USD) First in.
• 120GB Hard Drive $102 USD (~$135 NZD) - eBay.
• Shipping $40 NZD (~$30 USD)

From the above I ended up with 3 controllers (1x wired, 2x wireless) and I only needed 1x wired and 1x wireless, so I was then able to sell the massive entertainment pack unopened for $90 NZD (~$67 USD) - yes this means I got a wireless controller for free :).

So all up (including shipping) it cost me $524 NZD (~$393 USD), which is cheaper than a Pro console and I get a bigger hard drive and an extra controller. In New Zealand a Pro console costs $649.95 NZD (~$487 USD), wired controller $69.95 NZD (~$52 USD) and a 120 GB hard drive $220 NZD (~$165 USD). A core console when not on sale retails for $449.95 NZD (~$337 USD).

So like most things, if you can be bothered wheeling and dealing you can get a really good deal.