Xbox 360 holiday bundles now shipping

While Microsoft has yet to announce any new console hardware on the horizon, it is continually reshuffling its Xbox 360 configurations in stores. In what has become an annual holiday tradition, the company is releasing new hardware bundles packed in with extra games.

Director of Xbox Live programming Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb today announced the details of these bundles via his blog. Coming in at $399, the pricier bundle includes a 250GB Xbox 360 console, a Kinect sensor, and two Kinect-only titles: Kinect Adventures and Carnival Games: Monkey See Monkey Do. The $299 option offers a 250 GB Xbox 360 console and two first-party games: Fable III and Halo: Reach. Both bundles also include a three-month Xbox Live Gold subscription card.

The bundles offer more value than their existing counterparts, as the current $399 250GB bundle only includes Kinect Adventures, while the $299 offering has no packed-in game. Microsoft offered a 250GB holiday bundle last year that included copies of Forza 3 and Alan Wake.

These bundles are shipping to retailers today and will be available while supplies last through the holiday period.