"It's not just Sony fans who'll have to work harder for their next-gen machines, according to retailer rumours

A growing number of reports are suggesting that Microsoft is to raise the price tag of the Xbox 360, in response to SCE president Ken Kutaragi's comments that people will want to work extra hours to earn their new-fangled Sony machine.

According to internet whisperings, unnamed retail sources have revealed that Microsoft's next-gen machine will launch on November 25th in the UK, mere days after its US release, with a whopping asking price of 299 being heavily touted.

The original price tag was rumoured to be around the 249 mark, but Sony's insistance that consumers work overtime for their PS3s appears to have had a knock-on effect in the Microsoft camp.

Currently, this is all still in the misty realms of speculation, with sources admitting that the price is a "best guess" based on information from Microsoft. However, it's also claimed that the company plans to make an announcement to industry officials on August 15th, with a public confirmation two days later at the Leipzig Gaming Convention.

It's probably best to take the rumours with a pinch of salt until that official confirmation arrives - Microsoft had significant trouble shifting the the original Xbox at its launch price of 299, so it seems unlikely that the company would make the same mistake again.

Still, with the Leipzig Gaming Convention happening next week, we don't have long to wait before all is revealed."