In less than a week's time, Halloween will be behind us and the 2014 holiday shopping season will be underway. Although many consumers consider the post-Thanksgiving dinner Black Friday sales the official start to the holiday shopping season, it's never too early to announce a good deal. Microsoft isn't wasting any time this season and has a pretty tempting console discount to lure shoppers into stores as early as November 2nd.

Although Sony's PS4 stole the lead on console sales as the two current-gen systems launched, Microsoft's Xbox One hasn't given up the fight. The Xbox One came close to selling the PS4 in September and the console has continued to improve upon its flaws and make up for its missing features throughout its first year. Although sales have stayed respectable, Microsoft's decision to drop the required Kinect and lower prices is a sign that the company wants to move more units. To help win over the gamers who haven't already bought into the Xbox One hype, Microsoft will be cutting prices by $50 on three very tempting holiday bundles.

The special promo offers discounts on three console bundles that offer shoppers the choice to Kinect or not to Kinect. The Assassin's Creed, Sunset Overdrive (check out our review), and Call of Duty bundles will all be on sale from November 2, 2014 through January 3, 2015. The promotion is nationwide at most retailers in the U.S., including Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, Target, and Toys 'R Us.

 

Xbox One Holiday Bundles

 

The bundles offer a nice variety of games and all the essential hardware to get started. Shoppers with an extra $100 to spend may want to go for the Call of Duty bundle in order to get that 1TB hard drive. Although the standard 500 GB seems like a lot, those Day One 20GB patches add up quickly...

  • Available on Nov. 2 in the U.S., the Xbox One Assassin’s Creed Bundle for $349 ERP and Xbox One Assassin’s Creed Bundle with Kinect for $449 ERP features Assassin’s Creed: Unity as well as Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag on Xbox One. The Xbox One Assassin’s Creed Bundle with Kinect also includes Dance Central Spotlight.
  • The Xbox One Special Edition Sunset Overdrive Bundle, available in limited quantities now, features a sleek white console and wireless controller, a digital copy of Sunset Overdrive, and special Day One edition in-game items – available for $349 ERP.
  • The Xbox One Limited Edition Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Bundle for $449 ERP available starting Nov. 3, features a 1TB hard drive, custom console, custom controller and Limited Edition exoskeleton, plus a digital copy of the Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Day Zero Edition.

These sales cut the console's price down from the original $499 to as low as $349. The $150 price drop takes the barrier for entry $50 below the PS4's and we assume Microsoft is hoping this limited time offer will help close the gap in the console war a little more quickly. Microsoft has confirmed that the sale is currently not valid in the UK, Canada, or other territories; so the company will need to extend the deal at some point if it plans to capitalize on potential customers in those regions.

Although many of the games initially expected to be this fall's best sellers have been delayed to 2015, there are still some exciting releases planned for the end of the year. Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Sunset Overdrive, the new-gen port of GTA5, Assassin's Creed Unity and Dragon Age: Inquisition are just a few of the reasons to settle in for some serious console gaming over the holidays.

We still have a few weeks before we find out the details on the upcoming Black Friday deals, but we're guessing you won't see Microsoft consoles listed any cheaper than this on Thanksgiving evening. Luckily, the sale runs for a full month, so unless supply is a problem, shoppers should be able to hold off on the purchase for a week or two until we have a better idea of what the Black Friday specials will be.

Do you think $50 off is enough to win over console gamers who still haven't picked up an Xbox One? Are there enough new-gen games to justify the $349 carrier for entry? Let us know in the comments.

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Follow Denny on Twitter @The_DFC.

Source: Major Nelson