Microsoft slashes peripheral price down from $150 effective immediately in United States; no cuts planned for European or Japanese regions.

Microsoft has cut the price of its full-body motion-control technology peripheral Kinect from $150 to $110 in the United States effective immediately. Microsoft's director of Xbox Live programming Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb announced the news today through his blog.

Kinect is now $40 cheaper.

A permanent price cut for the rest of North America, as well as Latin America and Asia Pacific regions, is also planned. Additionally, the Kinect peripheral will be available at a permanently reduced rate in Australia and New Zealand beginning October 4. Microsoft said the final retail price for each region will vary based on currency rates and "other variables."

The price drop will not extend to Europe, the Middle East, Africa, or Japan.

The Kinect launched in November 2010 behind a half-billion-dollar marketing campaign as a stand-alone peripheral at $150 or in Xbox 360 bundles at $299 and up. It has sold 19 million units globally as of the end of May 2012.

The next iteration of the Kinect is rumored to launch with the Xbox 720 in 2013. It is believed to support four-player full-body tracking and allow gamers to sit down while playing. On top of this, the "Kinect V2" will supposedly be able to adapt to players' living rooms, meaning they will not need to move furniture for an optimal experience.

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