Microsoft Press Conference Preview

After Sony chopped $100 off the price of the PlayStation 3 over the weekend, numerous industry analysts are predicting Microsoft will make a similar move at its press conference later today. Expectations over just how much cheaper the Xbox 360 might become vary, but most commentators are predicting between a $50 and $100 drop across some or all of the Xbox retail packages.

Microsoft's press conference kicks off at 8:30 PM PDT, so there isn't too much longer to wait. If you're curious to see a behind-the-scenes look at the setup of the event, which Microsoft is holding at an outdoor amphitheater in Santa Monica, check out the Gamerscoreblog photo collection on Flickr.

What you won't see, though, are a few photos that were mysteriously removed from the page earlier today. Close-up pictures of the stage area during a rehearsal, they clearly showed four Xboxes arranged in a line: two white, one black (an Elite model) and one...grey? Could it be a new addition to the Xbox lineup: perhaps a new budget model, or the version with built-in internet TV functions that's been discussed by Microsoft in the past? Maybe it's just a trick of the light. We'll find out all later on today -- and we'll have all the news here as soon as the conference wraps up.