Would you pay $99 down and $15/month for a brand new Xbox with Xbox Live Gold access? According to a recent Mashable report, Microsoft may be betting that you will.

How would something like this work? Users would pay a flat fee (likely $99) and receive an Xbox 360 with Kinect and Gold access. They would then pay a monthly fee ($15/mo, according to Mashable). Users would agree to a 2 year contract, complete with cancellation fee ala cell phone plans.

Will gamers go for this? On one hand, most hard core gamers are likely to already own an Xbox 360 (and a PS3, in many cases) and are likely left scratching there heads. What Microsoft can succeed in doing here, though, is to deliver their existing system to more people who might not otherwise be able to afford both an Xbox and Live. The move will further the shelf life of the current system, which = $$$.

More importantly, if successful,this plan could change the way game makers think about the launching new systems. If they can mirror the release strategies of the cell phone makers, Nintendo, Microsoft & Sony could find themselves overflowing with cash. If not, well, Microsoft better figure out what to do with the remaining inventory. Folk art, maybe?