Microsoft Preps Xbox Keypad for September

Remember that snap-on QWERTY keypad for Xbox 360 controllers that we first saw in April? Word is that it will arrive in stores this September—and amazingly, it'll set you back just $30.

The newly dubbed Xbox 360 Messenger Kit (which popped up on Xbox.com this afternoon, just hours before Microsoft's E3 press conference in Los Angeles) will come with its own wired headset, and it also boasts a backlit keypad. As we learned back in April, the new keypad will let you chat with fellow gamers via Windows Live Messenger, and you'll be able to text with up to six buddies at once while you're blasting away. No details on how much the keypad will weigh down the controller, but the $30 price tag is great news—I'd been thinking that $49 was the best-case scenario, with $99 being the more likely price point.

Related:
Product page [Xbox.com]
Xbox 360 Tees up Text Chat, QWERTY Keypad [Yahoo! Tech]