Microsoft mum on Xbox 360 with heftier drive
Some stray ads have spawned speculation over the past week that Microsoft might soon be releasing a new Xbox 360 Elite with a 250GB hard drive and two wireless controllers.
The ads suggest that the new console is called the Xbox Super 360 Elite. The current Xbox 360 Elite comes with a 120GB hard drive and one wireless controller.
The rumors started last week when Amazon.com's German store listed an Xbox 360 Elite with a 250GB hard drive, two wireless controllers, and Forza Motorsport 3 bundled in the package. It was priced at about $400. The listing was subsequently removed from Amazon's pages.
The very next day, a South African retailer called BT Games promoted the Xbox Super 360 Elite in an ad. It also featured a 250GB hard drive, two wireless controllers, and a $400 price tag.
The Xbox 360 Elite might have a "super" friend soon.
(Credit: Microsoft)Although it's certainly possible for one listing to accidentally slip out for a product that might not be real, it's extremely coincidental that two listings, from two companies, about the same Xbox 360 model were discovered over two days.
I contacted Microsoft to see if it plans to release the Xbox Super 360 Elite. Rather than saying that it didn't want to comment on rumors or speculation--a common Microsoft response--a company representative said: "Microsoft has made no such announcement."
Microsoft contends that its Xbox 360 Elite is on par with the PlayStation 3 and the new PS3 Slim, even though Xbox lacks several PS3 features, including Blu-ray, built-in Wi-Fi, and free online gaming. When pressed for why it believes that the Xbox 360 Elite's value proposition is high enough, the company said that it's all about games to the gamer.
"Xbox 360 offers double the games library of PlayStation 3, and with Xbox Live, nearly 20 times the number of digital movies and TV shows," a Microsoft representative said in an e-mail. "On top of that, we're bringing even more to the table with instant-on 1080p HD streaming, Facebook and Twitter, and the future of games and entertainment with Project Natal."
Microsoft also asserts that its Xbox 360 Arcade--at $199--captures a portion of the market that its competitors cannot.
"When you're looking to find the best value in games and entertainment, price is really just one piece of the puzzle," the rep said. "However, consumers with $200 to spend this holiday season will still only find one console within their price range: our Arcade console."
Although Microsoft is focused on price, the Xbox Super 360 Elite looks to be $100 more expensive than the current price of the Xbox 360 Elite and the PlayStation 3. If Microsoft is so concerned about price, it might not offer the Super after all.
But if it wants to refresh its product line to fight on, it might. Sony has said on numerous occasions that its PlayStation 3 is the only console on the market that has a "10-year life cycle." I asked Microsoft if it believes its current offerings, the Arcade and the Elite, will be able to hold out against Sony's supposed decade product.
"We believe Xbox 360 will be the entertainment center in the home for long into the next decade," the rep said. "That said, Xbox 360 is a constantly evolving product and we remain focused on transforming home entertainment with another lineup of...exclusive games, new entertainment and social experiences through Xbox Live, and whole new ways to play with Project Natal."
Microsoft might be banking its future on Project Natal. The motion-controlled platform that the company unveiled at E3 2009 is, according to some developers, the next Xbox. When pressed back in July about what will show up in the next Microsoft console, Epic Games Vice President Mark Rein pointed to Natal. "It's called Natal," Rein said. "That is the next Xbox."
So it seems that equally believable arguments can be made for Microsoft releasing or not releasing the Xbox Super 360 Elite. On one hand, Microsoft will neither confirm nor deny its existence. On the other hand, it seems especially focused on Project Natal, rather than offering a $400 console that still doesn't have Blu-ray or built-in Wi-Fi.
But at this point, especially as the holiday-shopping season approaches, anything is possible. We'll keep an eye on this space to let you know if there's any more hints of a "Super" Xbox 360 hitting store shelves. Until then, feel free to comment on whether you think it's a good idea for Microsoft to release an Xbox Super 360 Elite.
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Don Reisinger is a technology columnist who has written about everything from HDTVs to computers to Flowbee Haircut Systems. Don is a member of the CNET Blog Network, and posts at The Digital Home. He is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure.
I currently have a Zune with an 80g hard drive and I love it because it can hold all of my 5700 songs, 270 pictures and 120 videos. Unlike a lot of people I love the content that I buy and I don't buy stuff that I'll quickly tire of. At the same time I recognize that we are slowly moving to all things digital and im cool with that but I want to take my media with me. That being said, (although im very hungry for the Zune HD) I can't buy one because it will barely be able to hold my music alone.
So I'll hold onto my Zune 80 until the Zune HD comes in a larger size and when I get my X-Box I want to be able to move any movies or TV shows I buy from the hard drive on my X-Box to my Zune with no hassles. This is why storage is important to me.
Really, Microsoft needs to quit gouging for a hard drive space. I'm not paying $100 for 100GB (10x the rate in the non proprietary real world). My 20GB is pretty much full and I avoid buying any download content for this reason.....not that it's hard to clear it off, it's just that I'm not going to bother.
Great, you can gouge everyone for HD space, but at some point get the long view - getting the content to the people and leaving a good taste in their mouth when you do it.
Please let me know where you are paying 10 cents a gig for a 2.5-inch SATA hard drive in the non proprietary real world. I would like in on this amazing deal.
I call shenanigans. Either that or you are the luckiest person in the world and do not know anybody else with a 360. For the record I have a 1 year old 360 elite and have never had a problem with it. However, I am the only 360 owner of my friends (approx 12 other 360 owners) who has never had at least one RROD and probably half of them have had it multiple times. It actually got so bad that one of my friends just bought a new 360 after his fouth RROD out of frustration from having to ship his system for repair every couple of months.
But yeah, your probably right. All of these reputable websites and news sites reporting the RROD issues are probably just making it up out of MS hate.
As for the those who say that it was covered under warranty so no big deal. I've never heard that said about another product. Seriously, could you imagine someone saying, "Yeah my car's broke down again. Its some defect in that model. A lot of people are having the same problem, but no big deal it's covered under warranty. I'd definitely buy from them again."
"I also do not know anyone that had a failed 360. I believe many reports of the failures were really the product of MS hate."
Where have you been? It happens to xbox owners every minute, type three ring of death in google and you will see that it is not just MS hate. I have two friends that have had the three ring of death. Luckily I got mine late enough that I don't have to worry about the three ring of death, I hope.
Better yet, how aboue the crappy call quality and dropped calls associates with the iPhone and ATTs network. Now we do hear a lot of harping about that but people tend to give Apple a pass and blame it all on ATT. Makes me wonder if other manufacturers have the same problems on ATTs network.
Sony has the right idea with its redesign, they arent including any new features, but they are providing what the consumers want: a smaller body, a cheap media hub, and an affordable blue ray player as a bonus. microsoft can't compete by saying "consumers understand the value". Every video game console that has had that attitude has died painfully. its not the console and its games that sell the system, it is its press and presence. The 360 might have great presence, but the press for the 360 generally couldnt be worse.
I think the 360 is great, but it is time to do a refresh and let everyone know that the 360 might have been the first one out of the gates, but its going to finish the race.
Sony is not, which is why they came up with a cosmetic redesign.
Microsoft is right. It is all about the games. People who buy game consoles could care less about other features, including the Blu Ray player.
"People who buy game consoles could care less about other features"
i would like to introduce to the Wiil. lots of features...no good games...number one console.
Why do people insist on making blanket statements for the masses, when they don't have a damn clue on what they're talking about?
PERSONALLY SPEAKING (take notes 'ewsachse'), I bought the PS3 specifically for the duality of home theater blu ray & gaming console. I've had it a year, and only own 4 games, and largely play 1 at a time for a loooong time. And then I watch DVDs & blu ray discs fairly ofter as well. That's just the way I use my PS3. Many people have bought it leaning on the affordable blu ray player, and others have bought it for the games, and others (like myself) bought it for a little bit of both. The icing on the cake (FOR ME) is an expandable HD, and of course.... NO RINGS OF ANY COLOR...........EVER.
Now stop trying to speak for others.
"People who buy game consoles could care less about other features, including the Blu Ray player."
It's funny how people who support 360 will say this and in the same breath scream about NetFlix and instant-on 1080p. Too bad Sony doesn't market to n00bs. And the remodel came about to provide a better more durable system for the consumer. Unlike you 360 fans in most cases when we ask, we receive. And I work in retail, the RROD is still prevalent, check any website or any reports and anyone who says different is lying. Flat out. 30% defect rate on a good day for the 360. And to anyone talking about its amazing warranty it wasn't always that way. They HAD to change it because of the RROD. Ask any GameStop employee that worked when it came out. That first year was a pain.
"When pressed for why it believes that the Xbox 360 Elite's value proposition is high enough, the company said that it's all about games to the gamer."
it not all about games because if it was why then integrate netflix and other social networks, avatars
The 360 has the highest attachment rate b/c it doesn't give you anything. If you want it to do more than play games you HAVE to buy attachments. So that would account for it's attachments. Duh.
To umbrae:
And the 7 people you know definitely accounts for the hundreds of thousands of people that have bought the PS3.
That's my recommendation. Assign a value per box based on product release date with a pre-set minimum for the original adopters. Allow consummers to walk into a retail outlet and hand over their chasis / HDD / power supply / cable / controller / headset ... get a generic streamlined packaged upgrade kit including New HDMI XBOX, 250 GB, Black controller / headset / 6 months free GOLD. Price this bundle at around $250 or $300. XBOX in turn gets a ton of hardware that it can refresh and redistribute as refurbished units - maybe push them overseas in markets that require penetration. They could sell them at a heavily discounted price, toss in a couple of not so popular titles gathering dust in the warehouse and voila - instant new user base.
One feature we don't need is builit-in wi-fi - I'm sick and tired of 'no wi-fi' - anyone who's gaming knows that the slightest disadvantage in speed opens the door to lag and premature death.
How much of a repair for a failure of a PS3 or Wii out-of-warranty? Well My PS2 needs fixing and it is $45.
If Sony had a "RRoD" type event occuring worldwide, I'm sure they'd deal with it in similar fashion to that of MS.
But to date, there are no such problems with their product.
Hmmm....
*insert lame ass Xbox 360 fan boy response here*
*insert my funny ass response to both of their lame ass responses here*
For example Netflix on the xbox is retarded. All it is is a streamed video that you could get on hulu and then expanded to fit on your TV. Granted I don't have killer bandwidth, but so don't most of the gaming community. So the only way to make this service worth it is first you need to live in an area that has the capacity to stream alot of bandwidth. Next to have to pay a fortune for the best internet service around. And last we don't know how much the 1080p service is going to cost, but you know that it won't be cheap.
Finally here is the solution to all those problems. Get a PS3 that has Blu-ray built in and you won't have to deal with all this bull about 1080p streaming. (LOL! 1080p streaming over the internet, give me a break)
- by Kwasiowusu September 2, 2009 10:50 AM PDT
- From article :"Although Microsoft is focused on price, the Xbox Super 360 Elite looks to be $100 more expensive than the current price of the Xbox 360 Elite and the PlayStation 3. If Microsoft is so concerned about price, it might not offer the Super after all."
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Showing 1 of 2 pages (113 Comments)I don't think that is quite right
# 1. The Super Elite on Amazon Germany, cost 280 Euros, making it just 30 Euros ($43) more expensive than the normal 360 120Gb Elite, which is 250 Euros in Germany. Going by that, the Super Elite could cost just $50 more than the 120 GG Elite in the US, maing it $350.
# 2. The Super Elite on Amazon was bundled with Forza 3, which in itself is going to cost you $60. Assuming this same Forza 3/Super Elite bundle costs $350 in the US like I explained above, it means you are paying only $290 for a Super Elite, and getting 250Gb hard drive(130 GB extra), plus a free extra controller.
Sounds like s steal to me.