With Microsoft's announcement of the Xbox 360 Arcade, the anticipated device looks to be changing how the Xbox targets consumers.
According to a Microsoft representative, the company feels that "the timing is right to really focus and turn the spotlight on our family content and, yeah, we feel great."
Believe it or not, Microsoft has inked a deal with Warner Bros. to bring HD Looney Tunes to the Xbox Live Video Marketplace, and more games designed with children in mind will be coming down the pike with the help of this new console.
Xbox 360 Arcade
(Credit: Microsoft)While I applaud Microsoft for making the jump to children's games and attempting to attract the all-too-evasive "nontraditional gamer," isn't it playing a game that Nintendo already knows the secret to? And if so, is Microsoft barking up the wrong tree?
It may surprise you, but the answer is simply no. Microsoft is onto something with this new focus and whether or not you are a Nintendo zealot to the end, you need to realize that Microsoft may start attracting the younger crowd more effectively than you think.
... Read moreDon 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.
Microsoft's latest Xbox 360 marketing pitch
(Credit: Microsoft)And just when you thought there couldn't possibly be any more different trim lines for the Xbox 360, Microsoft goes and releases the worst kept secret in all of gaming, the Xbox 360 Arcade. While it's essentially just a souped-up version of the Core, the Arcade 360 does come with a few extras that may attract some uninformed buyers. Plus, the $280 price tag is awfully close to the Wii's cost of $250--so in theory, speaking in terms of price, an Xbox 360 Arcade would be the logical alternative to a Wii this holiday season.
So what does it come with? Bundled inside you'll find a wireless controller, unlike the Core's original wired offering, HDMI-out support, a 256MB memory card, and five Xbox Live Arcade games (Pac-Man Championship Edition, Uno, Luxor 2, Boom Boom Rocket, and Feeding Frenzy). All this in an effort to get consumers more familiar with Xbox Live Arcade and what it has to offer.
The price is certainly right, but here's why I don't think you should even bother with it. ... Read more
From rumor to reality: the Xbox 360 Arcade
(Credit: Kotaku)Now that the long-rumored "bargain" PS3 now a reality (in Europe, anyway), how will Microsoft respond? Over the past few months, the company has refreshed the bulk of the 360 line: the $450 Elite debuted in April with a large 120GB hard drive, HDMI port, and (finally!) black color scheme; the Pro (a.k.a. "Premium") 20GB model got a $50 price cut and HDMI upgrade; and there's even a limited-run $400 Halo Edition (basically, the Pro with a military camo paint job) for $400. But what of the lowly Xbox 360 Core System? The price on that model was dropped to $280 in August, but the hard-to-recommend system (it lacks the wireless controller, headset, hard drive, and HDMI output found on all the models listed above) appeared to be on the fast track to "end-of-life" status.
Or perhaps it was all just a clever ruse to clear the path for yet another Xbox. Recent weeks have seen a flurry of rumors that the Core is about to be replaced by something called the Xbox 360 Arcade. For the same $280 price tag, the Arcade bundle will include a wireless controller, HDMI output, and a 256MB memory card preloaded with five Xbox Live Arcade titles (thus the new name). Unlike a lot of online rumors, this one is basically dead on. De facto confirmation came from Amazon and Toys R Us, each of which prematurely listed (and since removed) the product on its respective Web site. The facts also dovetail with insider chatter we've been hearing for several weeks: the Arcade is definitely a real product. The release date remains fluid, but October 23 seems to be the consensus.
The inclusion of the wireless controller, HDMI output, and especially the memory card (needed for saving games and engaging in most online activity) puts the Arcade bundle into the realm of consideration where the Core System never ventured. But we're still gonna have to give thumbs down on this one. In the end, the $70 extra you're paying to get the 20GB hard drive on the Pro model is money well spent. You're going to want that hard drive sooner rather than later, so you might as well get it with the console itself--and since the add-on version retails for around $100, you'll actually be saving money in the long run by splurging on the $350 Pro. Still, at just $30 more than the Nintendo Wii, the Xbox 360 Arcade is likely to entice a lot of budget-conscious gamers, even if they're goal is to do little more than play Halo 3 or the latest Madden in high-def.
(Credit:
CNET Networks)
New owner of an Xbox 360 Elite? Well, if you were planning on transferring your Xbox Live Arcade games along with the rest of the data from your old 360, think again. There seems to be a major problem with how the transfer kit imports the games, involving DRM--yes, even games now suffer from this poorly thought-out technology. After a successful hard drive transfer, all of your purchased Arcade games will magically downgrade to demos. In order to have full access to these games, you must sign into Xbox Live (thanks to Joe at The Pensive Gamer for pointing this detail out).
Even more upsetting is that the DRM woes aren't exclusive to Xbox Live Arcade games. It seems that any movie or TV episode you've downloaded and transferred is susceptible to viewing limitations. In order to watch a television show, you must also be connected to Xbox Live in order to verify your identity. Microsoft is now recommending against performing a data transfer should you ever desire to view your shows offline.
As far as movies are concerned, all hope is lost. Any movie transferred using the kit cannot be viewed at all off the new hard drive. And what was Microsoft's actual solution to this issue? Watch your movies before you transfer your data.
In light of all the recent trauma, the transfer kit is currently being offered free from Microsoft by filling out this PDF form.
[Source: Gamespot]
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