Microsoft announces Xbox 360 Elite

[Lenny]

It's going to look exactly the same as the current 360s, but with a few minor changes:

- It's black, as are the controllers
- It's got a HDMI port
- It comes with a 120gb HDD

It's coming out in America on the 29th July for................. $479.

Oh, and it's still got a DVD drive in it. No HD-DVD, just bog standard DVD. Anyone tempted?

There's another thing:

Microsoft has no plans to offer rebates, discounts, or free trade-ins for loyal early adopters. When asked how he thought gamers would respond to the new higher-priced addition, Penello said, "I think and hope that people are going to understand. There is as price for being an early adopter and your points and feelings are valid (Penello said when referring to gamers IGN suggested would be angry about the new system). But whenever you innovate and change, you have to face this situation. Your same old system is still perfectly valid. Think about it this way, it's a new bundle that comes with a bigger hard drive."


http://uk.xbox360.ign.com/articles/776/776448p1.html

http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6168182.html?action=convert&om_clk=latestnews&tag=latestnews;title;0

http://uk.gamespot.com/features/6168148/index.html?tag=topslot;title;1&om_act=convert&om_clk=topslot

[Atnas]

I wonder how many 360 owners will go elite?

[Lenny]

I know of at least 8 who have been saying for weeks that if the Elite did come to fruition, they'd sell their 360s and buy a PS3 instead.

---

Just to make perfectly clear what this is, in case I end up confusing someone:

The 360 Elite is a bog standard 360, with black casing, a HDMI port, and a 120gb HDD which will be released separately as well, in case Core and Premium owners want more storage.

[Atnas]

;) I hate microsoft sooo much.

[Grav]

I don't understand what the problem with this is?

You don't have to buy it.

I know of at least 8 who have been saying for weeks that if the Elite did come to fruition, they'd sell their 360s and buy a PS3 instead.

This is just a ridiculous attitude!

[Atnas]

For Xbox fanatics it's great. But I really don't see the point in it all. Sure a big hard drive is nice and roomy, and they can throw in anything else they want... But I fear they will pull a Vista.

[Lenny]

I think it's the fact that they've got an Xbox 360, and MS have just come out and said that they've got a much much better version of it that can display HD properly, and looks a damn sight nicer than the beige.

[!King_Amazon!]

I think it's kinda like "ok guys now that you've all gotten the regular one we're going to put the super-duper one on shelves so you've got no choice but to buy it or stick with your lesser console."

The good news is, I bet Xbox360s will be going mighty cheap on e-bay soon.

[Lenny]

Nuts to Ebay, the price of the core at least should fall in shops. The Premium too, if MS are clever.

The thing is, they're slowly losing the price advantage over the PS3. With the "Elite", if you buy the HD-DVD add-on, so you can watch it in proper HD with HDMI, then you're paying more than the price of the 60gb PS3, right? Even as it is, without any add-ons, it's only $20 cheaper than a 20gb PS3, and that's bad. If for $20 more you can buy something with a Blu-Ray drive and free online play, rather than an improved version of something already out there, with extra expense for online and HD-DVD, then which would you go for? That could end up being a problem, especially when the PS3 gets to the point where it has 100+ titles on the shelves.

[Grav]

New cars come out every year, usually with only minor improvements over the previous iteration. Why not consoles? They cost about the same!

[Sum Yung Guy]

im just gonna buy the new harddrive. because right now mine is 100% full with the first season of Jericho and Sarah Silverman and about 15 arcade games. Bigger harddrive is much welcomed here.

[Titusfied]

I don't even really use my hard drive, so why the hell do I care? I simply use my 360 to play video games, that's all. It comes with plenty of space.

[!King_Amazon!]

Well I would think the HDTV feature stuff would be the other thing people care about.

[Hades-Knight]

LOL $180 for 120GB??? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA I can get a 250GB for less than that....why did they ahve to make the 360 HDD propritary?


Also wtf is up with M$???? No internal Wifi??? No internal HD-DVD???(this means MS is not so sure of HD-DVD anymore so they only release it as an option, they stated that if HDDVD lost they could still make an eternal blu ray player......it would be funny if sony locked them out of the format tho, but they wouldnt since that would just increase BD sales)

it is an interesting box for those who havent got a 360 yet, but for those who have 1 its just a minor upgrade.....meh


PS3 > 360 (i have both, just wish there were more games for pS3)

[WetWired]

Are you kidding? Sony would love for MS to use blue ray. Then, they'd make money on both XBox and PS3 owners. If you look at it, the whole point of the PS3 is to make Sony blue ray royalties. It just doesn't make sense any other way.

[Lenny]

I'd never have thought that I'd have to correct the almighty WW. Blu-Ray.

MS have stated that if Blu-Ray came out on top then they WOULD release a Blu-Ray add on.

http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6142137.html?q=blu%20ray%20add%20omn

That story is over a year old, I know, but recently MS have said again that they'd release a BD add-on if HD-DVD failed completely.

[Sum Yung Guy]

both are going to to fail
DVD movies look just fine.
The only thing HD and blu-ray are good for are keeping large games on 1 disc.

[Tyrannicide]

Damn it Lenny, it is Blu-ray not Blu-Ray, not Blu Ray. There is a difference.

This console is just a way to try and compete and to go back and change there mind on things they have said in the past. I don't think I should have to expand here.

[Willkillforfood]

just make multidisk dvd players, duh. NQP.

[slaynish]

i have a ps2.

[aznjapboi13]

im not really the Xbox fan so i dont really mind all about Microsoft, thats y i have every other console xD

[Willkillforfood]

It should be the xbox 360 1337. Geez they're so not mainstream.

[WetWired]

They might lose customers who would be confused by that.

[Lenny]

They'll lose customers who are confused with three SKUs anyway.