http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3142883
Xbox 360 Price, Specs Announced
The rumors were true. We hate to say it, but you're not gonna like it.
by Patrick Klepek, 08/16/2005
32 of 37 users recommend this story.
Drum roll, please! After endless speculation, musings and fanboy bitching, Microsoft has finally coughed up the North American and European pricing for its next-generation console, Xbox 360. You might want to sit down for this one.
Last-minute rumors from the analyst crowd have actually turned out true; there will be two different hardware models at launch: Xbox 360 Core System priced at $299.99 (299.99 Euros / 209.99 pounds) and the Xbox 360 for $399.99 (399.99 Euros / 279.99 pounds). Scroll down further for all the juicy pricing information for the hefty list of launch-slated Xbox 360 accessories. Start savin' those pennies now, kids.
Yes, this announcement means the hard drive (once the centerpiece of the Xbox platform) is no longer an all-inclusive factor for Xbox 360, but, no, we still don't have a specific launch date. Microsoft continues towing the line that Xbox 360 will launch in North America, Europe and Japan this holiday season - with more details on the Japanese launch to be released at next month's Tokyo Game Show.
You will, however, need that hard drive if you're hankering for some backwards compatibility, says Microsoft representative Mitch Koch. A number of original Xbox titles cached data through the hard drive, making backwards compatibility technically impossible on the Xbox 360 Core System. We still don't know how many or what specific games will even take advantage of the feature at launch; Koch simply said the technology hurdle has been jumped, and now it's a matter of just making it all work.
We really talk about launch window as opposed to day one games
As a side effect, with the possible exception of certain massively multiplayer online games, no Xbox 360 game will explicitly require use of the hard drive. Microsoft says no other aspect of the next-generation experience will be hampered without a hard drive; Xbox Live as a whole will function as usual, though it's likely downloadable content (and any music or photos you store digitally) would easily exceed the 64MB Memory Unit.
The end result is two options: using a 64MB Memory Unit priced at $39.99 or a 20GB hard drive going for more than double at $99.99. Other companies offer cheaper and larger memory solutions in the PC world through USB flash drives and other devices, but their use on Xbox 360 will be limited to movies, music and photos. "You'll be able to go through the USB port to plug in and access, for instance, an iPod MP3 or your photos and things like that, but not for console gaming," says Koch.
So, what comes in the "standard" Xbox 360? Those consumers dishing out the extra cash receive: Xbox 360 console, 20GB detachable hard drive, wireless controller, faceplate, headset, component HD AV Cable and Ethernet cable, Xbox Live Silver membership and, for a limited time, a Media Remote.
The Xbox "Core" is stripped down, but expandable. You can always add features included in the other package later. The most striking differences between the two are the lack of a hard drive and the lack of wireless controllers in the "core" system. This one, however, includes: Xbox 360 console, controller, faceplate, Xbox Live Silver membership and standard AV cable.
Even the value pack-style Xbox 360 doesn't include all of the accessories Microsoft's planned for the machine. No, no, no! Most importantly, the wireless networking adapter isn't included in either package, and you'll have to dig up an additional $99.99 for that useful piece of technology. The ensemble of customizable components includes:
Faceplate ($19.99 / 19.99 Euros / 14.99 pounds)
Hard Drive (20 GB) ($99.99 / 99.99 Euros / 69.99 pounds)
Memory Unit (64 MB) ($39.99 / 34.99 Euros / 22.99 pounds)
Wireless Networking Adapter ($99.99 / 79.99 Euros / 59.99 pounds)
Wireless Controller ($49.99 / 44.99 Euros / 32.99 pounds)
Play and Charge Kit ($19.99 / 19.99 Euros / 14.99 pounds)
Rechargeable Battery Pack ($11.99 /14.99 Euros / 9.99 pounds)
Controller ($39.99 / 34.99 Euros / 24.99 pounds)
Headset ($19.99 / 19.99 Euros / 14.99 pounds)
Universal Media Remote ($29.99 / 29.99 Euros / 19.99 pounds)
Component HD AV Cable ($39.99 / 29.99 Euros / 19.99 pounds)
S-Video AV Cable (US) or SCART AV Cable (Europe) ($29.99 / 24.99 Euros / 17.99 pounds)
VGA HD AV Cable ($39.99 / 29.99 Euros / 19.99 pounds)
What's also slightly strange is the company's reluctance to comment on Xbox 360 launch titles. Though assuredly we'll know for sure what the plan is during X05 in Amderstdam later this year, the continual insistence on games arriving within a "launch window" suggests even Microsoft doesn't know what games will cross that finish line. "We really talk about launch window as opposed to day one games," says Koch.
We know you'd like to take a second to digest this news so go ahead...take a deep breath....now go vent all your emotions in the 1UP forums. We're waiting for you, and yeah, we feel you.
Xbox 360 Price, Specs Announced
The rumors were true. We hate to say it, but you're not gonna like it.
by Patrick Klepek, 08/16/2005
32 of 37 users recommend this story.
Drum roll, please! After endless speculation, musings and fanboy bitching, Microsoft has finally coughed up the North American and European pricing for its next-generation console, Xbox 360. You might want to sit down for this one.
Last-minute rumors from the analyst crowd have actually turned out true; there will be two different hardware models at launch: Xbox 360 Core System priced at $299.99 (299.99 Euros / 209.99 pounds) and the Xbox 360 for $399.99 (399.99 Euros / 279.99 pounds). Scroll down further for all the juicy pricing information for the hefty list of launch-slated Xbox 360 accessories. Start savin' those pennies now, kids.
Yes, this announcement means the hard drive (once the centerpiece of the Xbox platform) is no longer an all-inclusive factor for Xbox 360, but, no, we still don't have a specific launch date. Microsoft continues towing the line that Xbox 360 will launch in North America, Europe and Japan this holiday season - with more details on the Japanese launch to be released at next month's Tokyo Game Show.
You will, however, need that hard drive if you're hankering for some backwards compatibility, says Microsoft representative Mitch Koch. A number of original Xbox titles cached data through the hard drive, making backwards compatibility technically impossible on the Xbox 360 Core System. We still don't know how many or what specific games will even take advantage of the feature at launch; Koch simply said the technology hurdle has been jumped, and now it's a matter of just making it all work.
We really talk about launch window as opposed to day one games
As a side effect, with the possible exception of certain massively multiplayer online games, no Xbox 360 game will explicitly require use of the hard drive. Microsoft says no other aspect of the next-generation experience will be hampered without a hard drive; Xbox Live as a whole will function as usual, though it's likely downloadable content (and any music or photos you store digitally) would easily exceed the 64MB Memory Unit.
The end result is two options: using a 64MB Memory Unit priced at $39.99 or a 20GB hard drive going for more than double at $99.99. Other companies offer cheaper and larger memory solutions in the PC world through USB flash drives and other devices, but their use on Xbox 360 will be limited to movies, music and photos. "You'll be able to go through the USB port to plug in and access, for instance, an iPod MP3 or your photos and things like that, but not for console gaming," says Koch.
So, what comes in the "standard" Xbox 360? Those consumers dishing out the extra cash receive: Xbox 360 console, 20GB detachable hard drive, wireless controller, faceplate, headset, component HD AV Cable and Ethernet cable, Xbox Live Silver membership and, for a limited time, a Media Remote.
The Xbox "Core" is stripped down, but expandable. You can always add features included in the other package later. The most striking differences between the two are the lack of a hard drive and the lack of wireless controllers in the "core" system. This one, however, includes: Xbox 360 console, controller, faceplate, Xbox Live Silver membership and standard AV cable.
Even the value pack-style Xbox 360 doesn't include all of the accessories Microsoft's planned for the machine. No, no, no! Most importantly, the wireless networking adapter isn't included in either package, and you'll have to dig up an additional $99.99 for that useful piece of technology. The ensemble of customizable components includes:
Faceplate ($19.99 / 19.99 Euros / 14.99 pounds)
Hard Drive (20 GB) ($99.99 / 99.99 Euros / 69.99 pounds)
Memory Unit (64 MB) ($39.99 / 34.99 Euros / 22.99 pounds)
Wireless Networking Adapter ($99.99 / 79.99 Euros / 59.99 pounds)
Wireless Controller ($49.99 / 44.99 Euros / 32.99 pounds)
Play and Charge Kit ($19.99 / 19.99 Euros / 14.99 pounds)
Rechargeable Battery Pack ($11.99 /14.99 Euros / 9.99 pounds)
Controller ($39.99 / 34.99 Euros / 24.99 pounds)
Headset ($19.99 / 19.99 Euros / 14.99 pounds)
Universal Media Remote ($29.99 / 29.99 Euros / 19.99 pounds)
Component HD AV Cable ($39.99 / 29.99 Euros / 19.99 pounds)
S-Video AV Cable (US) or SCART AV Cable (Europe) ($29.99 / 24.99 Euros / 17.99 pounds)
VGA HD AV Cable ($39.99 / 29.99 Euros / 19.99 pounds)
What's also slightly strange is the company's reluctance to comment on Xbox 360 launch titles. Though assuredly we'll know for sure what the plan is during X05 in Amderstdam later this year, the continual insistence on games arriving within a "launch window" suggests even Microsoft doesn't know what games will cross that finish line. "We really talk about launch window as opposed to day one games," says Koch.
We know you'd like to take a second to digest this news so go ahead...take a deep breath....now go vent all your emotions in the 1UP forums. We're waiting for you, and yeah, we feel you.
