XBox to release with 2 Models

[MrHat]

Quote: LA Times via Pro-G Gaming

LA Times reveals pricing and package details for the Xbox 360.

According to news in the LA Times, Microsoft will release two Xbox 360 packages when the console is launched later this year. The basic package will retail for $299 and will not include a hard disk, nor will it include a wireless controller, instead shipping with a wired pad.

The second package will retail for $399 and will include a 20 Gb hard disk, wireless controller, wireless headset, Ethernet cable and remote control. No release date has been revealed, but a mid to late November date is expected.

We'll bring you news on officially confirmed prices, as well as any news on a European price and date as we hear more.

Now, I'm a little pissed off.  If they were goint o make it $100 more they should've included a 60Gb HDD instead of the 20Gb one, and a wireless internet adapator instead of an ethernet cord.  Note that there are also rumors about multiple models being released over the next few years with HD-DVD being thrown around too.

[Shockeye]

UPDATE: Microsoft has confirmed the pricing as reported this morning.

The Core Xbox system will at retail $299.99 in the United States, 299.99 Euros in Europe and £209 in the UK, and will ship with a wired controller, a faceplate, standard AV cable and an Xbox Live Silver membership. Silver membership lets users create a user id, download content, browse the Xbox 360 marketplace and enables chat functions. Silver membership needs a live upgrade to Gold status to play online.

The deluxe system will cost $399.99 in the United States, 399.99 Euros across mainland Europe and £279.99 in the UK. Included in the box will be a wireless controller, a 20GB removable hard disc, a faceplate, Live headset, component HD AV cables, an Ethernet cable, Xbox Live Silver membership and an Xbox 360 media remote.

I am a tad upset that the hard drive is only 20GB, but then they are going to be offering "upgrade" drives next year.

Can't we just put out one system and be done with it? This multiple model shit is annoying to say the least.

[EDIT]

Price of Xbox 360? It depends.
Microsoft to offer two versions of its new console this holiday
August 17, 2005: 9:33 AM EDT
Game Over is a weekly column by Chris Morris

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - It could be a confusing holiday season for some holiday shoppers.

Microsoft Wednesday announced two pricing plans for its next generation video game console. When the Xbox 360 goes on sale this holiday season, buyers will be able to purchase a no-frills version for $299.99 or a bells-and-whistles version for $399.99.

The less-expensive core system will feature only the Xbox 360 console with a controller, which has to be plugged into the system to play games. The $400 option will come with a 20 GB hard drive, a wireless controller, a headset (used for talking with other players online) that stylistically matches the Xbox 360 and, for a limited time, a remote control allowing users to more easily access the machine's multimedia functions.

The pricing, announced today at the German Games Conference in Leipzig, Germany, takes Microsoft (Research) into relatively uncharted territory. Typically, initial console prices have not exceeded $299.99 (both the original Xbox and Sony's (Research) PlayStation 2 were sold at that price).

"If you look at the processing power that's available in the Xbox 360, you'll see it is more powerful than what you can get at the PC level today for a reasonable price," said Mitch Koch, vice president of retail sales for Microsoft's games division.

While both versions of the Xbox 360 will be available simultaneously, Microsoft plans to have more of the $400 version on shelves, which could confound some of Santa's helpers as Christmas draws near.

The company would not say how many of each version it would have available. Nor did it further clarify its worldwide launch date for the system beyond "Holiday 2005". (Most observers expect it to be released in November.)

Microsoft also announced the price points for over a dozen Xbox 360 accessories, including stand-alone wireless controllers ($50), detachable 20 GB hard drives ($100), headsets ($20) and Xbox 360 faceplates ($20), which allow users to customize their machine.

Those hoping to take advantage of the Xbox 360's oft-touted high definition graphics will either need to purchase the $400 bundle or buy separate component cables (which will sell for $40) along with the basic system. The lower-end package will ship with standard AV cables.

Gamers who buy the $400 version of the system will also find their hard drives pre-loaded with music, gaming videos and more, though Microsoft declined to specifically say what it planned to include on the hard drive.

The hard drive might seem like an expensive luxury to some shoppers, particularly those buying for someone else this holiday season, but for current Xbox gamers, it's a critical piece of equipment. Without a hard drive, the Xbox 360 will not be able to play any games from the current Xbox, including the phenomenally successful "Halo 2".

The prices unveiled Wednesday apply to both North American and European consumers (the numbers are the same in Europe, though they're in Euros, not dollars). Japanese pricing was not announced. Koch said those prices would be unveiled at the Tokyo Game Show in Japan this September.

Hardware's not all that's going to cost more as the next generation of video games begins. Most major publishers have quietly acknowledged that major games will cost $59.99, a $10 jump over current prices.

Gee, I can get faceplates for $20. I'm having an Xgasm.

[stray]

It's already a toss up between Nintendo and Sony for me anyhow...The only reason I got an X-Box before was because it came out later than the PS2, and in turn, had better hardware/features. Now that they're being released around the same time, there's very few (if any) disadvantages that Sony will have against the 360. That Microsoft keeps on making dumb decisions (like the webcam, for example) seals the deal.....That and it's ugly.

[Big Gulp]

That Microsoft keeps on making dumb decisions (like the webcam, for example) seals the deal.....That and it's ugly.

This really is a dumb decision.  Can you say "CD-Rom for the Genesis" dumb?  It balkanizes the market because you'll have devs making games that only support the HD version and leaves a bad taste in the consumers mouth.  Likewise, I can't imagine that they'll allow you to run unsupported code (Emulators, etc) on this without hacking the hardware, so really what other purpose does a HD serve?

Hell, the XBox right now, when chipped, is the ultimate multimedia console.  It's too bad that you have to modify to make it that, otherwise they'd probably have better market penetration.

[Merusk]

My god yes it's ugly.  Even a new faceplate won't help that problem.  And all this nonsense with the different peripherals and the HD-DVD being added at a later date, and maybe this, and oooh well it  might do that.  Screw it, they're obviously just rushing to beat Sony to market.  I'll pull my usual 'wait 18 months, then buy.' with whatever console I go after.  That way I've got a slew of games to choose from and I've got the bonus of not being raped for $300-400.

[HaemishM]

Again, fuck the webcam, give me a fucking hard drive. $100 for a 20GB HD, a wireless controller and Ethernet cable? Yep, it'll be a while before I buy one of these with my own money. One of the reasons I picked the X-Box over a PS2 was the built-in hard drive. I DO NOT FUCKING NEED A GODDAM WEBCAM, YOU ASSSPELUNKERS.

Fucking cockmonkeys. The 3D0 debuted for $400. That should be a fucking lesson.

[Nija]

Well, they're gonna charge probably $50 to buy wireless controllers.

$30 for the HDTV AV pack.

$20 or so for the DVD remote.

$? for the now addon HDD (dumbest move yet)

There's your $100 extra, which will ammount to $150+ extra for those who laugh at the $400 model then realize they need that shit two months down the line.

[MrHat]

Again, fuck the webcam, give me a fucking hard drive. $100 for a 20GB HD, a wireless controller and Ethernet cable? Yep, it'll be a while before I buy one of these with my own money. One of the reasons I picked the X-Box over a PS2 was the built-in hard drive. I DO NOT FUCKING NEED A GODDAM WEBCAM, YOU ASSSPELUNKERS.

Fucking cockmonkeys. The 3D0 debuted for $400. That should be a fucking lesson.

Looks like the 400 version also includes component cables (which should only cost 20 bucks, but since MS fucked 3rd party producers, will be $40).

[Rasix]

Well, they're gonna charge probably $50 to buy wireless controllers.

$30 for the HDTV AV pack.

$20 or so for the DVD remote.

$? for the now addon HDD (dumbest move yet)

There's your $100 extra, which will ammount to $150+ extra for those who laugh at the $400 model then realize they need that shit two months down the line.

Yep, looks like the $400 dollar package is a necessity especially if that $100 bucks for a 20gig HD addon is accurate.  I'll likely have a HD TV by the time I buy one of these and the wireless controller would be nice.  The headphones and remote I really don't give too much of a shit about.  I don't play XBL a lot and I don't use my xbox for a dvd player.  The hard-drive and AV cables  thing is big, without that the $299 package is purely for suckers.

Gah, still $400 bucks is kind of painful.  I'm planning a lot of major purchases around the holiday season so the 360 may just have to wait for a while. Anyone know how much they're planning to charge for the XBox live gold package?

[eldaec]

If you look at the processing power that's available in the Xbox 360, you'll see it is more powerful than what you can get at the PC level today for a reasonable price

No. No it isn't.

[eldaec]

This really is a dumb decision.  Can you say "CD-Rom for the Genesis" dumb?  It balkanizes the market because you'll have devs making games that only support the HD version and leaves a bad taste in the consumers mouth.  Likewise, I can't imagine that they'll allow you to run unsupported code (Emulators, etc) on this without hacking the hardware, so really what other purpose does a HD serve?

I don't see it balkanising anything. Much more likely XBox titles will only use the HD for game saves, which is why you only need 20Gb.

You thought Theif III and DX2 load zones were small? You aint seen nothing yet.

This decision is about focusing on the components where volume discounts can be achieved; generic components like HDs and memory are being skimped on, and they are piling in on the chipset instead. I'm sure the Xbox2 will still sell by the wheel-barrow load of course, so who's to say they're wrong. Ho hum.

[eldaec]

I DO NOT FUCKING NEED A GODDAM WEBCAM, YOU ASSSPELUNKERS.

What he said.

[Merusk]

If you look at the processing power that's available in the Xbox 360, you'll see it is more powerful than what you can get at the PC level today for a reasonable price

No. No it isn't.

Your idea of 'reasonable price' is what, though?  I'll tell you that Joe Consumer thinks spending more than $500-700 for a computer is stupid.

edit: Oh, and Using New Egg and Pricewatch is verboten.  Joe Consumer doesn't know about them or can't assemble the parts. I'm talking Dell, HP, Gateway or CompUSA pricing.

[Rodent]

Any word on modability yet? If it's as easy as the Xbox I'll pick up the basic version and put in an old 120gb drive in there.

[Shockeye]

Well, they're gonna charge probably $50 to buy wireless controllers.

$30 for the HDTV AV pack.

$20 or so for the DVD remote.

$? for the now addon HDD (dumbest move yet)

There's your $100 extra, which will ammount to $150+ extra for those who laugh at the $400 model then realize they need that shit two months down the line.

RTFA. Controllers are $50, HD AV pack is $40, HDD is $100.

[Miasma]

$100 just for a 20 Gb hard drive?  Wow, that would obviously make the $400 the only viable purchase and as such means I might not buy it at all.  I will at least wait to see if they try and damage Sony but cutting the price when they launch (I'm sure they will).  So now I will just wait for the PS3 and decide whether or not to buy an xbox then.

Are these drives some sort of special format or are they just standard desktop/laptop drives?  And since when can CNN/Money manage to put out a very good article about something like this, the day it gets leaked no less?

Finally it really is just nauseatingly ugly, a face plate at a bare minimum is essential.  I would be willing to purchase a differently shaped box that the whole 360 would slide into, not just a faceplate.  That huge power button gives me creepy flashbacks to HAL-9000 from Space Odyssey, I don't like thinking my console is going to try and kill me, and with all that wireless energy it might just have the power to do so. *Adjusts tinfoil hat*

[Nija]

RTFA. Controllers are $50, HD AV pack is $40, HDD is $100.

Close enough for the girls I hang out with, fag.

[HaemishM]

I will say again, in this day and age, there is no reason whatsoever to have to fuck with memory cards. A hard drive is a requirement for a next-gen console, IMO. $100? That shit is just fucking stupid, especially for only a 20GB. I can guarantee that it isn't some proprietary sort of hardware, other than the shiney X's they'll put on it.

[Merusk]

I will say again, in this day and age, there is no reason whatsoever to have to fuck with memory cards. A hard drive is a requirement for a next-gen console, IMO. $100? That shit is just fucking stupid, especially for only a 20GB. I can guarantee that it isn't some proprietary sort of hardware, other than the shiney X's they'll put on it.

I agree with the stipulation that you still need memory card slots.  I know plenty of people with consoles who may want to trade savegames/ unlocks with me but who have no broadband access or lack the technical know-how to hook their console into their TV without assistance, much less e-mail a savegame to my X-box (if that were even an option)

[Margalis]

It's pathetic. The whole point of consoles is standard hardware and configuration. Again, there has never been an optional system add-on worth jack.

If you look at XBox vs. PS2, XBox is more powerful, has a hard drive, etc. Now compare 360 and PS3. Same power, XBox lacks a hard drive. Wow, I'm impressed.

[stray]

Microsoft is going to fall on their asses here -- and that's about all I have left to say on the subject. They got lucky the first time.....But not lucky enough to think that they can afford to be douchebags just yet.

Seriously. Now that the playing field is even again, they're not going to be nearly as competitive as they were the first time around.

[Stormwaltz]

Your idea of 'reasonable price' is what, though?  I'll tell you that Joe Consumer thinks spending more than $500-700 for a computer is stupid.

Joe Consumer also has about a 50% chance of owning an HDTV, so tack on another $650-900 for that.

Edit: I have a 27" Wega from 1999, so I'm included in that group.

[AOFanboi]

Joe Consumer also has about a 50% chance of owning an HDTV, so tack on another $650-900 for that.

But in the base pack you only get a composite cable, doesn't that mean good ole 480i NTSC?

[Fabricated]

Methinks there are going to be a lot of confused parents and fratboys wondering which version plays the new Madden "Give us your fucking money you retard" edition better.

[Stormwaltz]

But in the base pack you only get a composite cable, doesn't that mean good ole 480i NTSC?

That's what I've read, yes. Which leads to more questions, such as "will all 360 games have to come prepared to look good in two different resolutions?" If so, then MS has ported the PC's multiple resolution issues to the console arena. If not... well, I have to assume there is no alternative. HD is one of the back-of-box features. You can't design for NTSC only. You also can't design for HDTV only, or you're alienating half your audience. But maybe they don't mind that.

My head hurts in the same way that picking a motherboard made it hurt.

[Shockeye]

Amazon has the PS3 for $299.99.

Sony PlayStation3

Price:         $299.99

This item is currently not available.

Features:

    * Built-in Wi-Fi access for easy connection to gaming services and the Internet
    * Sony PlayStation 3 is slated for release in Spring 2006
    * Games will use Blu-Ray discs as media format
    * Features a powerful Cell processor and a dynamic RSX graphics chip
    * Completely backward compatible, all the way to the original Sony PlayStation

Amazon.com Sales Rank: None
Shipping: Shipping rates and policies
ASIN: B0009VXAM0
Date first available at Amazon: July 12, 2005
Average Customer Review: 4 out of 5 stars Based on 16 reviews. Write a review.

[Hoax]

I hope xbox gets destroyed this round, fuck microsoft and fuck this whole 3 consoles thing anyways.  It really pissed me off that to get Zelda I needed a GC and to get Mech goodness I needed a Xbox and all the rpgs were on PS2.  So I bought none and just hated consoles a little bit extra...  Hell I left my ps1 in college a move I've since come to regret as I have a hankering for some Chrono Crusade or perhaps FFIX or one of the other ones (read non 7 or 3) I never finished.

[Trippy]

It's pathetic. The whole point of consoles is standard hardware and configuration. Again, there has never been an optional system add-on worth jack.

If the rumors hold true you'll need the HD if you want to play Xbox games on the Xbox 360. I dunno what percentage of people actually do that sort of thing though -- I never played any of my PS games on my PS2.

If you look at XBox vs. PS2, XBox is more powerful, has a hard drive, etc. Now compare 360 and PS3. Same power, XBox lacks a hard drive. Wow, I'm impressed.

The PS3 doesn't come standard with a hard drive either.

[Margalis]

If you look at XBox vs. PS2, XBox is more powerful, has a hard drive, etc. Now compare 360 and PS3. Same power, XBox lacks a hard drive. Wow, I'm impressed.

The PS3 doesn't come standard with a hard drive either.

Yeah, I know, but my point was in this gen the hard drive was an advantage the XBox had over the 360. Now that advantage is erased.

Hoenstly the XBox 360 is looking like a clusterfuck. When is it supposed to be out, November? I can't imagine many games will be ready then. As far as backwards compatibility is concerned, it just totally depends on the person. I like playing plenty of old games, so for me backwards compat is a big plus.

[Jain Zar]

300 is too much for a new system, and the 400 dollar one (the one people would really want) is a fuggin ripoff.  To play what?  A couple half baked games and iffy backwards compatibility?  PLEASE.

More ammo for me getting a Revolution or no new game system at all for at least the first year or two.

[schild]

PS3 might get pushed to 07. 360 comes out in November at $399. Next christmas they drop the ghetto version and release a limited edition green or green/white one for christmas at $299 with all the bonus shit...before the PS3. They soundly chomp all over the market.

Alternate solution: Drop the price to $299 if the PS3 is actually released in summer 06. Then they at LEAST get more market share then they have now.

The choice here...be an early adopter or not. I am, that's how I play games. I don't take elaborate vacations that often. I don't drop big money on much else. Though, that's probably because I spend money on games. It's a nasty habit.

Also, they might as well call the $299 one the HaloMaddenBox.

[Strazos]

Thanks Microsoft, you've now allowed me to forsee that I will spend my money in Q4 not on a new system, but in Ceaser's casino, in AC.

No HDD, standard? No thanks. That's like charging extra for power windows and locks in a new car. Fuck you.

[eldaec]

But in the base pack you only get a composite cable, doesn't that mean good ole 480i NTSC?

That's what I've read, yes. Which leads to more questions, such as "will all 360 games have to come prepared to look good in two different resolutions?" If so, then MS has ported the PC's multiple resolution issues to the console arena. If not... well, I have to assume there is no alternative. HD is one of the back-of-box features. You can't design for NTSC only. You also can't design for HDTV only, or you're alienating half your audience. But maybe they don't mind that.

My head hurts in the same way that picking a motherboard made it hurt.

If it's an Xbox game then they'll have to fix the resolution issue before releasing the inevitable PC version anyway - so I doubt that this is a big deal.

[Sky]

Most xbox games are already 480i and 480p, which are two different resolutions. Quite a number also support 720p and a couple do 1080i. It's nothing new for Xbox developers, really. My guess is they will drop 1080i and 480p support, which is fine by me as I have a 720p set.

I still don't see much reason to buy either console rather than just enjoy my pc. I was reading an article about that physics add-on card (physiX or something) that made allusions to the physics processing power of both the consoles, so it could get interesting once devs get used to writing for six processing cores...

[schild]

They probably won't drop any resolution, if they did it would be 720p, it's the most nonstandard and the highest of the resolutions (in a backasswards way). 720p is also the most nonstandard. Cheapo HDTVs do 1080i and 480p and if Joe MaddenHalo has an HDTV, it's a cheapo one. Dropping 480p would make no sense though, so I disagree with what you've said.