Xbox360Elite
Latest
Retailers reveal UK Xbox 360 Elite pricing
Even though Microsoft has yet to officially announce any pricing details for the Xbox 360 Elite in the UK, a few retailers have already priced the console and are taking preorders. HMV, Play and GAME stores in the UK are all pricing the Xbox 360 Elite at the gotta-have-it price of 329.99 GBP (roughly $675 US) for its August 24th debut. Like we said, Microsoft hasn't officially announced the retail price for the UK Elite, but with three major retailers all taking preorders for the same price you'd be silly not to think it's pretty much confirmed.
Xbox 360 Elite debuts in Europe Aug 24
After a longstanding silence on the subject, an official European release date for the Xbox 360 Elite has been confirmed by Microsoft. The information was revealed during Microsoft's E3 press briefing. Microsoft's Shane Kim announced that the Xbox 360 Elite will finally be touching down in Europe on August 24. A price has not yet been confirmed by Microsoft.
European Xbox 360 Elite coming August 24
The Xbox 360 Elite model is coming to Europe on August 24, according to Shane Kim at the Microsoft E3 2007 press conference that recently ended. No price was mentioned, but we're expecting the sales tag to be similar to the US Elite model. See Also: Xbox 360 Elite Q&A
Microsoft shipping Xbox 360 Elite in Europe on August 24th
We're still a little curious at the hold up, but Microsoft has finally announced that the Xbox 360 Elite is going to hit Europe on August 24th. In addition to the Elite, Microsoft also shared the good news that Xbox Live types in Europe and Canada will be able to share in the video download goodies currently being enjoyed by their US counterparts, including but not limited to that hefty high-def Disney catalog that Microsoft is adding to the service tonight.
Analysts expecting a Xbox 360 price cut
If you didn't already know, today Sony announced that they've trimmed the fat on their Playsation 3 by dropping the price by $100. Surprising isn't it? Now the obvious question is whether Microsoft will retaliate with a price cut of their own or keep things the way they are. Industry analyst Michael Pachter thinks a price cut will happen and has gone on record to say that Microsoft will announce a Xbox 360 price drop sometime during E3. How Mr. Pachter sees it is that they'll knock of $50 from the Core and Premium and take $80 off the Elite making the price points $249, $349 and $399. This is of course entirely possible seeing that Sony is stepping on Microsoft's price point territory. Also, we're thinking a price cut is overdue seeing that the console has been out for nearly two years at the same price. We'll just have to wait until tomorrow night to see what surprises Microsoft has up their sleeves and if our 360 will get a fat trimming too.
Xbox 360 Elite to hit Japan in October... for $390
While many Americans have simply been trying to find the ebony Xbox 360 in stock, Microsoft has been making plans to hold its breath and launch the special edition console in Japan. If you've noticed, Microsoft has had quite the time trying to convince the Japanese to actually give the standard Xbox 360 a shot, but apparently there's hope that (yet another) flashy bundle will drum up business. Of course, the obvious standout here is the launch price, which will drop in at some $89 below what we Americans are forced to pay. Still, the ¥47,800 ($390) sticker shouldn't take anyone by surprise, as Microsoft already introduced the Xbox 360 Core system to this same market for a lesser price than that seen in North America. Anywho, for those interested (and living in Japan), be sure to mark you calendars for October 11th, capiche?[Via Joystiq]
Elite to be priced cheaper in Japan
This morning, Microsoft announced that the Xbox 360 Elite bundle will make its way to the Japanese market October 11th and will be priced cheaper than in the US. The black 360 will cost 47,800 yen which translates to roughly $390 US, making it $90 cheaper in Japan. Man, do we want ourselves some cheap Elite love too. Microsoft's reasoning pretty much revolves around the fact that the Xbox 360's performance in Japan lacks stating that "the decision on the pricing was based on the situation in the Japanese market" and that "we are not satisfied with our position in Japan and working to improve it". So, if Americans quit buying Xbox 360 Elites then we too would get cheaper hardware ... we'll have to make a note of that one.
Xbox 360 Elite on sale in Japan Oct. 11th for 47,800 ($390)
While consumers in North America still aren't sure what to make of Microsoft's muddled Xbox 360 Elite, it hardly matters; the machine has been in short supply since its April 29th launch. Is it selling like crazy or just being short stocked? If the former, who's buying 'em and if the latter, why?While we were busy pondering these questions, Microsoft went and made plans to distribute the SKU in Japan. Set to launch on October 11th for ¥47,800 (about $390, much lower than the $480 US retail price), we're left thinking that the Elite will have an even harder time finding an audience in Japan than it has here. We'll see what happens to the charts this October, so place your bets now. [Thanks, Scooby]%Gallery-2303%
Buy Me: Elite featuring airbrushed Halo 3 artwork
Last night, while searching for some cheap Microsoft points on eBay, we stumbled across an Xbox 360 Elite that looked very familiar. Up for auction is a custom airbrushed Elite console featuring the same Halo 3 artwork as the one Bungie autographed for charity and sold for for $20,000+. And from what we can tell, the airbrushed artwork looks spot on. If you're interested, the Halo 3 inspired Elite auction ends in about one day and is currently sitting at around $620 Canadian. We think that we can all agree that airbrushing never looked so good.
VRX's triple-screen racing simulator uses Xbox 360 Elite
Man, talk about leaving the Home Pro Racing Simulator in the proverbial dust. VRX has introduced a swank new racing sim of its own designed with a Forza Motorsports 2 theme and a trio of 37-inch Sharp Aquos 1080p LCD TVs. The frame is constructed from CNC machined polished aluminum, and envelopes the gamer by curiously including just one Sparco seat along with four Xbox 360 Elites, four copies of Forza Motorsport 2, an Xbox 360 HD DVD add-on player, camera / wireless headset, a Zune, force feedback wheel, and surround sound as well. Sure, brush it off as overkill if you please, but those who are sick of draining quarters dollars at the arcade can contact the company to experience the presumed sticker shock for themselves.
PC WORLD: 360 Elite is a product of the year
PC WORLD has named their Top 20 Products of the Year and surprisingly, the Xbox 360 Elite made it on the list. And even though the Xbox community has mixed opinions about the black console, PC WORLD thinks that the Elite's huge HDD, HDMI connectivity, and Xbox Live functionality warranted a #18 place on the list. The Elite beat out two others including Paint.net (#19) and the Hitachi Deskstar 7K1000 (#20), but was left crying in the corner by Nintendo's Wii which came in at a very respectable #3. So fanboys, has your thoughts, impressions, or feelings about the Xbox 360 Elite changed since its release and would you be more or less likely to pick it up over a Premium?[Thanks, Serge]
Production costs: PS3 and 360 Elite comparison
Digitimes threw together a comparison in the production of a 60GB Playstation 3 and an Xbox 360 Elite, using the "latest estimates by research firm iSuppli". Upon further investigation, a few of these numbers are a little ... fishy. Sure, we can see that the DVD Drive is significantly less expensive than a Blu-ray optical drive, but the 120 GB HDD being $11 cheaper for double the drive space? Would the Blu-ray drive ramp up the Assembly to more the six times the comparative cost as well? Finally, since when did the Elite retail for $399 USD? Somebody made a couple "miscalculations" somewhere along the way, which in turn brings into question the validity of the PS3's production costs. Still, an interesting comparison, like how much the Wi-Fi connectivity costs to be built in for the PS3 compared to the $99 accessory for the 360. So what's your take on this, fanboys? Did they actually look at a Premium or is it all a bunch of bullspit anyway?
Christmas comes early to 360 Elite owners: free HDD Transfer Kits for all
It looks like Microsoft has decided to return some of its record-breaking profits back to the consumer in the form of a free Xbox 360 Hard Drive Transfer Kit for Elite owners -- although some will look at this gesture as less of a gift (being that it could have just been included in the box with all Elites) and more of a hassle to get a one-time-use product that already comes bundled with the standalone 120GB drive. Interested parties can grab the necessary form by following the Read link, but you'll need the serial numbers of both 360s to qualify, so if you were just looking for a free cable to tie up your pets or friends, you're out of luck. [Warning: PDF link] [Via Joystiq, thanks Josh F.]
Elite owners: order HDD Transfer Kit for free
As promised, Elite owners looking to peel the data from their old, antiquated Xboxen and stick it onto their shiny new Elites will be able to order a free HDD Transfer Kit through Xbox.com. An important part of that task includes having a page to order it from! Unfortunately, there's no easy-breezy "webpage" to place the order through, instead, you'll need to download a PDF, print it out, fill it out with all sorts of serial numbers, and mail it to Zionsville, Indiana where a team of futuristic, underground refugees will decide if you qualify for the Transfer Kit ... ... which we might add "is a limited time offer, subject to product availability, and subject to change without notice." Well, at least it's free. [Via X3F] PDF - Microsoft Xbox 360 Data Migration Kit Order Form
Engadget Podcast 108 - 04.29.2007
Sure, our Podcast is a little late going up from this weekend, but where else are you gonna hear Engadget editors ramble on about the latest developments in gaming with the Xbox Elite, and Sony's loss of Kutaragi? Also up this week: AT&T misfires on the N75 launch, and find out more about how you can win a Wii. Get the podcast [iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC). [RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically. [RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator. [RSS OGG] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in OGG) to your RSS aggregator. Hosts: Peter Rojas and Ryan Block Producer: Trent Wolbe Music: Solvent - Instructograph (Ghostly International) Program: 01:07 - Xbox 360 Elite coverage roundup -- are you getting one? 10:42 - Sony's Ken Kutaragi leaving SCE chairman and CEO spots in June 19:58 - Sony, Immersion in talks to get SIXAXIS rumbling 22:32 - Fuh Yuan retracts $299 Wal-Mart HD DVD statement 28:27 - AT&T botches Nokia N75 launch, pulls from site 30:25 - The debacle continues: AT&T pulls LG CU500v, too 35:49 - The Engadget mascot contest: win a Wii! LISTEN (MP3) LISTEN (AAC) LISTEN (OGG) Contact the podcast: 1-888-ENGADGET, Engadget (Gizmo Project) or podcast at engadget dawt com
Elite owners, get HDD migration cable for free
New Xbox 360 Elite owners who've upgraded from a Core/Premium 360 may have been a little bummed to find out that there is no way to transfer an old HDD's data over to the Elite. But fear not, because Microsoft will give you a HDD migration cable for free ... you just have to ask for it. Either give Microsoft a ring-ring on the telephone or use the official migration cable order form and send it off. Full details can be found here. And be sure to keep using your 20GB HDD until the migration cable arrives, otherwise you'll have game saves on two HDDs causing you to lose data. And lost data is the suxorz.[Via Digg]
Happy Xbox 360 Elite launch day!
No matter if you are somewhat annoyed by the black beast or have been anticipating its release since its announcement, the Xbox 360 Elite is officially here. Today, April 29, 2007, is Xbox 360 Elite launch day when retailers can officially put the black console up on the shelves and fanboys all over the US can have it in their possession for a mere $479. Again, congratulations Xbox 360 Elite, we welcome you to the 360 family even if you are a different color, more expensive, have a bigger HDD, and are somewhat cocky (group hug).So fanboys, how will you be celebrating Xbox 360 Elite launch day? Will you be trading up to an Elite purchase or will you simply acknowledge its existence and carry on gaming on your white console?
Xbox 360 Elite coverage roundup -- are you getting one?
Unless you're a die-hard Target customer you can't get your Xbox Elite until this Sunday, but if you were at all curious about the thing, we hope we delivered the goods yesterday with our coverage of the HDMI-totin' console. In case you missed any of the action, check out the links below.The faceoffXbox 360 Elite vs. classic: the testThe hands-on, drive kit, and voteXbox 360 Elite arrives - unboxing, comparison ensuesXbox 360 Hard Drive Transfer Kit hands-onBlack on black: Xbox 360 Elite vs PS3, which is more 1337?Other coverageXbox 360 Elite: new, black limited edition Xbox with HDMI and 120GB driveXbox 360 Elite and 120GB drive now officialXbox 360 Elite hands-on videoFirst Xbox 360 Elite pre-order ready for your cashMod your 360 with an off-the-shelf 120GB HDD, save $100So, you think you're gonna get one? Vote! %Poll-390%
Xbox 360 Elite Q&A
We've spent some quality time with the Xbox 360 Elite that arrived yesterday, and are ready to answer some of those pesky little questions that you may have lingering. Got any more? Post 'em in the comments and we'll do our best to get you an answer. Q: What color is it? A: It's black.We kid, the rest of the questions are handily contained after the break. But seriously, it is black.
Data transfer demo for your new HDD
If you're a current 360 owner and are in the market for a new 120GB HDD or the Xbox 360 Elite in the coming weeks, then you'll be dealing with some HDD data transferring. And thanks to Major Nelson's data transfer demo, the whole process will be painless. In the embedded video above, Major and his clothes twin Albert walk you through the whole thing step by step and even do a little Xbox 360 Elite unboxing to boot. It's actually quite simple and should take less than an hour to move all your data to your new 120GB behemoth. And, as if it wasn't mentioned enough, the data transfer will be permanent and can only be done once. So, make sure this is what you want, as there's no going back.
