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Microsoft expands subsidized Xbox 360 offer to 250GB model, from $99
Microsoft has thrown an additional two Xbox 360 models into its subsidized subscription deal. Accompanying the original 4GB console at $99, a 250GB option will also be priced at $99, accompanied by two years of Xbox LIVE Gold at $15 per month. Throw in a Kinect, and this rises to $149, initially. The company hasn't revealed whether the new models will be accompanied by additional retailers alongside Best Buy and Gamestop, but there is a holding page that promises to offer a "full list of participating retailers" soon.
Xbox 360 holiday bundles get $50 price cut
Microsoft cut the price of its 250GB and 4GB Kinect Xbox 360 bundles by $50. All holiday bundles included in the deal can be picked up at GameStop, Best Buy, Kmart, Target and Amazon.Each bundle is priced at $250 except for the standard and holiday 250GB Kinect bundles, which are $350. Most of the bundles have games and DLC codes packed in, including Forza 4, Kinect Adventures, Kinect: Disneyland Adventures, Fable 3, Halo: Reach and a digital copy of Skyrim.We've called GameStop and still have yet to find an end date for this offer, but we'll update as soon as we find out.
Did Sony's latest PlayStation 3 redesign just get outed by Brazil's Anatel?
Remember that mysterious new PS3 variant that passed through the FCC not too long ago? Although that listing didn't have photos to confirm a redesign, a new one has hit Anatel (essentially Brazil's version of the FCC) with a quartet of pictures in tow. Specifically, it cites models CECH-4011A, CECH-4011B and CECH-4011C, matching up well with the 4K labeling from the aforementioned FCC visit -- if you'll recall, the current PS3 Slim has a 3K model number. According to Tecnoblog, the the three models point to a shockingly storage-cramped 16GB version, along with 250GB and 500GB variants. While this Anatel document appears to be from Sony, we'd be remiss not to mention that we haven't been able to load the photos as Tecnoblog has. In terms of looks, apart from appearing extra slim -- and decidedly less attractive -- the system notably seems to be rocking a top-loading disc drive (this would be a first for the PS3). For now, we'd advise taking this potential leak with a grain of salt, but rest assured that we'll inform you if we hear anything official from Sony.
250GB Kinect-free Xbox 360 bundle comes to Japan
Japan's retail shelves will soon be the long-term home to four Xbox 360 options, just in case someone happens to wander to the back of the video game section. A 250GB Xbox sans Kinect will be available sometime before the end of the year (which doesn't leave much shipping time!) for ¥29,800. Previously, buyers were limited to the choice of a 4GB model with or without a Kinect, or a 250GB bundle with Kinect. That added Kinect really isn't doing anything for sales. The good news here is that if you are in Japan and decide to pick one of these up, you should be able to find a cheap copy of Final Fantasy XIII-2 to go with it.
Archos 101 G9 tablet goes on sale, 8GB version now $370
After popping up at IFA, and teasing us with the whole 'pre-sale' thing, the Archos 101 G9 is finally ready to empty your wallet. We've only seen it on the company's store so far, where the base model's available now bearing a $370 price tag, with no sign of the 250GB variant yet. For your cash you get Android 3.2, a 1.0GHz dual core processor, and even HDMI out for those times when the 10.1 inch screen just isn't big enough. Still not sure if the Archos slab's for you? Try checking out our hands-on to see if this slate with the French flair is worth your hard earned cash, and head on down to the source link if the answer is oui. [Thanks to OneLove]
Get $75 credit with purchase of 250GB Xbox 360 today
Amazon's Video Game Deal of the Day kind of comes with other deals built-in. The retailer is bundling a $75 credit with sales of the 250GB Xbox 360 hardware bundle, which is priced at $300. So, by buying this, you instantly get at least one free game to go with it. Unless, of course, you choose to use that credit in other ways -- that's up to you. Maybe you want to buy a bunch of Microsoft Points. That works! Or maybe you want to wait on the whole Xbox 360 game thing for a while, just watch Netflix on the console, and buy $75 worth of Cyber Clean to make a horrific lint-eating blob. Totally your call. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Xbox 250GB bundle throws in Alan Wake, Gears 2, and 3 more [update: Canada only]
Reader Darren Christie tweeted a rather official-looking image of a new Xbox 360 bundle. According to the picture, taken at the Future Shop store in which Christie works, the new package includes a 250GB Xbox 360 console and download codes for five of its biggest games: Alan Wake, Halo 3, Halo Wars, Fable 3, and Gears of War 2. In addition to being big in terms of profile, they're also big in terms of file size, with the box warning that these games will occupy 29.51 GB on the hard drive. Christie told us that the bundle will be released tomorrow for $299.99. He is located in Canada, so it's possible this hardware package is a Canadian-only promotion. We've checked in with Microsoft to get the details. Just to be safe, maybe you should wait a day or so before buying an Xbox. Update: Shacknews received confirmation from Microsoft that this bundle is exclusive to Canada, out tomorrow, and available for a limited time.
Xbox 360 250GB Kinect bundle dropping to $299.99 ahead of E3? (update)
The image above is not a mockup. What you're looking at is a screen grab from the Video Game section of Target's online storefront proudly touting "free shipping" on a $299.99 Xbox 360 250GB console with Kinect bundle. Unfortunately, your pulse-quickened click will be met with the existing $399.99 price tag at checkout. So what's going on here? Are retailers gearing up for price drops on the 250GB Kinect bundle ahead of E3 or did Target's arts and charts department just make a mistake? E3 Expo kicks off June 7th, so it won't be long until we find out either way. Update: Target says the items was "mispriced" and has updated it with the $399.99 price tag. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Playboy releases not-so-discreet 250GB 'cover to cover' hard drive
Well, you can finally throw out that trunk in your grandfather's garage. Hugh Heffner's legacy has taken a cue from National Geographic -- in an arguably non-horrifying way -- and partnered with publisher Bondi Digital to release a (presumably Seagate-branded) 250GB external hard drive packed with every issue of Playboy released since 1953. Its $300 asking price is roughly four times what you'd pay for a fresh G-rated 250GB drive today, but compared to a 57-year subscription, the digital vault is certainly a bargain. In contrast to their trail blazin' efforts with the iBod though, thanks to the prominent placement of the brand's iconic bow tie-wearing bunny and name, there's no chance of using this device for practical tasks such as backing up TPS reports at the office. Like the decision to phase out DVDs in favor of VOD however, the move does prove the magazine isn't afraid of staying abreast of today's content consumption trends. Next stop, Nook Color?
Xbox holiday bundle with Forza 3, downloadable Alan Wake headed to multiple territories
Just in case you were worried that there weren't quite enough Xbox 360 bundles to choose from, it looks like Microsoft has another one headed down the pike. The bundle in question includes a 250GB Xbox 360 S console as well as Alan Wake and the eternal pack-in, Forza Motorsport 3. The image above -- pulled directly from one of Microsoft's retailer resource services -- is denoted as a Canadian bundle. Siliconera also reports that the bundle has been announced for South Korea at a price of 398,000 won ($356). A tipster has informed Kotaku that the bundle is available in Europe as well, retailing for €250 ($348). We've contacted Microsoft to find out if the bundle is coming stateside as well. One intriguing note about the bundle: It doesn't actually include a physical copy of Alan Wake, instead offering a code to download the game in its entirety (see a close-up image in the gallery below). While it's likely to be a Games on Demand title in the near future, it's also worth noting that Remedy has expressed interest in releasing the game in downloadable episodes, a la Fable 2. %Gallery-105176%
4GB Xbox 360 arrives in Japan on Sept. 9
Microsoft is launching its cheaper 4GB XBox 360 S in Japan on September 9. It'll sell for the same ¥19,800 ($235) price as the original Arcade system, and will come packed with a wireless controller, AV cables and an AC adapter. No big surprises. It makes even more sense to have a cheaper Xbox bundle in Japan than it does here, since Microsoft has to do something to try to sell some of these. What is a bit more surprising, considering the stealth launch of the accessory in America, is that Microsoft officially announced a separate 250GB hard drive for Japan at the same time. The ¥15,540 ($184) price is a good indicator that people should seriously just buy the 250GB Xbox 360 bundle.
Microsoft details Vejle, the new Xbox 360's system-on-chip architecture
There aren't many unresolved mysteries with Microsoft's new console by this point -- apart from perhaps why it wasn't named the Stealthbox, like we were suggesting -- but one thing that hasn't been covered in excruciating detail yet is the new 360's splicing of the CPU and GPU into the same chip. Microsoft has remedied that today, informing us that the 45nm system-on-chip (codenamed Vejle; sorry, Valhalla fans) inside the refreshed Xbox makes do with a relatively minimal 372 million transistors, requiring only 40 percent of the power and less than 50 percent of the die space of its 2005 ancestor. A somewhat bemusing addition, noted by Ars, is the FSB Replacement sector you see in the image above. It's designed to induce lag in the system so that the Vejle chip doesn't run faster than the old stuff, something Microsoft couldn't allow to happen. Facepalm away, good people, facepalm away.
Xbox 360 S 250GB hard drive available ... right now
If you already want a hard drive for that 4GB Xbox 360 S you bought, you could wait patiently for Microsoft to announce the accessory ... or you could just go to Gamestop and buy one. Reader Iain informs Joystiq that he spotted the 250GB hard drives for the redesigned Xbox in his local store -- and they're also available on GameStop.com right now. (We couldn't find the item being offered by any other retailer yet.) Of course, the $130 price for the drive completely obliterates any savings you might temporarily enjoy after buying the $200 4GB model (or the upcoming Kinect bundle), but it sure beats a mountain of USB flash drives. [Thanks, Iain]
Sony phasing out 120GB and 250GB PS3 SKUs, the latter now going for $299 at Fry's
From a supply chain management standpoint, this all makes sense -- why have four separate PS3 SKUs with various HDD sizes when just a pair will do? After announcing last week that a 160GB and 320GB PS3 Slim would be making landfall in the US and Europe, it seems as if Sony has decided to phase out the existing 120GB and 250GB flavors. There's no definitive word on when production on those will stop (we're surmising that the stop order has already been placed), but it looks as if some retailers are already starting up fire sales on the now-old models. For those curious, that's a Fry's installation pictured above, which is selling their leftover 250GB units for just $299, or the same price as the incoming 160GB unit. Decisions, decisions...
250GB Xbox 360 Kinect bundle tipped on 4GB packaging
Well, well -- what have we here? We already knew that Microsoft was planning to ship a 4GB Xbox 360 bundle that included Kinect, and now it seems as if the Big M will also package its forthcoming motion sensor with the 250GB 'box. Based on the packaging of a 4GB bundle over in Australia, it definitely looks as if consumers will have a more capacious option if buying an Xbox 360 for the first time with Kinect, but we're all waiting with bated breath to hear the official confirmation (or denial, but mostly just confirmation) from Ballmer's crew. Anytime now, folks....
New Xbox 360 4GB's packaging shows off 250GB HDD upgrade option
It seems like a no-brainer, but at this point Microsoft has yet to confirm a separate 250GB HDD for its new Xbox 360 consoles -- and really, if you're picking up the 4GB model next month, that might come in handy. Newer press shots show a different side of the packaging, however, and if you get a high-res snapshot, you can see that it's touting the various accessories you can buy to enhance your new Xbox 360 4GB experience: wireless controllers, Kinect, and... a 250GB HDD. Now, it could very well be misleading advertising -- such a disc drive already exists, but you have to buy the current slimmed-down model or Halo Reach special edition bundle to get it. Somehow, though, we get the feeling this HDD is destined to be wrapped in separate packaging all by its lonesome -- Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg even insinuated as much not two weeks ago. Only question is, when and for how much?
New Xbox 360 250GB Limited Edition Halo: Reach bundle revealed
The Halo series is no stranger to special edition Xbox 360 hardware, so it should come as no surprise that the latest entry, Halo: Reach, is also privy to such treatment. What makes it special, however, is that it's the first special edition based on the new model -- 250GB HDD, built-in 802.11n WiFi, a silver (presumably matte, based on the picture) finish, and custom, Halo-inspired sounds. The $399 price tag also nets you two special edition wireless controllers and, naturally, a copy of the game itself. Look for this September 14th, and really, if you're not into glossy black (and we feel ya, brother), this might be in your best interest to pick up. %Gallery-98042%
MLB 10 PS3 Slim bundle outed again by Target
Two weeks ago, we published reports from a Target employee who claimed an MLB 10-branded 250GB PS3 Slim bundle had appeared on their store's list of new releases. Recently, another piece of evidence surfaced which adds further credibility to the story: Target's online store recently added the MLB 10 bundle to its virtual shelves. The online listing is scant on details -- it only mentions that the bundle comes with the console and a copy of the game. The tipster from two weeks ago reported a release date of June 13, and a price of $349.99 for the package. Once again, we've contacted Sony to try and get official confirmation of these details. [Thanks, Shiloh]
ModNation Racers hardware bundles speeding to Europe
SCEE loves bundles, so it comes as no surprise that Sony is preparing special ModNation Racers packages for both the PS3 and PSP in Europe. The PS3 package, spotted by TheSixthAxis, is rather no-frills, simply bundling the game and a 250GB Slim system for €315. The PSP package is slightly more interesting, including a PSP-3000, a copy of the game on UMD and a ModNation-branded case for €150. Neither of these offerings have been announced (or are expected to be announced) for America. Expect a review of ModNation Racers tomorrow.
Microsoft phasing out memory units and 120GB hard drive
Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb has confirmed the inevitable to Joystiq: Xbox 360 Memory Units and the 120GB hard drive are being phased out. Acknowledging what's been in the stars since February, the Xbox spokesman stated that "the channel is being drained" of the storage options. The same goes for Memory Units, which, after today's official announcement of USB support, makes the MU even less useful. This makes the $130 250GB HDD the primary option ... well, at least until this fall, if the Xbox Slim comes to pass.
