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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.
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]
Elite to see a European release in November?
The US release for the Xbox 360 Elite is rock solid, but Microsoft is still extremely vague on release details for other parts of the world. And so comes word from Xboxer that they've confirmed with a publisher, magazine, and peripheral manufacturer that Europe will not be seeing any Elites until November. As always, this news isn't coming directly from Microsoft and so you should treat it accordingly. But, as it looks now, Europe doesn't really have a choice when it comes to getting the black beast until later this Fall. Sticking to the Premium will just have to do for now, but maybe that's not so bad after all.
Win an Elite in My Mom's a Gamer contest
Mother's Day is just around the corner and what better way to celebrate the day than with $100 for flowers and an Xbox 360 Elite. Xbox.com is hosting a My Mom's a Gamer contest where they want you to write in and tell them about your gaming mom. Does she frag with the best of them in Gears? Does she rack up points in Feeding Frenzy? Or does your mother support your obsession and purchase gaming gear for you? Your entries need to be submitted by May 6th when one winner will get an Xbox 360 Elite and a $100 gift certificate for flowers. Creativity and admiration is key to winning, so start writing to win that 360 for ... uh, we mean flowers. Flowers for your deserving mother.[Via Gamerscore Blog]
Oh the horror! Elite to use HDMI 1.2 not 1.3
Over on the AVS forums, an insider from Microsoft let the kitty cat out of the bag on the Xbox 360 Elite's use of HDMI. According to the post, the Elite will incorporate HDMI 1.2 and not the newer 1.3 version which the PS3 uses. What's the big difference you ask? Well, not too much other than HDMI 1.3 features TrueHD and DTS-HD audio output and other small fixes where as 1.2 does not. There's a lot of technical mumbo jumbo to be read, so if you're into all that technical jazz feel free to read up on the differences. For the HDMI noobs amongst us (which we mostly all fall under) check out Wikipedia's HDMI 1.2 vs 1.3 comparison and get learnified. To those of you who are purchasing an Elite 360, does this 1.2 revelation alter your opinion or sway you away from your future Elite purchase?[Via Gizmodo]
Preorder Xbox 360 Elite at Circuit City
Even though you won't be able to preorder the Xbox 360 Elite at Gamestop, Circuit City has stepped up to the plate and is accepting preorders on the new black console. Just head on over to Circuit City's website to preorder, it's quite simple. You could also throw down extra preorder dollars on a new black controller or maybe a black play and charge kit, it's all up to you and your bank account. Anyone willing to shell out nearly $500 on a preorder to guarantee an April 29th black Xbox 360 Elite? Or do you think there will be plenty to go around come launch day?[Thanks, to everyone who sent this in]
Microsoft accidentally confirms HDMI?
With Microsoft staying hush-hush about the Xbox 360 Elite, people are looking for information anywhere they can get it. It seems the latest source of information is the official XNA Game Studio Express forum on the Microsoft Developer Network. An innocent XNA coder looking for answers seems to have confirmed more than the press could with calls and email directly to MS. The question, from forum user PAPutzback1, was simple: "Will the HDMI output on the revised 360 require any code changes? I am hoping some developers have a beta unit and can answer this question." A Microsoft employee by the name of Shawn Hargreaves responded, "No changes required." Obviously, Hargreaves' answer points to the Xbox 360 actually integrating HDMI at some point in the future, possibly confirming the existence of the Xbox 360 Elite. Our buddies at Xbox-Scene also report that their Microsoft sources have informed them that the HDMI port could be worked into Core and Premium 360s by June.Granted, Game Informer has already stated that it doesn't print false stories in its April issue, but this is the closest we've gotten to official confirmation from Microsoft. Take it for what you will.[Via Xbox-Scene]See also:Xbox 360 120GB HDD advertising appears
