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Microsoft exec says Xbox 360 still has three years of life in it
Even though Microsoft is gearing up to support the launch of its next console, the Xbox One, on November 22, the company plans to support the established Xbox 360 console for at least another three years. Speaking at the Citi Global Technology Conference, Xbox chief marketing and strategy officer Yusuf Mehdi confirmed the three year plan. He went on to call the Xbox 360 "incredibly profitable in the tall" which, translated from business speak, means "it's making impossible to believe amounts of money late in its life." The Xbox 360 will celebrate its eighth birthday in November. Outside of the Xbox 360 S remodel introduced in in 2010, Microsoft has expanded upon its Xbox 360 business with a subsidized console. Just last week, Microsoft converted its Xbox 360 funny money MS Points over to real-world currency.
New Xbox 360 torn down, shows we're all the same on the inside
A teardown of the new Xbox 360 announced at Microsoft's E3 press conference by iFixit showed some surprising non-changes to the redesigned system. Namely, the console still uses the storage, cooling fan and processing power from the current version of the system first announced in June 2010. Among the changes made to the system (referred to as the Xbox 360 E), iFixit noticed that Microsoft updated the RF module and that "the absence of the power button backlight found in the Xbox 360 S is easily noticed." The redesigned console is available now for the same price as the existing models. We got a good look at the system ourselves at E3, albeit from the outside.
Captain America Xbox 360 mod inspired by The Avengers assembled, photographed
The Avengers-inspired Captain America Xbox 360 S mod above was created by Zachariah Cruse, a self-professed fan of the Cap. The design itself looks simple, yet elegant. It's also really shiny.Cruse put in a blue LED for the power button, mounted a shield on the side and adorned the opposite side with the famous A and wings that rest upon the brow of Captain America's mask. Sadly, Cruse doesn't go into much detail in his blog post on how intricate this mod really is – does the shield detach? Is the shield custom made or store-bought? Can we wear the shield as a hat? We have important questions that need answers!
320GB HDD available this month for Xbox 360, $130 ups your storage game
Since its introduction, Microsoft's second generation Xbox 360 has had nary a stand-alone HDD option aside from the company's proprietary 250GB drive, priced at a spendy $130 -- this despite those occasional limited edition consoles packing a massive 320GBs of space. That's soon to change, however, as Major Nelson's announced a new 320GB HDD for the 360, set to be available this month. Possibly in an attempt to sweeten the deal, this platter maintains the 250GB's $130 cost of adoption, and comes pre-loaded with Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars (sadly though, no Lego love for Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Slovakia or Japan, where the game won't be available). Notably, rather than dropping the 250GB drive's price, it's now curiously absent from the Xbox website (and we won't hold our breath waiting for it to pop up again either). Nothing like a good ol' fashioned pricing premium for official Xbox storage, right?
320GB hard drive coming to Xbox 360 S models for $130 this month
Finally, you can stop being jealous of your friends who waited until 2011 to buy a 360. The 320GB hard drive included in the Gears of War 3, Modern Warfare 3 and assorted other bundles will go on sale by itself later this month for $130. We know what you're thinking. "Joystiq, isn't that roughly 200 percent more than I'd typically pay for a hard drive that size?" That's true, dear reader, but Microsoft's got an ace up its sleeve: The hard drive comes with an Xbox Live download code for Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars, a $20 value!* So now who's getting the great deal, huh? ... What's that? Still not you? You say a better pack-in would be a bottle of heinie lube? Well now that's just vulgar. *Note, that deal doesn't go for Japan, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia and the UAE, because the Force is illegal there.
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!]
All Xbox 360 S models moving to matte finish
If you're in the market for an Xbox, and also happen to be a fan of fingerprints all over your stuff shiny things, you'd better get a move on: Major Nelson has announced on his blog that all 250GB Xbox 360 models will be transitioning away from their historically glossy finishes in favor of the 4GB's matte-black finish. The updated units will start arriving on store shelves "over the coming weeks," and aside from possible gloss finishes on forthcoming limited edition consoles, your local retailer's current stock of 'boxes appear to be the last of the breed. Now, if only a matte-black Kinect existed, we could eradicate smudges from our living rooms all together.
Gears of War limited edition Xbox 360 bundle on Sept. 20 for $399; controller for $59.99 on August 11
Sure, you've seen the footage on Gears of War 3, but without an Xbox 360, how are you going to gunsaw dudebeasts in half? Well, with a limited edition branded console, of course! Epic and Microsoft are teaming up to offer not only a special console bundle pack, but also custom, individual controllers -- both of which will be accompanied by download tokens for in-game content. For $399, you can snag the console bundle (which has special sound effects like the Halo: Reach console), which features a 320gb hard drive, two Gears of War 3-branded wireless controllers, a copy of the game, headset and two pieces of DLC: the Infected Omen Weapon pack, skins for the game's starting weapons (the Lancer, Retro Lancer, Gnasher, Hammerburst and Sawed-Off Shotgun) and the Adam Fenix multiplayer character. This bundle goes on sale September 20. If you're looking for just a special controller, you can snag one of them for $59.99 starting on August 11 -- which has that new transforming d-pad and the aforementioned in-game content. Hit the gallery below for some shots of the new hardware, conveniently posed up against a red wall. So much red! %Gallery-125565%
Deal: Buy a 4GB Xbox from Newegg, get $50 gift card
Hey, see your little nephew over there? He wants an Xbox 360 for his birthday and you, wonderful person that you are, want to buy one for him. But what's in it for you? As it turns out, there's $50 gift card, that's what! At least, there will be if you buy a 4GB Xbox from Newegg before May 30.
Students: Free Xbox 360 with purchase of Windows 7 PC
Microsoft is about to launch a new promotion offering any student who purchases a Windows 7 PC (laptop or desktop) at $699 or more a free 4GB Xbox 360 S. The promotion officially runs from May 23 through September 9, though Windows Team Blog notes that the end date will vary by retailer. Currently, the offer is only valid in the US, though details on similar offers in France and Canada are forthcoming. For all of the fine print, hit up the source link below.
Some Xbox 360s won't read discs; Microsoft to comp owners with a new system, year of XBL (Update)
There may have been a good reason for that wide beta test Microsoft ran to test out its new disc format for the Xbox 360. While it will allow for an extra 1GB of storage space for new games and (it hopes) stop piracy, apparently some consoles contain drives that cannot read the new XGD3 discs. The details can be seen in the email pictured above posted by Reddit user Avery Penn and were verified as real by the Xbox Support Twitter account, but now it's responding to inquiries by saying the replacements are in response to a previous update and not the upcoming one that has been in beta. Adding to the confusion, Microsoft Europe confirmed the initial report and points affected users towards the support page to get sorted out. One way or another, affected owners can expect to be mollified by getting their Xbox 360s replaced with new 250GB Xbox 360S models plus a free year of XBL for the trouble. We haven't gotten an official response about the plan yet but are still checking, so your plan to hoard old consoles and get free replacements en masse is probably equal parts premature and Seinfeldian genius. Update: Microsoft has responded, confirming that the earlier statement was incorrect and this is not related to the update being beta tested. If you're wondering how many people are in for a swap, all we could find out is that something less than 10,000 of the 50 million or so Xbox 360s sold worldwide are affected. Check after the break for the official word, but if you have one of the boxes and are connected to XBL you should expect to receive a notice in your email.
New Xbox 360 update incompatible with some models, MS offering replacements [update]
Microsoft has confirmed that some Xbox 360 consoles weren't happy with a recent firmware update upcoming, mandatory firmware update. The console manufacturer will replace consoles that have become unable to read retail game discs with a new Xbox 360 S with 250 GB hard drive. "Following a recent update to our system software, we have become aware of an issue that is preventing a very small number of Xbox 360 owners from playing retail game discs," a Microsoft statement reads. "This issue manifests itself a as a unique 'disc unreadable' or 'disc unsupported' error on the screen and is unrelated to our recent public beta (alteration from original Eurogamer statement). We are also able to detect this issue over Xbox Live and are proactively reaching out to customers that may be impacted to replace their console." The firmware update implements new anti-piracy measures (along with a 1GB bump in disc storage capacity) that apparently don't play nice with certain DVE drives. Given that the Xbox 360 has had several revisions to its guts over the years, this is the reason why only certain models will be affected. We've contacted Microsoft to find out what North American consumers should do if their console is incompatible with the update. European consumers have been told to go to Microsoft's general support page. Update: Altered text above with new information. Microsoft's official statement can be found after the break.
Get a $50 credit from Amazon with purchase of a 4GB Xbox 360
Folks in the market for a 4GB Xbox 360 should point their browser to Amazon. The online retailer is offering a $50 credit with the purchase of the $199 console. Surprisingly, the credit isn't restricted to games, and applies to most merchandise sold by Amazon. That's a lot of Blueberry Muffin Tops.
Major Nelson: Xbox 360 sold out in Dec., supply tight now
According to Xbox 360 hype man Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb, Microsoft isn't expecting to "win" December's hardware sales battle, as depicted in the NPD's monthly report (to be released later today). "I found out we ran out of consoles at the end of the month," Hryb tweeted, with a follow-up that added, "Jan/Feb supply is tight as well." That said, he's anticipating "likely amazing YOY [year-over-year] growth numbers for Xbox." In non-business speak, that means he's expecting last month's Xbox 360 hardware sales to have surpassed the figure recorded in December 2009. While that would mean more than 1.31 million Xboxes were sold in the final month of 2010, if Hryb's prediction is correct, it would also mark the second year in a row that the Xbox was bested by Sony's PlayStation 3 in one of the year's most important sales months. Either way, coupled with the many millions of Kinect units sold last year, Microsoft likely enjoyed its holiday -- though anyone who got a Kinect without an Xbox 360 was probably feeling scrooged.
Kinect standalone power supply now available from Microsoft
So you bought a new Xbox 360 S console bundled with Kinect last week and, like many others, found your new camera doodad doesn't come with its own power supply -- clearly, Microsoft thought you intended to use your Kinect with this console and this console alone. You were up the proverbial creek, sans paddle ... until now. Microsoft's online store now has a listing for the power supply. No, you can't simply get one on the arm since you purchased the Xbox 360 S bundle -- no, instead you've got to reach into your wallet for $34.99 if you want one. That's almost one whole fifth of the cost of Kinect on its own but, hey, if you need one, now you know where to get it.
PSA: Xbox 360 S Kinect bundle doesn't come with Kinect AC adapter
Here we are, having our own little private November Christmas, tearing apart the freshly delivered Xbox 360 S console bundle, replete with Kinect and Kinect Adventures, only to make an inconvenient discovery -- the Xbox 360 S Kinect bundle doesn't contain a standalone power cord for Kinect, leaving folks who want to use those Kinects on older (pre-Slim) Xbox 360s in the lurch. How in the world are we going to show Grandma all our stylish new Dance Central moves when she's only got a regular Xbox 360? As of this minute, Microsoft isn't showing individual Kinect power cords on its website, though a Microsoft rep is looking into whether they'll be offered in the future. An Xbox Support team member notes on the Xbox.com forums, "If you wish to use your Kinect with an older Xbox, you would need to purchase the Kinect stand-alone kit. This includes the sensor, [Kinect] Adventures, and all the necessary cables." Otherwise, unless Grandma's got her own Kinect, or an Xbox 360 S, your dance moves are staying firmly holstered in your own abode. [Thanks Drew!]
Xbox 360 bundle with Alan Wake, Forza 3 confirmed for US
The holiday Xbox 360 S bundle packing Alan Wake and Forza 3 has been confirmed for the US. Previously revealed for multiple territories, Major Nelson has officially unveiled the bundle for the US. As with other regions, the bundle will include a 250GB Xbox 360 S console, a retail copy of Forza Motorsport 3 and a token to download Alan Wake from Xbox Live Games on Demand. The bundle runs $299.99 and should hit the shelves within the next few weeks. [Thanks, Kromis]
Phil Spencer confident in Kinect: It's 'fundamentally different' from PlayStation Move
Just a few weeks before Kinect's retail launch, Microsoft hosted an event in San Francisco to celebrate the much-anticipated new hardware. There we spoke with Microsoft Game Studios VP Phil Spencer not only about the hands-free camera peripheral, but also the company's success with the "Xbox 360 S" console refresh, Ubisoft's strong Kinect launch lineup and, of course, the PlayStation Move.
Xbox 360 4GB bundle deal featured on Microsoft Store
The Microsoft Store has launched a decent deal on an Xbox 360 S 4GB bundle. For $250, the bundle includes the 4GB system, two wireless controllers, a year of Xbox Live Gold and 4000 Microsoft Points (a.k.a. $50 worth of Xbox bucks). All of these items purchased separately would normally cost $350, so you're technically saving $100. However, we'd be remiss not to point out that if you ever want a hard drive, it'll run you another $130. Of course, you could stave off the inevitable with a liberal dose of flash drives, or, if you're feeling particularly adventurous, you could always mod that old Xbox hard drive.
How would you change Microsoft's new Xbox 360?
So, you didn't wait for those forthcoming Kinect bundles to ship before picking up a new Xbox 360, huh? Good on you. Now that you've had all summer to break 'er in, we're keenly interested in knowing how exactly you -- the dear consumer -- would change Microsoft's slimmer, edgier Xbox 360. Would you have crafted a more stackable case? Thrown in a Blu-ray drive for obvious reasons? Included four controllers and a game for a nominal fee? Packed more than 250GB of hard drive space? Retooled the controller at the time of launch, rather than... say, last week? Go ahead and get real in comments below. Just keep it halfway sane down there.
