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Euro Xbox 360 price cuts landing Monday says paper
Remember that Xbox 360 price cut we mentioned a few days ago? Well it appears that the Financial Times Germany is reporting that this Monday, Microsoft will trim the fat from the Arcade and Pro consoles, shaving €80 and €50 off the price tag, respectively. Of course, right now this is still unconfirmed by the boys in Redmond (or in any other official location), though the buzz in the community does seem to suggest that these cuts are coming. Hopefully if these become a reality, the company will break something off for folks on these shores as well -- we need all the help we can get right now.Update: See that photo above? it looks like that price cut really is happening. Good news for you, Europe.Update 2: Amazon UK has jumped on board too.[Via I4U News; Image via Xbox 360 Fanboy]
Rumor: 60GB to replace 20GB HDD in 360 Pros
With rumors of European Xbox 360 price cuts flying around, we have yet another 360 hardware rumor making the internet rounds and it targets the 360's hard drive.According to TrustedReviews and their "rock solid source", they're claiming that Microsoft has plans to replace the Xbox 360 Pros' current 20GB HDD with a larger 60GB drive by this June. A move that isn't all that far fetched seeing that they probably want to to help accommodate all that HD content they want you to purchase off the Marketplace. TrustedReviews ratchets up the rumor mill even further by saying that their insider told them that Microsoft is bouncing around the idea of adding yet another SKU to the 360 lineup. A new console that would reap the fruits of the rumored Sony / Microsoft negotiations and feature a Blu-ray drive. So, is anyone willing to take a stab at what the rumored 60GB HDD or Blu-ray equipped models would be called? We'll be trail-blazers and go with "Xbox 360 Six Pack" for the 60GB model and "Xbox 360 HD DVD Died So Blu-ray It Is" for the Blu-ray version.[Via Engadget]
It's official, Canada sees another Xbox 360 price cut
Crazy, the FutureShop employee was actually telling us the truth as late last night, Microsoft announced that all of the Great White North (that's Canada) will see Xbox 360 price cuts effective immediately. The new console pricing will be dollar for dollar equal to the 360's price in the United States, with the Xbox 360 Pro dropping from $399 to $349, the Elite going from $499 to $449 and the Arcade sinking from $299 to $279. So, if you're Canadian and need another 360 or know someone who does, then jump in. There's no better time then now ... price cuts FTW!
Toys R Us drops Canadian Xbox 360 price
What was just a rumor as recently as this morning has apparently already become reality -- the Canadian Toys R Us web site is showing $50 reductions in price for the Xbox 360 Pro (now $349.99) and Halo Edition - (now $399.99). An informant at a Canadian Toys R Us has also told us that the Xbox 360 Arcade has been reduced $20 (to $279.99) and the Elite has come down $50 (to $449.99 -- all prices are in Canadian dollars, eh?)Ironically enough, FutureShop, where this morning's rumor first originated, has not lowered their web site prices as of press time. Perhaps they're waiting until Friday to unleash that Turok Elite bundle on an unsuspecting public?Does this surprise move mean an American price drop is in the cards? Probably not -- much like the previous Microsoft Canada price drop, the adjustment seems designed to bring prices up North in line with the weakening American dollar.Update: Apologies for the inadvertent act of bad foreign relations. No offense was meant, Canada. Are we still cool?[Thanks Stephen]
Rumor: Canadian Xbox 360 price drops $50 Friday
Update 8:15 PM EST: Toys R Us Canada has apparently lowered their prices already.Thanks to an anonymous tipster, we have early word on what might be an upcoming price drop for the Canadian Xbox 360. The above phonecam photo comes from a FutureShop Canada employee, who says he was "quite surprised" to find a $50 price drop for the Xbox 360 Pro Console advertised right on the front page of next week's advertising fliers. Our source also tells us that the inside of the flier trumpets a $50 price drop for the XBox 360 Elite (to $449), an offer which allegedly includes a free copy of Turok.Both price drops should be effective Friday, if this rumor proves true, and while we have no way of confirming this information as of yet, we have no explicit reason to doubt it either. Regardless, if you're a Canadian looking to buy an Xbox 360, it couldn't hurt to wait a couple of days to see if you can save a bit of green, er, funny multicolored money.
Get learnified: Xbox 360 and its various SKUs
If you're new to the Xbox 360 world, have been lurking here at X3F without actually owning a console and have finally summoned up the courage to "jump in" and purchase a new Xbox 360 then we say ... congrats! The Xbox 360 is one sexy gaming machine and you won't regret your decision to own one.But you've also come to realize that purchasing an Xbox 360 isn't as simple as picking up a box and calling it a day. There are numerous versions of the 360 (Core, Arcade, Pro, H3, Elite, etc.) and keeping up to date on what's included in each box can make your brain turn to mush. And that's where our friends over at Joystiq come in with their guide to explaining the Xbox 360 SKUs. In their article they lay out all the details, break down each model, give you the prices and tell you what's in the box all on one handy little chart. Their article will not only help you decide on which Xbox 360 console is right for you, but it will also make you informed enough to be able to correct those somewhat delusional sales people who get their 360 facts messed up sometimes.
Joystiq Holidaze: explaining the Xbox 360 SKUs
We'd love to say picking up Xbox 360 is as easy as going to the store and grabbing the first box with the console's name on it. For better and worse, this generation of consoles gives consumers many choices at the (potential) expense of causing confusion at the store. So it's with this in mind that we present you this handy guide for discerning the difference between the various Xbox 360 versions (aka SKUs) out there. Please note that the red and green coloring is not only festive decor for the holiday season but also a subjective highlight of what each version excels in (or subsequently lacks). #comparechart { border: 2px solid #333; border-collapse: collapse; } #comparechart td { padding: 3px; border: 1px solid #ccc; vertical-align: top; margin: 0; line-height: 1.3em; font-size: 80%} #comparechart th { font-size: 80%; font-weight: bold; text-align: left; padding: 4px; background: #eee; } #comparechart th.mainth { font-size: 100%; border-bottom: 1px solid #333; } #comparechart td.red { background-color: #f08c85; } #comparechart td.green { background-color: #b3e2c4; } Elite HaloEdition Pro Arcade Core Hardware Price $449.99 $399.99 $349.99 $279.99 $199.99* Storage 120GB HDD 20GB HDD 20GB HDD 256MBmemory card none Color Black Green/Orange White White White HDMI port Yes Yes Certain models** Yes Certain models** Bundled Accessories Ethernet cable Yes Yes Yes No No Headset Wired Wired Wired No No Play &Charge Kit No Yes No No No Video cables HDMI 1.2,Component,Composite Component,Composite Component,Composite Composite Composite Controller Wireless Wireless Wireless Wireless Wired Other Xbox Live Silver,1 Month Gold Silver,1 Month Gold Silver,1 Month Gold Silver,1 Month Gold Silver BackwardsCompatibility Yes Yes Yes No*** No*** Notes:* The Core model has been discontinued. The $199.99 price tag is based on the GameStop refurbished price.** See explanation below*** Hard Drive requiredAnd just in case you still have questions, we've gone ahead and written up a F.A.Q. after the break.
Fuzzmeasure Pro 3 leverages Leopard for audio measurement
Reader Sebastiaan sends word that Fuzzmeasure Pro 3 is out (and that he designed the icon for it-- very nice). Released on the three-year anniversary of the first version's release, the update has a host of new features, including integration with Leopard's Core Audio, the sweet audio graphs that the app is known for, and even Quicklook and Safari plugins. It's been used to set up concert systems for "...Linkin Park and other big name bands around the world." Cool!As you may have guessed from reading "Core Audio" and "Quicklook", Fuzzmeasure Pro 3 is Leopard-only (and loving it). You can download it (and eventually buy it for $150US) over on SuperMegaUltraGroovy's website.
New Xbox 360 bundles arriving end October
If you've yet to get yourself an Xbox 360 in this post-Halo 3 world, Microsoft is of a mind to sway you with fast cars and terrifyingly tight pants this holiday season. New Xbox 360 bundles (yep, these ones) are set to arrive "retail-wide by the end of October," with both the $349.99 "Pro" and the $449.99 Elite models offering two games at no extra charge -- racing sim Forza Motorsport 2 and supervillain clobberfest, Marvel Ultimate Alliance. Though Project Gotham Racing 4's arcade styling would have held more general appeal than Forza's serious nitty-gritty, the latter's unquestionably a fine game for a freebie. The same holds true for Marvel Ultimate Alliance, a fun and accessible adventure both online and off. We rather like this bundling business.
Razer cranks out Pro|Click Mobile Bluetooth mouse
Razer has certainly been on a tear of late, and the firm is keepin' the new gear flowing with the Pro|Click Mobile. Shipping worldwide today (to retailers, we presume), this diminutive critter touts an ambidextrous design, Bluetooth 2.0, an optical sensor, and four interesting titled colors including "naughty, nice, sugar, and spice (black, white, pink and red respectively)." Unfortunately, interested customers won't be able to get their hands around one until "mid-October" for $49.99
Diamond planning HD 2900 XT-based 2GB VFX 2000 pro GPU?
Diamond is no stranger to packin' an awful lot of RAM onto graphics cards, and apparently, the forthcoming VFX 2000 Series Professional Workstation GPU will keep the legacy alive. According to Hot Hardware, Diamond is readying a 2GB (of GDDR4 memory, no less) professional card based on the R600 (now known as the HD 2900 XT), and reportedly, "the card's PCB has been modified from the standard HD 2900 XT reference design to support the workstation-class features inherent to the FireGL line of professional graphics cards." Still, there's no word yet on what frequencies the GPU and RAM will hum along at, but word on the street has this beast launching "in the coming weeks." Click on for another glimpse.
Rumor: New Xbox 360 Arcade console and re-branding
Juicy news is making its rounds on the internet this morning with a Belgian Microsoft source revealing details about a new Xbox 360 console, potential re-branding and the extinction of the Core as we know it. Gamernode received the presentation slide you see above (larger version here) from their secret Microsoft source who said that a new Xbox 360 Arcade console will be priced at 279 GBP, replace the Xbox 360 Core and include the addition of a wireless controller, 256MB memory card, five XBLA games and possible HDMI connectivity. Also revealed was the re-branding of all three consoles offerings with the Elite getting a "Go Big" slogan, the Premium losing its name and becoming "Go Pro" and the Core being renamed to Arcade with a "Just Play!" slogan.It's also interesting to note that Gamernode was told that the new Xbox 360 Arcade console will be a world wide offering and, presumably, so will all the re-branding efforts. And it's not like we didn't see the death of the Core coming. Best Buy and Target have reportedly pulled the Core from their shelves and overall no more Core sentiment has been building among retailers and consumers alike. The addition of a memory card, games and wireless controller make the Arcade console a much more complete offering than the Core ever was. Again, we haven't received any official word from Microsoft about this rumor, console changes, prices, availability or future console plans. So, patience will need to be practiced.[Via Joystiq]
360 holiday bundles to include MUA and Forza 2?
Holiday console bundles are nearly a guarantee every year and by the looks of the images above, we think we know what Microsoft's plans are for Christmas '07. French website gamick.fr was browsing a Microsoft marketing website when they stumbled across the two console packaging images above (which have since been pulled) labeled as "Holiday Value Bundles" which state that both Marvel Ultimate Alliance and Forza Motorsport 2 are included in the box. Oh joy!So, it looks like some territory will be receiving two free games with the purchase of an Elite or Premium (now Pro?) Xbox 360 this holiday, but the big question is who? Remember, a French website found these images, so which territory will be receiving this exact bundle is still a mystery. And is it just us or you loving the whole "Go Big" and "Go Pro" marketing thing too?[Via Joystiq]
V3HD FireWire capture box boasts inputs galore
Those making their ends in the video production biz just might fall head over heels for the V3HD, you know, if you're down with an all-in-one solution for capturing SD / HD video as well as audio on the side. This semi-professional device can handle up to 32-channels of simultaneous audio input and output, touts HDMI output for watching your work on nearly any display, and includes just about every input you could ask for including HD / SD BNC connections, component, composite, S-Video, FireWire 400 / 800, RS-422, and XLR ins / outs for starters. You'll find MOTU's Video Console software bundled in, but both Mac and PC users will have no qualms syncing this up with their favorite editing suite. Expect to see this thing ship sometime in Q3, but as of now, there's no telling how much loot it'll demand.[Thanks, Kaku]
New tips for audio journalism from Apple
As a holiday weekend treat for the ink-stained wretches among us, Apple added a new article Friday to the ongoing series for journalists making the leap to multimedia newsgathering, Audio in Rich Media, up on the Pro site. Focused on the right gadget choices for audio recording on the go, Joe Gore's Audio Gear for Rich Media tip story suggests picking up a digital recorder and a reasonable-quality dynamic microphone before adding sound to your bag of tricks. He also lists four favorite recorders for $500 or less. Hey, Father's Day is coming up...
Apple releases Pro Application Support 4.0
Apple has released a Pro Application Support 4.0 update that "improves general user interface reliability for Apple's professional applications." Basically, if you use any of the Final Cut Suite apps, Aperture, Final Cut Express HD or Logic products, you'll probably see this in Software Update. Strangely, as with previous Pro Application Support updates, there isn't a whole lot of extra information as to what this update fixes, or what bugs and quirks it squashes; it's just 6 MB of UI update goodness, I guess.[via MacDailyNews]
HOWTO: Matting rotated QuickTime videos
One of my recent posts showed you how to rotate videos shot in portrait orientation. While this technique restores your video to its proper orientation, the results are not particularly usable in your favorite video editing programs like iMovie because of their unusual aspect ratio. The following gallery demonstrates how to matte your video onto a plain background using QuickTime Pro to restore a proper 4:3 (or 16:9) ratio. %Gallery-2616%
Why art thou n00b? [update 1]
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Why_art_thou_n00b'; One cannot live in the gaming world without encountering the ever-present dichotomy of "pro vs. n00b." Gamers claim superiority over others for their skill and ability, thus forming ridiculous "caste" systems in established communities across the globe. But what is skill, in gaming? What makes a gamer "good," able to achieve high-scores, able to frag their opponents with ease? Many gamers will simply state "reflexes" or more colloquially, "mad skillz yo LOL," but we'd like to take this opportunity and explore what truly makes a player exceptional ... and what the DS is doing to change that.
Razer Pro|Type Desktop ready to go
Razer announced the pending availability of their Pro|Type keyboard back in August. Honestly, we were wondering it was ever going to ship, and how much it would cost. Now we finally know.This week, Razer announced that their battleship-sized keyboard will cost $130US and begin shipping today, April 6th. The Pro|Type keyboard features in integrated iPod dock, two USB ports, 10 programmable keys, media keys and 10 available "profiles," which we assume are for multiple users. If you're a real keyboard jockey with a yen for customization, this keyboard is for you.[Via Engadget]
Ubisale at Toys R Us
There have been a lot of sales to report lately! If you picked up a Wii at Toys R Us yesterday, you now have an opportunity to get some relatively good games for a decent price, from now until the 10th.Toys R Us is offering three Ubisoft-published Wii games for the price of two. Your choices are GT Pro Series, Open Season, Rayman: Raving Rabbids, Red Steel, and Monster 4x4: World Circuit. This offer is valid online, but we aren't sure about its status in TRU stores. If there are three games in that list you're interested in, or two games you're interested in and one you think you could get a decent price for on eBay, then you are in luck![Via QJ.net]
