DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Fantasy & Gaming Microsoft Unveils Elite Xbox 360

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17821341/

Microsoft to release bulked-up Xbox 360
Console will come with a 120-gigabyte hard drive, HD video connection

REDMOND, Wash. - Microsoft Corp. will sell a version of its Xbox 360 with a 120-gigabyte hard drive and a souped up high-definition video connection, in a bid to broaden the appeal of its popular console beyond video games.

(MSNBC is a joint Microsoft - NBC Universal venture.)

Earlier versions of Xbox 360 came with 20 gigabytes of storage. But that filled up too quickly with movies, TV shows and games from the Xbox Live Marketplace online store, said Peter Moore, a corporate vice president in Microsoft’s Interactive Entertainment group.

The new Xbox 360 Elite will sell for $479.99. Consumers who already own the $399.99 20-gigabyte model will be able to buy a snap-on 120-gigabyte hard drive for $179.99. Both the new console and the drive are expected to hit U.S. shelves April 29.

Microsoft also added an HDMI connection, which sends high-definition content from the console to the TV without losing picture or sound quality, while also helping prevent piracy.

Xbox 360 was the No. 2 U.S. video game console after Nintendo Co.’s Wii in January and February, according to data from market researcher NPD Group. The Xbox outpaced Sony Corp.’s PlayStation 3, a $599.99 console that plays Blu-ray DVDs.

Microsoft’s decision to upgrade the Xbox 360 is the latest of many steps the software maker has taken to position its products at the center of home entertainment.

Microsoft has incorporated Media Center software, which can turn a computer into a digital video recorder, movie and music player, into all but the most basic version of its new Windows Vista operating system.

And Xbox 360 users can connect the console to their home network, then stream movies, music and other content from computer to the Xbox and television. Unlike Sony, Microsoft hasn’t added a high-def DVD player to the console, but consumers can buy an external HD DVD player for the Xbox for $199.99.

On Wednesday, Microsoft also announced deals to bring new high-def video to the Xbox Live Marketplace, including New Line Cinema’s film “Snakes on a Plane” and upcoming releases from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment’s direct-to-video division.

Microsoft’s focus on downloadable high-def video sets the effort apart from the competition, said Moore. He said the content fills a gap between cable companies’ DVR services for fresh TV episodes, Tivo Inc. and Amazon.com Inc.’s standard-definition content available over the Web, and Apple Inc.’s recent move to send iTunes movies and music to the TV from a Mac.

At the core, though, video game players aren’t going to choose their system based on its ability to play movies or television shows, said Anita Frazier, an analyst for NPD Group.
“To the extent (the consoles) do other things, it’s great, but this industry is all about the games,” she said.

© 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

This woulda been the perfect time to sell it at $400.

$479 just for an HDMI input and 100GB more storage space? Please, hard drive space is much less expensive than that.

If this included the HD-DVD add-on I'd get one without thinking twice, though.

Sounds cool, but why'd they change the color? I personally liked the green and white..but black??? I hate black, every video game system is black now except for the Wii, which now since I said it, they'll change to black.......

So now they're changing their design becasue they're already obsolete to the Ps3?

Those are just biased thoughts.

Really??? Your friends Ps2 must have been bad or something, I had the same one for 8 years and no problems. I remember that thing was a beast, I must have been lucky or something, I don't know.

$479? Kind of high, the only thing really there is a really large 120g HD (which you probably won't need that much), and HDMI finally. And they threw in a headset. No HD-DVD? For $20 more I bought a PS3. The harddrive is smaller, but you have the HDMI and the cable, and full HD with Blu Ray. Why didn't they throw in the HD-DVD and raise it up a little? I'd rather pay a little more and get Full HD then pay $479 for a bigger HD and HDMI out with a cable.

Isn't it built in on the "premium" system? I know it comes with a wireless controller...

Sounds like Microsoft is still completely clueless, despite the huge popularity and success of the Wii.

The real money isn't in technology specs, it's in revolutionary gameplay. Most people are getting tired of playing the exact same games with a prettier picture.

PS3 is even more clueless considering they think people want to spend 600 on a gaming console...


Now, once they're able to make it an all in one wonder unit...dvr, dvd recorder, hd-dvd player/blue ray maybe they'll be able to get that kind of money out of me....