XBox Elite- New Console from Microsoft

[HHBizzle]

Microsoft keeps quiet on Xbox 'elite'
****not a rumour now, its true****


Microsoft Australia will on Wednesday make a "major announcement" to coincide with the first birthday of the Xbox 360.

While unconfirmed, all signs suggest Microsoft will introduce a revamped "Elite" version of the games console, with new features such as a larger hard disk drive and a built-in HDMI connector.

The announcement, to be made within a week of the Australian debut of the Playstation 3, comes as Microsoft faces the daunting task of keeping the Xbox 360 fresh in the face of renewed competition from Sony and Nintendo.

At the weekend, San Jose Mercury News journalist Dean Takahashi wrote on his blog that "several sources confirmed Microsoft plans to add this box [the Xbox 360 Elite] to its product line".

Takahashi is considered a highly credible source for Xbox-related news, having written two books that take a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of both the original Xbox and the Xbox 360.

He said the Xbox 360 Elite would be black and include both a 120GB hard disk drive and an HDMI connector.

It would "go on sale in limited quantities soon" for $US479 ($595).

It appears the Xbox 360's HD DVD player accessory, which goes on sale on Thursday for $249.95, will not be built into the Elite and continue to be an optional extra.

The current Xbox 360 only offers 20GB of storage space, while the PS3 has a 60GB drive that can be upgraded by the user.

HDMI, present on most big screen plasma and LCD televisions, is the optimal home theatre connection type because it can transmit high-definition video and 8-channel audio signals digitally, using a single cable, without requiring the signal be first converted to analogue.

The PS3 already includes a built-in HDMI connector, but this is not present on the Xbox 360.

Popular technology blog Engadget published similar details to Takahashi, citing "trusted sources".

"The Elite will be limited quantities only; that may be as much or as little as a couple of hundred thousand," Engadget wrote.

"Eventually Elite hardware (in white plastics) will take the role of the Xbox Premium ... after the Elite is launched and sold out, future Xbox Premiums will have 120GB / HDMI."

Brian Crecente, editor of the authoritative gaming blog Kotaku, said: "I suspect that this new model will hit in April, with official word coming as early as next week."

US media are being briefed by Microsoft on Tuesday. The subject of the briefing is unclear, but Engadget editor Ryan Block said he was "fairly sure" it would be the Elite.

A Microsoft spokesman declined to comment on "rumour and speculation", but last week said there would be a "major announcement" made on Wednesday.

[Triple_6]

I don't understand this move by Microsoft. They could have done a price cut and left Sony in the dust. Now their console is almost as expensive as the PS3 which is just going to make people think harder about which one they buy. Not to mention, the 360 Core owners have to be feeling like their machines are obsolete right now. They've basically thrown away the single biggest advantage they had. After the black boxes get sold and the new elites start taking over the 360 premium bundles, will the price go back down to the traditional premiums or stay back up where the new elites are?

I think it's retarded.

[thegreaterbad]

It seems that they dont agree with the phrase "If it aint' broke, dont fix it!"

Microsoft has always been a huge corporation, but it seem's that they are growing so big in the console world that they almost cant stop, it seems like if they take a break from making something new, they have failed themselves.

They just need to slow down and take a breather and let gamers enjoy the recent creation for at least a year or 2.

[Animal]

The Xbox is a superior system and it's still cheaper than the PS3. Microsoft will eventually take over the console market in my opinion. Will it happen tomorrow? Doubtful, but they get closer everyday. Microsoft does make some dumb ass decisions regarding some things. However, overall, they have the most complete and best "console package" (which I will classify as the system, games, online components, and other features rolled into one).

The article you posted lists prices in Australia. You can still purchase an Xbox Elite along with the HD DVD drive for about the same as a PS3. The Xbox still has the best online network and in my opinion multimedia capabilities.

[L1veUndead]

I could make an argument about consoles all day.

Im just saying im happy with my purchase.

[Animal]

I could make an argument about consoles all day.

Im just saying im happy with my purchase.

What was your purchase? I am going to assume it was a PS3 since I know you are a huge Tekken fan.

[L1veUndead]

You are correct sir!

[thegreaterbad]

PS3 sucks balls L1ve, without Tekken, PS3 is nothing. Once XBox gets rights to it just like they got Grand Theft Auto, its all over. Microsoft is a juggernaut that will not be stopped.

Youre like the captain on a sinking ship man, push some women and children out of the way before it goes down

[Animal]

I don't know that I can say the PS3 "sucks balls". The thing is like you said GB, Microsoft has the power and the money to gain access to all the killer franchises, such as Grand Theft Auto. The Xbox is cheaper and has pretty much all of the same games, this is almost a no brainer.

Sony just became complacent with their position in the marketplace. This is what happens when a company is #1 for so long. Sony had a fantastic hit with the PS1 and followed up with another great system, the PS2. However, Sonys vision was severely lacking since it's online component is almost not even worth mentioning. By comparison, the original Xbox had a much better online component which gave Microsoft a pretty big advantage. For a first generation system, the original Xbox had a GREAT showing.

Now, enter Xbox360 ahead of the PS3 by more than a year. The online component for the 360 is about as good as it gets. It's like Microsoft can somehow read people's brains while they use their products. Microsoft thinks of almost everything.

The thing with Microsoft is that they can pretty much afford to take a gamble on anything. A big as most of these companies are, they cannot afford to gamble on anything. They have to stick with what works until the market demands otherwise.

Regardless of what anyone says about Microsoft, they are pretty darn good at innovation. Well, maybe not innovation, but "renovation". Microsoft has been known to use other peoples' ideas to put out new products. Microsoft usually does an excellent job of taking these ideas and refining them to the point of near perfection.

[thegreaterbad]

Animal you seem pretty well versed on these strides in the gaming community, The way that Microsoft is charging ahead so damn fast with so many advancements in so little time, is there any talk of Virtual Reality? I mean, the Wii has gotten the ball rolling with the nun-chucks involved in the gaming. And Microsoft has to be thinking huge on this subject, because they will eventually hit a brickwall if they dont expand past console gaming