Why are Xbox 360 HDDs So Expensive: related news

Why are Xbox 360 HDDs So Expensive?

Maybe after filling your Xbox 360 hard drive, you've looked into buying a bigger model. Whether or not you went through with the painful purchase, there was probably a considerable amount of sticker shock. Stand-alone HDDs are fairly cheap these days, so what's behind the high price for the Xbox 360 models?

Rivet 1.0 streams media to Xbox 360

Rivet 1.0 has been released, enabling users to stream video, music, and photos from Mac OS X to an Xbox 360 over a home network. Rivet allows users to quickly browse and view their entire collection of digital media from from anywhere in the house on their Xbox 360. The Mac OS X folder structure and organization is completely reproduced to allow you to quickly find the appropriate media. Features include: Music streaming of your iTunes library; Photo streaming of your iPhoto library and user defined folders; Video streaming from user defines folders; Full organization support, your mac is recreated on the Xbox 360 and quick automatic updating on the Xbox 360 when files are added, deleted, or moved. The tool requires Mac OS X v10.5 or later, uses iTunes for music sharing and requires a networked Xbox 360.

Xbox 360 Prices Cut in Europe

Microsoft's Xbox 360 video-game console has 42 percent of the market in Europe, and the 80-euro (US$123) price cut is aimed at protecting Microsoft's base. With the cuts, a 20GB Xbox 360 will cost 270 euros, the Xbox 360 Elite 370 euros and the Xbox 360 Arcade euros. An analyst does not expect lower prices for Microsoft's Xbox 360 in the U.S.

Xbox 360 Price Drop for Europe

Microsoft announced today that it will reduce the cost of its Xbox 360 console in Europe. All flavors of Xbox 360 will get their prices slashed on Friday, March 14, 2008. The ultra-basic Xbox 360 Arcade will have its price reduced to ₤159.99, while the standard Xbox 360 (with 20GB hard drive and single wireless controller) will cost ₤199.99 and the Xbox 360 Elite will run ₤259.99 with a 120GB hard drive.

Microsoft Sends Replacement (And Signed) Xbox 360 To Jilted Owner

A few weeks ago we reported on "Nathaniel", an owner of a signed Xbox 360 console that was decorated with Halo artwork and signed by members of the game's developer Bungie. His console got "cleaned" of all the artwork and signatures by a Microsoft service person when the console had to go back to be fixed for a "Red Ring of Death" issue. Last time we stated that Bungie decided to send him a boatload of Halo merchandice as compensation; now the blog site Hawky McBloggy reports that "Nathaniel" got a new Xbox 360 console fron Microsoft that not only has artwork and signatures from the Xbox 360 community team and Bungie but also a Xbox 360 faceplate with a signature from Microsoft founder Bill Gates himself, along with a signed picture of Gates and some new Xbox 360 games among others.

Why Microsoft Won't Have Blu-ray on the Xbox

Ian Lamont writes "Ever since Toshiba stopped production of HD DVD players, many Xbox 360 owners have been wondering when Microsoft will offer some sort of Blu-ray option for the Xbox 360. The answer: Probably never. Microsoft's product manager for the Xbox 360 has told Reuters that Microsoft is not in talks with Sony or the Blu-ray Association. Why not? The Industry Standard points to HDi, an obscure Microsoft technology that was part of the HD DVD interactivity layer. HDi may be dead on physical media, but it could potentially be applied to other Microsoft HD-compatible technologies such as Xbox Live Arcade and Windows Media Center, and be part of a long-term play to own a big share of the market for HD content delivered over the Internet.

Why Microsoft Won't Have Blu-ray on the Xbox

Ian Lamont writes "Ever since Toshiba stopped production of HD DVD players, many Xbox 360 owners have been wondering when Microsoft will offer some sort of Blu-ray option for the Xbox 360. The answer: Probably never. Microsoft's product manager for the Xbox 360 has told Reuters that Microsoft is not in talks with Sony or the Blu-ray Association. Why not? The Industry Standard points to HDi, an obscure Microsoft technology that was part of the HD DVD interactivity layer. HDi may be dead on physical media, but it could potentially be applied to other Microsoft HD-compatible technologies such as Xbox Live Arcade and Windows Media Center, and be part of a long-term play to own a big share of the market for HD content delivered over the Internet.

Microsoft planning 60GB Xbox 360 Pro for spring?

Microsoft may at last upgrade its mid-tier Xbox 360 beyond 20GB of storage, says a new rumor. Claiming to have accurately predicted the 16GB iPhone, the reporter touts sources who claim that Microsoft plans to replace the stock 20GB hard drive for the Xbox 360 Pro with a 60GB version. The upgraded console would come before the end of Microsoft's financial year, which ends at the start of June. Reasons for the upgrade are not given, though the advent of the Xbox Video Marketplace as well as the increasing size of demos and Xbox Live Arcade games are likely motivating factors.

No Price Cut for Xbox 360 in India

Microsoft has decided to cut prices of its Xbox 360 arcade system by 11 to 20 percent in the Asian market. However, the company said that it has no plans of bringing the cost down for the Indian market. A company official said, "Microsoft takes a strategic approach to its products in each regional market and sets pricing accordingly. In India, our celebratory offer announced for both -- Core and Pro consoles a few months back is a fantastic example of the same. Currently in India, the Xbox 360 Core console is priced at Rs 14,990 and comes with two free games; Xbox 360 Pro is priced at Rs 23,990 and comes with four free games; and XBOX Elite is priced at Rs 34,990. Whereas, Sony PlayStation 3 is priced between Rs 23,000 and Rs 26,000 for its different models.

Rumors persist on Blu-ray drive for XBox 360

CNET's Gamespot posted a news blurb today on a report that, "Microsoft has entered into talks with Sony to bring Blu-ray to the Xbox 360." The report comes from a Financial Times story that quotes an unnamed "senior executive," who says that Sony and Microsoft "are not simply discussing a successor to the Xbox 360's now discontinued, dirt-cheap external HD DVD drive," but that "there is also the possibility of an internal Blu-ray drive being incorporated into a new, more expensive 'premium' 360 model."

Xbox 360 first to hit 1000 games (Xbox 360)

Microsoft is confident that having a huge library of games on its console will attract the mainstream masses, as it says Xbox 360 will be the first current-gen console to reach a games library of 1000 games this summer (that's Xbox Live Arcade included).

Xbox 360 Blu-ray console shipping by September?

For all of Microsoft's denial, the Xbox 360 Blu-ray console rumors just will not die. In fact, they are getting more and more specific. The Chinese language Economic Daily News is reporting that Pegatron, an OEM subsidiary of ASUS, has won the order from Microsoft to assemble the Xbox 360 with Blu-ray Disc ROM drive -- shipments are expected to being in Q3 of this year.

Rumor: 20GB Xbox 360 To Be Replaced By 60GB Xbox 360?

TrustedReviews.com reports via what they are calling a "rock solid source" that Microsoft plans to replace the current Premium Xbox 360 console that currently has a 20GB hard drive with one that has a larger 60GB drive. The story claims that Microsoft plans to introduce the new version before the end of the company's current fiscal year which ends on June 30.

PlayStation 3 Again Outsells Xbox 360 In February NPD

PlayStation 3 Again Outsells Xbox 360 In February NPD [03.13.08] For the second month in a row, the PlayStation 3 has outsold the Xbox 360, according to NPD's February North American hardware and software sales figures, as the Wii hardware and the Xbox 360 version of Activision's Call of Duty 4 again top the charts.

Hardware analysis suggests the Xbox 360 HDD is overpriced

This just in: the Xbox 360 proprietary hard drives may be overpriced. Shocking, isn't it? MTV's Multiplayer blog and iSuppli teamed up to look into the 120GB Xbox 360 hard drive to determine why the units cost so much and their findings suggest that Microsoft is making a killing.

New Call Of Duty 4 Xbox 360 Patch Released

Owners of the Xbox 360 version of Infinity Ward's first person shooter Call of Duty 4 can now download an update for the game automatically once they sign onto Xbox Live. The Infinity Ward message boards has a list of what is included in the Xbox 360 patch for the game which includes improved sniper and ACOG scope accuracy and the ability to switch between first and third person modes while following a player in spectator mode as well as being able to rotate 360 degrees around the player. Kill Cams have also been improved; "Everything that can kill you has a Kill Cam now. Grenades, Airstrikes, Claymores, C4, M203 Rounds, RPGs, anything."

Micrsoft Denies Blu-ray Capable Xbox 360...Again

Micrsoft Denies Blu-ray Capable Xbox 360...Again It’s come to the point with the Xbox 360 with Blu-ray fiasco that I’ll only believe it when I can walk into a store and purchase one. Even an official confirmation from Microsoft might not persuade me it is real. We’ve seen so many attempts to get this rumor going, and immediately following a denial statement comes out from Redmond. The latest rumor of Blu-ray on 360 surfaced late last week, and Microsoft has once again shot down the rumor.

Second GRAW 2 Xbox 360 Co-Op Downloadable Content Released

UbiSoft has released a second downloadable co-op expansion pack for the Xbox 360 version of their tactical shooter Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2. The downloadable map pack, which costs 400 Microsoft points to download, adds a new five map co-op mission that continues the storyline from the first downloadable co-op map pack that was released in late January. There are a total of nine maps in the second expansion; two that are all new and seven that are remakes of classic maps from previous Ghost Recon games. Eight new Xbox Live Achievements totaling 125 points have also been added.

Disruptive Media Publishers Announce Xbox 360(TM) Content Creation Challenge

BELLINGHAM, Wash., March 17, 2008 -- Disruptive Media Publishers (DP), the leading provider of lifestyle customization content (gamer pictures and themes) for Xbox LIVE on Xbox 360(TM), today announced the official launch of the DP Content Creation Challenge. This marks the first time that individual artists have had the opportunity to get their unique content published on Xbox LIVE Marketplace as downloadable Xbox 360 themes, which can then be purchased by the over 10+ million members using Microsoft Points. The contest kicks off on March 17, 2008, and runs until April 28, 2008.

Rumor: Blu-ray equipped Xbox 360 consoles still in the works

An OEM subsidiary for hardware giant Asus, Pegatron Technology, has reportedly landed orders from Microsoft itself to commence production of Xbox 360 consoles featuring built-in Blu-ray disc drives (BD-ROM). According to the Economic Daily News (EDN), these Blu-ray equipped Xbox 360 consoles could be made ready for shipment as early as the third quarter of this year. This wouldn't be the first time that word of built-in Blu-ray drives for the Xbox 360 emerged from production sources in Taiwan, though today's tidbit does provide a clearer timeframe as to when they could become reality.

Bungie To Come To Aid Of Xbox 360 Owner

Last week word got out on the Internet of an Xbox 360 owner only known as "Nathaniel" who had his console get the "Red Ring of Death" hardware issue. The problem was that his console had been decorated with Halo artwork and signed by members of the game's developer Bungie. However the artwork and signatures were wiped clean by an overzealous (and unnamed ) Xbox 360 support person when "Nathaniel" got his Xbox 360 back from repair. Now Next Generation reports that Bungie plans to help "Nathaniel" with some kind of secret surprise that they hope will make up for the loss of the signatures and artwork.

10:22 - Disruptive Media Publishers Announce Xbox 360 Content Creation Challenge...

BELLINGHAM, WA (March 17, 2008), Disruptive Media Publishers (DP), the leading provider of lifestyle customization content (gamer pictures and themes) for Xbox LIVE on Xbox 360™, today announced the official launch of the DP Content Creation Challenge. This marks the first time that individual artists have had the opportunity to get their unique content published on Xbox LIVE Marketplace as downloadable Xbox 360 themes, which can then be purchased by the over 10+ million members using Microsoft Points. The contest kicks off on March 17, 2008, and runs until April 28, 2008.

Microsoft to consider Blu-ray on XBOX 360

Shacknews - Sony has stated that is has talked with Microsoft about the availability of Blu-ray playback on its XBOX 360 system. It is not known whether the Blu-ray support would be a later revision of the XBOX 360 with a built in Blu-ray player or whether it would be an external add-on device such as Microsoft's own HD-DVD player. Steve Ballmer the CEO of Microsoft stated at the Mix08 internet conference that Blu-ray support was in the works. Sony's recent victory over Toshiba in the format wars has brought a lot of focus to Blu-ray (being that is the only high definition format currently in production), Microsoft agreeing to utilize the format on their XBOX 360 console could yield higher profits as it did for Sony when they designed their Playstation 3 console around the Blu-ray format.

NPD Xbox Numbers for February

"For February’s NPD reporting period, Xbox 360 remained in a supply constrained situation. The situation is improving and we are confident consumers will soon be able to find the Xbox 360 SKU they seek, in time for the launch of “Grand Theft Auto IV”, which we expect to be one of the biggest titles of the year with huge impact on the Xbox 360 platform. "

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