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Xbox 360 Elite Officially Announced 264

Posted by Zonk from the criminy-about-time-guys dept.
It should come as no shock that Microsoft has finally announced an upgraded version of the Xbox 360: the 'Elite'. The worst-kept secret in the videogames industry is now official, offering a 120 GB HDD, an HDMI port, and a smooth black finish for $479. The new sku drops next month, and to fill up that new hard drive Microsoft has lined up seven new partners for their Xbox Live video distribution service. Outfits like Paramount and Warner Bros. are nice to hear about, but I'm equally excited about the likes of National Geographic and ADV Films. 1up has the market cornered on commentary at the moment, with reactions from the staff there, a comparison of the new 360's value vs. the PS3, and a few words from Sony's Dave Karraker. If you're looking for even more coverage, there are several links available below.
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Xbox 360 Elite Officially Announced More

Xbox 360 Elite Officially Announced

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  • Worthless. (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Seumas ( 6865 ) on Wednesday March 28, 2007 @01:36AM (#18512133)
    What a worthless bundle. First of all as we already covered in a previous XBOX 360 Elite article, there is no benefit to using HDMI instead of a component-cable. Second, by using HDMI, you are actually submitting to HDCP (DRM, content control stuff).

    So what you're really getting out of this product is a larger hard drive. Whether a bigger hard drive is worth an extra $80 to you is for you to decide. I fail, however, to understand how nothing more than a larger hard drive and a black paint job makes it elite.

    I'm going to guess there will be a flood of idiots rushing out to buy it - even to replace their existing boxes - because they think HDMI is some nifty high-definition thingamajig and then they'll rush home and plug it in and convince themselves that they really do see a difference.

    If you really want to make it elite, make it quieter, cooler and less prone to dying.

    • Re:Worthless. (Score:5, Insightful)

      by suv4x4 ( 956391 ) on Wednesday March 28, 2007 @01:57AM (#18512221)
      So what you're really getting out of this product is a larger hard drive. Whether a bigger hard drive is worth an extra $80 to you is for you to decide. I fail, however, to understand how nothing more than a larger hard drive and a black paint job makes it elite.

      I also wondered how *only* a black finish makes a MacBook $150 more expensive and "elite" but.. common sense isn't popular these days.

      If enough companies do this, one morning I could wake up and really believe that black color is extremely expensive and worth the extra cost, who knows.

      • HDMI is most beneficial for AUDIO (Score:5, Interesting)

        by appleguru ( 1030562 ) on Wednesday March 28, 2007 @03:02AM (#18512521) Homepage Journal
        That's right, audio. While HDMI clearly presents a slight improvement for video (analog vs digital...), its real benefit is next generation audio support. While HDMI is a true digital picture and will give us a slightly better image, this improvement is negligible for the vast majority of people. With HD DVD content sporting DD+/TrueHD, and DTS HD audio that currently can't be handled over optical, HDMI provides us with a way of supporting that... Not that there's a whole lot of receivers that support those yet, but they'll be more available soon enough. You may think your A52/AC3 5.1 dolby digital compressed surround sound is good, but uncompressed TrueHD/DTS HD BLOWS IT AWAY. With even a half decent sound system, movies spring to life with the new audio formats.. Once you watch a film with a TrueHD or DTS HD audio track enabled, you wont be able to go back to "crappy" compressed Dolby Digital. Obviously, it depends on the mixing and the original soundtrack for the film your watching, but from what I've heard so far it's a real improvement across the board.

        And, as much as I hate DRM, ultimately the decision to flag HD DVDs to downconvert over component is up to the movie studios... And... should they go that route in the future (I don't see it happening, especially now that HD DVD is compromised...), M$ will be ready with HDCP compliant HDMI.

        • Re:HDMI is most beneficial for AUDIO (Score:5, Interesting)

          by Kjella ( 173770 ) on Wednesday March 28, 2007 @05:16AM (#18513127) Homepage
          You may think your A52/AC3 5.1 dolby digital compressed surround sound is good, but uncompressed TrueHD/DTS HD BLOWS IT AWAY. With even a half decent sound system, movies spring to life with the new audio formats.. Once you watch a film with a TrueHD or DTS HD audio track enabled, you wont be able to go back to "crappy" compressed Dolby Digital.

          Somehow I have a feeling I've heard this before, about MP3 vs CD or maybe even SACD and DVD-A. Extremely few people can tell the difference between CD and MP3 >256kbps, and even regular AC-3 DVDs have that + 192kbps to encode the rear channels and bass track. DTS goes much higher than that again, typically 768kbps+. Of course the new formats bring 7.1 to the table, but how many movies have 7.1 sound, are played in a 7.1 player to a 7.1 reciever with correctly placed 7.1 speakers? I doubt 95% of the people would be able to tell the difference, 4.9% wouldn't be "BLOWN AWAY" and the last 0.1% is you.

          The only thing I'm still missing is the option to go past 24p. If you've ever seen sports or anything else fast-moving high action in 720p60 progressive, you'll wonder how you ever survived with 24p/30i. They can quote whatever artistic reasons they want but 60p would improve a lot of movies IMO.

          • Re:HDMI is most beneficial for AUDIO (Score:5, Interesting)

            by appleguru ( 1030562 ) on Wednesday March 28, 2007 @05:35AM (#18513181) Homepage Journal
            Perhaps your right. In fact, I'm sure I'm in the minority when it comes to being blown away by next generation audio (Though surely that minority is bigger than .1% ;)). Even so, the fact remains that having HDMI at least enables the xbox 360 to become a full blown HD DVD player, something it could only do with limited abilities in its non-hdmi version (if you play a truehd or dts hd track with the current generation xbox 360 it gets downconverted and encoded on the fly to dolby digital).

            Now, 60p I'm not disagreeing with, framerate definitely makes a difference. But things shot on film look like there were.. well.. shot on film *because* of the 24fps frame rate.. and because of the film grain... And just like you (well, I can anyways...) distinguish when something was shot with a 1 ccd mini-dv cam, or a 3ccd mini-dv cam, or an HDV camera, or a DVC Pro camera... you can just TELL when something is shot on film. And to a lot of people, that's part of what makes a movie.. what it is.

            Then again, there are some people that enjoyed the oh so cinematic experience of watching the blair witch project on the big screen... :P (That's not to say that movies shot digitally look like that piece of trash, merely making the point that you can tell the difference between film and digital).

            Now, with all of the digital effects in movies today, and movies going directly to theater digitally to be played on DLP projectors the argument becomes a bit less cohesive... but there's definitely something about 24 frames per second that makes a movie a movie.. and not an NFL football game.

        • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

          by poot_rootbeer ( 188613 )
          With HD DVD content sporting DD+/TrueHD, and DTS HD audio that currently can't be handled over optical, HDMI provides us with a way of supporting that.

          Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the audio wiring within an HDMI cable electrically identical to an S/PDIF coaxial link?

    • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

      by atomicstrawberry ( 955148 )
      A lot of TVs and monitors don't support 1080p over component. I know mine doesn't. HDMI is certainly better than VGA on a decent TV, and let's face it, if you actually have HDMI, you probably have a TV that you'll notice the difference with.

      The extra $80 also gives you an Xbox Live headset, something the standard bundle doesn't. I agree that they've failed to justify the price though - the core unit should have been killed, the premium moved down to that price bracket, and this should have slotted in as a r

      • A lot of TVs and monitors don't support 1080p over component. I know mine doesn't. HDMI is certainly better than VGA on a decent TV, and let's face it, if you actually have HDMI, you probably have a TV that you'll notice the difference with.

        I can stand behind that. I think anyone that's chosen to use DVI over VGA for their PC monitor doesn't have any right to claim there is no difference between Component and HDMI.

        DRM aside HDMI offers two benefits in my eyes, 1. the image construction is pure, that is

    • Re: (Score:3, Funny)

      by RyuuzakiTetsuya ( 195424 )
      HDCP isn't that bad.

      HDCP IS DRM, and it IS evil. But let's face it, it's the Barney Fife of the DRM world.

      The only thing that kind of pisses me off about HDMI is that I can't record my own gameplay sessions from HDMI. Then again, I have nothing that could store raw 1080p either so...

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by DrXym ( 126579 )
      there is no benefit to using HDMI instead of a component-cable

      Seems a rather peculiar thing to say. Do you think the same thing when comparing VGA to DVI-D too? Even the best analogue signals is vulnerable to ghosting or slight interference.

      As for the HD, it's feature the 360 should have had since the beginning. Too bad that MS are still using a proprietary casing and circuitry to force people to buy their drive rather than allow them to buy and fit any that they like.

    • Re: (Score:2, Informative)

      by Mark Gillespie ( 866733 )
      You know it's funny, those that say you don't need HDMI, are those that can't have it..

      I have seen the difference between HDMI and Component on my 42in Panasonic PX60 Plasma, it's a considerable improvement. Perhaps you don't need it on a 28in el-cheapo TV, but on a decent display HDMI is essential. 30 year old component ananlog interconnect technology is simply not cut out for it, and the D-A and A-D stages required for analog component does nothing but introduce unnecessary processing.

      Still back on topi

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by @madeus ( 24818 )
        Hmmm on my my 50" Pioneer good quality HD video input looks the same on component as via HDMI, and I've compared the two. The more expensive Pioneer systems have an external system for processing inputs though (meaning you don't just plug things into the back of the TV, and meaning you get a much larger number of inputs - like 2 HDMI ports, 1 component, 3 SCART, S-Video, VGA, etc.)

        If component is noticeably worse on your set, maybe it's the input processing hardware on your set? I know a few sets are unable

    • Re: (Score:2, Informative)

      by @madeus ( 24818 )

      If you really want to make it elite, make it quieter, cooler and less prone to dying.
      You mean perhaps by also putting in a new lower power (and cooler running) 65 nm CPU instead of the existing 90 nm one and a new, quieter DVD drive?
      • Except err, some sites are now reporting that ISN'T the case despite that being touted as part of the rumour on gaming sites everywhere)...

        From Gizmondo [gizmodo.com]:

        Microsoft told us there would be no new hardware inside the Elite except for that 120GB hard drive, alluding to the often-rumored cooler-running processors manufactured with the 65nm process

        I wanted to get one, and was going to give my existing 360 to someone I know who has kids but can't afford a console, and having it run more quietly was a big part of th

    • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

      by alexhs ( 877055 )
      From the prices to the end of the table you would think that an XBox 360 is just a bit cheaper with more hard drive capacity for the otherwise same set of features.

      But I think the comparison isn't fair.
      First, the price for paying online is for one single year on XBox360 side, while it's free (except communication costs...) on Sony's side.

      Also you can buy cheaper parts to get the same functionnality for Sony, while to lower the price of the XBox360, you need to choose to lose some functionality.

      Also, adding

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by joshetc ( 955226 )
      Are you crazy man? HDMI That means it owns!!!

    • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

      by bradavon ( 1066358 )
      HDMI is Digital, offer up to 7.1 audio, HDCP (which if on the software you'll be forced to use HDMI) so you're mistaken very much offers an improvement over Component. HDMI is becoming the standard for HD.

    • there is no benefit to using HDMI instead of a component-cable. Second, by using HDMI, you are actually submitting to HDCP (DRM, content control stuff).

      The DRM support *is* the benefit that Microsoft sees into the new XBox.

      See, for this new generations of consoles, there are two route to provide newer home video experience.

      1. - The new generation of HD media. The hopes of the company is that the console will also be bought and used like DVD based console did in previous generation : not only to play games, but

    • Re:Worthless. (Score:5, Insightful)

      by MikeBabcock ( 65886 ) <mtb-slashdot@mikebabcock.ca> on Wednesday March 28, 2007 @08:10AM (#18514103) Homepage Journal
      I'm so sick of the anti-HDMI people.

      HDMI does not require the use of HDCP. Being compatible with it does not mean turning on Copyright protection features.

      HDMI can carry much higher bandwidth audio than optical or coax digital audio cables can right now, like TrueHD and uncompressed 7.1 PCM.

      HDMI can share live display capability information (like that nice monitor detection you have on your VGA-based PC).

      HDMI allows for better colour depth (higher bit per pixel values) and deeper blacks and brigther whites, combined with displays capable of these. This means displays can keep getting better and looking nicer and having richer colour because the capacity is already 'in the wire' so to speak.

      Next troll?

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Gulthek ( 12570 )
      My HDTV will only accept a 1080p signal from a HDMI connection. But that's what I get for buying a Sony.

  • Interesting... (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Anubis350 ( 772791 ) on Wednesday March 28, 2007 @01:44AM (#18512165)
    FTFA:

    We don't feel like the Wii customer and the Xbox customer are the same thing," he [Mr. Rodman] said. "We think that as soon as the Wii customer turns 14 they want something else.
    At my college, last generation the ps2 and xbox were pretty much in a dead heat for the top spot. Now though, the Wii is clearly winning over the ps3 and 360. The will may not be, by and large, the system you play by yourself, but it's the best system if you have people over. Also, the retro gaming is a huge hit here (may have something to do with it being an engineering and science school, maybe).

    That said, you haven't lived till you've played a real NES on 62" screen tv or a >100" projected screen :-D
    • good god I need coffee, *wii*, not *will*

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by suv4x4 ( 956391 )

      We don't feel like the Wii customer and the Xbox customer are the same thing," he [Mr. Rodman] said. "We think that as soon as the Wii customer turns 14 they want something else.

      At my college, last generation the ps2 and xbox were pretty much in a dead heat for the top spot. Now though, the Wii is clearly winning over the ps3 and 360. The will may not be, by and large, the system you play by yourself, but it's the best system if you have people over. Also, the retro gaming is a huge hit here (may have somet

      • Re: (Score:3, Funny)

        by Moocow660 ( 975091 )
        I'm 22 (and also went to engineering school,) and the last game console I bought before the Wii was a Sega Megadrive (Genesis in America) I'm mostly a PC gamer, and none of the other consoles really has anything extra to offer me to make me buy it instead of a new graphics card. Also, I never in a million years imagined I'd have girls I barely know turning up at my house to *ahem* play with my Wii. There you have it slashdot, Wii brings girls to your house*. *Disclaimer: Of course this still leaves you s
        • I have the solution to your girl problem, my friend.

          "Wii Bowling Drinking".

          The rules are simple. If the current thrower strikes, all other players drink. For a turkey (3 strikes in a row), they drink twice.

        • Dude, I totally heard a rumor from a guy who's uncle works at Nintendo that with the next Wii Channels update, they'll add one called, "Small Talk Age," that trains your brain to do small talk until you can do it as effortlessly as a 20 year old (girl).

          (Seriously, I love your story. You rock!)

    • Re: (Score:3, Funny)

      by nutshell42 ( 557890 )
      At my college, last generation the ps2 and xbox were pretty much in a dead heat for the top spot.

      IOW, what you're saying is that your college anecdotes are useless for predicting the winner of the console wars?

    • you haven't lived till you've played a real NES on 62" screen tv or a >100" projected screen :-D

      On a 62" screen, the NES resolution density would be about 8 pixels per inch. (The same screen showing a native 1080p image would have about 40 pixels per inch.)

  • Hardly elite (Score:5, Interesting)

    by fahrvergnugen ( 228539 ) <fahrv@hotmail.cDALIom minus painter> on Wednesday March 28, 2007 @01:51AM (#18512193) Homepage
    I'm a huge believer in the XBox 360 as a platform, and I'm delighted to have owned one since launch day. Wii's anemic release schedule and PS3's pathetic lineup of 360 ports / shitty first-party content (Resistance excepted) means that it's the best system out there.

    I'm one of those dorks that buys everything videogame-related, but I'm not motivated to upgrade at all. An HDMI port, quieter operation, and shiny black skin isn't enough to attract me, and I'm an enthusiast for their products. If they'd integrated the HD-DVD drive and the wireless adapter that would be one thing, but this is much too little, far too late.

    I mean, the PS3 comes with Blu-ray and wireless built-in on the high-end model. Meanwhile, the 360 costs $100 extra for 802.11 (an adapter that has shit range, by the way, on a shelf next to my wii and ps3 the 360 can't pick up a signal), and $200 extra for a hi-def video drive.

    So: Elite 360 + Wireless + HD-DVD = $780.
    PS3, with built-in wireless and built-in Blu-ray: $600. Way to destroy your price advantage, Microsoft!

    Obviously I'm not the target audience for this product, but I can't for the life of me figure out who is.
    • Well, as you've said, you're not the target audience for it.

      The target audience obviously isn't anyone who already has an XBox 360, for that matter. It's out to target people -- or at least blunt their arguments -- who've been whining, basically, "the XBox sucks because it doesn't have a HDMI port" or "the XBox sucks because it's too loud for my living room" or "yeah, but the PS3 is _black_". Now MS can tell them, basically, "So buy an Elite then."

      It's, if you will, like the pink PSP. It's not there so ever
      • The target audience obviously isn't anyone who already has an XBox 360, for that matter.

        If so, that is a huge problem for Microsoft - because they already have all the people that are the "core gamers", that buy systems early. How are they going to convince the more casual remainder to go to a system that is even labeled as "elite"?

    • For example if I were to get a 360, I'd probably eye an elite. Reason being I have a DLP TV which likes HDMI input. Also, I might opt to instead hook it to my computer monitor, which also likes digital input the best.

      However the vast majority of people still don't have HDTVs (and some that do have tubes or older models that don't sport HDMI) and thus it isn't something they care about.

      I don't think it is really marketed as an upgrade for those that have 360s, I think it is more to try and draw in more of th
    • I haven't bought a 360 yet (nor a Wii, nor a PS3), so I'm glad that they came out with this option. I rented a 360 once and it was *sooo* loud; if the Elite is quieter, I would gladly buy it over the original XBox.

      Also, the HDMI would make the cable runs to a wall-mounted HDTV that much less ugly.

      Not that I have a wall-mounted HDTV yet :)

      All in good time ...

    • Re:Hardly elite CONTROLLER (Score:5, Interesting)

      by transami ( 202700 ) on Wednesday March 28, 2007 @03:45AM (#18512733) Homepage
      I would be happy to agree that the XBox rocks, but I have one glaring problem: I hate the controller. I have never liked the XBox controller and it's not for the lack of trying. But it just feels clumsy compared to the PlayStation's. I know that others will not understand this and probably think it silly if they don't have the same problem, but really the controller is the interface to everything. And if one doesn't feel comfortable with it, then everything else is moot. I think game machine designers should take note of that and consider offering a variety of controllers types.
      • I'll agree that the original XBox controllers were sub-par, but the 360 controller is pretty much the perfect blend of size, shape, and weight. They got it 99.9% right (I wish start / select were a little further removed from Guide).

        Try one if you haven't. It's night & day.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by elrous0 ( 869638 ) *
        Aren't there third party controllers for the 360 that are built just like the PS2 controller? I remember them for the Xbox 1. Surely it wouldn't be that hard for a third party developer to make one. But I agree that it might be good for MS to offer this too.

        I also sympathize with you on the "feel" of a controller that we get used to. I have the opposite problem (can't play with a PS2 controller because I'm too used to the Xbox-style controller). I'm showing my age here, but I remember being very frustrate

      • While i agree that a variety of controllers should be available, i don't understand your fascination with the Playstation controller. To me the Playstation controller is nothing more than a generic input device much like the SNES/Classic Controller from Nintendo. They both have a symetrical design that works, but fails to "fit" into your hands. I'm a fan of the Gamecube Controllers as well as the Xbox 360 Controllers for the fact that they conform to your grip. The Xbox 360 Controller not only fits right, b

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by Duds ( 100634 ) *
      The other way to put it is of course.

      PS3 + 120gb + a load of useless shit I don't need = $700.

      Xbox + 120gb = $479.
    • Disclaimer: I own a PS3

      Now that that's over with, I'm still waiting for all the nay-sayers claiming that the PS3 is 'overpriced' to realize that its actually competitively priced for what it is (ignoring titles and exclusives for the moment). A blu-ray player, media center, wireless capable, bluetooth enabled high definition gaming system (did I miss anything?).

      Again, assuming the games you want are/will be available for it and the movies you want to watch are on BD, it is an excellent value for the money.

    • re: PS3 content (Score:4, Interesting)

      by King_TJ ( 85913 ) on Wednesday March 28, 2007 @10:10AM (#18515697) Journal
      As a long-time PC gamer, I can't bring myself to buy an XBox 360 at all. Every time I look at one, I'm reminded that under the fancy plastic casing, it's just a rather non-upgradeable PC inside. There's *never* going to be a single piece of software developed for XBox 360 that can't run identically on a modern PC, because they're using the same architecture. (Of course, the modern PC could very well have a *superior* video card and more RAM....)

      I did, however, buy a PS3 - because the hardware is different. A Blue-Ray drive is something I didn't own yet on any of my hardware, for one thing. And the PowerPC cell architecture is sufficiently different from any PC or Mac I own to make me feel like I'm not just buying the same old thing again, repackaged in a different shell.

      I agree that PS3 content is sorely lacking right now - but it sounds like Sony is taking a pretty long-term view for the PS3 consoles. The last line of their quote in the original article commented on the "value" of buying a PS3 that you'd keep "for the next 10 years". Sure, some of that is just marketing-speak, but it also indicates they envision the PS3 as hardware that will be around for a while.

      I wouldn't say the ports of XBox games for PS3 are "pathetic" though. NHL Hockey '07 was highly rated in every online review I saw. I bought it and I'm impressed with it too. Same with Tiger Woods golf. You're certainly not seeing evidence that it's a "poor" port. Runs every bit as well as the 360 version.

      • Re: PS3 content (Score:4, Interesting)

        by Gulthek ( 12570 ) on Wednesday March 28, 2007 @11:52AM (#18517101) Homepage Journal
        Why did you buy ports of the XBox 360 games for the PS3 when you, as you stipulate, could have bought them on a PC?

        Is it because playing some games on a console is more fun? If so, then what is the difference between a PS3 and an XBox 360 again?

        Of course the PS3 will be around in ten years, it'll just be two hardware cycles behind the PS5.

      • Re: PS3 content (Score:4, Informative)

        by king-manic ( 409855 ) on Wednesday March 28, 2007 @02:07PM (#18518967)
        A pendantic note:
        The Xbox also uses PPC cores. Direct X API's make it easy to port but the hardware is not the same as a PC. Although 360 games tend to be PC style games, I can understand what you mean. The details however is that both the Ps3 and 360 and Wii use PPC cores. Likely due to their power efficiancy, thermal efficiancy, and size.

        PS. I own a PS3 and I like it very much. Now if only FFXIII and MGS4 would come out tommorow.

  • Slot loading drive (Score:2, Interesting)

    by curmi ( 205804 )
    Still no slot-loader?
  • Hey - Im very interested in getting a PS3, not for the games, but for writing code that works on a Cell processor, incl SPU's. That doesnt make me weird - its just that I have some signal processing applications that are currently running on clusters of 64bit unix boxes, and I reckon that Cell might be a good architecture to port these applications too.

    Question then : How much to add a Cell processor (or equivalent 6-8 core architecture) to an Xbox360, and also to provide a GNU compatible toolchain to buil

    • Just buy a PS3 instead. Sony are happy to heavily subsidise the hardware for you, and won't even complain if you don't buy any games or movies for it.

      Or, better still, port your signal processing code to a GPU [gpgpu.org] instead. They're much cheaper and far more powerful than a Cell, and with far more local memory bandwidth too. GPUs aren't ideal for every algorithm, but they do work well for many forms of signal processing.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by DrXym ( 126579 )
      I don't think the availability of Linux for the PS3 is a major selling point, but it's one I appreciate the option of having. I already have Yellowdog installed on my PS3, so I'm looking forward to playing around with it, and ultimately running VLC or MythTV through it. Unfortunately my SD TV set is no good for programming so I have to set it up with VNC or a remote desktop first. I only installed it yesterday so lots of tinkering to do.

      On a broader point I think a lot of people get very defensive when th

  • Where's the Wi-fi? Where's the HD-DVD? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Rik Sweeney ( 471717 ) on Wednesday March 28, 2007 @02:14AM (#18512283) Homepage
    Not only is this new version missing two features the PS3 has and will end up costing more than the PS3 with them added...

    IT CAN'T EVEN CURE CANCER

    Seriously though, if I'd just bought an Xbox 360, I'd be *very* pissed off right now.

    • First you say it's not worth buying, then you say people are going to be pissed off that they didn't buy one. Which is it?

      Personally, I have no problem with extra choices (though some people do). I just want a bigger HDD [xbox-scene.com] - and I'd rather not pay [xbox-hq.com] US$180 for it, thanks MS, m'kay?

    • Why include the HD-DVD when it's not even being used by the games? Especially when the future of that format isn't even guaranteed? Why add a $100 feature that you have no guarantee people are going to use in the long term?

  • But every 360 addon is white.... (Score:4, Insightful)

    by GreatDrok ( 684119 ) on Wednesday March 28, 2007 @02:28AM (#18512345) Journal
    I have a 360 with HD-DVD drive and wireless adapter and a pair of wireless pads. If I was to switch to this just for the sake of HDMI and a bigger drive, bearing in mind that my HDTV doesn't support 1080p over HDMI, only over component and also I can't even see a difference between component and HDMI on the thing, I would also have to replace all the white extras. Oh, and I actually think the 360 looks better in white. Mind you, when I came to buy a new iPod Video I bought the white one because I didn't like the look of the black one.

  • L33T or 1337 edition. (Score:3, Funny)

    by Rastignac ( 1014569 ) on Wednesday March 28, 2007 @02:31AM (#18512369)
    That would have been a better name. For real elite gamers, L33T or 1337 is the right hyped choice.
  • I saw the title and thought "at last! David Braben's going to make the game!".

    I am so disappointed..

    (How he could do it well without Ian Bell is anyones guess however)

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by sjf ( 3790 )
      Yes, my reaction too. On the otherhand, it seems like the perfect candidate for XBLA. I'd buy it - and I've managed to resist buying any other XBLA games.

  • I think Sony found a price point (Score:4, Insightful)

    by bunbuntheminilop ( 935594 ) on Wednesday March 28, 2007 @03:10AM (#18512573)
    and M$, while watching the sales of the ps3, and realised that the older demographic that they are targeting is willing to pay more for a console.

  • This sucks. (Score:4, Interesting)

    by Cyno01 ( 573917 ) <Cyno01@hotmail.com> on Wednesday March 28, 2007 @03:21AM (#18512621) Homepage
    I understand they weren't gonna canibalize sales of their $100 wireless adaptor, but c'mon, they could have included HD-DVD in the thing... $80 more for an extra 100GB and HDMI?

    • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

      by MojoStan ( 776183 )

      $80 more for an extra 100GB and HDMI?

      The Elite also replaces the wired headset ($20 seperately) with a wireless headset ($60). A 120GB 2.5" notebook hard drive (which the Xbox 360 uses) costs $80 at Newegg, while 20GB costs $30. HDMI output requires at least one more non-cheap chip and additional licensing costs (probably cheap). All that seems reasonably close to $80 in added costs to manufacture the Xbox 360 Elite.

      However, I am somewhat surprised MS isn't pricing the Elite at $400 (current price for Premium bundle) and reducing the price

  • Who asked for $500 PS3?

    By all means it seems MS has heard you!

  • I just got my 360 a few weeks ago. About 3 weeks if I recall. Now I'm out of date, something that Apple does to me on a regular basis.

    Oh well. The HDMI I can probably live without even though I have a TV that supports it. The bigger hard drive would certainly be nice though. I think the reason for the HDMI has less to do with "hey, this is cool, high-res and digital" and more to do with "hey, you're using HDCP now!".
  • ... eventually replacing the standard 360? They say it's going to stay a separate new SKU, but MS also denied that the Elite existed in the first place.
  • I'm probably in the tiny minority here.. but I'm at least going to get one just for the HDMI port..

    And not because HDMI looks better than component either.. just because I ran out of component ports in my TV but I still have an HDMI one!

    My TV's got 2 HDMI, 2 Component, and 3 composite inputs.. it's also got one optical audio out which plugs in nicely to my cheapo receiver's one optical audio in.

    Currently, I have my cable box hooked up via HDMI, my Xbox 360 and Wii via component, my old modded xbox and

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by MrJynxx ( 902913 )
      So your going to buy another 360 just to put your xbox1 on component?

      Personally I'm REALLY hoping they have some type of conversion cable to HDMI for existing owners (looks like it's a no). My TV doesn't support 1080p over SVGA (damn sony's!) but over HDMI it should work. I only want HDMI for audio / HD-DVD, but i have noticed a few games appear to support 1080p (GRAW 2 has it listed), so I'd like to see if there is any differences..

      On the PS3 I noticed a remarkable difference when I went from my old HDTV
  • $479... That's cheaper than the premium bundle at £299... oh, wait...

    We Brits love taking it up the arse. Fortunately, I am leaving soon, but I pity those other unfortunates.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Duds ( 100634 ) *
      The premium bundle is £279, not £299. The £279 includes tax, $479 doesn't.

      The premium bundle in the UK is $455+tax.
  • - price $3600

    will not work with the present xbox games you have, will not work with the present tv you have. you have to buy at least $1500 worth LCD or Plasma to be able to play games with it. also, the new Xbox 360 Elite Live Family Special Business will be much slower in any operation than its predecessors, but rest assured you will have an easy mind knowing that copyrights of major companies are protected with it.

  • Sounds familiar... (Score:4, Insightful)

    by gamer4Life ( 803857 ) on Wednesday March 28, 2007 @07:25AM (#18513719)
    Feels like Microsoft is taking a page out of it's Windows business and putting it into the XBox 360. Vista Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, Ultimate... sound familiar? Not to mention tying in games development with Windows so developers feel the need to appeal to a greater audience and therefore develop for the Xbox/PC platform. All this sounds to reminiscent of what it's done to the PC market to the detriment of other platforms like Linux.

  • Going to bite them in the ass eventually (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Guppy06 ( 410832 ) on Wednesday March 28, 2007 @07:37AM (#18513815)
    One of the complaints I had about the PS3 was that, once you bought the cheaper SKU, you're locked into it, unable to "upgrade" it to the more expensive one, which contrasted with the difference between the two versions of the Xbox 360. With this addition of this HDMI port, one that can't be added to the console that's sitting on my shelf, however, the Xbox 360 loses this advantage.

    However, this probably won't affect sales of the Xbox 360 one way or the other. Current owners aren't likely to run out and buy a second Xbox 360 because of it, but they won't be getting rid of their old one either. The real problem, however, will be in a few years when it's time to release the next generation of consoles, and customers start saying "I'm really looking forward to the next Xbox, but I think I'll wait a year or so after launch for the 'elite' version to come out."
  • Maybe it's just me. I don't have a TV that supports HDMI. I don't care to replace all my DVDs with BluRay or HD-DVDs, or all my component video / digital audio cables with HDMI ones. So, "Elite"?.... meh.

    What I keep asking myself is "Why now?" I mean these features had been announced for the PS3 for over a year now at least. Did it just take MS this long to copy Sony? Or was it a conscious decision to wait until Sony launched the PS3? I mean the PS3 has been sitting on store shelves for months with
  • Despite being a long-term Mac user and owning a 5G iPod, I still consider the XBox 360 as being the far more worthwhile set-top device when faced with the Apple TV. Apple TV may look pretty, but it lacks several key elements that could keep the Apple TV out of the hands of the non-Mac using population.

    First, it seems almost too dependent on iTunes. If you look around at some of the early adopter reports, you can't access your iTMS paid content without at least one copy of the content stored on the machine y
  • I was waiting to buy an XBox until they came out with one that had a built in HD-DVD player. I want a new DVD player that can play HD DVDs, and if I can get a decent gaming console at the same time, more power to me. I was expecting the "refresh" to have this built in. I don't want a separate box hanging around. And I want the DVD player functionality to be well integrated.

    Do I have to wait for an "Ultimate" version? Or am I S.O.L. when I want something so *obvious*?
  • What I really wanted was the new CPU's that apparently run cooler then the existing ones, and I think from what I read on Engadget the Elite won't have em yet. HDMI and a real hard drive would have been nice, but I'm gonna keep on waiting me thinks. And right now my 8 year old TV only supports S-Video anyway until I upgrade later this year.
  • Anyone know if it will upconvert standard DVDs via the HDMI port? My upconverting player just died so may I'll put the money toward this and a trade-in of my launch console that's tooooo loud.

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