Will the new 'Ultimate' Xbox 360 eclipse Sony's PS3?

Not content with the Core, Premium, and Elite models, Microsoft is apparently preparing the autumnal introduction of its Ultimate edition, a 320GB behemoth that comes equipped with 1080p HDMI, onboard Wi-Fi connectivity, HD audio output, cool-running 65nm hardware, and an almost imperceptible ventilation fan.

Furthermore, it will also be able to take advantage of the Xbox IPTV service, which is expected to be in full flow well before the end of the year. And, if you're presently wondering whether the Ultimate will offer enough oomph to crush the PlayStation 3 beneath Microsoft's stomping corporate boots, then you should also factor in that the new console will come armed with a built-in HD-DVD player too.

Presently, there is no price accompanying this particular rumour. That being said, however, if Microsoft intends to use the Ultimate to pull prospective consumers away from the Blu-ray-equipped PS3, then it needs to release it close to the current price tagged onto Sony's top-tier 80GB model – $599 USD.

Presently, the top-tier Xbox 360 Elite, which offers 120GB of storage and an HMDI port, but is without a HD-DVD player, retails for $479 USD, which leaves Microsoft with a margin of $120 USD to play with when it prices the Ultimate if it wants to undercut the 80GB PS3.

[lynx1halo]

Thats right.......it no longer has the "Falcon chip" .......it comes with the "EAGLE CHIP".....and "CANARY Motherboard"

[marinelife9]

That sounds amazing! And all of it built in. MS really knows a lot about giving consumers choice. I wish my PS3 had all those features.

[ps3playbeyon]

This must be MS worst idea ever...seriously think about the price...And marine I hope ur bein sarcastic cuz that stuff is funny...lol

[SWORDF1SH]

those features are bog standard on ps3, and as been since 2006. except the massive hard that is. but you could probably but a massive hard drive (either internal or external) and it will probably srill be cheaper. plus the ps3 as the winning format that is blu ray. so its better in that respect too.

[n_n]

history will repeat itself, as they say... i just feel sorry for the loyal xbots... (actually i don't really) when MS drops them like yesterdays sh*t like they did with Xbox 1. MS is smart to prey on stupid people.

[Mr Marbles]

This aint so bad, when 360 first came out i was unsure about it. I would never have paid more than 400 for it. But now, they can add all the features to it that the PS3 has and more, all for (buy the time it comes out) less than 500 bux, im thinking it will be around 479 in price buy the time it makes it to market. This was actually the smarter route for both MS and its customers. I would pick one up and sell or give my old system to a pal. This will be a great deal, and the console has proven itself, something the PS3 has yet to do.

[Lord_Mike]

Interesting, it took Microsoft 3 years to create something Sony already has.

[gaffyh]

isn't the PS3 80GB $499, so the ultimate only has $20 to fill the gap. MS is really stupid if they release a new 360, they are basically saying that it's competitor, Sony, was correct in everything they did.

They'll probably release a 360 Business edition as well lol

[Amsterdaam]

Wow, the PS3 fanbois really get defensive at this news...

[CloudFFVII]

The ps3 already has everything thats going to be on the ultimate, except you get a bigger HD. Just go out and buy a 500GB external HD for your ps3 like I did and pwn the ultimate in every way possible.

[THC CELL]

like this wont cost more than the ps3 ?

btw PS3 is FUTURE PROOF so ur ??? is NO

If anyone who has a disagree Can u be a man and tell me why and please dont bring the PC into it
we are talking about games consoles here

[mboojigga]

Since I am not the one that disagreed with you(I don't use the disagree/agree features)
Your comment about FUTURE PROOF is idiotic when you have Blu-Ray that is (I don't care for bragging rights about %2 sales compared to DVD)
not guranteed to succeed DVD.

Second Bloothtooth. Still waiting on other components to use Blue Tooth when other components use IR for a universal remote. You talk about guranteed when their isn't any.

[kurochi]

3

[TANOD]

correction

BD /HD DVD has around 5% of total marketshare for 2007

DVD also had that same amount of shares after 1 year of its release

However BD---DVD replacements would be taking place in a matter of another year/2

It doesnt happen overnight

[bee2427]

Whether or not blu-ray succeeds dvds, which i think it will but either way, it is right now a better format than dvd right now especially once developers max its potential... and blu-ray will definitely atleast last for the lifespan of the ps3... so i'd say its future proof
(i didnt give you a disagree)

[Raptors]

Actually i stuck my hand around my tv and it gives off quite a bit of heat. The irony that its a Sony 42" LCD lol Im now watching a third movie and the fan has yet to kick on its highest setting so Im hoping it will be a past issue. Thanks for the help tho.

Thanks to the person who disagreed with myself and rofldings. I asked for help, he tried to help and someone disagrees. The immaturity and stupidity of some ppl on this site is mind blowing.

[marcdz1]

This company used everyone as freaking lab rats including me. They are using the money the got from the many other versions including one without a HDD to now start selling what was supposed to be standard from the beginning. Only fanboys are going to buy into this whole new SKU. Buy a console and replace it just like a computer a few month later. This is crazy SHIAAAT!

[The Killer]

just look how much windows xp cost now! more than $100 after around 5 years of making it!! now all wat they do is compy the software to a CD which cost $5, and they sell it for $100! ok i understand it if it was in the beginning because they need to cover the cost back but come on not even after 5 years!!!!

and with 360 they r doing similar things they keep changing SKU's and changing the entire hardware forcing xbots to buy their new SKU's in order they keep up with ps3! while ps3 it came all standard in the first place!! i dont know who in the world would love a company like that! they even charge u for using the games online!! money suckers and those who loves them are money waister's!

[Khaqan]

The 80GB PS3 is $499 USD!!! NOT $599!!!

[resistance100]

I will pick one up, if it runs quieter, i refuse to buy the HD-DVD add on for my 360, as my 360 is too noisy and i dont want to watch films with that background noise.

[chester]

i'll buy one as well. i don't notice the fan noise, but i don't have the desire to have the add-on HD-DVD. if it's built in then i'll buy it along with the bourne trilogy first day, but only if it's $499 or under. if they try to go more then that they can screw themselves.

[WilliamRLBaker]

you must have your sound set to like 2db.....lol

Any thing on my surround sound system above 20db and i cant hear the 360 at all.....oh and guess what....the ps3 is louder;)

http://www.pregamelobby.com...

[socsca]

I'm sorry RLBaker, that is simply not true. I try to stay neutral and as such I've found myself defending the 360 more than the ps3 (because there are more sony fanboys here than "xbots", not because its better), but this is one thing that is not defendable. The 360 is very loud, muuuch more so than the ps3, and despite having a surround sound system a movie does have its seconds of silence, during which you WILL hear the dvddrive spinning.

EDIT: In light of a comment made below by Nirwanda I feel I need to clarify, my comment regards the original dvddrive, not the hd-dvd player which I honestly have NO IDEA how much or how little sounds. I dont use the 360 for watching movies HD-movies, I use XX3 (duuuh) for that.

[unlimited]

Its crazy how can you xbots live with yourself?? First off you guys were on Sony back for over pricing the PS3 and telling people you dont need all these features because its usless..Why arent you guys attacking MIcrosoft for letting you guys buy a crappy launch system..you mind as well just stick with the PS3 since it have more games this year.

You guys get screwed over by MIcrosoft so many times and dont even know it..lol..if you guys waited you will get a better deal now your stick with the 360 that will die on you someday..

[nirwanda]

yes the 360 is much louder than the ps3 and yes it is mainly the dvd drive the newer models are better though, but how can you say the noise of the DVD drive will get in the way of watching movies from a HD-DVD when the drive isn't even moving.
even if you use the dvd drive and not an external HD-DVD drive or HDD or marketplace download the drive does spin alot quieter for movies as it doen't need to spin anywhere near as quick

I agree it still louder than a PS3 but not as bad as people make out for films, games yes, films less so.

[sak500]

Wth r u talking about? u watch silent movies? Anyway, the F16 noise is of the dvdrom drive in it. If you're using hddvd player to play the movie then there wont be the F1 sound youre talking about.

[Raptors]

Im actually glad this topic came up because I've been googling alot about this lately. My ps3 which i got on dec 26th has been fairly quiet during operation. However, when i started watching movies the fan kicks on at full blast and is very loud and noticeable. This has been happening up until today where I've watched two movies: Blood Diamond (blu ray) and the Matrix (DVD) and the fan came on but at a much lower setting. This might sound stupid but is there some sort of "break in" period or "settling in" period for the ps3? Ive never ever worried about the quality of the system but I have used it now to replace my sony upconverting dvd player. If the fan noise happens to be a consistent problem then I will have to eventually go back to my original dvd player. Anyone else go through this problem with their ps3?

[rofldings]

The fan usually gets louder as it spins faster if it goes past a certain temperature.

Are you blocking any vents or anything? Is it sucking up hot air from other electronic equipment? etc.

[Lcarrero5]

you rather buy a whole new system then just getting the add-on? It will cost you more. or maybe not I'm not sure. I'm glad i haven't bought mine yet. I would be pissed.

[blusoops]

He still thinks the PS3 80gb is $599, when it has been $499 for quite some time now, and the 40gb is $399...what a douchebag! So this new Xbox will need to be around the $500 mark to beat sony and even at that, the HD DVD drive won't be used for games, only movies!

[TheTwelve]

People don't take the gaming industry as seriously as other ones because of flawed journalism like this. :( It's sad.

12

[GIJeff]

"80GB model – $599 USD" what planet is this on? and why doesnt this title say "Rumor: ..." like the other rumors? and why would a 320gb HDD kill the ps3? if MS still has consoles out there with no HDD? anyone can put a larger HDD in a ps3...does that make the ps3 the "PS3 Ultimate Super Mega"? since the ps3 comes equiped already with a Blu-Ray(winning format) installed that is capable of 100+GB? WTF is wrong with people?

EDIT: Oh yea, and the PS3 is much more capable as a gaming machine.

[bourner]

why would you need a 320 gb hhd i dont get it its just gonna make it cost more .i think they should just make the next xbox now

[Darkiewonder]

If a rumor can make someone write it off as being real. I wonder how it would have sounded if they took Non-rumored information. ;3

[Douchebaggery]

cuz the 80gig PS3 is 499$ not 599$

[Rice]

This might cost as much as the 60gb cost when the ps3 was first released.

[actionjackson]

I would tend to think the same, but hypothetically, lets say it doesn't, and actually costs a bit less than the PS3 80GB. The problem I still see is, how is MS goind to utilize the HD-DVD drive? Is it for games or simply for movies. If for movies, then why all the hoopla for a new sku? If for games, how, without alienating current owners? It sounds really strange to me.

Second, if MS brings the system in at a lower price point (which will not be by much), Sony will counter by lowering their price to meet MS. Sony will still have a slight advantage, in the ability to use BR for games. I don't really understand this move by MS, especially after their fierce comments regarding the PS3's specs.

Confusing indeed.

[tordavis]

The ability to use BR for games is not an advantage for the consumer, only for the developer who likes using BR. Most consumers don't even understand the technology behind their game being on Blu-Ray. As long as the game is on their and it works is all that matters.

[Meus Renaissance]

If Microsoft hadn't done the HD-DVD add-on, and the Elite, it would be a direct competitor to the PlayStation 3. But ofcourse now that the Elite exists, and those who wanted to upgrade to a reasonable price range, did. I don't think the Elite is the best seller for the 360, it's still the Premium. So the market penetration of the Elite, although neccessary for Microsoft's Live Market ambitions, isn't shaking the industry in hardware sales e.g. like you'd get with the DS or a possibly slim version of the 360.

I honestly am struggling to work out who the target audience for this SKU are? Perhaps Microsoft decided to produce a new model after they cashed out on that $1billion warranty deal, to ensure that new models of their platform would not face the same problems throughout the 360's lifespan. But if its still using the 65mm CPU, then it doesn't credit much confidence. However, if Toshiba are producing this in their factories then it's a case of "wait & see".

It's ironic actually. This model isn't competing against the PlayStation 3, it's there to fight against the bad reputation the platform has in regards to its hardware reliability, if it's a question of who is it competing against, it's that.

If the console is priced right, then it'll make the Elite redundant in future sales unless all SKU's get massive price drops. It just won't make sense to a consumer to get an Elite, or perhaps even a Premium, if the Ultimate is e.g. $120 more or something. Which will, ofcourse, set the current Xbox 360 user base alight in flames of anger. The release of this will have to trigger mass price reductions, there's no escaping that. Unless the Ultimate will cost $600+

There is no logic to this, but I don't think Microsoft is this stupid. I'll be watching CES next week for this.

[TheTwelve]

Let's just pretend that this rumor is correct. The other part of the rumor is that it wouldn't come out until Fall of '08. Isn't that a bit late to compete with what Sony is going to bring out in '08?

12

[THC CELL]

Anyone here up for a ps3.5?
http://www.ps3fanboy.com/20...

[Meus Renaissance]

"May 3rd 2007 6:31PM "

[techie]

Still cant make HDDVD games...stuck with DVD for this gen now.

[wetowel]

This thing isgonna be ATLEAST 600 if their current sku are anything to go by.

It would probably still be cheaper to get an 80 gig ps3 and upgrade the harddrive

[vilmer]

I thought 1080p and HDMI weren't necessary?

[chester]

just like rumble.

seriously, all companies make products with ideas in mind and then adapt them based on what the consumers are looking for. standard business.

[DJ]

Sony was under Court Order not to release any new products with Force Feedback due to the lawsuit by Immersion. Microsoft on the other hand had an easy choice to make with the $10~12 it costs to implement HDMI onto a motherboard.

[chester]

yes, i know about the legal situation and why they didn't have it in there originally, but then they called it last-gen and said it wasn't necessary, and people got pissed off and said it was, and sony corrected that and now we have the dualshock3. my point was that's the way it works. sony could've settled the dispute with immersion a long time ago, but they thought that they didn't need rumble. they listened to their consumers and addressed the situation. the same thing with microsoft. they underestimated the desire for the consumers to have hdmi and 1080p capabilities with their product. they listened to their consumers as well and addressed the situation.
it happens literally every day in business. the point is to give customers what they want. companies are better off giving them what they want and admitting they made a mistake in what they thought their products needed then blindly thinking that nothing needs to change.

[lawman1108]

and for the record most PS3 and 360 owners still do not have TV's with HDMI but that was a mistake for the first 360's to not have that and I will even admit it pissed me off to have to buy an attachment for wi-fi

[Lord_Mike]

Where did you get that info from? last I heard was that 50% of 360, ps3 and Wii owners have an HDTV.

[Bombomb]

do wwe post articles based on speculations as if there is already an "ultimate 360" on store shelves?

change the damn title, there is no ultimate 360.

Refrain from comments, this thread is still alive for more flame
http://www.n4g.com/industry...

just like any rumor that is denied, funny hwo we accept certain ones then bash it.

Where is this new Ultimate 360, is it on pre-order at amazon? so by this time next week this thread will be worthless sh&t, we see on and on on this site. I don't get how fanboys make up stories and comment on it as if it's alive. Will it be $600?

[mintaro]

when will ms finally stop making more SKU's, i mean more people are gonna get pissed at them, as for me, i already am, built in wi-fi should have been in every 360 console

[THC CELL]

So old bill is making a CES keynote If its a X box U well PFFF
maybe it would be better to announce the X box 720?? This console is more than FINISHED

X Box u will cost more than a ps 3 and Still no HDdvd Games (cd)

Ps3 Proves Future proof right here
after ur iptv service? wow how laggy will that be lol
http://www.youtube.com/watc... Check this out..

Like i say Ps3 is evolving and x box is going to be wiped from the word console

Btw 320Gig LOL i have a 500 gig hard drive in my ps3

[Boink]

first off the ultimate is just pure rumour/speculation.

and now people are looking to see if it beats the ps3?

these writers seriously need better things to do with their time.

[THC CELL]

its called dreaming man

I bet the ces note is nothing to do with x box

[Sevir04]

i think this will be at least 600 bucks. maybe even 700 just because of that 320 proprietary HDD.

[Vip3r]

I don't see why they should adding a HD-DVD drive and making a new SKU when they should be sorting out all the disk scratching and RROD problems.

[GaMr-]

Sony added New SKus to Lower Price

Microsoft adds new SKUs To raise price....

come on sheeps....attack me.... or as CyberSentienal would say

Silly Lemmings...Microsoft loves you...lol

Before we see a new Xbox in about (2years)...we will probably see atleast 6 more SKU's.... !!!!

[ravinash]

if you make a game on a HD-DVD, most of the people who own a 360 now will not be able to play it.
if they go through the whole process of changing the standard setup but using HD-DVD and forcing the hard drive as standard, it would make the console better, but it also means there no longer a standard....they might as well call it an Xbox720.

[THC CELL]

So true they would have to give the console for free The ultimate Swop

[TwissT]

I think MS is thinking about making there games on HD-DVD disk to force past 360 owners to buy the HD-DVD add-on. Heck MS is made of money and they sure know how to make more. Seriously if they include everything this article says, I think most 360 will be very upset.

[mintaro]

i hope thta's not true, cuz i can only imagine the backlash MS would face from all of thei disguntled consumers

[Marceles]

If the rumor is true and it does come out, and it costs as much as I paid for an Elite last year, I'm gonna be seriously pissed. I'm gonna feel like I bought an iphone

[MrWonderful]

this is so dumb!!! It wont eclipse the ps3 in any way. it will just add a nxt gen movie format and wifi. and the hdd those of us who own one can go pick up any 2.5hdd we want and upgrade it for a fraction of buying one from M$. And being a 360 owner myself after upgrading to the elite because it was supposed to be the sh!t this pisses me off

[Ps3ShellShock]

HD-DVD wont be added... bluray is ruining HDDVD - MS wouldnt be stupid enough 2 add it 2 the 360 because when blu-ray wins - ppl will look at the 360 and say HDDVD? no thanks...

MS isnt long term..look at what they did 2 the first xbox...and look at how many SKU MS is coming out with 2 try 2 make their machine to be at par with the PS3.

2008 is all sony - 360 has what gears 2...i can tell u rite now it wont be that much better then gears 1 - theyll fix the lag and maybe add 1 more guy to the screen...its all SONY from here on out

[OC_MurphysLaw]

LOL....man thats a new one! I haven't heard that phrase for like... 5 min. on this board. Hell I have been hearing that phrase since the launch of the PS3.... and yet everyone is still waiting on Sony to show up to the party.

Don't get me wrong...PS3 is a solid machine...but lets face facts...its hardly the killer console everyone ran around these boards saying it was going to be.

[DJ]

played Uncharted.

[OC_MurphysLaw]

Hey man, you are right...I haven't played Uncharted. Nor am I compelled to go out and buy a PS3 just to play that game. Sorry, I know its a good game from all I have read, but its not so over the top crazy good from all I have read and seen to make me spend $400 to play it. And, no there is nothing on the PS3 right now that makes me feel like I need to spend $400...and I am not alone.

So yes....Sony still has yet to really show up to the party. 2008 could be the year they do with the likes of MGS4, GT:Prologue and KZ2...these all could be games to really help push a person like me to buy a PS3.

But it hasnt happened yet...

[heyheyhey]

if anything such a SKU is going to put people off the 360 because they will get confused and existing 360 owners who bought the hd-dvd add on will get very pissed and some might switch to ps3 on account of M$ always screwing them over with new SKU's and such- besides if it costs more than the ps3 then that is commercial suicide after they criticized the ps3 for being too expensive and releasing inferior hardware at a higher price? thats a no-no M$

[Mikelarry]

wont cuz myself and many first gen xbox 360 will sell of our current 360 and move on to a better console. i mean come on they should have included the hd dvd drive from the begining

[unlimited]

damn MICROSOFT IS MILKING YOU GUYS out of your money..they got you by the balls..lol..

[Tryst]

MikeLarry - so tell me, how much would you have spent on a console this generation?

You must be one of the stupidest people I have ever heard.

M$ suck money out of donkey's like you.

Unlucky son, maybe in your next life you'll have at least some brain cells so that you'll distinguish when someone is ripping the piss out of you.

[bruiser81]

No i don't think it will, but i do think it would screw every early adapter to the system. If their business plan is or was to give consumers a choice then they should have offered all the choices at the same time where consumers would have been able to make the best possible choice in the beginning. I don't think its fair for gamers to purchase a system only to have it gradually made better and upgraded over the years. I'm sure there are those who will say Sony did the same thing but if you look closely they did the opposite. Sony is gradually taking away from their system not adding to it, so the early adapters like me who paid the full 600$ can brag on having the best system out of all the skus. I think this would be a bad move for MS and that they should just stick to their formula and save all upgrade for the 3rd gen xbox.

[Anego Montoya FTMFW]

Will the new ‘Ultimate’ Xbox 360 eclipse Sony’s PS3?

No.

Will the new ‘Ultimate’ Xbox 360 eclipse screw alot of people over?

Yes, beyond belief.

_____________________________ _______________________________ ___________

The ONLY reason this would happen is to be able to make GAMES w/ it, since they already have a external HD-DVD player.

[scrillakiller]

and bluntly i dont think microsoft is that stupid!

[mistertwoturbo]

Yeah, who can Honestly say they didn't abandon a whole generation... What the... OMG, they did!?!? XBOX? I didn't know such a thing... /sarcasm

[Vulcan Raven]

This is completely ridiculous, why include an HD-dvd player and price it above the other models available on the market. This has to be the dumbest thing i have read all morning. The inclusion of all this stuff(wiFi, HD-DVD,) just justifies the fact that the ps3 is the ultimate gaming console because Microsoft is scared and needed to step up their game.

[m9105826]

If this were true I would finally make the move and "Jump In". I still await the day when it is made perfectly clear, no questions, that my 360 won't succumb to RRoD. Even if this happens, however, PS3 will still have the advantage of being able to put games on next-gen media format. Microsoft would be INCREDIBLY stupid to put games on HDDVD. They would leave sooooo many customers out in the cold. Still, I could see one or two getting greenlighted, just like there are games that require an HDD despite the core bundle...

[rayc0013]

I rreally dont think this is true would not make any sense for M$ to come out with a new sku that is a higher price the object is to lower your price not raise it

[chanto23]

i like sony the most dont get me wrong, but this ultimate version of the 360 sounds nice. I would get one only if MS say they will use the HD-DVD for games...

On another note, due to the past experiences with the RROD, wouldnt this new 360 explode upon turning it on with all that stuff??? LOL, maybe this is MS strat, people will buy the ultimate, put it side by side with their PS3's and then BOOM!!! everything blows into pieces "Finishing the Fight" once and for all...

[Sev]

If anything this makes it look like Sony got it right with the PS3.

Microsoft is just playing catch up (ketchup lol) to Sony.
It all started with adding the HD-DVD Add on, then adding HDMI, then the Elite which failed miserably.

If I "were" to buy and Xbox 360, this would be the one I would buy since Toshiba would be manufacturing it rather than MS.

This article is crap anyways, they say the 80GB is $599.

I personally dont see this Xbox Ultimate coming out for less than $500, and as seen with the PS3, not many gamers are ready to shell out that type of money for extra features.
And most likely it would fail with the AV crowd because there are sub-$299 HD-DVD players out there.

The only thing it would really have going for it, would be the 320GB HDD for IPTV. But it kinda smacks anyone in the face who owns a Xbox 360 premium because of its 20GB HDD, which would be nearly worthless for use as a DVR.

[Xemnas]

what happen to we not putting HD DVD in the system or use them for games and isent HDDVD dying or somthing + it has to cost more then 599 with all that stuff if its true.........wait lol it basically sound like a ps3 but bad or somthing lol

[Bordel_1900]

"Will the new ‘Ultimate’ Xbox 360 eclipse Sony’s PS3?"

LOL!

[ban fans]

No more SKUs for any system!!!

It's starting to remind me of the Sega Genesis and all its failed add-ons. Enough already!!!

I find it funny that the least "powerful" system, Wii, hasn't bothered and is winning the console war. Interesting, no?

[Mars Attacker]

I bet they'll have a price cut across the board on 360's when this one comes out. This one will be around the same as the 80 gig PS3. The Elite will cut to match the price of the 40gig PS3. The premium and the base models will get lower prices too.

[OC_MurphysLaw]

First off...I have a feeling that the rumor of MS letting others make a console might be true...and this could be the first machine in that line coming from Toshiba. Just makes sense given their partnership.

2nd point...as for all feeling screwed. I bought a launch day machine. I paid $400 and dont have the HDMI or 120gb drive...do I feel screwed? No, not really. I mean sure the bells and whistles are nice to haves but I have been gaming on Next gen for over 2 yrs or so....and its been a great ride. So, no I dont feel cheated. I feel sorry for the peeps that have waited so long to jump in to the next gen.

[MIAMIFROST]

over and over. Eventually it will be true.

[OC_MurphysLaw]

Fact is I dont feel screwed. I have been having fun all along.

And why should MS owners feel anymore screwed than Sony owners with all the sku's they have launched and cancelled,etc. in just under a year? 20, 40, 60, 80GB sku's ....all launched in less than a year with pricing all over the map and bundled in discs and removal of hardware left and right....

Anyway, my point is...I enjoy my 360 just fine the way it is. I am not going to get all butt hurt if they release a new sku for it. Everyone does it...even Nintendo with the 30+ different versions of the DS. It's just part of evolving business plans, its not a personal attack.

[tatotiburon]

The xbox 360 eclipse the PS3 right now, the way it is now...this ultimate version is only rumor, Microsoft will not screw up the millions of his install base with hd-dvd games

[HarryEtTubMan]

common sense says if they were really doing this...its obvious all they would be doing is making their fanbase very mad, it would never help them catch Blu Ray... especailly considering they would have to compete with Sony at the same price... they can't even beat Sony at 150$ cheaper... they will be crushed at the same price. Microsft isnt dumb... this isn't real. I hope they wouldnt blatantly copy Sony this bad(well actually yea they would...thats their whole goal as a company....follow what Sony has done.) If they really were to do this....they would be saying than can compete with the PS3 at the same price and even catch up beucase they are WAYYYYYYYYY behind. This HAS to be fake. If not I'm will sell my 360. Microsft is LAMEEEE

[jcgamer]

The "Ultimate" will make the PS3 look even better, and prove that Kutaragi and Sony had the right strategy for hardcore gamers and multimedia enthusiasts from the start...and this "Ultimate" better not send any "Ultimate" coffins...plus, I own a PS3 already...lol

[resistance100]

True, the thing is you can gurentee that sony will cut the price even further, making a large price difference between the 2. I mean currently in the UK the elite is £299.99 same as the 40GB ps3, now add a £130 HDDVD player and £60 wifi and a stupidly large HDD and your taking £400 plus. All sony will need to do is cut the price of the 40GB to lets say £225, and this model comes out at lets say £399.99 and the 40GB will make the ulitmate look overprices, as with the expection of the HDD the ps3 would be able to do everything else

Hope i make sense

[jcgamer]

bubbles up

[hardcorehippiez]

but for those who havent jumped onto the 360 scene yet or like me that had one that has died , this ( as long as the reliability was sorted) would be a good buy as a second console.

[Bladestar]

Only if the price is right.... if the new SKU's price compared to the PS3 and it comes in a bundle with 2 games.... Who knows maybe microsoft is planning to drop the price of all the other SKUs in order to fit this one... then what are you going to do Sony fanboys? What would you think if Microsoft Prices this new SKU $400-$500?
Core($199), Premium($249), Elite($349).... and drop the price of the hard drives by $50 or more... so those without hard drives can easly buy one... how do you think this would affect the PS3?

ohh and Microsoft allowing developers to use HD DVD to make games can work... you don't have to agree (obviously) but it can work.

First drop the HD DVD external drive to $99 or less...

Require developers to make their games available on two formats... similar to PC a few years back when developers had to publish their games on DVD and CDs and people would choose what format to buy... games that are small enough to fit on a single disc will come in DVD and game large like blue dragon will come on multiple DVD or 1 HD DVD... this is a similar model than what Sony did with warhawk... people can buy it via download or the Disc... people who already have external HD DVD drive can use it to play these games... and people that own the new SKU... It worked for PC... it can work the xbox 360.

Another thing that microsoft should do is offer a program where people with existing xbox 360 can trade their consoles for this new console.

but at the end of the day all these SKUs are able to play the very same games... HD DVD will just be another format....

I think Microsoft should push their digital distribution format option a bit further too... allow full games to be downloaded to a hard drive.. now that this hard drive is big enough... I mean any game... let developers bypass having to manufacture and distribute discs... and people to have the option of paying less for the very same games via download.. also adding the benefit of faster loading time for games being played directly from hard drive...

This way developer will pick which format is the cheapest and best for the game they are trying to deliver... DVD, HD DVD, Digital Distribution...

Flame on Sony fanboys flame on.... no matter how you put it... these can work and affect Sony and the PS3.... if microsoft simply surprise all those that said that they will not have any games on 2008 and announce a big lineup of games for 2008 and 2009, price drops across all SKUs and a new SKU... and the option of making games on HD DVD... this can only help HD DVD and the xbox 360... you are dumb if you think this is going to help Sony on any way.

ohh and remember... this new SKU does not have to be made by microsoft... if rumors are true that microsoft will license the xbox 360 technology to other companies... it only make sense for companies like toshiba to add HD DVD to help their own cause... duhH! and we all know how Toshiba would be willing to make the price right to do that...

[heyheyhey]

erm ok yeah "IF" M$ did this then it could work but that would be commercial suicide anyway plus i doubt M$ wants to confuse people even further with two types of disc and the digital distribution idea wont be good for anyone apart from people with the ultimate SKU and thats considering they havnt clogged up their hard drives too much with movies from IPTV- you have to remember that games these days are getting bigger and bigger in size and that means that no matter how big your hard-drive is- you still cant rip a lot of games to the hard drive without getting rid of other things like games saves, patches, music, films, photos- anyway M$ have failed no matter what SKU they release, but people still insist on buying their crap and making them even richer and more power-hungry

[Lcarrero5]

It just tells people Sony had the right idea. If they come out at the same price they still have to prove their new SKU is reliable. They would be adding everything the ps3 has and most likely be charging more. telling developers they now have to make games on 2 different format discs would kill MS. Developers wouldn't want to do that, it's a waste of money. If they tried to fix it by "trading in their old install base's units they will lose money. Didn't they already drop a Billion extending warranties? Again, they would be losing money. If they don't do this the consumer loses. They either have to have to pay more money to experience the best on their system or buy a brand new Sku. Does this make any sense to you?

[OldParr]

M$ NO!!!!!!!!

[andy001]

It would be a strange decision to make after berating Sony for so long for 'forcing' a new format on their customers.

I can't believe this is the news really. It makes Microsoft a laughing stock, and completely disingenuous.

[Bladestar]

ohh.. don't worry so much about microsoft... and about "It makes Microsoft a laughing stock, and completely disingenuous"... mmm.. how long have sony fanboys undermind everything that microsoft does... how will this change anything? didn't they undermind the HD DVD addon? well... tell me how the HD DVD addon hurted HD DVD and the xbox 360? didn't microsoft sell a bunch of units?

The fact is that Microsoft hater will hate wherever microsoft does... and will always go against everything they do... so, why should they stop and care?

Funny... many of you though the same about the elite... you all said that it was a mistake... that it was a mistake for microsoft to add HDMI to alll the other SKUs... and the elite is selling very well.... mmmmm why? it even sold great in Japan.... mmmm why?

The key to the success of this new SKU is the price not if microsoft should release it... if microsoft drop the price of all the other SKUs by a lot and introuduce this one at a cheap price compare to the PS3.... it will sell well... no question about it...

Microsoft as a company also have to think about what they can do to increase their installbase... 15 Million consoles sold? or do something to sell 50 million more? There are more gamers to get than the ones that are already there... if microsoft continue to bring that games... after all it's a game console... and all SKUs can play the same games.... gamers will be ok with it.... why? because microsoft ability to sell more consoles and increase the installbase will make developers make more games for the console (ALL SKUs)... they they can't stay still... they need to continue to do wherever it takes to bring more people to buy the xbox 360.. even if that means a new SKU... just like SOny did not long ago... but as price goes down... microsoft instead of doing what sony is doing... removing hardware and features like BC... they are adding more features... and making the other SKUs... cheaper in the process... how is that a bad thing?

[mistertwoturbo]

*sigh* bladestar again. You contradict your own words with "Microsoft is a games machine"

If that's the case, they could just stick with the 6 SKUS now and just continue making games. So why would they release one with a HD-DVD built-in when they said "the DVD9 is enough", then try to get Divx support when they see the PS3 got divx certified, say HDMI isn't necessary for gaming, saying wi-fi isn't needed when you can just plug in the LAN.

Microsoft is really contradicting themselves on this one. They're losing focus and are being shaken up by the PS3. And trust me, I have a X360 that plays all the games just fine and honestly, they would be way better off just sticking to they're guts with the current strategy. GAMES. It's when they try to take everything sony ALREADY HAS, is what's going to be them shooting themselves in the foot.

And Microsoft is a bunch of idiots, because they should know themselves it's the GAMES that got them this far in the gaming business. They should just stick to it.

[DJ]

Maybe they should concentrate on their faltering online service, their 2008 game lineup, or fix the DRM issues that plague both their hardware and software. That 320GB Hard Drive doesn't mean squat unless 360 owners have the same freedoms and capabilities that Sony has given to their PS3 owners.

[Bladestar]

lol... what freadom? I'm sure you can download all the content currently available on PSN into your hard drive and still have plenty of space... yeah I call that freadom... try downloading all the content (including movies) available on xbox live into any hard drive... Dude.. PSN does not even have a movie marketplace...

Hell.. does PSN have even any arcade games compared to xbox live? I don't even think PS3 owners need a hard drive other than useing it for catching... to speed loading time.

[mistertwoturbo]

Bladestar you win the most ignorant post of the century.

The point of the HDD is versatility. Meaning it can be used for caching games, installing game data, downloading game demos, Divx movies, MP3s, etc. etc.

I personally have a 100gb HDD in my PS3 and i've already used up 60gb's all because of games (everday shooter, super stardust HD, warhawk, GTHD, Tekken 5 DR, etc.), game demos, plethora of HD videos (counted 196 videos), MP3s, etc. etc.

And think about it, being able to upgrade the HDD to match the market at any time IS Freedom. Once 1TB 2.5" HDD's are the norm 1-2 years from now, and downloads can consist of GB's. The PS3 is prepared for whatever changes is in stored for the future.

[Real gamer 4 life]

Microsoft is basically saying that sony was right by releasing a blueray player with the ps3 as well as wifi and hdmi 1080p. They are paretically releasing a Xbox version of the ps3. Everything they adding on the ultimate Xbox is already include on the ps3, the 320 hdd space that Microsoft is offering can easily be upgrade on the ps3 if you wish to. By Microsoft releasing this sku only proves that sony was right from the start, and now i predict that Microsoft is going to play catch up and it will be stupid for them to release a hd-dvd drive on the new 360, because that format is dyeing real fast. All these moves that Microsoft is making is just proving that Sony was the smarter company. And its to late for Microsoft to save hd-dvd.

[Neurotoxin]

If the rumor is true i think to be honest it will probably annoy every single 360 buyer as their 360 will basically be obsolete. If it is to include an intergrated HD-Drive perhaps that is one step closer to bringing the format to play games on the 360. Either way i think Microsoft are doing themselves no favors if they are doing this, its just going to Pi*s ALOT of people off.

[wil4hire]

I am sure everyone that hasn't decided to purchase a DIRT CHEAP 360 has been waiting for the super expensive version with a defeated HD-DVD disc. Right?

The entire world outside of the USA has just been biting at the heels of microsoft..

"Man, I really want this 200 dollar Xbox.. but Nah.. I'll wait for the $479.00 Version."

08 is going to be a very sad year for 360 owners.

It really does look like the 360 will have the shelf life of the Xbox.

Good Job keeping gamers warm for 2 years against the Wii, and a non existent ps3 lineup, but the PS3 just killed the 360.

[jcgamer]

The second this is true, my 360 will have a first class ticket to GameStop for a quick trade in...for PS3 games! wait..let me pack it in right now...lol I'll wait till the 360 "Ultimate Deluxe, man we love making our customers feel stupid and outdated" is $199! lol

[mistertwoturbo]

Isn't the Elite $449? And the 80gb PS3 $499? Someone's screwed up in this article.

[blade206]

the 120 hdd is 200$ in my state that's with tax so how much is the 320 going to be m$ is going to put themself in a corned that they won't be able to get out this is why they should stick to software fix vista then get with the games

[Codeman420]

since i do own one. But i feel that MS is trying to catch up to the PS3. When they released the 360 they said HDMI was not important. Then they released a 360 with HDMI and added it to the others. They said that they didnt want to use HD-DVDs for games now and didnt want to put an unproven format into their system. Granet they havent said anything about using them for game. Yet. And if they keep their pricing the same for the hard drives. and add in the cost of the hd dvd payer and the builtin wifi. that console will end up costing roughly $1000. $240-HDD, $170 HDDVD drive, $100-wifi adapter. If they dont want to lose money that console is going to be uber expensive and people wont pay over a grand for a system when they can get a ps3 that does basically the same thing for a whole lot cheaper. granet some movies wont go blu and game arent there yet but your saving a whole hell of a lot of money for a high def system.

Just my thoughts on this. And that it probibly wont happen. If it does they are only hurting themselves.

[Thursday]

When companies develop features, the consumers are always the ones who end up paying the bill, since this is their only source of income. Such is the case with every company in the world, and I for one would prefer not to pay for this, to be honest.

If the story is true, the new SKU doesn't really provide the consumers with anything new. And the stuff they've put in there should have been there a loong time ago. My Elite is just as noisy as my Premium was, and the only technical difference is HDMI, which isn't even HDMI 1.3. Not much anyting of an elite nature there.

The sad thing is that Microsoft only seem to be correcting previous mistakes. They add things and fix things that should have been added and fixed before they released the Xbox 360. Arguing against that is just stupid.

I haven't had any problems with my Xbox 360 consoles, but I'd prefer if they spent their money on mending the problem that this hardware has caused, and maybe offer some sort of upgrade deal (changing the fans for quieter models etc) for existing consumers. Maybe even slashing the price of the Gold Live membership, customer care is usually a better investment than a penis waving competition against their rivals.

[The Dark Knight]

when do you reckon this console will be out?

[zonetrooper5]

My Premuim 360 is nearly two years old, I bought it in Feb 2006 plus I own a PS3 which I bought in November 2007. I would only buy the ultimate 360 SKU if my current 360 died, a 320GB hard drive would rule.

Again MS and Nintendo has not annouced any of its 2008 lineup expect a few games while Sony on the other hand has annouced quite alot of games for 2008. I don't use Blu-Ray on my PS3 and I would not use HD-DVD if it was included on my 360 unless it for games.

Blu-Ray and HD-DVD are both useless formats which I hope die out.

[bee2427]

IF microsoft originally came out with this version I would have bought an xbox 2 years ago! It sounds pretty awsome.... but after 2 years and seeing how microsoft treats their clients with poor online service and bricked systems, I refuse to ever buy another console made by microsoft, atleast for this generation

[DJ]

But even I don't want to deal with the 360 mess. Only having one current-gen system feels wierd (since I also had a PS2), but it's cool. PS3 fits my needs pretty well.

[AuburnTiger]

Why get the ultimate, when you can get the Super definitive Radical most awesomest edition 360 next year.

[lodossrage]

Where does this leave us early adopters?

This "ultimate" 360 supposedly will play hd dvd. This is a feature they should have had in the system to begin with at launch.

However, the problem with that would be it would have had a similar high price like the ps3 at its launch.

Many of us upgraded our core or premium models for elites (myself included since my first 360 rrod on me).

But if they think people are going to purchase this system AGAIN (yes I said again because many of us bought it two or more times for various reasons) then they are out of their minds.

I only they had done this at the start instead of waiting until they have 15 million plus owners.

This can possibly alienate many of their system owners. I have a ps3 as well so I'll be fine. Although, I'm still pissed off if this rumor is true because then it will feel like my 360 is ONCE AGAIN inferior to a newer model.

[Real gamer 4 life]

Why are is Microsoft going to add a extra cost to the 360 by including a hd-dvd drive when its not going to be use for gaming, Its a total waist. They cant start making games on hd-dvd because they are going to alienate all the early adapters of the xbox 360. So what are they planning on doing? there going to force people into buying a add on box for the 360 so that hd-dvd games can be played on the original 360, and its going to make them look like a fool. because that will only prove that sony was right form the start and that they are the smarter company. Now microsoft will be playing catch up with sony. While sony is getting ready for what many analyst predict of a price drop microsoft is going to release a so called Ultimate(eventhough there nothing ultimate about it since its just a ps3) xbox 360 to try and support hd-dvd. This new sku will not help move units in japan which is what they really should focus on nor will it help[p move units on those european countries where Sony has been outselling microsoft for the past couple of month.

[Sev]

What NONE of you seem to understand is.

This wont be a Microsoft Xbox 360....
This will be a Toshiba Xbox 360.
MS will be licensing out the 360.

Toshiba has already expressed a desire to make a HD-DVD built in multimedia Xbox 360.

[lodossrage]

And you're right.

But what difference will that really make in the overall scheme of things?

It still carries the 360 name. It will still play 360 games. It look like it will still have the same 360 design. When sales statistics come out, they will still fall under xbox 360.

So no matter who liscenses it, it's still the same thing

[shysun]

Well Toshiba is going to loose a crap load of money. Along with that 50 million they gave to Paramount, they'll go broke within a year.

The PS3 uses BR for games and every 360 owner says it's useless, so why in the hell would they buy a hd-dvd equipped 360 when it will only plays movies? What about the down loadable service on live? I think it's to little to late.

[Doctor Strange]

I don't think this Ultimate is going to happen. First of all this will cost way to much and if each addition of the 360 is only going to cost more money fans are not going to like this.

Also seeing how HD-DVD sales aren't nowhere near Blu-Ray sales adding which could be a dead component in a couple years would not benefit the Microsoft in any way.

We might as well hang back and wait to see what Bill Gates actually announces next week.

[Myth]

Because it does come with a built in HD DVD drive. But I have a question. How can they make game that utilize the HD when other 360 models dont have one. They can not make the game to use it. Unless it's an optional install to the HD.

[El_Colombiano]

Sounds like Microsoft is making an exact copy of my PS3...dead silent console, built in wifi, 1080p HDMI port, 300GB HDD (I bought that scorpion 2.5" SATA HDD, couldn't resist)...yeah does this mean I can file a lawsuit? =D

[riksweeney]

"Will the new ‘Ultimate’ Xbox 360 eclipse Sony’s PS3?"

Possibly, the Xbox 360 currently burns hotter than the Sun so the next model might as well shine brighter.

[PlayStation360]

First off, I love my 360, and I PREFER not to comment on bashes between both consoles. But that was funny as hell bro. I got to remember that one. Bubble+ heading your way :)

[shysun]

M$ REALY doesn't want BR to win. It may be to late for them.

[THE_JUDGE]

This is no way to win the format war or the console one. The only way this can possibly be effective is if they drop the Elite and call this the new Elite but even that won't fix the RROD or convince me to get one.

[HondaSIRowner]

More than the PS3, probably around $200-$280 more.

Early adopters will get screwed over.

MS is trying so hard to win!

its showing! why release another console when the current 360's are doing well?

they know they could lose the console war again, thats why!

Also, the HD-DVD can't be used for games, they know their console isn't future-proof, it hasn't been a week yet and all these rumors keep piling up from the 360 band wagon!

They (or whoever) keeps posting up FAKE news and rumors know the 360 wouldn't last long enough against the PS3.

with the PS3 you could add on a 500GB HDD for around $120 and up, "IF" you want to!

PS3 has options that are easy on the wallet, MS could bring out 360 after 360 with different HDD for them, like how many F**king 360 will there be?

20gb, 40gb, 60gb, 80gb, 100gb, 120gb, How many consoles can they release?

the PS3 has flexibility, you "CAN" add on any amount of HDD space you want, MS just releases a new 360 each time! WTF is that crap?!?

This proves and it is "PROVING" that MS knew the PS3 would be future proof.

BR with PS3 is expensive but look at the success of BR right now, Dominating the HD market!

BRD wasn't forced, BR is closing in for the Kill.

Apple wants BRD--Success! "SWAP" in different Hard disc drives--Success!

MS knows PS3 is Future-proof!

[NanoGeekTech]

I have my 360 on the left of my TV in the open so it can breath(trying to minimize the RROD) and my PS3 to the right of my TV in the open.....

--Microsoft 360 is far louder than my PS3 I will have them on at the same time.......The fan in the 360 is LOUD...the PS3 is 10x quiter..Its obvious you do not have a PS3...becuase I do not know how you can sit there and spread FUD...........

--I have a 6.1 Sony Dolby Digtal surround system....When my system is up I cannot really hear my 360...I really do not hear it at all....

--Now when I watch a movie...and there is conversation I can hear my 360....if the movie is really good it tends to drown the noise or I really do not notice it....

--I beleive that M$ will come out with a super 360......this will be a test run for the next 360......................

--The super 360 will have HDDVD drive..larger cap harddrive,motion controllers, HDMI,HD audio, and wil be a quiter than all prev..skus...

I have been seeing rumbling of this for about a year now.....and again M$ has all the money in th world to burn....

--Would I buy it..."NO"....I already have a PS3.................

[blacsheep]

im sorry even the most hardened xbox fanboy must be shaking their head at this article

i remember the days and it werent that long ago when xbox fanboys were cussin ps3 for its bells and whistles saying wi-fi and bluray upped the price and this was sonys downfall, now you get excited over a 'ultimate xbox' which is just a ps3 and still not nearly as powerful and will still not be on par with ps3s functions such as bluetooth,2'5 HDD,true hd sound and of corse blu-ray!

apple and sony hate microsoft with a passion because they imitate and not innovate and mislead xbox fanboys who still follow microsoft like jesus coming!

microsoft said hdmi wasnt neccesary then made a new sku in wait for it ....'BLACK' and called it the elite but what was elite about it?

hd player? no
2'5 HDD?no
wi-fi?no
blutooth?no
chargeble controllers?no
internet browsing?no
but xbox fanboys still bought the dubious system

and microsoft even went as far as sneaking hdmi into the premium 360s,and why sneakily?so they did not have to answer questions on their earlier statements of hdmi not being necessary and now they want to try and bring out an ultimate sku which is self destruction there bringing out all these skus which in the end will just confirm sony got it right 1st time and were brave enough to do it straight away.

if this rumours true sony you will win the console war rapidly in 2008 and not just because of the immense exckusives coming but because your competitor is shooting themselves in the foot!

AND THE FUNNIEST THING? GAMES WILL STILL BE ON DVD9!why? because of their install base it cant be anything but!

[moujahed]

It could be that Bill Gates just got testicular cancer for all we know, they just said they have a big announcement. That is all. Your XbOX Fansite specualtes a better system...

Simply because they know the current 360 sucks a$$ and needs improvement... besides why believe them, another XboX fansite claimed that MGS4 is coming to the 360 in 12-14months after its PS3 release.

[rbanke]

If this is all true, its a great idea....for system where every model has those (or most of those) features. Adding a HD-DVD drive would have been a good idea if EVERY 360 had it so developers could use it for games. as it stands, if they do so, they will be ignoring every other xbox 360 out there. And the xbox still does not have a standard HDD on all models, which limits what developers can do, unless they again alienate the non hdd equipped models.

If the xbox launched with a standard hdd and standard hd-dvd drive, i would probably bought that instead of the ps3.

[BubblesDAVERAGE]

MS I hope this isnt true.....I am planning to get a 360 with the next price drop...if this is true i think i will wait again

[LinuxGuru]

a 320GB behemoth - You can upgrade a PS3 with any laptop HDD up to 500GB.

that comes equipped with 1080p HDMI - if it isn't 1.3a compatible, then I don't wanna hear about it.

onboard Wi-Fi connectivity - Already a standard on the PS3 (and the Wii, for god's sake)

HD audio output - Already a standard (Optical and HDMI) on PS3

Cool-running 65nm hardware - The PS3 is cool running with 90nm hardware...FAIL

An almost imperceptible ventilation fan - Already a reality with the PS3 and Wii.

Microsoft, I am ashamed that you can't get a damned thing right the first time you try. Stop letting your consumer base down. Stop changing your ways. Stop forcing people to buy stupid licensed accessories for prices well above the industry norm.

Just stop it. Please?

[Lex_Yayo_407]

Im gonna be as real as I can be. No one will buy this. Why is MS still coming out SKU's that's already over. No one is buying the Halo edition one, which was a waste of money, also why are they coming out with this ultimate edition 360 with all of these features on it and they got an Elite edition 360??? I just think MS knows time is running out and they know that the PS3 is coming up fast, so the only way for MS to keep itself in the game is by making a newer SKU that has basically everything the PS3 got just to keep ahead, but HD-DVD ain't gonna last, everyone knows that. All im saying is why are you doing this now MS, why didn't you do this from get go. Is this 360 gonna be called Ultimate Elite????? All MS is doing is showing us consumers that their scared of a down fall against the PS3, but I wanna know if this is all true, I wanna know how much will it cost because if the regular 360 cost $379 without Wi-Fi, without HD-DVD player, without a HDMI port (Which is only Ver. 1.2 on 360 and PS3 got Ver. 1.3) and also without a 320gb HDD. How much will that add up to???

[MIAMIFROST]

to see the consumers reactions. I have been to a few websites posting this news. Its not only Sony fans bashing this idea this time. There are ALOT of upset XBOX owners out there IF this is true.

All I know is , 2008 is a very good time to be a PS3 owner.

PLAY BEYOND THE FIRST SKU AND THE LAST !!!!!!

[LinuxGuru]

Oh, and the 80GB PS3 is not $599.

It's $499.

F*ckin dumbsh!t article author.

http://www.us.playstation.c...

Take a glance at the 80GB pack.

It's 499 AND it comes with a game.

[AZgamerB3yond]

this guy is a knucklehead....the 80 gig ps3 is 499 NOT 599....what a jacka$$...this isnt news....microsoft made a faulty product and once again are trying to make their customers pay for their F up and buy another BOX...and yes alot of the bots will, but lately ive been talkin to TONS of former xbox owners on the PS network(cod4)!!!!(u guys got xbox (un)live back???)

[Partisan]

Will the new ‘Ultimate’ Xbox 360 eclipse Sony’s PS3? Simply the Answer is No

When the PS3 launch it already has those Feature Wifi,BLuray,7.1 surround sound ,upgrade your 2.5 hardDRive,Web Browser,Linux,super silent machine,built to last 24hrs i did it 1 time .

[LinuxGuru]

I have left my PS3 on Folding@Home for 3 days.

Still felt barely warm to the touch.

Incredibly high-quality, the PS3 is. If only my computer was as reliable as my PS3.

lol!

[danarc]

Will it eclipse the PS3?

No.

Why?

Even with an HD-DVD drive, it still cant use it for games, the Cell processor is still so much better than the 360's, and all its doing is copying anyway.

2008 Plans for 360

Copy PS3's motion controller
Copy PS3's next gen disc drive (HD-DVD)

2007's Plans for 360

Copy HDMI port
Copy PS3's 1080p abililty (even if its only upscaled on 360)

And I cant be bothered to go on...

[AceLuby]

Even the guys who blindly lap in everything M$ has to give them don't think it's a good idea... well for the most part. The 360 has always been about games and to release this saying 'hey we can do that too' is far too little far too late. There are way too many cons to outweigh the pros and they are professionals. If they do this and my $450 elite (plus 3 controllers, rechargers, wifi, etc...) is obsolete I'm sure I'm not the only one who would never buy a M$ gaming console again.

[cheetorb]

They forgot to mention it can flush itself down the toilet.

[ironwolf]

The Sony defence forces are having orgasms screaming about the evil of MS and XBox 360 because of an unsubstantiated (and almost certainly untrue) RUMOR. I swear an earth worm must have more of a life than most of the posters here.

[INehalemEXI]

Its nice to see MS looking to stick with 360 for awhile and beefing it up. This kind of sux for us who already bought 1 of the previous 360's though and had to replace it a couple times to get 1 that worked with out going RRoD or scratching discs.

Why could'nt we have had the Ultimate 360 a long time ago. PS3 60gb was ultimate from day 1 , with upgradable HDD.

[MUNKYPOO]

once again i feel like my current xbox 360 will be a beta. i cant believe there coming out with this. im totally pissed!!! why dont they just call this the xbox720? cause it feels like our current xbox 360 is already last gen. if this rumor is true then i will be really upset and write a letter to the president or something.

also how many times will they come out with this on n4g cause i already have seen it twice in the last couple days?

[rexor0717]

This is funny. Really. This sounds exactly like a ripoff PS3. It sounds like Microsofts scared now. They keep making new ones. With "amazing" new features. Plus, who wants the loosing HD DVD anyways? If it ain't got cell, it can go to hell. ROFL

[INehalemEXI]

Lol @ Monkeypoo, how appropriate , MS is just sh1tting on its install base with this one.

They still expecting you to pay that XBL Gold Subscription fee as well. Bah.

[Bits-N-Kibbles]

If you wanted a 360, then you already have one...

This may have been smart to release at the PS3 launch or even this holiday season...

Stupid

Lets hope it actually works... or you can kiss this POS goodbye

[GameOver]

I never bought one full price yet, so it won't be a real loss to get this considering I still haven't bought a PS3 yet.

[Torkith]

I'm gunna try and do a small sum up of what this system is adding, I'll be generous to the price even with these smaller numbers the price is gunna skyrocket.

Elite: $479.99

Ultimate...
479.99
+
20.00 (increase to 320g)
+
90.00 (add the wifi adapter internally)
+
100.00 (for hd-dvd player... again being very generous)
+
20.00 (for extra things, hd-audio output ect...)

You add that together and what do you have?

$709.99

So say they somehow get away with a 699.99 Ultimate console... that's what the PS3 had originally started at, I can't wait for the fanboys to jump all over me for saying this... If this actually gets you guys all hyped up and don't care about the price factor.. I find it funny that the PS3 had all of this to begin with and that price was made a mockery from the xbox fanboys.

Once again this is just some crappy sum up I did in my head... I doubt it could be any lower unless they use crappy ass parts, or even could be more expensive. Who Knows.

[Cacolaco]

I bought a 60GB PS3 in February or March and I payed $599 for it. I could have sworn that the PS3 was never higher than $599 USD..... And the article writer seems to think that the 80gig PS3 costs $599 and not $499. So MS only has about $20 to work with over the cost of elite to be in the same ballpark as Sony.

I've yet to see any announcements directly from MS though, so let's wait and see.

[Little King]

Micro$oft is pathetic.

[moolox]

Remember this is the guys who invented windows a year after apple the IPODzoom. He also invented the colour blue on monitors which is product require a lot of and a red light which gave an amazing effect when shown in threes.

And now he has invented the Playstation 3 what a god. Does this mean halo 4 is not a exclusive.

[wangdiddy82]

THE CELL and BLU RAY baby.. Ps3 owners already have all this stuff and more.. Ps3's are only 399 to 499 now so it will be a lot cheaper to buy a ps3 than this new model. Plus you get more with a ps3 except a bigger hard drive.. If this comes out it will be around 600 to 700 dollars.. Ps3's have always been a great value for all the stuff you get and now its even a better value.. Ps3 is the way to go if you want the best console and technology.

Anyway there;s going to be a lot of pissed off 360 owners if this is true.. Because people thought they were getting the best 360 with the elite and now there making a even better one.. lol..

[pshizle]

who cares if they put a hddvd in the ultimate

i think they should because hddvd freaken rocks...how do i know because i own ONE...

let me see hddvd has a great and easy menu, filmware updates future proof, and has amazing picture quality

if anybody is getting screwed here its the people who bought the Elites

[guerojose]

"hddvd has a great and easy menu": Really? You mean they force a standard menu on you, and don't let the content authors create their own menus (like DVDs)? Wow, I had no idea about this limitation of HD-DVD.

"filmware (firmware?) updates": And Blu-ray doesn't allow firmware updates? Again, I had no idea about this particular limitation.

"amazing picture quality": Damn, I knew there was a reason I should've gone with HD-DVD - amazing picture quality. I thought the "stunning" pq of Blu-ray was amazing enough (not to mention the additional lossless audio options, larger storage, bonus content in HD, available content, etc.).

Thanks for offering this important information.

[Revvin]

MS will continue to try and screw as much money out of 360 owners as they can. They know loyal fans will buy the new SKU, it wasn't that long ago they launched the Elite and now they want to cash in again. Will games come in multi disc and HD DVD versions when games get too big to fit on a DVD just to make you feel even more of a second class user when you go to the checkout and hand over your multi disc version? If MS launch the 320GB HDD as an add-on for its poor early adopters how much will it cost? the 120GB costs £130 already, thats only £70 less than a 360 base package! (a rip off considering a SATA 2.5" HDD costs around £50) Will the 320GB cost more than an actual 360 console ifthey keep true to their pricing?

I wonder if they will complete their copy of the PS3 by annoucing you can also install another O/S like the PS3 can install Linux although true to form MS would make it Vista only just to screw a few more dollars out of you.

[Salvadore]

Dammit MS, stop focking up everything.

[chrisin3]

This console competes with the PS3 when it comes to media features, but not on a games level in regards to high definition. The reason I say this is because PS3 games are coded on high def discs, as where xbox games won't ever (at least it's very doubtful) be coded on HD-DVD disks because it would offset their already established user base.

So really this thing is just a wanna be PS3, that takes more of the role of a media center--exactly the thing people used to believe the PS3 was. Oh well, I know some people may flock to it, but I don't particularly see this as a smart (a better word might be "needed") move.

[BenderDGreat82]

lol, Microsoft, how many 360 models do you have already? MS made fun at the PS3 for having all these "unecessary" things yet look at what they're adding to their "ultimate!" 360...what's next, will it fry eggs for me too? Give me a break. the PS had it right from the get go. You're just trying to catch up to it.

[dragon376]

They are coming out with a Xbox version of the PS3... Cause all those feature listed (except the huge Hard Drive that needs to be bought on extra from a compatible laptop Hard Drive) are the feature that PS3 has from the beginning... isn't it? For some reason, I don't think they can make an Xbox with those feature for less than the price of a PS3. Finally, we will be able to compare the value of the 2 systems for what they are worth: The Xbox is not cheaper than the PS3 once you add all the feature the PS3 already has.
BTW, I don't know if having an obsolete HD DVD on a game system is such a advantage. Because HD DVD is going away. Apple is turning toward Blu Ray, Warner will too...

[solar]

if this is does happen to be true....

and i owned a 360, i would be one pissed off gamer. especially if i went out and bought the bigger hard drive, then went out and bought the HD-DVD player. i would be furious. why couldnt they have launched with an sku with all those features? to me its a huge slap in the face to the ppl that bought a 360, thinking "yeah, i got the high end model, im set!" then this comes out. i would feel completely crapped on.

[Luca Blight]

The only part that sucks is that Microsoft is going to extend the next-gen DVD wars for years to come. What about all that talk about them not really caring who won the next-gen DVD wars?

[sak500]

If they add hddvd and bigger drive in ultimate, they better reduce the ridiculously overpriced 120gig drive and also lower the hdddvd addon. With firmware update they can make HD addon player become a bootable drive and HDgames can be played through it, ie. if they decide to start developing HDDvd games.

[Polluted]

Right, but there are almost 20 million 360s out there that won't be able to play HD-DVD games and may not be able to use the HD. I think if they get to a point where some crazy RPG or something is using up more than 4 dvd's they may release an optional HD-DVD version, but there will always need to be standard DVD 360 games.

[PSWe60]

BRAVO M$!
You built a PS3 that will burn up in a few hours!

[joevfx]

when the PS3 came out they had both the gamers and Videophiles buying this. Gamers wanted it cause it was a PS3 and happened to get a blu ray player with it, and Videophiles wanted it cause it was the cheapest option for a blu ray player and happened to be the best player out.

Microsoft is screwing themselves here because 1. hardcore gamers only care about games so they either have a 360 premier or updated to the elite and aren't gonna update to a $500 360 just to play hd dvd movies. and 2. videophiles aren't gonna spend $499 on an HD DVD player when they can get a comparable one for $299 or a cheap one for $199. HD DVD is going backwards, they should have put an hd dvd player in the xbox a year ago. its to late now.

[solar]

totally agree with you there. good post.

[djtek184]

The new & improve "Ultimate Xbox 360" now with LESS than 33% failure rate!

[The_Engineer]

they could put 2 HD-DVD drives and 802.11 N wireless and it still wouldn't compete with the CBE.

most noobs don't or are incapable of understanding why the cell leaves regular processors in the dust. EACH SPU has 8 registers, that is why they talk about unrolling loops when programming for cell because sequential loops are no longer necessary.

what does this mean to the ignorant joe on the street?? you would need about 26 processors to match the power of a fully utilized cell broadband engine.

NO ONE is touching this processor for the next ten years, EASY.

[bizi6498]

except its ***128*** registers and:

- they're SIMD registers (vector SSE, altivec, VMX)
- never cache miss (huge perf deal no-one ever mention)
- can execute 2 instruction per cycle so it can effectively run at 6.4 GHz if programed carefully.
- true independent processor (as opposed to a threaded 'core' for the 360)

This is why it is possible for people like Naughty dog or Polyphony digital to pull off their wizardry, and why others can't: it is an insane performance monster that challenges mediocre programmers or those addicted to microsoft tools.

I guess it would be more comfortable for lazy programmers if everybody was lazy so they could get away with it. Unfortunately, 2008 is going to be very disappointing for them... but not for us!!

[sonyfanonly]

they can keep trying and trying MGS 4 will push sony to the win by 09

[Adamalicious]

I can't imagine why Microsoft would want to further tie themselves to the sinking ship that is HD-DVD.

[jackdoe]

Why would they do something like this? Just when they were starting to make a profit in their games division, they announce a SKU which they'd have to underprice in order sell which means they lose more money on each console sold.

[Polluted]

When I get around to buying a 360 it definitely won't be this model. There's no need for that HD unless you intend to use IPTV because you can't put anything useful on a 360 hard drive anyway. At least not anything that's going to take that kind of space. No DivX videos on the HD, mods, etc and games still won't be allowed to take advantage of the HD since they're still selling the arcade model. Finally who wants and HD-DVD drive? Seriously, that war is over. If one format manages to last at all in the face of digital distribution it won't be HD-DVD.
The quiet fan and cool hardware sounds good, but I would hope they would include those features in all 360's starting really soon. I would have hoped they would include it from the beginning, but obviously that wasn't the case. I think when I get my 360 it will be an elite or one step down from an elite. That's assuming they sort out their hardware issues.

[LJWooly]

I'm gonna have to agree with you there, mate. For what you're getting for the price, buying this really will not benefit you at all.

Also, this will not take care of the RRoD, and I don't think anything ever will. People said exactly the same thing about teh 360's hardware issues, that they'll be fixed with the new 'Falcon chips', but that turned out to have minimal effect on the machine's reliability & noise coming from the console.

Seriously, if you buy this, you get ripped off. Waste of money, I can't see this selling well.

[bizi6498]

that someone could ever think that this joke of a strategy could 'eclipse' the ps3!

If this is not flipflopping and screwing their customers, what is?
At this point, we're beyond stupidity and it's really getting laughable. They can't even use the extra storage for games and that's a gamer's machine?

The ultimate xbot?
The dude who buys the 'behemoth' after 5 RROD and ends up having to buy the blu-ray add-on to watch HD movies...

[Sarick]

To me this idea would seem like it's not even an Xbox anymore, might as well call it an Xbox 362. Don't get me wrong it's still basically an xbox 360. It's just that if you upgrade something to this level (Including HD-DVD) in the sku you might as well say it's a new console. I say this because everyone using the older systems will be left behind if MS decides to utilise the HD-DVD for game storage.

To put it simply if this is true then the ultimate, will be an updated 360 model with full compatibility and the other 360's will need the HD-DVD add on to be compatible. This would mean it'd be better to just buy the new ultimate then to upgrade the lesser units to be fully up to the new specifications. Sort of like the core being next gen and the ultimate being 1 1/2 next gen.

Is MS giving up on the lower end xbox 360s like it did with the first xbox so it can make a high end model that is competitive with PS3's blu-ray and HDD capabilities?

@edit to below comment.

IMHO I don't think the DEVs would make 2 formats for the same game. They'd make either a DVD format that's compatible with everyone or an HD-DVD format that requires the HD-DVD component. In this case people who don't upgrade can't play the games that need the HD-DVD drive.

Nintendo did this with the memory upgrade on the N64, most people just upgraded.

[jorellpogi]

Nice observation bro. If this rumor is true then the current owners of 360 are screwed. Future games of the console will be build on two format - HDDVD and DVD which are confusing and more expensive. Few game developers will be pissed off by making their games in two format for a single game console.

[Tryst]

This is why I think we (as gamers) need M$ out of the gaming industry. All they do is screw people over, and completely hinders progression because of their greed and incompetence.

It was a sorry sorry day for the gaming industry when M$ announced a gaming console (XBox) all those years back.

[castortroy]

The 80GB PS3 is only 499. The opening to the thread says it is 599. Idiots.

[castortroy]

rpt

[Big Jim]

This rumor is fake. It would be funny if it was true though. MS would have to release an "ultimate" 360 in order to be able to compete with the base PS3 sku.

[360Crusader]

Thats a good joke. One only a fan boy could think up.

[MikeE21286]

Is this guy an idiot?

How does MS have $129 to work with? The PS3 is not $599 anymore. Welcome to 4 months ago, moron

[pshizle]

HDDVD

easy to use menu- very different from dvd just plop the disc in then the movie starts playing and you can change the scenes and stuff while in the movie...its cool really

firmware updates- yes bluray does not have that so can i say not future proof???

amazing picture- hddvd uses microsofts codec and its looks stunning

hddvd- most hddvds come with and another side for dvd...so your getting best of both worlds...does bluray have that???

[Thursday]

Either you know absolutely nothing about Blu-ray, or you're simply lying. Pleading ignorance might be preferable on your part, though.

First of all, most HD DVDs aren't combo discs, only a few of them are, and the ones that are are even more expensive than the regular HD DVDs.

Second of all, Blu-ray players do support firmware updates:

http://www.highdefdigest.co...

And last but not least, HD DVD and Blu-ray support the same codecs, the more important difference is that Blu-ray allows for much higher bitrate for both sound and picture, which naturally enables a better picture and sound quality.

Oh, and I forgot, the menus work like that on Blu-ray as well. Guess you're $hite out of luch there buddy.

[guerojose]

Thanks pshizle for elaborating on your earlier comments. I think you've given me a clearer understanding of the level of technical knowledge (and command of English spelling and grammar) of the average HD-DVD supporter.

The information you've provided relative to the two formats should be useful to anyone considering a purchase. Nicely done.

[lawong78]

Ya. When PS3 was launched, MS mentioned about consoles should be about gaming...now with all these, they will be shooting themselves in the foot. Bang, Ouch. Isn't what hdmi, hd drive in a console similar to PS3?
Well, i hope none of the people who blasted PS3 for having all these "unneccesary hardware", forcing the format on you or the higher price, buying the new xbox SKU. Now that more people are aware of the benefits of hdmi and high defination, these people then came out crawling and claimed its beautiful. The new ultimate SKU better sells at significant lower price than the PS3 or else these group of fans are going to make me laugh. They should stick to what they believed at first, is that hdmi and high defination is redundant and DVD is absoluely enough. Why not stick to the earlier game cartridges and screw those who embraced CD?
Not that i am very against MS but i go give credits to people with their ideas and machines that improve what we have now.

[Bill Gates]

....
HAHHAHAHHAHHAHAHHAHHAHHAHHA

Lets see...

1-Core
2-Premium
3-Elite
4-Ultimate

....AAHAHAHHAHHA

Let me guess, after the Ultimate will come the Xbox360 "Stupid Hunter"....AAHAHHHAHAHHAH

You BABOONS really do fall for anything...AHAHHAHA

[JasonPC360PS3Wii]

Now repeat all that while using a "robot" voice.

MS is making it's 360 home console like a PC, constant upgrades in tech. Which is alright by me.

PC is "always" ahead of the game "always" There is and never will be a gaming platform that is as consistent. <--this part is pure fact, try to argue it I dare you.

As harware gets cheaper and cheaper MS can keep these consoles in various market price, low, middle and high end and they will play all 360 games and many Xbox classics. They will have a box for everyone and we can all play in the same arena dispite which version you own. The games will adjust themselves with various hardware concerns like PC does now.

MS = PC, MS is PC. If you thought MS would,t bring that which they are masters of and bring that business sense and what has made the company the #1 software company in the world to the console world, You are very "dee dee dee" It's MS king of the PC, duh! They can have a flow of low end to high end gaming system that contends with everyone, which they can adjust accordanly and stay competitive in price and hardware. As new SKUs are made, old SKUs are faded out and repeat the cycle. It's what they do with PC and like I said above you can't f__k with PC.

[Lcarrero5]

But Xbox is not a pc. If you seriously believe what you just wrote you are blind. This is bad news for CURRENT xbox 360 owners. no way around it.

[ROCCOZILLA]

m$ thought they had the best system,more power a year early.now they are finding out that they have to keep up with the ps3,NEVER GONNA HAPPEN!360,720,900 who cares any more when you buy a ps3 its a one shot deal.you buy it and your good for 10 to 12 years.case closed!PLAY B3YOND!

[wind_dragon]

i dare 'em, do it and u will most certainly regret it.

Microsoftのばか糞です。くたばれ！　＞D

[demolitionX]

Microsoft thrives on stupid people!

[Mikey_Gee]

Maybe I will upgrade from my launch 360 ...

[Rattles]

isn't toshiba making the cell processor, this could be microsofts plan to start getting cell powered 360s lol

[MANTIIS]

The article states that the 80GB PS3 is 599.00. Idiotic journalist, its 499.00. And it is also 499.00 or lower that MS will have to match for this ridiculous attempt at electronic plagurism. I wonder how much money they will lose? So, it will have a HD-DVD drive built in, supposedly? Does this mean it will play HD-DVD formatted games? I doubt it, since they could be making those right now. So, in the end, what you have is a machine that thinks its a PS3, but unlike PS3 is unable to play HD formatted games and has no Bluetooth compatibility, nor can you surf the web on it, HDD swap, communicate with your handheld anywhere in the world, and provide free online service. Well, at least you can watch Transformers HD on it. If this rumor is true, it would be a foolish and arrogant move on MS's part, as I simply don't see how they can competetively price the thing. Did they not learn what happens to consoles that are priced above 500.00, from the PS3? And what of RROD? Has it been solved? I haven't heard any announcements? Kinda makes plucking down that kind of cash a little high risk, in my opinion. Personally, I think it kind of revealing of MS to make remake a console that closely emulates a PS3. Perhaps they feel the PS3 is a finer piece of hardware than their own system? I'll believe this rumor when I see it. Until then, MS might more likely be revealing new software or IP's, rather than some ridiculous, emulated PS3Box. I would not doubt some sort of surprise concering HD-DVD, though.

[NoxiousD]

I just call it the Wii360HD because of the rumored motion controller. I own both and if this rumor is true i am selling my 360 getting a wii and never looking back. Because a new XBOX will be right around the corner. That is what microsoft did to its self if the rumor is true... they are killing them selves

[snoopgg]

didn't you learn from Sonys launch mistake. I mean how much is this gonna cost. People were buying both 360's and the wi because Sonys console costed so much. Now you guys are going to try and sell a expensive 360, when most of your supporters already happy with their 360s. I just don't think this is a good idea, but we will see if it even happens.

[Lord_Mike]

In fall 2008 PS3 maybe have another price cut. $299.00 PS3's anyone?

[plumpness]

A major strength that the ps3 will have is its blu ray drive, completely disregarding movies, blu ray is still a huge advantage as sony can use it to distribute games (even if the format dives). this has a huge benefit largely due to the storage capabilities. However even if the ultimate has a built in HD DVD drive they will still not be able to use this format as all the other existing xbox SKU's do not have HD DVD drive. Microsoft will have to continue to use DVD's. THe future is bound to bring with it larger games. this will likely result in cases having to include multiple disc in order to bring the games to people (or downloads - note that not everyone has great internet). what is microsoft going to do, Microsoft cannot combat this unless they either force customers to buy an HD DVD add on or force online content download

[blucas]

I dont see this beening a problem considering the arcade 360 with no hard drive already does that...

[JasonPC360PS3Wii]

$199, $299, $399 and $499 and rotate that over and over. A new $499 is introduced and the old $499 drops to $399 and the $399 drops to $299 and the $299 drops to $199 the old $199 will be phazed out or reach the $99 range. All the while games work on all versions because they will be built to across generations. By the time your 10yr console reaches the $199 range Xbox will already be 5 gens ahead of you. Because hardware will be cheap, much like what they use in cell phones and current PCs. Look at the PS3, without Blu-Ray that console has $150 worth of hardware in it.

[big0]

A slap in the face of current 360 owners they should have done this a long time ago.

[roybatty]

You know the ones...

" At least we are given a choice..blah, blah, blah..."
" Sony force Blu Ray on you moan, moan, blah.."
" Who uses HDMI anyway? Blah, blah, blah...."
" 360 is a games machine....blah, moan, whine, blah...."
" You don't need wireless built in...blah, blah, blah..."

Allot of you 360 sad cases are such fkn hypocrites. Just go back 6 months or so through the archives and read all your anti PS3 drivel before sucking the c0ck of Bill Gates if this is indeed true.
Nob heads.

[-SIXAXIS-]

So true. I'm glad I didn't buy a 360. It's a PoS. I bought my PS3 in February 2007 and I needed an HDMI port, Wi-Fi, a Blu-Ray player, etc. The 360 is for people who don't have an HDTV/don't care about how good real HD looks.

[Solid_Skip]

I have so many friends that just got an elite, just for a HDMI PORT AN A 120GB HARD DRIVE!!!!! another waste of money, and i bet theres so many great fans of the xbox system that will go out and buy there 3rd or 4th xbox system depending if there's 360 rrod. thats just crazy, i have one ps3 and i hope that will last me at least 5 or 6 years, and i just got my 20gig xbox and hope that will last me at least 2 to 4 years. its crazy how MS gets away with no law suits from its fans, what happen to standards instead of greed.

[Fiyah3k]

I agree in all ways simply because microsoft are money hungry leechers & really should be ashamed if this ultimate is confirmed to be true. How many SKUs already & this is why america lost vietnam for the simply fact we always jump before looking & sony took the time, did the research about future technology, then integrated it into it's system as a whole. Microsoft will milk u to death with all the add-ons, & then on top of it all, the machine is proprietary. HDMI port........do you really wanna take it there with, OH!! i thought this technology would never be relevant as many HDTV's are starting 2 implement it now. To make a very long debate short, 360 time is very limited & its only a matter of time til sony evolves & the developers start utilizing the hardware/software to its full potential making the cheap plastic nonupgradable box go BOOM!! RROD of death anyone......garbage system with no room to expand!! I appreciate SONY giving freedom to its consumers.......time for that 500gig upgrade cuz playTV & HOME is around the corner plus DIVX is lovely. 360 has maybe 3rd gen capabilities but PS3 has power to produce 5/6 gen titles beyond anything imaginable up until this point. Sorry milk man but your product's outdated!!! Bring your A game next time MS. SONY is known by the quality grade of its products & PS3 still resembles that trademark.

[blucas]

Would nt u think if microsoft were to slap the Existing 360 owners in the face they would start buy allowing developers to utilize the hard drive as soon as they started to code for it? After all it would only be a small portion of owners that are affected. But no they are nt letting them... (just as well for the fanboy)

[MaximusPrime]

i can see that this is going to be an "ultimate" disaster.

[xeon121]

i think what everyone is failing to notice is no one has confirmed this??? its the usuall n4g bs. it was the same back when this site was news4gamers.com, if indeed it is true then imo it would be a bad move by ms in terms of money, as they would lose a sh!t load as early adoptors such as myself wouldnt go out and buy this. i have had my premium since launch and have had no issues thats right none i have no need for an hd-dvd player on my console as i purchased my xbox to play games not watch movies if i want to do that i would stream an hd dvd movie through my laptop to my tv or i would just go the cinema u guys need to get some perceptive

[tordavis]

I have never seen so much FUD on N4G before. This goes out to Xbots and Sony Fanboys. You guys crack me up.

Sony Fanboys, every time you put 'LOL' in your comments it just means you have no confidence in your post. You keep saying 2008 is the year of the PS3 but most of your consumer buddies aren't even buying games.

Who in the Fcuk cares if Microsoft admits Sony was right? I don't, and Microsoft shouldn't either. They are making money hand over fist by selling software to hardcore gamers. The 360 is a success, even with all the problems they've had.

Xbots, get your heads out your asses. The 320gb HD is for the IPtv/DVR thingy they are planning. I'm almost sure of it.

You keep saying that 'no one will buy the new SKU' but you are dead wrong. You know who would buy this new SKU? People who don't own a 360 but want one, that's who! I don't understand how this hasn't crossed your mind.

You say it's gonna piss off early adopting Xbox 360 owners? HOW IS IT GONNA PISS OFF PEOPLE WHO ALREADY OWN THE SYSTEM!?!? If you want HD-DVD that bad, go buy a stand alone unit or the add-on for the 360. Don't wait for this new SKU to come out and then get pissed cuz it was included. There's absolutely nothing to be pissed about.

I'm still on my first premium from last year. No RROD and only 20gb hard drive. I download HD movies from Marketplace and download any demo I want. I never have and issue with disk space. Xbox owners don't need huge hard drives because if they want to store pictures and stream movies they can do it from their pc's.

You all are cracking me up. You are sitting here btching, complaining, trolling and wasting cyberspace on an announcement that hasn't been made yet.

Lastly, if they do start making games on HD-DVD, I can guarantee you that ALL HD-DVD games will also have a DVD version for early adopters. So what's to worry about? Are you concerned that Kaz Hirai is in his boxers telling jokes about Microsoft going back on their word? Send him an email and ask him where you can buy a 20gb PS3 and when he doesn't answer, tell some jokes about Sony.

Xbox 360 is here to stay, HD-DVD is here to stay, PS3 is here to stay and Blu-Ray is here to stay. Everyone complaining STFU and start playing some games. PS3 Fanboys, STFU and start buying some games. Xbots, STFU and be happy with the 360 you have and hope that prices drop and new SKUs attract more people into buying a 360 and increasing it's marketshare. Don't you want to see it reach 100 million like the PS2? Well this is how it happens.

One final note: Whoever administers this site, please do something about the non-sense that gets posted here so this place can be taken more seriously.

[-SIXAXIS-]

So basically 3 years after the launch of 360, they decide to use the 2 year old hardware that was in the PS3.

lol Microsoft.

[GodGinrai]

i usually just flick thru the news and rumours on this site and occasionally read the comments for comedy value.if its not over zealous 360 owners laying into ps3 over something that does not really matter,then its delusional ps3 fanboys talking about "wait until they unleash ps3 power"....sounds like a line from a bad sci-fi movie...what do you guys smoke? are you reading what you are typing? personally i want to trade my 360 premium up to an elite so i can use hdmi, and the 120gb HDD will come in handy .dont care much for hd dvd or blu-ray.dvd is fine for me.a new SKU wont affect me or any other x360 owner.so could one of you fanboys explain to me why i would feel screwed by this model coming out again?.....i have nothing against sony or the ps3 personally (my tv is a sony bravia,and my x360 games looks awsome on it BTW...so i am content)...i just chose the machine that had better games thats all.