Apparently, there is an additional redesigned 360 on shelves today... with a dark secret!
[UPDATE] After publishing this story, we were contacted by Microsoft representatives, who told us that the new Xbox 360 is only available in a 250GB configuration and that our story was in error. We have since returned to the Best Buy in hopes of getting a photo of the 120GB unit, but the store's stock has already been depleted, leaving us unable to firmly prove the existence of the alternate model. While we trust the two sets of eyes that saw that unit, Microsoft isn't exactly in the business of lying about its hardware SKUs, either. Giant Bomb regrets the confusion.
Planing on buying a newer, sleeker Xbox 360 today? A word of warning! There is more than one new 360 unit on store shelves today.
The fact sheet makes no mention of a 120 gig 360, but don't be fooled: We saw one! This morning, Tested.com's Will Smith and I took a trip down to the local Best Buy to purchase Microsoft's redesigned 360. As we waited at the register to purchase our hardware, Will and I noticed something strange; the 360 Will was purchasing had rang up for $279.99 after tax, a full $20 dollars cheaper than the $300 price point announced at the Microsoft conference. A quick look at the contents of the box revealed the reason for the price discretion: this new 360 had a 120 gig hard drive inside, instead of the 250 gig unit announced at the Microsoft Press Conference. That's right; you can cut the storage space of the new 360 in half, and get the unit for a few bucks cheaper and a whole lot less storage space.
There appears to be no other differences between the two units apart from the size of the hard drives; you'll still be getting the built-in wifi and the Kinect port on the back of the unit. The only difference in the two 360s is the size of the hard drive.
Did Microsoft slyly slip a slightly cheaper 360 with way less storage onto shelves without telling anyone? Because we here at Giant Bomb still cannot find any announcement that there was a new 360 with a 120 gig hard drive. No such hardware was announced at the Microsoft Press Conference. Most bizarre of all, we checked the listings of several game retails to see if they had listings of the redesigned 360 with the smaller hard drive; neither Best Buy (where we saw and purchased the consoles), Amazon, nor Gamestop have listings for an 120 gig new 360 in their systems. How weird is it that Microsoft built this less-expensive version of the hardware and not tell anyone?
I managed to grab myself the proper 250 gig 360, but just be aware if you're going to a retailer today to pick up a new 360 with a 250 gig hard drive, make sure you check the box! Check how big the hard drive is! You may not be buying the same 360 that was announced on the Microsoft stage earlier this week.
We'll have more on this exciting story as it develops, but, in the meantime, what do you guys think? Are you surprised these new 360s exist? Do you think it's a good deal to trade half the hard drive space for a 20 dollar saving on the console?
" And this is why it pays to go ask Microsoft for clarification before running with ZOMG CLICKS!!!!1 Otherwise, it's just embarrassing. "
I don't think it was like that at all. The Tested folks are trusted people and I still trust them, as I am sure the GB crew do, but that's why it wasn't checked. I'm sure it was just a huge misunderstanding.
"And this is why it pays to go ask Microsoft for clarification before running with ZOMG CLICKS!!!!1 Otherwise, it's just embarrassing. "
So does that mean that when a 120GB SKU is encountered in a store but MS says there is only a 250GB SKU, the encounter with the 120GB version didn't happen? Rephrased: is Microsoft's PR the sole source of truth concerning their products? Let's postulate the following situation: Jeff and Ryan walk into a Best Buy. They see a 750GB version of the PS3. They take a picture of this new SKU. They call Sony, asking for their confirmation. Sony says this SKU doesn't exist. Does that mean it doesn't exist? I mean, they checked with Sony because otherwise it would just be embarrassing, right? I'm trying to find the logic of your argument, here. Help me out.
"And this is why it pays to go ask Microsoft for clarification before running with ZOMG CLICKS!!!!1 Otherwise, it's just embarrassing. "
So does that mean that when a 120GB SKU is encountered in a store but MS says there is only a 250GB SKU, the encounter with the 120GB version didn't happen? Rephrased: is Microsoft's PR the sole source of truth concerning their products? Let's postulate the following situation: Jeff and Ryan walk into a Best Buy. They see a 750GB version of the PS3. They take a picture of this new SKU. They call Sony, asking for their confirmation. Sony says this SKU doesn't exist. Does that mean it doesn't exist? I mean, they checked with Sony because otherwise it would just be embarrassing, right? I'm trying to find the logic of your argument, here. Help me out. "
@lockload: Of course. That is why I asked to postulate this situation. That is to say, I am sketching the outlines of a hypoothetical situation to take Hailinel's argument to its logical limit in an effort to elucidate what, exactly, it is he is saying.
" @lockload: Of course. That is why I asked to postulate this situation. That is to say, I am sketching the outlines of a hypoothetical situation to take Hailinel's argument to its logical limit in an effort to elucidate what, exactly, it is he is saying. "
I asked my buddy at Gamestop if he had seen any of these things. He said this:
"Microsoft has only announced a 250GB version at this time"
I then gave him the evil eye and reminded him that we've both fucked the same girl on separate occasions and we're still friends. He laughed, and then said:
"Microsoft has only...ANNOUNCED...a 250GB version at this time"
...and followed that with a wink and a nod of yes.
After he got off work, we hung out and I asked him again, since his manager wasn't around anymore.
According to him, there were 120GB redesigned 360s that shipped out to stores...but they weren't supposed to ship out yet. Any of those boxes are supposed to be getting shipped back to Microsoft with the shipment that is being received by stores tomorrow (Monday).
Whether people trust what I say or not, that's your own thing. Whether Microsoft wants to cover up their flub, that's another. However, I trust my friend and it also makes sense that they would have 120GB versions waiting in the wings for when the current Elites are depleted. Not having them waiting would be a manufacturing nightmare.
Either way, I'm pre-ordering a 250GB tomorrow, and there are supposed to be shipments at our local Gamestops on Monday and Friday with them. YAY!
Yeah, I would just pay the extra 20-30 or whatever to more or less double my HDD space here. But good reporting on what is going on with these first shipments.
" Microsoft has said that a cheaper 360 Slim model is in the works, in line with the previous Arcade SKU, after announcing the new 250GB 360 Slim Microsoft's Ryan Moore has said that a second new Xbox 360 will be offered at the Arcade's current price point of $200 There's been no word so far on what features and functionalities the cheaper Slim model will or will not have. " this was dated June 15 the day of the MS press conference.
now i wonder if that model had some how got released early but priced as an elite by best buy, i dunno but in any case why are Microsoft reps denying that a newer cheaper model even exists when it seems to be confirmed already, somthing fishy going on.
now we are talking...this 360 looks sweet....still worried about it burning out...this console should be warrentied for life because of the many problems it has failing....damn my nes still works,atari,genesis,ps1,xbox original,etc...buying disposable consoles dosnt work for me
idk, I'm going to really enjoy my 250. Its funny. My Xbox Red Ringed saturday morning. My Best Buy got the slims in on saturday. it was fate. 20 bucks for 120 gigs? who wouldn't do that? honestly....
If the price they saw on the register is even close to what that unit will go for when it comes out, that's a pretty monumental shift in the value MS puts on the hard drive part of the whole package.
Considering that they're now bundling in Wifi, I wonder if this also means that every unit going forward will have some sort of hard drive, even if it's a minimal 20 or 60. Somewhere in the marketing I seem to remember hearing the line that this new xbox is designed at least in part based on what people said they wanted. Combined with a story I saw a day or two ago about the 360 lasting somewhere around another five years, and assuming that most of the companies involved would love to sell things digitally, this push of new hardware would be a great time for MS to start packing every box with a drive.
You can actually find the 120 gig ones on the walmart website. they even sell them at a few walmart locations! its not a myth! its real. Microsoft must have messed up. they do exist.
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