http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3161942

The requirement is primarily linked to hard drive limitations. "It's the consequence of having a limited size hard drive, with a lot of other things to fill it out," he says. Companies are allowed to expand the required size, but the game should always run on the original requirement -- users have to approve the change. If the requirement goes up, Microsoft is playing with the idea of allowing the ability to degrade -- those are Microsoft's words -- the experience. Their ideas, straight from their presentation:

Lo-res models/textures

Place certain areas off-limits

Stream assests from server (slower loading)

So now you're really gonna get the worse experience if you have or get a core. Not only will you have to buy stuff to save, download XBLA stuff, now you will get the crappy version of the game too. Wonderful...

They're only talking about MMO games and what might happen if a game starts to exceed it's original requirements. And I don't understand what a Core has to do with any of this since it's for MMO games that require a harddrive.

I get the feeling they're basically saying that if a game exceeds it's original system harddrive requirements listed on the game's packaging that the game is still always playable if the user chooses not to allow the game to use additional harddrive space.  But if the user chooses not to allow the game to have additional harddrive space it may result in the game streaming assets off the server, lower res textures, and/or areas of the game that are off limits.

And I don't really see what the big deal is.  Didn't the Final Fantasy MMO game for the PS2 require a harddrive?

A hard drive was required for FFXI on the PS2, so this really isn't any different.

How much are xbox Hard drives anyways? I'm not trying to defend microsoft or anything like that, but won't most core owners be buying hard drives later anyways?

Ah hah, lol, so the Xbox 360 is the real one who's actually trying to be a computer.

You can buy the 20Gb Xbox HD new from GoGamer for $50 (Great deal by the way) and hopefully the 120Gb will come down into the $99 price range soon :)

 Well wasn't Microsoft's reason for not including the hard drive was that it was the user's choice? They've tried to justify its price, but $100 for 20gigs or $80 more for 120gigs is kind of shoddy in my opinion. 

Are there any core owners on this site? I'd love to hear their views on not just this issue, but of their view towards the core in general.

The 360 hard drive is listed at 100 dollars for the 20gb version and 180 dollars for the 120 gb version at bestbuy.

That's not exactly cheap.

yeah well who is the Fu***head going to buy anything at best buy and hoping for something cheap ?????

it's like hoping the same price on cheeseburger in a restaurant than the one at McDies....

you want stuff for cheap ... you STEAL them... nah just kidding... :P you go on Ebay or you compare prices on the web....

then yeah it's the customer choice... if you chose not to pay 60 bucks more to have that same HDD and a wireless controller... don't complain after..... you did the wrong choice.... because even if you don't want that you can still buy it and sell it on Ebay.... and i'm pretty sure you can make a deal when you earn money at the end... so Core buyers... are just missing the point..