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Forums - Microsoft - Ars Mole: Microsoft to drop X360 Pro, 120GB Elite to replace it.

From the Ars Technica mole:

Sony and the PS3

The 80GB model is going to see some serious hardware constraints in the weeks ahead, and retailers have about 60 days worth of inventory before the systems will become hard to find. Expect to see many more 160GB units on store shelves. Those units have no constraints yet, but if the retailers sell through that supply as quickly as they did the 80GB, Sony is in a good place for the final part of its plan in 2009: dropping the price of hardware and launching the PS3 Slim in the fall.

We have absolutely no information on what to expect from that price drop, so we don't know how large it will be... yet. Still, hearing confirmation from the Mole that it's coming is great news. Sony has had much success getting people excited about the PSP platform with a raft of new games and the PSP Go hardware, so launching the PS3 Slim and dropping the price on the hardware that's out now should give the platform its own boost.

Microsoft and the Xbox 360

Expect the Xbox 360 Pro to disappear in July or August, but you're going to see some solid bundles to get those systems moving off store shelves. The Halo 3/Fable 2 bundle the Mole previously tipped us off to shows that Microsoft is willing to put some good games into the box to get people buying.

So what are we going to do without the Pro systems? Nothing. The Elite units, with the 120GB hard drive, are going to become the Pro-level system after an early September price cut. We'll be on the lookout for another holiday bundle as well, and that should hit around October. What titles will be included? We should be able to break that story as well, but we don't have the information yet.

FYI, this guy is as good as gold. He is almost always right. Very interesting to see what happens.



Back from the dead, I'm afraid.

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Elite for 300 bucks? Are they going to drop the Arcade down to 150 or are they going to put a decent amount of sold state memory on it?



I know this guy has a good reputation for getting past info, but this just seems like he is mostly stating a very obvious and safe outcome.

I myself predict them to do this very thing a few weeks ago. The only thing different I said was that MS would upgrade their HDD models around August to coincide with Games on Demand launching, and then drop the price again in September, almost a replay of last year. I predicted the HDD models would either go to something much bigger or shift to 120/250 instead of 60/120.



sounds good, i'll put off my purchase until i hear some more.



He is right about Sony, as my local Fred already have trouble restocking 80gb unit. They only seems to get in one of those at a time.

As for Microsoft prediction, there was rumbling at E3 about drop in HD price so may be this was part of it. I see MU is down to $29.99 ... so may be 60GB at 59.99? and 120gb at $129? I see that price at Best Buy, and they usually do that sometimes to prevent later price match when price do drop. The 350 is only for limited Elite bundle special. I foresee a Forza Elite bundle and may be Halo Reach next year?

In ideal world I would love if the Arcade became the pro and we get rid of HD-less sku altogether.



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Good, I hope HD prices go down so I can get one.



Now we have heard it all

  • New Xbox360 2010
  • Arcade will be removed and replaced with the Pro
  • Elite will be removed - just for special editions like the RE5 bundle
  • New HDD with 500GB
  • Pro will be removed and replaced by elite

this is getting out of hand.



Imagine not having GamePass on your console...

Same as last year, the 20GB pro was dropped to $300 and the 60GB replaced it at $350, then a few weeks later 60GB replaced that at $300.

So $250 60GB maybe and $300 120GB, then when the stocks gone, $250 120GB



already posted http://www.vgchartz.com/forum/thread.php?id=78113&page=1



September SKUs

Xbox 360 Arcade w/ 256MB Flash - $199.99, €179.99, ¥19,800

Xbox 360 Elite w/ 120GB HDD - $299.99, €239.99, ¥29,800