Black Xbox 360 Premium rumor for $299 will not die

by Blake Snow { Mar 13th 2007 at 11:25AM }

According to German gaming site Xbox-Archiv, the much rumored black Xbox 360 Premium is in fact coming, despite constant efforts to diffuse its existence and dash gamer hopes.

The site claims a little bird told them the new system is coming this May, at a lower $299 price replacing the useless Core model in the process. Also included are a 120 GB hard drive and HDMI outputs. Spring is the time for price drops, and our golden gut tells us Microsoft will more than likely run with something come this May...

UPDATE: A little clarification - the rumor suggests the current premium will take the place of the Core and its $299 price with the souped up Premium Pro costing $400 or more.

[Thanks to all who sent this in; 360 Fanboy]

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

summercamp @ Mar 13th 2007 11:28AM

I would never pollute my HDTV with Batsu-Box 360 filth

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c203/Emotep032/IMGP0157.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c203/Emotep032/IMGP0158.jpg

that guy @ Mar 13th 2007 11:30AM

As long as the damn thing works and doesn't konk out repeatedly, this would be great.

Ger @ Mar 13th 2007 11:32AM

Microsoft copy cat you want to looks like PS3 right.....

aC @ Mar 13th 2007 11:32AM

as long as I can trade in my 360 premium for it (I'm even willing to pay a little more) then I'll be happy.

My 2 year warranty isn't up until December, so I still have time ;)

Veras Gunn @ Mar 13th 2007 11:38AM

A Premium black 360 with a 120 gig HDD for 299? Yeah, I wouldn't count your chickens. Microsoft's just starting to make money off the 360, why drop the price and raise the HD size, which would just make them lose even more money? A black 360 unit coming to the market I can see, but that? No way.

Blue @ Mar 13th 2007 3:08PM

Doesn't the 360 premium already cost $300 in Japan?

Lion @ Mar 13th 2007 11:37AM

"The new system is coming this May, at a lower $299 price replacing the useless Core model in the process." Seriously? That's what you got from the article? The article says nothing about this rumored new Xbox 360 coming in at $299. It doesn't suggest a price point at all. Actually, it says that the Core will go away and the so-called "Premium" Xbox 360 may drop in price to €299.

Jon @ Mar 13th 2007 11:35AM

@ summercamp

A Dreamcast should go in the middle.

asnozz @ Mar 13th 2007 11:41AM

yeah Microsoft was copying the PS3 when they brought out the black dev kits (360's)..... even though PS3 hadnt even been revealed *sarcasm*

Relay @ Mar 13th 2007 11:37AM

I've been holding out for a price drop on the 360 since it actually has a number of good games. The inclusion of HDMI and the possibility that the new systems will not brick so damn much has steeled my resolve. There have been too many rumors about this to simply disregard it. The thing might not actually be coming out in May, but it will become a reality someday guaranteed. I've got my fingers crossed for sooner rather than later.

sheppy @ Mar 13th 2007 11:37AM

No offense Ger, but reading your post, the voice of Skwisgaar Skwigelf from Adult Swim popped into my head.

joe smith @ Mar 13th 2007 2:55PM

I can see them doing a black premium box with bigger drive and HDMI and all, but I can't see how they would do that AND drop the price. That makes no sense.

Saneless @ Mar 13th 2007 11:42AM

"Microsoft copy cat you want to looks like PS3 right"

Uhh.. sure.

The 3DO was the first black cd-based system. The genesis was the first if you count the add-on. Sony peeps have no sense of history.

I can't see THIS model being 300. 120GB?

I can see the 120 staying at 400 while the 20GB drops down to 300, maybe 350, then the core would either get shoved out or dropped to 250. I can see them keeping it around because people are probably stupid enough to buy a system + memory card thinking they're saving money

geekzapoppin @ Mar 19th 2007 7:18PM

Just how expensive do you think a hard drive and HDMI jack are? Seriously, a 120GB HDD is dirt cheap, especially when bought in bulk like MS will be doing. I can see this as a real possibility.

Slaziman @ Mar 13th 2007 11:53AM

Because they are making the CPU smaller, and with that they reduce the costs, also because less cooling is needed. A 120GB hard drive is not expensive, it's like 40$ (at the prices MS would get 'em for). 140$ price drop one year after release? Not batshit insane IMHO

Tetranitrocubane @ Mar 13th 2007 11:54AM

Hey, summercamp, can you post those pictures again? I didn't see them the first time you plastered them all over joystiq. Or later when you repeatedly posted them on Kotaku.

I'm sure everyone's real excited about your lack of a 360!

Aex @ Mar 13th 2007 11:54AM

I just don't see them lowering the price yet. They have no reason to cut their income so soon. Maybe next summer a price cut seems so reasonable, but any rumor of a price cut BEFORE Halo 3 just seems so outlandish to me.

IF, big if, the "zypher" comes out this may, I'm guessing it would retail for $450-500 USD. Leaving the Core and the Premium at cost. I havn't heard/seen anything about the Core models not being produced, and lots of retailers still have them in stock and continue to recieve more. So dropping the core all together doesn't seem likely by may. Neither does dropping the premium price to $300. I think these rumors may just be fanboy pipe dreams.

They seem plausible when you do the cost math, but then you forget that MS is charing $100 for a 20gb HDD and people ARE buying it, so why would they cut their profits? Just because they can? Not very likely.

polly @ Mar 13th 2007 11:55AM

6 times the memory, HDMI AND $100 cheaper than the current premium? Not happening.

Negativecool @ Mar 13th 2007 11:58AM

Now if they can find a way to fit the huge power brick INSIDE the 360 like the PS3, I'm on that stink on a diaper!

sheppy @ Mar 13th 2007 11:59AM

"The 3DO was the first black cd-based system. The genesis was the first if you count the add-on. Sony peeps have no sense of history."

WHAT? Turbo Graphix CD. Later released as Turbo Duo. Seriously, give credit where it's due. Johnny Turbo needs some love.

Slaziman @ Mar 13th 2007 11:59AM

@Aex

If they would sell it for less, Core users would get what's basically an Xbox 360 Premium for a lower price, sans head set, component cables, Ethernet cable and wireless controller. If you didn't want any of these you could screw MS!

Slaziman @ Mar 13th 2007 12:00PM

Oh and they would drop their prices to totally rape the PS3 and come VERY close to the Wii's price.

Aex @ Mar 13th 2007 12:05PM

Now don't get me wrong, I'd love a price drop all around, I've been trying to convince my friends to get a X360 so I have more people to play on live with.

Still, you have to admit, price drops like these just don't make business sense. Especially if the rumors of them making profit on the hardware are true. They would go from making profit to losing money if these price drop rumor were true. It just does not seem very likely from a business perspective.

Anonymous Rep @ Mar 13th 2007 12:09PM

Well, dev kits were black when they were shipped out, so black is possible.

Heck, the dev kit 360's had 60GB HD's, so 120GB is easily possible.

The thing that everyone on HERE forgets about the price of the HD is that, sure you can pick up an HD for $50 or so that will work in your laptop. However, then Microsoft has to put it into some foam and plastic so that when your little brother manages to take your HD off of your 360 and use it as a hammer, that the HD doesn't then become - well, useless. So there were design and production costs for that as well.

(I'm not being facetious with the above description - that's what one of the 360 designers told us at a conference. How many people have little brothers/sisters/kids at home that could do something like that? They can't just design a system for people who can have their PC's completely open on the sides for better cooling - they also have to design for Joe Average.)

No matter what the rumor, I still don't see the core system ever completely going away. First, the 512MB memory card is coming out in April. Second, in the event that your console dies and it's not in warranty, the core system is a cheaper way to get back into gaming - just pop the HD off your console, put it onto a new core, and you're back in business. That way you lose none of your stored information - which is also why Microsoft always tells you to NOT send in the HD when you send in your consoles for repair.

charlie @ Mar 13th 2007 12:15PM

"12. Because they are making the CPU smaller, and with that they reduce the costs, also because less cooling is needed. A 120GB hard drive is not expensive, it's like 40$ (at the prices MS would get 'em for). 140$ price drop one year after release? Not batshit insane IMHO"

They're a little more than $40. The absolute cheapest you can get a 120GB, 5400rpm, SATA, 2.5" drive is about $85 on the internet. I would be REALLY surprised if microsoft could source them for less than $60. Maybe $55.

The cost is large enough that I would assume MS would still want to offer a SKU with a smaller drive at a lower price point. Not everyone is going to be using their 360 to download HD video. I'd assume that most will primarily use it for games saves, updates, and XBLA games. For that, you dont really need 120GB.

Slaziman @ Mar 13th 2007 12:15PM

@Aex

We don't know how much they are profiting of the 360 and how much the CPU switch will save them. Of course this thing is too good to be true, I'm just saying it's not batshit insane.

Master X 24 @ Mar 13th 2007 12:19PM

summercamp
The wii is fun for like a hour and after that it sucks till SSBB comes out next year. The Ps3 has so many most have games umm....... i cant think of any now.
The 360 has great games and 99% of ps3 games come to the 360 and its 200 bucks cheaper. So there no reason to get a 360.
I hate sony fanboys

Adam @ Mar 13th 2007 12:18PM

All we need now is the same XBOX 360 premium.

Black
HDMI
120 GB HDD

and add the internal HD-DVD drive for the same $399 as the current 360 Premium.

LU @ Mar 13th 2007 12:17PM

I don't blame many of you for not reading the article - it is in German, but I read it, which is more than I can say for Blake Snow. Tthe article says NOTHING about a black Xbox for $299. In fact, it only says that ONE store chain in Europe reduced the price of the current system to 299 EUROS - that's EUROS not DOLLARS. 299 EUROS is about 395 USD.

So basically this story is tabloid fodder - no evidence whatsoever, and a blogger who apparently doesn't research his work before he writes.

LU @ Mar 13th 2007 12:19PM

I just read the update - at least he made things clear now.

Ben Heckendorn @ Mar 13th 2007 12:29PM

Wow so by using the same COLOR a company is "ripping" someone off? That's a reach, though most companies are indeed ripping off "Apple White" these days so a dark schemed console is a nice change of pace.

That price seems too good to be true. I too am holding off on a 360 for the new model but DAMN. All that for $300, as well as the most games and best online? You'd be nuts to get a PS3 OR Wii instead.

Yes Microsoft is almost making money with the 360, but what would they prefer - have $51 billion in the bank instead of $50 billion, or obliterate Sony? Microsoft can afford it, Sony can't. I'd like to see Sony succeed, Home looks neat, but this is business. We've seen plenty of companies left in Microsoft's wake.

Steve @ Mar 13th 2007 12:30PM

14. Tetranitrocubane wrote:

Hey, summercamp, can you post those pictures again? I didn't see them the first time you plastered them all over joystiq. Or later when you repeatedly posted them on Kotaku.
===============================================

Don't you get it? We're supposed to be in awe over his amazing entertainment center. He even has a white DS Lite! WOW! We're all supposed to be jealous, after all, I and certainly no one I know owns an HDTV. Them are the things of science fiction! Why, one day we're all gonna have us some HDTVs the way the rich folk have the indoor plumbin' and them new fangled microwave ovens.

Are you bowing down in front of your Packard Bell 386 PCs worshipping his pictures? I sure am, oh and be jealous you summercamp haters! For in only 10 minutes I'm gonna have me one snazzy printout of his system to frame. Just as soon as I can get clear up this paper jam in my dot-matrix printer. Oh yes, dot-matrix. Worship me too you poor pitiful fools!

joemama @ Mar 13th 2007 12:26PM

@24: "So basically this story is tabloid fodder - no evidence whatsoever, and a blogger who apparently doesn't research his work before he writes."

Say it ain't so! That would seem to indicate that Snake Blow is nothing more than a troll with access to post on joystiq, who spends his time re-posting anything he can find that's remotely positive about his favorite console, and anything he can spin negative about the PS3.

Hmmm...

Rinks @ Mar 13th 2007 12:30PM

Question for anyone to enlighten me on:
How will it be possible to transfer content from one hard drive to another?

Thrawn @ Mar 13th 2007 12:52PM

Any chance this will come in white? I don't care for black so much.

Tyler @ Mar 13th 2007 12:32PM

I really, really wish this could be confirmed already. I'm wanting to buy an X360 asap, but I'm waiting till I know what the deal is with "Zephyr". I like black, and I REALLY like 120GB of storage. If it also happens to have the new 65nm chips, all the better. GDC is over, with Sony taking a lot of the spotlight(rightfully so), so it would be a pretty good time for Microsoft to speak up in my opinion.

g1gahurtz @ Mar 13th 2007 12:42PM

I reckon they'll release it, but only as a limited edition, to please the hardcore gamers, while not having to change their current strategy in the long term

Slaziman @ Mar 13th 2007 12:37PM

@LU

Are you stupid? The PS3 Premium is 600 Euros here, the DS Lite is 150 Euros, the Wii is 250 Euros, the Xbox 360 Premium is 400 Euros; you can't just convert the currency and call it a day, more often than not prices for consumer electronics in Europe are the same as in the US, but in Euros instead of dollars. Don't think we get it easy because our currency is worth more...

Chris @ Mar 13th 2007 12:43PM

Hey, I got a core 360, a-holes, because of three things:

1. It was a gift from my fiancé, and I didn't want her to shell out an extra $100 for a game console.

2. I wanted to wait until they started selling a bigger hard drive and I'm doing fine with my memory unit, thank you, even on Live.

3. The chrome on the pro 360 looks totally retarded and tacked on.

Core owners rock!

Master X 24 @ Mar 13th 2007 12:45PM

@Steve
LMFAO LMFAO

rektide @ Mar 21st 2007 1:17PM

how bout you jackasses figure out how to build an xbox that can survive more than 4 months? maybe then i'll think of buying one.

haywood jablomey @ Mar 13th 2007 12:51PM

I'd buy a black premium 360 for $299.99. I wish they'd get rid of that tray, though. Disc trays are so 1990. Bring on the slut-loading...err..I mean slot-loading!

Aex @ Mar 13th 2007 12:52PM

@Chris

Fool, only reason I got the premium was because of the Chrome! Which will probably be the only reason I'll get a 60gb PS3...

Myke @ Mar 13th 2007 12:55PM

I agree, the chrome looks stupid, I own a premium and I hate the chrome on it, gotta get a skin or something because that chrome makes me feel like I won it from a carnival or some ricer honda driver tricked out my Xbox.

Myke @ Mar 13th 2007 12:57PM

Alan @ Mar 13th 2007 1:04PM

@ #31

The only way I think it would be possible is if you slowly bring your content over on one of the new 250 MB memory units. Of course you could also just store your tag on a memory unit and hold onto your old HDD. It would be a bit annoying to have to switch the HDD out depending on what you want to play but it's better than nothing.