Rumor: Xbox Elite being phased out, assuming 'limited edition' retail role
by Dustin Burg 
{ Mar 6th 2009 at 2:54PM } 
Supposedly, retailers are less supportive of the higher-priced Elite consoles during these craptacular economic times, because their consumer demand is lower than the Arcade and Pro. As a result, Microsoft may be limiting the console's sales to select retailers in North America and Europe and stop taking Elite orders in other territories sometime during Q2.
The rumored Elite phase-out would allow it to be marketed as a "limited edition" offering, giving MS the option to sell specially themed (and possibly higher priced) Elite bundles when triple-A titles need promotion. (Think the Resident Evil 5 Elite bundle.) Fudzilla also mentions that Microsoft wants to expand the 360's storage capabilities by releasing a standalone drive that's larger than the Elite's current 120GB model.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
yolarrydabomb @ Mar 6th 2009 2:59PM
Bigger? nice now I can store all my collection and stuff I brought.
Numerous @ Mar 6th 2009 4:17PM
Yeah, but it'll cost like $450.
yolarrydabomb @ Mar 6th 2009 5:43PM
and when it will come out? probably enough for me to save.
Derek H @ Mar 6th 2009 5:47PM
@ FNG
I have replaced my ps3's HDD twice and Have a WD Velociraptor 300GB in my PC ( a 2.5"HDD in a 3.5" heatsink) so I know what they look like when I get back from work I will post a link to pictures of the three different sizes and waht it looks like when you try to put a 360 HDD in the PS3 as well as a PS3 HDD in the 360 enclosure.
skyzbig @ Mar 6th 2009 3:00PM
"Fudzilla also mentions that Microsoft wants to expand the 360's storage capabilities by releasing a standalone drive that's larger than the Elite's current 120GB model."
Well if they had went standard hard drive instead of proprietary then it wouldn't have been a problem for consumers to do it themselves.
WiredKnight @ Mar 6th 2009 3:05PM
It'd be nice if they were standard drive, but I just wish they weren't ridiculously overpriced.
dogmaticatheist @ Mar 6th 2009 3:06PM
Of course they went proprietary. This is M$ we're talking about. I don't suppose anyone knows how to crack open the plastic casing of the current HDD modules so you can roll your own.
Yuccadude @ Mar 6th 2009 3:16PM
It's been posted on Joystiq and xbox 360 Fanboy as to how someone has put up how to use a laptop hard drive and some software to make your own 120-gig hard drive and save some money off of the price tag.
Seishino @ Mar 6th 2009 3:33PM
It's a standard SATA laptop drive inside, albeit of specific size, a specific manufacturer, and special formatting. The system software would need to be updated to support larger drives, but there is nothing technical stopping them from repackaging one of the off-the-shelf 500 GB drive with two weeks of development and testing. Or expanding the system software to support drives of functionally arbitrary size / manufacturer.
Duke @ Mar 6th 2009 4:07PM
You can buy WD drives on ebay that have been formatted by someone for you to have the 107gb space and then they come with the install parts for the 20gb shell.
Anyway, as mentioned above - the problem with the drives isn't the space right now, its the damn price. Lower the price so people cans justify buying the 120 gb drives and then look at making an even bigger model. If I am having trouble justifying one for 150 (which I am having trouble with) then I sure as hell won't go buy one for more than that.
Derek H @ Mar 6th 2009 4:15PM
It's not a standard laptop HDD, laptop HDD's are 2.5" drive (same as PS3). While M$ went with a 1.8" drive akin to Ipod Classics or Zunes.
They could have gone bigger if they internalized but with all the heat issues thank god they didn't. You can find a 2.5" 500GB HDD for under $100.
FYI as of 9-10-08 the largest 1.8" announced was a Toshiba 240GB I found one priced at $200. The cheapest 120GB I could find were $120. M$ would probably sell it for 250 - 300 judging current $1 per GB they use on their other sizes.
120GB is fine for me plus I don't want to pay 2 or 3 times the price for half the size of one I could get for my PS3.
Derek H @ Mar 6th 2009 4:23PM
Also you could use any size HDD with any amount of storage capacity but your still limited to the firmwares allowed 107Gb and you wont get it back in that case unless its a 1.8"
Dolemike @ Mar 6th 2009 4:36PM
Doesn't anyone understand that they went "proprietary" for security purposes? Though I agree their prices could be more in line with standard drives.
FNG @ Mar 6th 2009 5:28PM
@ Derek H
You are kidding right? I can't believe you to be serious with so much wrong info in your post.
It most certainly is a SATA 2.5" Drive.
Xerloq @ Mar 6th 2009 5:36PM
@ Derek.
So either this guy (link:http://www.pcworld.com/article/150970-4/upgrade_your_xbox_360s_hard_drive_on_the_cheap.html) has tiny, hairy hands, or the drive is bigger than 1.8".
It's a 2.5" laptop drive, dude.
Dirty @ Mar 6th 2009 3:00PM
Microsoft is racist for doing this.
Jerk Face @ Mar 6th 2009 3:06PM
Dirty, don't you ever change. I'm serious! (+)
Freeze @ Mar 6th 2009 3:13PM
your picture, Dirty, makes me laugh every time i see it. It suits your humor.
Pedro @ Mar 6th 2009 4:41PM
Dirty, I just came across all of your wonderful posts. they are things of beauty.
Dirty @ Mar 6th 2009 5:44PM
Im getting an awful lot of compliments today..... this is not good for my ego.
Markez @ Mar 6th 2009 6:21PM
You suck and your jokes suck. I hope you end up in a hell where there are no games to play except Tetris Worlds and Tetrisphere.
Dirty @ Mar 7th 2009 1:47PM
Tetrisphere! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
ice~ @ Mar 7th 2009 11:41AM
and bomberman zero...
Baby J Penn (PSN johnnynumber5) @ Mar 6th 2009 3:01PM
I would believe this rumor because I can imagine no one is buying the elites anyway with the cost of the Arcade and Pro versions. MS canabalized their most profitable console SKU with their drastic Arcade price reduction IMO.
Abobo @ Mar 6th 2009 3:06PM
Exactly. Why would I pay the ridiculous price for an Elite when I can get a Pro or Arcade for substantially lower? The Elite needs more than just a bigger hard drive to justify the price difference, in my opinion.
sho220 @ Mar 6th 2009 3:09PM
also, there isn't much of a difference between elite and pro. with the elite you get the 120gb hdd and an hdmi cable. no real incentive to drop the extra $100. especially now since the pro comes with a 60 gig hdd and you can get an hdmi cable for < $10.
Baby J Penn (PSN johnnynumber5) @ Mar 6th 2009 3:19PM
It going an even less attractive proposition (compared to the Pro and Arcade) if the rumored Pro price drop is accurate which would bring it down to $250 or lower compared to $400 MSRP for the Elite.
Jeramy @ Mar 6th 2009 3:23PM
when the elites came out, the point of the sku was both hdmi and larger hdd. but since hdmi is commonplace now, it has fewer selling points. if they added some more features to make it superior to the premium sku, it would make more sense. hell, all they really have to do is add built in wifi. it would cost them pocket change, and it would more than justify the higher price.
ryan @ Mar 6th 2009 3:27PM
They should still offer the console in black tho. That's one of the reasons why I held out for an elite model.
Baby J Penn (PSN johnnynumber5) @ Mar 6th 2009 3:31PM
Jeramy,
I agree with you 100%. When I initially heard of the Elite I assumed it would include the Wi-Fi adapter. They need to somehow add an extra value that is important to the customer be it the wi-fi adapter or the wireless headset.
Markez @ Mar 6th 2009 3:35PM
How much of a difference am I reaaaaaaaaally going to notice if I pick up HDMI cables for my 47" tube? Still have the HD RCAs that were packed in...
Baby J Penn (PSN johnnynumber5) @ Mar 6th 2009 3:45PM
Markez,
You are going to notice a big time difference if you aren't even rocking component cables. Even going from component to HDMi gave me a huge upgrade in visual quality. Some games require the HDMi cable to be hdcp compliant (Prince Of Persia on the PS3 I believe does) but you won't see a difference in visual quality between a $10 HDMi from a discount online cable manufacturer. Some people can't tell a difference in Component and HDMi but I for one notice a huge difference plus the convievence of one cable versus 5. DO IT!
Baby J Penn (PSN johnnynumber5) @ Mar 6th 2009 3:47PM
Markez,
HDMi will also give you better audio quality. It did for me anyway when compared to component cables.
Markez @ Mar 6th 2009 3:50PM
Balls, yeah I meant I have component, not RCA, I'm a dummy. Anyway, are you saying I need to pony up for spendy HDMIs?
Vcize @ Mar 6th 2009 3:55PM
I don't think that anyone here is stupid enough to tell you to pony up for the "spendy" HDMI cables. That is reserved for the ignorant consumers that want to do all their shopping at Best Buy.
If you want to go HDMI, just hit up Monoprice.com and get one for 4 dollars or so.
The Dark Wayne @ Mar 6th 2009 4:08PM
so, do arcade and pro packages have HDMI ports now?
Tiptup300 @ Mar 6th 2009 4:13PM
Depends on the TV, my old tv (32") allowed 1080p from component, but my new one (50") doesn't, also some other functions are disabled unless it's through hdmi. What sucks though is my 360 is gen 1. :(
Also, all hdmi have exactly the same amount of quality, buy them online, 50x times cheaper.
Anticrawl @ Mar 6th 2009 4:17PM
Exactly just go to monoprice.com if you insist on HDMI. The audio quality isn't as good as analogue and cables in length of over 3 feet start to experience quality degradation because it's a digital signal but technically the picture is mildly superior. Honestly I doubt you'll be able to tell a difference considering it doesn't use HDMI 2.0.
Vcize @ Mar 6th 2009 4:21PM
@TDW
Yes, all 360 models come with HDMI ports now. Only the elite includes the cable in the box.
SoCoolCurt (PSN: KillaKornbread - XBL: SoCoolCurt) @ Mar 6th 2009 4:32PM
i bought a 6ft gold plated HDMI cable (v1.2) i believe for around $4 on Monoprice.com when i got my PS3 oh so long ago. the colors and convenience are well worth it. it's basically as easy to plug in as a USB cable.
just hit Monoprice and get some cheap cables. i suggest gold plated with v1.3 compatibility at least.
Vidikron @ Mar 6th 2009 4:53PM
@Anticrawl
"The audio quality isn't as good as analogue and cables in length of over 3 feet start to experience quality degradation because it's a digital signal but technically the picture is mildly superior. Honestly I doubt you'll be able to tell a difference considering it doesn't use HDMI 2.0."
What? Are you talking about HDMI here? Most of what you just said doesn't make any sense. First off, there aren't any issues with signal degradation after 3 feet. Digital signals are less prone to signal loss BECAUSE they are digital. Analog signals are far more likely to suffer from interference. Digital can suffer signal loss, but we're talking about lengths of 30-50 feet before that happens.
Second, the audio quality isn't better with analog. You're really just changing where the conversion takes place. The signal being output inside the system starts off digital and at some point before it gets to your speakers it gets converted to analog. With HDMI it stays digital until it gets to your TV/Receiver/pre-pro. Then the signal is output in analog format through the wires headed to the speakers.
Of course, at the distances we're dealing with in most people's set-ups there's not likely to be many problems with interference for audio or video. But, still, where in the world did you get these notions??
Jared @ Mar 6th 2009 5:18PM
I hate it when people follow the stupid double standard by saying "HDMI is better that component" and then fix their lips to say that the quality of an hdmi cable is insignificant. The quality difference that you get from a 4 dollar "monoprice" cable and a cable that actually has enough bandwidth is going to give you a difference in picture much in the same way that component and HDMI are different i.e. minuscule but somewhat noticeable. And if your decision to switch from component to hdmi is for "convenience" think about how "convenient" it is to have your hdmi cable break into your television or video component, having to ship it back and get replacement and waiting for it to arrive.
If you want BETTER quality, get an hdmi cable that is sufficient. A lexus and a camry can both drive around the world. One just does a MUCH better job getting you to your destination.
Vidikron @ Mar 6th 2009 5:53PM
"If you want BETTER quality, get an hdmi cable that is sufficient. A lexus and a camry can both drive around the world. One just does a MUCH better job getting you to your destination."
This is BS. The $100 cables at Best Buy don't do a better job than the $10 cables at Monoprice. If you look at the website you can see that they have certified cables. And even then "certified" just means it was verified to be able to carry a certain type of signal, it doesn't mean that non-certified cables can't carry the signal.
If your cable doesn't have sufficient bandwidth to carry the signal you'll typically see white "sparkels" in your picture or macro-blocking. That's normally how digital signal loss manifests itself. If you're not seeing those things then the cable is doing fine. Feel free to keep buying $100 cables, they'll certainly do the job, but your kidding yourself if you think the Monoprice cables aren't quality and won't do as good a job.
Markez @ Mar 6th 2009 5:58PM
Sweet hell who knew I'd touched such a nerve with folks :P dance on puppets, dance! There is no difference in quality between $4 cables and $100 cables! Grape nuts contain neither grapes nor nuts!!! MUUHAHAHHAAHHA
Jerk Face @ Mar 6th 2009 3:05PM
I just grabbed a 120 GB hard drive to replace my old 20 GB and I have never been more satisfied with a purchase. The ability to install all my games and then run them seamlessly without having to uninstall anything is choice.
Yes, I'll agree it should just be standard already and that using a standard HDD would have been better. But I still have no complains about dropping the cash on the 120 GB.
Freeze @ Mar 6th 2009 3:10PM
I have 2 120GB hard drives. 1 from a previous stand-alone purchase and the other from when i just bought my elite trading in my halo edition a week ago.
Professor Lario @ Mar 6th 2009 3:21PM
@Freeze - wanna sell one? : )
bioadam @ Mar 6th 2009 3:22PM
I have $150 from not buying the 120GB hard drive and $300 from not buying two of them. Maybe I'll use that money to buy a Blu-Ray player or an AppleTV.
arkweld @ Mar 6th 2009 3:26PM
"never been more satisfied?" "No complaints?"
What about the fact you just paid $80 for a plastic case?
Jerk Face @ Mar 6th 2009 3:34PM
I look at it like this: The 360 is integral enough to my enjoyment of life that it could be equated (almost) with a car. If my shocks go on my four year old car, I could say that that's bull shit. But when I get new shocks, that ride to work is still that much more sweet.
I have a 360 that has one of those shitty drives that doesn't like to read discs sometimes. It's out of warranty and it would have cost me 100 bones to fix it. When NXE dropped, I found that installing games made that problem irrelevant. So if I can spend $150 on a hard drive that I can reuse even if I had to buy a new 360, and get the enjoyment out of it that I do, well I'm okay with that. No regrets.
Yes it's bullshit that the drive broke in the first place. Yes it sucks that the HDD's are way overpriced. But it still makes that game time that much more sweet.