On Tuesday, Microsoft finally confirmed the rumours that have been persisting for a while, that the Xbox 360 will be coming out in a slim, lighter format. What was more surprising was the news that Microsoft was already shipping consoles to several stores in America, and consequently, it will make its debut tomorrow. European stores and UK users will be waiting until late August before the Xbox heads to these shores.
The new model will directly go head-to-head with its major rival, Sony and its slim PlayStation 3 version, which debuted last August. Since the slim version was released, Sony’s sales for the PS3 have slowly been rising, after a stuttering start, which saw the console being plagued by a hosts of technical problems.
The Xbox 360 Slim edition will have a Wi-Fi connection installed in the hard-drive, which will be a major boost to its users. On the previous Arcade and Elite versions, Wi-Fi connection had to be used through an Ethernet cable, or by buying packs that cost upto £70. The hard-drive will also store upto 250GB of space, allowing plenty of space for users to store the many games, programmes and music that they will want to use.
Microsoft wouldn’t reveal much more at the launch, and probably will wait for the feedback from potential buyers and other gaming experts. However, they did leave another jaw-dropper by announcing that the Slim version will be available at a much similar price to the older, reliable version. Consequently, in the US, it will be available from $299.99. In the UK, prices will begin from around £195, making it at least £40 cheaper than its Sony competitor. This will make it an absolute bargain, and shows Microsoft are taking full consideration for its many consumers, and the problems that some maybe facing with costs as the world begins to slowly recover from worldwide recession.
Microsoft also went onto say, that they will be producing a knockdown sale of its older Elite and Arcade versions, making it a very tempting proposition for many, who are after a decent, popular games console. The Xbox 360 already has access to Sky Player, Twitter, Facebook and Skype, and there are plans for the BBC I-Player to become an extra ingredient on the new model. I-Player’s capacity is a big unique selling point for the PS3.
So, will this Slim Xbox 360 version continue to see Microsoft on top of the gaming establishment? I think it will. Sony’s PS3 got a lot of criticism on its delayed release, and it hasn’t really recovered. After failed attempts by Sega and until the Wii, constant letdowns by Nintendo, Microsoft might have well and truly taken the mantelpiece and the crown from Sony as the new ‘Gaming King.’
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