Xbox 360 Elite soon to be erased?

By Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Monday, 09 March 2009 08:42

Opinion and Analysis

Rumours suggest the top-end Xbox 360 Elite may soon be phased out by Microsoft as retailers complain the Elite models take longer to sell than the cheaper Arcade and Pro editions, although Microsoft is said not to have yet made any final decision.

Tech news site Fudzilla has come out with an exclusive claiming the Xbox 360 Elite edition could soon be phased out by Microsoft.

Xbox 360 Elite models on store shelves will simply remain there until purchased by consumers, with retailers apparently wanting two simple configurations: an entry level model and a high-end model.

The Elite will supposedly then morph into a “special limited edition” and higher priced models that will mimic what Microsoft has done with its “Resident Evil 5” Xbox 360.

Apparently Microsoft has not made any final decisions on this strategy, and in any case, stores with all three models on shelves will likely continue having them there until consumers buy them, suggesting Elite models will be on store shelves for months to come.

Fudzilla also suggests Microsoft will soon be offering a new, larger hard drive (eclipsing the current 120GB offering).

The gaming world always loves a good rumour. A much more interesting rumour is when Microsoft will start talking about the Xbox 360’s successor.

If we are going to see a new Xbox in 2010, Microsoft must be feverishly working on it right now, potentially to take advantage of the massive marketing campaign Microsoft will have in place for Windows 7 during 2010, a year that will also see Windows Mobile 7 being launched.

With 2010 such a key year for Microsoft, it makes sense that a new Xbox will also be launched, along with heavy promotion of the Xbox’s “media centre” capabilities and “Play to” features of Windows 7.

However, we’ll just have to wait and see. Meeting deadlines isn’t Microsoft’s strong point, after all.