Microsoft on another one of its (wildly successful) money-making scams

Some of you may have heard of the upcoming Xbox 360 Elite. The name would imply that it is highly superior to its counterparts, which is not the case.

The biggest new feature is that it is black… as if users didn’t grow sick of the black skin on the original Xbox. Here is a photo:

The Xbox 360 Elite console.

Maybe not so shabby looking, but here is the lowdown.

It is merely made as an impulse buy. Sure, even Nintendo releases consoles in alternate colors, but we have never heard of “DS Elite” (although all you have to do is remove that e…)

Let us compare this “upgrade” to a Nintendo “upgrade”.

From left to right: DS Lite (Upgrade) and DS (Original)

Differences:

  • DS Lite is smaller and lighter

  • DS Lite’s battery life is longer

  • DS Lite’s screens are more durable that the original, and are brighter

  • DS Lite’s stylus is larger and easier to hold

  • You won’t accidently turn off the DS Lite in the last fight before saving… the power button has been moved

  • Microphone is in a more convenient spot

  • Forgive me if I have forgotten anything.

 

Sure, this may be an impulse buy, as is the DS itself, but that is not the purpose of the system. It is an improvement, an answer to the requests of the people.

The Xbox 360 Elite console.

From left to right: Xbox 360 Elite (name seems to imply that it is an upgrade) and Xbox 360 (Original)

Differences:

  • Elite is a cooler name

  • Elite is black

  • Elite plays DVDs a bit better without HD

  • Comes with larger hard drive

  • Forgive me if I have forgotten anything.

There you have it. Sure, they updated it a bit, but it is intended to be an impulse buy.



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  • Will

    Money making scam? I wouldn’t say so. I think this is X-box’s answer to the PS3 if not the Wii by making a better Premium brand. You forgot to mention that the original 360 was 20G making this a significant improvement in storage. This could raise several questions as to what Microsoft has planned in terms of content. Additionally you forgot to point out that the system has built in HDMI connectivity meaning improved audio and picture on HD sets. I think this would certainly relate to improvements to the DS which I just assumed was the addition of the lite (something that should have been in place from the beginning as if they hadn’t learned their lesson from the Gameboy and the Gameboy Advance). What really sounds like a money making scheme?

  • Will

    Money making scam? I wouldn’t say so. I think this is X-box’s answer to the PS3 if not the Wii by making a better Premium brand. You forgot to mention that the original 360 was 20G making this a significant improvement in storage. This could raise several questions as to what Microsoft has planned in terms of content. Additionally you forgot to point out that the system has built in HDMI connectivity meaning improved audio and picture on HD sets. I think this would certainly relate to improvements to the DS which I just assumed was the addition of the lite (something that should have been in place from the beginning as if they hadn’t learned their lesson from the Gameboy and the Gameboy Advance). What really sounds like a money making scheme?

  • Will

    Money making scam? I wouldn’t say so. I think this is X-box’s answer to the PS3 if not the Wii by making a better Premium brand. You forgot to mention that the original 360 was 20G making this a significant improvement in storage. This could raise several questions as to what Microsoft has planned in terms of content. Additionally you forgot to point out that the system has built in HDMI connectivity meaning improved audio and picture on HD sets. I think this would certainly relate to improvements to the DS which I just assumed was the addition of the lite (something that should have been in place from the beginning as if they hadn’t learned their lesson from the Gameboy and the Gameboy Advance). What really sounds like a money making scheme?

  • http://sirvenomwiinintendo.net/ SirVenom

    The same thing that makes the superior/inferior versions of PS3 and 360. Of course, many have grown used to such an idea, because they really have no choice.
    It has been confirmed that you can buy the hard drive on its own to hook up to the original 360.
    Like I said, it is improved, but I do not believe it worthy of the title “Elite”.

    One thing I will say, they did a better job at this than the Windows Vista Limited Edition, whose only difference was Bill Gates’ signature printed on the case.

  • http://sirvenomwiinintendo.net SirVenom

    The same thing that makes the superior/inferior versions of PS3 and 360. Of course, many have grown used to such an idea, because they really have no choice.
    It has been confirmed that you can buy the hard drive on its own to hook up to the original 360.
    Like I said, it is improved, but I do not believe it worthy of the title “Elite”.

    One thing I will say, they did a better job at this than the Windows Vista Limited Edition, whose only difference was Bill Gates’ signature printed on the case.

  • heyo

    I’m a Nintendo fanboy, I’ll say that now–but you’re wrong about the Elite being a money making “scam”. Its purpose is to make money, you can’t fault them for that. The improvements over the current “premium” 360 are large and the Elite version is aimed at a niche market. 20GB is more than likely enough for most users…get some demos on there, music, and that’s about it. The Elite is aimed at people who are into HD content, the drive is 6 times the size and can store a considerable amount of marketplace content. It’s got HDMI out (along with HDMI cables) so you’ll get use out of your HDTV if you’re lucky enough to have one.

    It may not sound like a lot, but to media enthusiasts it’s a big deal. The 120GB HDD will run you 179.99 all by itself, so bundling it along with HDMI cables (which cost a pretty penny on their own) is a “value” if that’s what you’re into.

    The only issues I could see with it is that the HDDVD drive wasn’t bundled/built-in, no built-in wireless, and the basic model (the one without the HDD) isn’t being dropped. 3 SKUs is way too many.

    What I think Microsoft is doing is positioning themselves for next Christmas season. They could drop the price by about $100 on the Premium and Elite SKUs, drop the basic model, and still be king of the castle with the PS3 clocking in at $599.

    I’m probably way off base, but it’s a comment on a website on the internets…who cares?

  • heyo

    I’m a Nintendo fanboy, I’ll say that now–but you’re wrong about the Elite being a money making “scam”. Its purpose is to make money, you can’t fault them for that. The improvements over the current “premium” 360 are large and the Elite version is aimed at a niche market. 20GB is more than likely enough for most users…get some demos on there, music, and that’s about it. The Elite is aimed at people who are into HD content, the drive is 6 times the size and can store a considerable amount of marketplace content. It’s got HDMI out (along with HDMI cables) so you’ll get use out of your HDTV if you’re lucky enough to have one.

    It may not sound like a lot, but to media enthusiasts it’s a big deal. The 120GB HDD will run you 179.99 all by itself, so bundling it along with HDMI cables (which cost a pretty penny on their own) is a “value” if that’s what you’re into.

    The only issues I could see with it is that the HDDVD drive wasn’t bundled/built-in, no built-in wireless, and the basic model (the one without the HDD) isn’t being dropped. 3 SKUs is way too many.

    What I think Microsoft is doing is positioning themselves for next Christmas season. They could drop the price by about $100 on the Premium and Elite SKUs, drop the basic model, and still be king of the castle with the PS3 clocking in at $599.

    I’m probably way off base, but it’s a comment on a website on the internets…who cares?

  • mrlogical

    I too must agree this isn’t a scam. It may not be a good deal, but I don’t think anyone will really feel compelled to buy it. If anything, I’d say this is much *better* than the Original DS -> DS Lite because there were *problems* with the original DS (as you highlighted) which needed to be fixed. So if you had the old DS when the new one came out, you kind of felt like you had to get one. Here, as a “Premium” 360 owner, while I think the black is snazzy and I might get some use out of the bigger hard drive and the HDMI output, this is totally a backburner purchase I’ll only consider if I can get a really good deal on a Premium->Elite tradein.

  • mrlogical

    I too must agree this isn’t a scam. It may not be a good deal, but I don’t think anyone will really feel compelled to buy it. If anything, I’d say this is much *better* than the Original DS -> DS Lite because there were *problems* with the original DS (as you highlighted) which needed to be fixed. So if you had the old DS when the new one came out, you kind of felt like you had to get one. Here, as a “Premium” 360 owner, while I think the black is snazzy and I might get some use out of the bigger hard drive and the HDMI output, this is totally a backburner purchase I’ll only consider if I can get a really good deal on a Premium->Elite tradein.

  • Tim

    This website is called WiiNintendo. The Elite is neither Wii nor Nintendo. This is neither relevant nor any better than something I could read at Joystiq.

    It’s a new SKU, get over it. It’s for people who really want a HDMI port and 120gb.

  • Tim

    This website is called WiiNintendo. The Elite is neither Wii nor Nintendo. This is neither relevant nor any better than something I could read at Joystiq.

    It’s a new SKU, get over it. It’s for people who really want a HDMI port and 120gb.

  • Will

    Yeah I think most people don’t realize that there are two other systems out there competing for your dollar. It would be in the best interest of Microsoft to improve their product to appeal to people who might consider shelling out for the PS3. These two consoles are the leading edge in HD gaming. Microsoft has simply brought these features together so you won’t have to go out and buy all the things seperately. Likely anyone who owns the 360 already got the cables and can still consider an extra hard drive. Again this is like dropping the price of a system after a year or offering a bundle with games. This is likely to appeal to people who DON’T already own the 360.

    3 SKU’s? Well for now it would seem but if you read anything about this release you’d find that its a limited run and ultimately it has been stated that this will phase out the PREMIUM console. Thinking of the price this is a deal not a gimmick. If you were to buy the 360, hard drive, and all the cables you’d be spending a lot more. So where’s the scam? They are merely trying to one up the PS3 and its features at a value to the consumer. No HD-DVD, well I don’t see that standard hanging around for much longer and I would think Microsoft sees this as well. Think along the lines of downloading on demand movies to that 120 GB hard drive (that’s really the future right). Plus consider the price point if it did come with the drive. Who’s going to spend $600 plus on a game console :)

    Like I said before, I find more of a scam in the Nintendo hand helds when they come out with new iterations. Regular gameboy, it was understood they had no way of knowing that people would want to play the thing in the dark. But when it comes to the color and then the advanced without a backlight…. c’mon. Who are they kidding. My advance was just about useless at dusk.

  • Will

    Yeah I think most people don’t realize that there are two other systems out there competing for your dollar. It would be in the best interest of Microsoft to improve their product to appeal to people who might consider shelling out for the PS3. These two consoles are the leading edge in HD gaming. Microsoft has simply brought these features together so you won’t have to go out and buy all the things seperately. Likely anyone who owns the 360 already got the cables and can still consider an extra hard drive. Again this is like dropping the price of a system after a year or offering a bundle with games. This is likely to appeal to people who DON’T already own the 360.

    3 SKU’s? Well for now it would seem but if you read anything about this release you’d find that its a limited run and ultimately it has been stated that this will phase out the PREMIUM console. Thinking of the price this is a deal not a gimmick. If you were to buy the 360, hard drive, and all the cables you’d be spending a lot more. So where’s the scam? They are merely trying to one up the PS3 and its features at a value to the consumer. No HD-DVD, well I don’t see that standard hanging around for much longer and I would think Microsoft sees this as well. Think along the lines of downloading on demand movies to that 120 GB hard drive (that’s really the future right). Plus consider the price point if it did come with the drive. Who’s going to spend $600 plus on a game console :)

    Like I said before, I find more of a scam in the Nintendo hand helds when they come out with new iterations. Regular gameboy, it was understood they had no way of knowing that people would want to play the thing in the dark. But when it comes to the color and then the advanced without a backlight…. c’mon. Who are they kidding. My advance was just about useless at dusk.

  • deadfungi

    nintendo didn’t have the backlight due to battery life on the advance originally.

  • deadfungi

    nintendo didn’t have the backlight due to battery life on the advance originally.

  • mrlogical

    Actually, Will, MS has said it is *not* a limited run of the Elite edition.

  • mrlogical

    Actually, Will, MS has said it is *not* a limited run of the Elite edition.

  • heyo

    Yeah, it’s going to be a full fledged member of the 360 family.

    Albert Penello, director of global marketing for the Xbox division, said, “This isn’t going to be a limited edition SKU. It’s a permanent member of the lineup, and it’s not going to replace any of the other SKUs. We have no intention of dropping the $299 Core or $399 Xbox 360.”

    http://biz.gamedaily.com/industry/feature/?id=15617

  • heyo

    Yeah, it’s going to be a full fledged member of the 360 family.

    Albert Penello, director of global marketing for the Xbox division, said, “This isn’t going to be a limited edition SKU. It’s a permanent member of the lineup, and it’s not going to replace any of the other SKUs. We have no intention of dropping the $299 Core or $399 Xbox 360.”

    http://biz.gamedaily.com/industry/feature/?id=15617

  • Deletable_Man

    This is the most pointless article I have ever skimmed.

  • Deletable_Man

    This is the most pointless article I have ever skimmed.

  • Larry

    You forgot one of the biggest differences in your comparison. X-Box 360 Premium = $399.99; Elite = $479.99. Whereas DS original = $129.99; DS Lite = $129.99.

  • Larry

    You forgot one of the biggest differences in your comparison. X-Box 360 Premium = $399.99; Elite = $479.99. Whereas DS original = $129.99; DS Lite = $129.99.

  • José Colina

    Man, please, get your sources straight before posting such an article like this.. I love nintendo, always have, and always will, that counts me as a fanboy, but do not trashtalk the X360 Elite, because IT’S NOT JUST A COLOR CHANGE, it’s an improved one.. 100GB more of storage, HDMI port, I would definitely pay the extra 80$.. and am in fact… so please, put your mind on nintendo/wii articles and stop that nonsense..

  • José Colina

    Man, please, get your sources straight before posting such an article like this.. I love nintendo, always have, and always will, that counts me as a fanboy, but do not trashtalk the X360 Elite, because IT’S NOT JUST A COLOR CHANGE, it’s an improved one.. 100GB more of storage, HDMI port, I would definitely pay the extra 80$.. and am in fact… so please, put your mind on nintendo/wii articles and stop that nonsense..

  • matthew

    This article definitely had no real point.

    Way to go.

  • matthew

    This article definitely had no real point.

    Way to go.

  • Whatever

    Another Nintendo fanboy rant. This isn’t a scam and this post is horrible. Seriously do your research before you hate on a system. Btw I’m the proud owner of a Wii60 so don’t go thinking I’m a MS fanboy.

  • Whatever

    Another Nintendo fanboy rant. This isn’t a scam and this post is horrible. Seriously do your research before you hate on a system. Btw I’m the proud owner of a Wii60 so don’t go thinking I’m a MS fanboy.

  • Deletable_Man

    Honestly. Why try and cheapen console upgrades for other companies, when Nintendo is the world-wide leader in making a system and then making a better version of it 2 weeks later. And then again 2 more weeks later.

  • Deletable_Man

    Honestly. Why try and cheapen console upgrades for other companies, when Nintendo is the world-wide leader in making a system and then making a better version of it 2 weeks later. And then again 2 more weeks later.

  • Deletable_Man

    Honestly. Why try and cheapen console upgrades for other companies, when Nintendo is the world-wide leader in making a system and then making a better version of it 2 weeks later. And then again 2 more weeks later.