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17th August 2005:
Two-Ten
After months of waiting, Microsoft finally reveals just how much the Xbox 360 will dent your bank balance.
Posted by Chris Snook - Xbox - UK and Europe

Two Hundred and Ten pounds.

That is what it will cost to buy a basic Xbox 360 system in the UK shortly before Christmas this year. As a further surprise there will also be a second model ready to be snapped up right from the get go, for those who are interested in the ultimate experience as soon as possible. And this second version is generating more interest than the announcement of the price.

The bundle, available for an extra seventy quid, includes the basic 360 - with added metallic detailing added to distinguish it from the normal version - with a twenty Gigabyte hard-drive already slotted in and ready to go. Further there will be the next generation in wireless controllers, with a range of ten metres and a whopping battery life of over thirty hours from pair of AA batteries that look like it will also act a as a swish content control for movies and music.

For gamers who want the ultimate experience right out of the box, Microsoft will offer the Ł279.99 Xbox 360 console. This premium edition — distinguished by signature metallic detailing on the console itself — comes fully loaded for the ultimate gaming experience, with components and accessories that would cost over Ł100 if sold separately:

Xbox 360 console. Sexy styling that packs a punch — three powerful core processors are poised to pump out 720p/1080i output, 16x9 cinematic aspect ratio, anti-aliasing for smooth textures, full surround sound and DVD playback right out of the box.

Xbox 360 Hard Drive (20 GB). 20 GB and detachable, the hard drive allows gamers to store their games, music, downloaded trailers, levels, demos and community-created content from Xbox Live Marketplace.

Xbox 360 Wireless Controller. Hassle-free high-performance precision wireless gaming features the Xbox Guide Button for quick access to digital movies, music and games libraries as well as a range and battery life of up to 30 feet and 30 hours of life on two AA batteries.

Xbox 360 Faceplate. The removable Faceplate comes in stylish "chill" (white) and can be swapped out with custom Faceplates to reflect gamers' personalities or decor.

Xbox 360 Headset. This lets gamers strategise with team-mates or trade banter with opponents while playing games on Xbox Live.

Xbox 360 Component HD-AV Cable. This connects gamers to the world of Xbox 360 games and graphics through high-definition and standard-definition connections.

Xbox Live Silver membership. With this, gamers can chat with friends online, send and receive voice and text messages, and access new content from Xbox Live Marketplace such as trailers, demos and casual games from Xbox Live Arcade.

A bonus Media Remote. Included for a limited time, the integrated control centre for the entire digital experience lets consumers play DVDs, movies and music, as well as access their Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005-based PC's controls with a single remote.

For the style conscious gamer, replaceable faceplates will be possible, swappable to match your mood or to impress that certain someone. A gaming headset, a HD Cable for crisp viewing, a bonus remote to aid in the tracking all the media that they expect will be placed on the HDD and Silver level membership to the Xbox Live community.

The Standard Ł209.00 version comes with the 360, a wired controller, the changeable faceplates and the HD cable, but gamers cam soup up their system to suit themselves.

The accessories price list was also announced, with that 20GB HDD costing Ł70 alone, a standard controller Ł25, the wireless version being Ł33. Also announced for the first time was the 64MB memory unit, to allow for the movement and transfer of important game details, a Wireless networking Adapter for those who live in a wire free world. As yet there have been no announced price points for titles.

"With both the Xbox 360 and the Xbox 360 Core System, we're offering consumers real choice and real value," said Peter Moore at Microsoft. "We're bringing true next-generation experiences into gamers' living rooms this Christmas."

More on Xbox 360 - soon.

Chris Snook

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