In March this year Microsoft introduced a 250 GB hard drive for the Xbox 360 console. Now to kick-start this year’s E3, Microsoft has launched a new Xbox 360 console with a 250 GB hard drive which is designed for the future of games and entertainment. The company has also made a few announcements which will help push Xbox 360 forward as a complete games and entertainment console.
“At Microsoft, we believe fun is a universal magnet, uniting us and connecting us all together,” Don Mattrick, senior vice president for the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft remarked. “We believe interactive entertainment is the greatest form of all entertainment, and it should be open and approachable to as many people as possible. It is this belief that led us to remove the last barrier between you and the entertainment you love. By making you the controller, we will transform how you and your friends experience games and entertainment.”
As we’ve heard earlier, the Kinect will add a new twist to playing console games and launch with a good number of compatible games. But the most interesting piece of news pertains to the new Xbox 360. The new console comes in black featuring a 250 GB hard drive and a refurbished look. The new Xbox 360 is silent and sleek and comes with built-in Wi-Fi. It includes an Xbox 360 wireless controller, an Xbox 360 headset, HDMI output, and USB flash storage capabilities, and carries a one-year limited warranty. The new Xbox 360 console will be available this week and carries an estimated retail price of 299.99 USD (approx. Rs. 13,980).
Come this November, Xbox Live Gold members will gain free and instant access to over 3500 ESPN live global events every year. These events include college basketball, NBA, MLB, international soccer, tennis, college football and bowl games, golf majors and more. Also available for viewing will be out-of-market games and other video clips.
Next year Microsoft plans to introduce a feature to link Video Kinect with Windows Live Messenger so that the Xbox Live community can communicate with hundreds of millions of PC users around the world. Some of the biggest titles are on their way to the Xbox 360 including Halo: Reach and Gears of War 3.