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November isn’t just a time for big games to launch. It’s traditionally a time when game consoles make their big splash in the States. With the exception of the PlayStation 2 and the PSP, every major game console of this decade has launched in November in the US. Four years ago today, Microsoft kicked off the “next generation†of video games by releasing the Xbox 360.
Launch Date: November 22, 2005 (United States)
Launch Price: $399.99 (Pro model), $299.99 (Core model)
Significant Price Drops and Hardware Iterations
Possibly thanks to the higher entry price for hardware this generation, both Sony and Microsoft have tinkered with hardware and prices to a degree seldom seen in console sales prior. One thing’s for sure: it makes for some insane research.
Xbox 360 Elite (released April 2007) was the first iteration of Xbox 360 hardware supporting HDMI output and a 120 GB hard drive. It retailed at $479.99. Later in 2007, HDMI output became standard across all Xbox 360 models, even if the chipsets have continued to evolve at a headache-inducing rate.
In August 2007, Microsoft made its first price cuts to Xbox 360. The Core Xbox 360 dropped to $279.99, the Pro dropped to $349.99, and the Elite experienced a dramatic $30 price cut. A few months later, the Core Xbox 360 SKU was eliminated and replaced with the Xbox 360 Arcade model, which features a memory unit instead of a hard drive.
In July 2008, the Pro Xbox 360 SKU dropped to $299.99 in preparation for a 60 GB model, which released a month later at $349.99.
In September 2008, the price of all Xbox 360 SKUs dropped. The Arcade unit dropped to $199.99, the Pro dropped to $299.99, and the Elite saw a bigger drop to $399.99. People who bought an Xbox 360 within six weeks of the platform-wide price cuts were officially pissed.
In August 2009, the Xbox 360 Pro model was discontinued and the price fell to $249.99. The Elite model fell to $299.99. I wonder how many Pro consoles are still sitting on shelves to this day. Recently, a call of duty modern warfare 2 themed Xbox 360 Elite launched with a 250 GB hard drive for $399.99. As of the Xbox 360’s fourth anniversary, Microsoft has positioned the Arcade and Elite as its core models for the platform.
more here
Launch Date: November 22, 2005 (United States)
Launch Price: $399.99 (Pro model), $299.99 (Core model)
Significant Price Drops and Hardware Iterations
Possibly thanks to the higher entry price for hardware this generation, both Sony and Microsoft have tinkered with hardware and prices to a degree seldom seen in console sales prior. One thing’s for sure: it makes for some insane research.
Xbox 360 Elite (released April 2007) was the first iteration of Xbox 360 hardware supporting HDMI output and a 120 GB hard drive. It retailed at $479.99. Later in 2007, HDMI output became standard across all Xbox 360 models, even if the chipsets have continued to evolve at a headache-inducing rate.
In August 2007, Microsoft made its first price cuts to Xbox 360. The Core Xbox 360 dropped to $279.99, the Pro dropped to $349.99, and the Elite experienced a dramatic $30 price cut. A few months later, the Core Xbox 360 SKU was eliminated and replaced with the Xbox 360 Arcade model, which features a memory unit instead of a hard drive.
In July 2008, the Pro Xbox 360 SKU dropped to $299.99 in preparation for a 60 GB model, which released a month later at $349.99.
In September 2008, the price of all Xbox 360 SKUs dropped. The Arcade unit dropped to $199.99, the Pro dropped to $299.99, and the Elite saw a bigger drop to $399.99. People who bought an Xbox 360 within six weeks of the platform-wide price cuts were officially pissed.
In August 2009, the Xbox 360 Pro model was discontinued and the price fell to $249.99. The Elite model fell to $299.99. I wonder how many Pro consoles are still sitting on shelves to this day. Recently, a call of duty modern warfare 2 themed Xbox 360 Elite launched with a 250 GB hard drive for $399.99. As of the Xbox 360’s fourth anniversary, Microsoft has positioned the Arcade and Elite as its core models for the platform.
more here
