Xbox 360 line to be reduced to Arcade, Elite?
updated 12:55 pm EDT, Wed August 5, 2009
Only two Xbox 360 models?
Only two models of the Xbox 360 will persist into the future, leaked packaging suggests. Depicted in a photo are current and planned boxes for the 360 Arcade; the latter box lists only one other 360 as an option, that being the 120GB Elite. Missing is the current standard console, the Pro, which has been in production since 2005 and tends to be the best-selling Xbox system.
The photo backs earlier reports that Microsoft is phasing out the Pro, possibly as soon as July or August. Game bundles may be used to clear out earlier stock, after which the Elite's price is expected fall to that of the Pro, come September. Microsoft is faced with two key pressures: increased reliance on downloadable content, which requires more hard drive space, and an anticipated revision of Sony's PlayStation 3. A slim PS3 could arrive as quickly as August 18th.
