Xbox 360 4GB, Why?

TGH: Microsoft recently announced the price of Kinect and a 4GB model of their popular new Xbox (slim) model. The model itself is very sleek looking like its big brother counterpart but why such the small internal hard drive? So again I ask, why would Microsoft choose such a small internal memory where every good downloadable title is about a half a gig (500+ MB).

[MightyMark427]

already have the 250GB slim and it's worth it in every way

[ShadyDevil]

4GB is so stupid.

[bioshock1221]

Why is it stupid? 4GB is more than enough for casual gamers it's about options if you are the type of person that is going to buy movies and download games, buy a lot of DLC, or install your games then go with the 250GB option.

But if you are just a person who just wants to play games then 4GB is more than enough most game saves are smaller than 1 MB and most DLC on Xbox live arcade are not that big most are under 1 GB. You guys do realize not everyone is aware of Xbox live or even aware that DLC exists for games. Most people just want to play games and that is why the Arcade/Kinect bundle was made for.

[BeaArthur]

Agreed, what is anyone going to go with 4GB?

[OSU_Gamer]

I would say it was stupid if there were no other storage options. With cheap 16GB flash drives available the storage issue is minimal. I have been surviving on a 20 GB hard drive for my 360 since launch.

[MorganX]

Everyone who wants a console in their home can't afford games at $60 a pop.

With XBL (price of one <$40 game/yr) they can have access to the best arcade games available. Few are over 700k. You can add up to 32G USB Storage (16 x 2) and it performs great. No loading delays whatsoever.

I've run Resident Evil, Darksiders, and a 2 GB Episode of Law & Order: SVU. Microsoft has optimized their drivers. Kudos for that, I was using microSDs.

4-36 GB of flash storage is more than enough for anyone who is price conscious. The only thing they can fill it with is a bunch of movie downloads. With Netflix, I doubt that happens.

If this unit falls to $149 look out!

@OSU_Gamer

2 x 8 GB microSD with these readers, sweet! I use this reader for ReadyBoost on laptop too! http://elagostore.com/ELAGO...

[kneon]

It may end up being stupid for the customer but the target customer won't know that until it's too late, just like they probably won't know they need to pay to play online. In order to attract the casual crowd with Kinect they have to have the console+Kinect bundle priced within spitting distance of the Wii. A hard drive would drive up the cost too much.

I found the comment about annihilating the competition with a 1 terabyte drive pretty funny. You can add that to a PS3 now if you want, and for far less than Microsoft would ever charge for such a drive.

[chrisnick]

people bought the arcade that came with what...a 512mb stick? MS knows their consumers...you'll complain, but you'll probably still buy it.

[iFLOWLIKEWATER]

ts to replace the current arcade system which only has 256mb flash built in...Duh! 4gigs is better than no gigs.

[MorganX]

The arcade SKU existed before Kintect ... duh.

[Anon1974]

When Microsoft dropped the price of the Arcade below the Wii and dropped the price of the core 360 - sales spiked but it only proved to be temporary and they didn't make a dent in Wii sales. After that price but fizzled out the 360 suffered 4 consecutive quarters of year over year declines and were completely outsold by the PS3 and Wii worldwide.

If the 360 couldn't make an impact when it was the cheapest console on the market, what chance is it going to have at the same price with a different color, a little more storage and wi-fi? Is that really what Microsoft thinks was holding them back this whole time?

This is just my opinion and I could be wrong. Maybe the 360S and the new arcade will leap off the shelves and next quarter will be a blowout - but I just don't see it. I think the 360 will have a spike due to the lower price when they were getting rid of old stock but that it'll fizzle just like the last time they had a price cut. Hopefully I'm wrong.

[Mmmkay]

You can do a lot with 4 GB. My first PC had 20 MB HDD and that was helluva lot of space..

[Christopher]

4GB is likely for Kinect purposes.

[DelbertGrady]

Good God how sexy it is! And the controller and headset looks different. The new controller is all black and the guide button is much nicer. Headset is sweeter as well. Loving it.

@ above - If you want more space just throw in a 16gb usb. Or six.

[MorganX]

I believe there is a limit of 2, but I'm sure MS could increase that with an update.

edit: Don't see why they would unless they won't be trying to profit of HD accessory sales. 64GB of flash and you can forget about ever selling an HD to an Arcade owner.

[kingboy]

does this guy ever game?dude seems to spend more time on N4G than the average gamer would on a daily bases

[ActionBastard]

The 360 is limited to 2 USB flash drives simultaneously, so you're maxed at 32GB. So........If you want more space just throw in a 16gb usb. Or two.

[Blaze929]

"but why such the small internal hard drive? So far there is no sign of having the ability to replace it. "

Well first of all, the 4GB Xbox 360 units hold the 4GB using internal flash memory - not an internal hard drive. Second, there is the ability to replace or rather, upgrade that if you want as the Hard drive storage bay is left unoccupied for anyone who wants to add a hard drive to their system - much like current arcade units now.

4GB is more than enough for the casual crowd that will even buy this unit and the Kinect bundle. They aren't installing games, downloading content yet alone likely enough to even connect to Xbox LIVE. Like I said, 4GB is more than enough 'for that market'. Remember, not ever region has Xbox LIVE or capable internet to access LIVE.

Microsoft knows what they are doing - funny how everyone seems to know more about what 'they' should do with 'their' product and how to sell it.

[ProA007]

well said. journalist need to do their research before writing nonsense. And I agree, 4GB for the "casual kinect crowd" is way more than what they'll even need.

[green]

My nieces and nephew live in Nigeria and they want me to buy an xbox 360, Kinect + kinectimals as a christmas gift for them. So WTF are they going to do with 250gigs of space? There is no XBL service in Nigeria, so there is absolutely no need for 250gigs.

As Bioshock said, its all about choice. If you need the space, get the 250gig. if you don't, the 4gig is more than enough.

[JasonXE]

you make some very good points.

[Persistantthug]

So why can't your relatives in Nigeria get into XBOX LIVE by just profiling their account as a US or European based account?

Like, what would happen if they tried?
What about PSN?

Just curious, thanks

[green]

Sorry for the late reply. In Nigeria, we still use dial up internet connection. Internet connection of around 512kb/s can cost a household around $500 a month. Now considering the fact that Nigeria is a 3rd world country, a huge majority of the population can not afford that. And even at that speed, it is still to slow to piggy back off another server in the states to play xbox live.

ANd even if it were possible, my nieces are 12,10 and my nephew is 8 and i see no reason why they should play competitive multiplayer games online until they are at least 16. So as i said earlier, there is absolutely no need for anything more than 4gigs for them.

[himdeel]

...console UNTIL you realize you need more space to do other things. However for an entry level system to the 360 line of products this makes perfect sense for a casual consumer. Just enough space to get started and more than you'll need for most casual use.

I think the only problem is after people see and experience the other things access with a 360 console do they then end up with the short end of the stick. That's when they realize that they cannot download all the games they want off of Live without losing something. Likewise I believe that for the most non casual traditional "gamers" 4GB of space just doesn't make any sense.

[jack_burt0n]

Really the 4gb model has no HDD bay!?! seriously? I find that hard to believe.

@responses
Then this article is total frickin fail.

[Motorola]

wait so you cant put a HDD in????

[Blacktric]

Article states "So far there is no sign of having the ability to replace it". It says "SO FAR THERE IS NO SIGN". There actually is. ShopTo confirmed in the product description that it is possible to upgrade it. The console isn't out yet (it's set to released in August 20th according to ShopTo again) so when it's out, they'll also release an HDD upgrade for it. No company would be stupid enough to make a console like this and make its HDD non upgradeable.

Edit: Description from ShopTo's page;

"The 4GB of memory will be on-board, meaning consumers are free to add a Microsoft hard drive to the machine at any time."

"The built-in 4 GB drive has room to store game saves and "IT'S REMOVABLE TOO", just in case you ever want to take it to a friend’s house."

http://www.shopto.net/XBOX%...

Edit: @jack_burt0n

It says "on board" first then it says it's removable. So this one might have another internal slot for a small hdd or some other type of storage device. Or like exactly as you said it might be a USB stick.

[jack_burt0n]

@black
that sounds more like a 4gb usb stick.

[Queasy]

It has the same HDD bay that the 250GB model has. Worthless article.

[Christopher]

It does have a HDD bay. The 4GB is all internal.

[darthv72]

From the technical stand point both the slim units are the same with the inclusion of 4gb flash memory onboard for the 4gb unit. Both would use the same case design although finished material will differ (matte finish vs glossy). Both use the same board revision with internal usb port for included wifi.

I would imagine there is also the drive bay. Reading the article i saw nowhere that it states the removable plate that covers the drive bay has been replaced with a solid case design.

This post simply stated the obvious of no internal hdd or way to replace the internal 4gb of memory. The unit will have a hdd bay as reported by many other sites. There will be a bay but as of right now there are no current drives to fit within that bay on the market.

[kneon]

I doubt they would be that stupid, can anyone confirm this one way or another?

[Zir0]

Its a significant upgrade from the previous 512MB. Throw in some usb sticks you can make 36GB cheap.

[DlocDaBudSmoka]

not in this day and age, where everything is 100+ gb.

[OSU_Gamer]

For casual gamers 36GB is quite a lot. Remember, this bundle isn't aimed at hardcore gamers.

[MorganX]

Funny you should say that. Harcore gamers are just as unlikely to need gigs of storage. Hardcore gamers aren't trying to load 100 Gigs of downloaded music (ROFL) and Movies. They're playing, mostly FPS' all day and night.

I'd like to know who really needs 100 GB for "gaming".

[GuruStarr78]

might as well buy an elite.

[-MD-]

Its not a 4GB harddrive, it's 4GB flash memory so you can add an HDD later.

[Queasy]

1) It uses 4GB of internal flash memory, not a hard drive
2) It will have the same hard drive bay that the 250GB Xbox 360 S has

Worthless article.

[mrv321]

Isn't Microsoft supposed to be promoting some sort of Digital stuff that you download onto space? Limiting space is stupid.

It probably won't save them a whole lot either, and could easily make it back with a couple XBL sales...

How long before Microsoft starts selling overprice hard drives for this model?

I expect it to be right next to the 4GIG box...

Isn't really bad it won't use the old model hard drives which some people paid a LOT for.

[DlocDaBudSmoka]

before we see overprices HDDs for the 360S

[TehGamersHub]

Its made for people who just want to play Kinect and not designed around us 'Hard core' gamers.

[MadMen]

well the reason they can go 100 dollars cheaper, is the likely hood of someone going out and getting a hard drive later at 150 is where they hope to recoup

but it is lame 4GB, I think there should be a 120GB HD on that one. Or 60.

[labwarrior]

You play 8 games at once ?

I barely play 2 at once, if ever

You can then erase and put another, it is rather simple, you can also use any USB stick if erasing a game from the stick is so much trouble and your time so precious

And no, i dont think having a 250$ price for a bigger HDD would be a good idea, there is a 300$ model for that with a huge HDD for those that do need one

[Godmars290]

So they can sell Kinects on the "cheap" to clueless consumers who will have to turn right around and buy a expensive HDD.

[BubbleSystemSuck]

4Gb is a joke...

An 8Gb flash drive cost less than 10 dollars... and 250gb hdd cos 40 dollars...

Xbox 360 Arcade with 80Gb is more reasonable

[tiamat5]

Everything Microsoft does is justified. Even if you did buy flash drives that is only a little more than 30 gigs you are talking about. Still basically nothing. And then you have to buy a new hard drive if you want more space. So basically it is cheaper until you have to spend money to upgrade it? When will people learn that cheaper doesn't mean more value? If you just brought the system with a bigger hard drive for a little more money you wouldn't have to do all that.Microsoft screws everyone again and you bend over and take it without even a struggle. Besides I doubt the non gamers who Microsoft are targeting know about changing and installing hard drives in system like a tech head does.

[Baltis]

I've been debating on getting one of the new xbox 360's. I've always stuck by Sony but they just can't hang with the games I usually get. Sony's 1st party games are going down hill and am not interested in any of them on the way.

Gt5
Twisted Metal
LBP2

I don't like or want any of them. They have ignored my demograph of action/adventure/rpg for too long and have focused on the absurd casuals and online players. I'm pretty sick of Sony, to be honest. I love the DS3, though. But the xbox 360 has it all, if you think about it. The best of it too. Their games look better and there is a bigger, more stable community of players there. I might be trading the DS, after all these years, for an Xbox360 controller real soon.

It just makes sense to do it. The xbox 360 has the better versions of the games I play the most. Games that actually cater to my taste. Sony has spent too much time focusing on everything I don't like

Racers - Community Building Games like LBP - And 3-d. I don't want any of that stuff. I just want to game a game and be done with it.

[Hoje0308]

Can't you use the official USB drives? I'm thinking about getting a 360 this fall, but I don't want to spend too much money, as I'm already getting raped by all the games that are coming out later in the year. Either way, I'm sure MS has a solution in the works.

[ActionBastard]

The $300, 4GB Kinect bundle isn't geared towards Supreme Gamer, but the person who is interested in Kinect...and pretty much that's it. That's plenty of space for Kinect game add-ons and gamer profiles, Avatar items, etc. The $200 console itself is an entry, exactly like the Arcade before it. With less memory.

[Rubberlegs]

All it does is replace the current arcade 360. The more space is for kinect since it needs memory to run it, you need memory to run the dashboard too. New HDD's will come out later on.

[Vortex3D]

The problem with too many gamers like the one that wrote the article is they want consoles with lots of storage for nothing. If Arcade does have 60GB HDD built-in, there's no reason for many semi-casual gamers to spend the extra $100 for the 250GB model. This new Arcade already has wireless built-in for free.

Reality is gamers want everything built-in in the console for nothing and then they want every accessory to be sold for nothing. Only then they are happy. By then the console company is out of business. Then the gamers complain again why the console company can out of business if they are selling the console with everything built-in and the accessories for nothing.

My opinion is this new Arcade is practical for casual gamers. It has 4GB of storage with wireless. It does have the empty hard drive bay. There isn't an option for buying an hard drive today but it's often a timed delay for marketing purposes. Of course when the hard drive is available for purchase, it will be priced higher than generic hard drive which gamers will complain again. The whole strategy of multi console models is if you want to have a large storage then buy the 250GB model to begin with. If you can't afford the extra $100 for the 250GB model, pay less for the Arcade model now, and then save the money to upgrade to the higher priced hard drive later. It's a standard practical on any kind of product even food.

As for Arcade is the only model to have Kinect bundle, it's all marketing illusion for lower price to compete with PS3 Move. Even PS3 console with Move bundle is also a marketing illusion for the pricing because Navigator controller is also needed (yes, you can use the DS controller in place of Navigator but it's not the most practical way to use it) or Sony wouldn't have make Navigator controller.

Reality is as a gamer, if you already know you need a lot of storage and play a lot of games, you are not a casual gamer and will spend whatever to get the best models available. They are often the same group of gamers that will buy the most expensive Collector's Edition.

[silver-surfer]

How did this get approved it's a terrible article! It's 4Gb of flash internal memory not a hard drive and they have upped it because Kinect and the dash require more than the 256Mb in the original systems.

[xxchicago33xx]

The only problem that I have with the 4GB model is the same thing I have with all 360 and PS3 models...you don't actually have that much usable space. If I'm not mistaken the operating system will chew about 2GB of that space.

I feel like they should have to advertise the "actual" usable space somewhere on the box. I install all of my games to the HDD, reduces noise and strain on the system...when you're installing games like Star Ocean and Lost Odyssey @ 15GB+ you can eat up a 250GB hard drive pretty quick

I would have to imagine that Kinect will have some software to install to the HDD...with 4GB you will not have much room to do much of anything.

[castdreams]

I live too far out in the country to get high speed internet so Xbox live and DLC aren't a concern for me, I don't have a lot of money and I already use my PS3 for all my multimedia. So while a 360 4GB may be an unbearable thought to most, it would be a pretty good deal for me in my situation. The only reason I haven't got a 360 yet is every time I have the money I end up spending it on PS3 games.

[etownone]

$199 for this new 360 Arcade S is too much.

We are FIVE yrs into the 360's lifecycle and this arcade should be at $149.

Logic being also that Kinnect alone cost $149 and the Arcade/Kinnect Bundle cost $299.

[silvacrest]

for the casuals who could careless if there was 500GB or 1GB

[Garnett]

The $300 Arcade/Kinect bundle is a rip off, im not gonna complain about it not having a hard drive, i think thats a good choice, as not everyone needs 250 gigs, but rather the price of $300, why not $250? Why must you over charge on EVERYTHING?