SKU! SKU! SKU! Starting off the week of E3 with a bang, eh Microsoft? It's okay, we'll all put on our best "surprise!" faces here, alright? Confirming what we all knew was going to happen thanks to just about every retailer in the country (though, a day early on their end, surprisingly), Microsoft have officially knocked the Xbox 360 Premium console (20GB model) down to the low low price of just $299.99 in North America and Canada [while supplies last]. Nope, sorry, hopeful shoppers praying to snag a cheaper Arcade or Elite, no price cut goodness for you.

As well, the long-rumored 60GB Xbox 360 has also been revealed as another fact, and will begin shipping in early August for $349.99. Like it was expected, this new, higher-end version of the Premium console will be replacing the 20GB model at the same price it retailed for before the $50 clearance announcement price cut. Albert Penello, Xbox director of product management, said:

We know consumers need more and more space to store the amazing digital content Xbox 360 offers, and we're giving it to them at no extra charge. No one device offers the depth and breadth of entertainment that Xbox 360 can deliver, and now you'll have three times the storage to manage all that great content.

Two questions remain. One: will these new, beefed up units [all, for sure] be sporting the brand spankin' new "it won't die now, promise" chipsets? Let's hope so. Second: What in the world, really, is the point of the Arcade SKU now? Check one E3 announcement off the list, folks. It's only getting started. I wonder where that standalone drive is?

Full anouncement after the jump.

Redmond, Washington—Microsoft is giving consumers more gigabytes for their buck. The company today announced an Xbox 360® console with triple the storage space of the original console, but for the same price of $349 (U.S.) estimated retail price.

Available in retail stores in the U.S. and Canada starting in early August, the upgraded Xbox 360 will include a 60GB hard drive for storing the growing wealth of digital entertainment available for the console, including music, movies, television shows, and game content. In addition, Microsoft today dropped the price of its 20GB Xbox 360 console in the U.S. and Canada to just $299 (U.S.) (ERP) while supplies last, a savings of $50.

"We know consumers need more and more space to store the amazing digital content Xbox 360 offers, and we're giving it to them at no extra charge," said Albert Penello, Xbox director of product management at Microsoft. "No one device offers the depth and breadth of entertainment that Xbox 360 can deliver, and now you'll have three times the storage to manage all that great content."

Xbox 360 is just one of three Xbox 360 gaming and entertainment systems Microsoft offers. Microsoft's Xbox 360 Arcade, which comes with a 256MB memory unit and five Xbox LIVE Arcade games, is a value for the whole family for $279 (U.S.) (ERP), and the premium Xbox 360 Elite console is available with a 120GB hard drive for $449 (U.S.) (ERP).

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iFester said:

Over here I grew up with an expression my mother often speaks to me in French. Translated: You change your mind twice while pissing. That's what the genration of console changes is between Microsoft and Sony. Nintendo is playing it safe.

July 13, 2008