Analysts Sound Off on Xbox 360 Slim

John Funk

U.N. Owen Was Him?
Dec 20, 2005
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Analysts Sound Off on Xbox 360 Slim



With Sony's game-changing announcement of the smaller, cheaper Slim PS3 last week at Gamescom, will rival Microsoft follow suit?

When the Slim PS3 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/93974-Sony-Reveals-PS3-Slim-Drops-PS3-Prices-to-299] finally hits shelves next month after months and months of rumors, there's no doubt that it'll shake things up. Thanks to a slightly uncomfortable price point, the PS3 has lagged behind in this generation of the console wars, but now the $299 Slim redesign handily eliminates that problem.

So, what's Microsoft to do? Rumors have been flying for almost as long as the ones about the PS3 Slim, saying that MS will be phasing out the Xbox 360 Pro and lowering the price on the 360 Elite to match the shiny new PS3. But that's kind of boring, don't you think? After all, we're very familiar with the 360 Elite, whereas the PS3 Slim is nifty and new.

That was the question that IndustryGamers posed to analysts [http://www.industrygamers.com/news/xbox-360-slim-analysts-weigh-in/]: Will Microsoft meet Sony head on with a redesigned Xbox 360?

The answers were fairly mixed. On the one hand, the ubiquitous Michael Pachter pointed out that Microsoft had already "had a redesign to eliminate the RROD issue, changed the heat sink, fan and a couple of other components," so a complete redesign was unlikely. Echoing those sentiments was Colin Sebastian, who noted that Microsoft had been periodically redesigning the 360 internally with different chipsets to correct the astronomical failure rate, and yet hadn't done any external redesigns to reflect internal changes.

On the other, EEDAR's Jesse Divnich made the point that a smaller, lighter console had other benefits beyond extra sales - for one, it'd reduce shipping costs, and it feels... well, it feels newer. "(A) new Xbox 360 unit that is smaller and promises higher reliability certainly makes for a good advertising campaign." DFC Intelligence's David Cole concurred, saying that "I think it is a question of when not if."

On a third hand, some of the analysts, like Arvind Bhatia from Sterne Agee, thought Natal would have the same effect: "I think Natal will be killer app that will help keep the momentum for the 360 next year. I do think they need to cut the price by at least $50."

Either way, it's clear that Microsoft has to do something, or else they run a very real risk of losing ground to Sony's new, Slim juggernaut.

(Via Edge [http://www.edge-online.com/news/analyst-xbox-360-slim-%E2%80%9Ca-question-of-when-not-if%E2%80%9D])

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IamQ

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Mar 29, 2009
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I doubt it. They didn't do anything when ps2 slim got released, why would they do anything now?
 

Rednog

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Nov 3, 2008
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Doubt it could physically be any slimmer, considering the hard drive is pretty much as fat as the console is, the technically could make it "shorter" but there doesn't seem to be much room in that direction either. There is some room, but I doubt it would be worth it to release a "slim" version.
 

GonzoGamer

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Apr 9, 2008
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If it really is rrod-free now, they should redesign it and completely rebrand it to distance itself from the notorious hardware problems. Many people (myself included) feel pretty sketchy about the 360's hardware and the results from the "jasper" switch haven't been publicized.

The ps3 needed a price cut but I think the 360 needed the physical redesign more.
 

HardRockSamurai

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May 28, 2008
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Rednog said:
Doubt it could physically be any slimmer, considering the hard drive is pretty much as fat as the console is, the technically could make it "shorter"
We could call it the Xbox 360 Dwarf.
[small]I'm actually kinda down for that...[/small]
 

Pimppeter2

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Dec 31, 2008
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I thought it was a stupid idea for sony (not the price cut though), so I think its a stupid idea for MS
 

Flunk

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Feb 17, 2008
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MS could continue their own trend AND redesign at the same time! Just include the power supply into the main chassis. It would both look the same and be new and improved!

I really don't think anyone really cares about the size of the 360, it's not really that big, about 1/3 the size of the media PC it replaced on my shelf.
 

Robert632

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May 11, 2009
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off topic: why the hell did arvind call natal an app. it sounds retarted for the ipod, so itmakes no difference if it is for the xbox.

on topic:natal will sell like the wii. meaning that ms doesn't have to worry about anything. except making games for it.
 

Echo_419

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Aug 5, 2009
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Xbox has never gone in for that whole slim or hand held thing. They have always been comfortable. I kinda respect that about them.
 

cleverlymadeup

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Mar 7, 2008
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iamq said:
I doubt it. They didn't do anything when ps2 slim got released, why would they do anything now?
release a bigger 360?

CantFaketheFunk said:
On a third hand, some of the analysts, like Arvind Bhatia from Sterne Agee, thought Natal would have the same effect: "I think Natal will be killer app that will help keep the momentum for the 360 next year. I do think they need to cut the price by at least $50."
i don't think Natal will do that great, the ps3 eye hasn't done so well and i'm sure Natal will do about the same, considering m$'s previous track record with copying hardware and software of their competitors
 

Aunel

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May 9, 2008
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I really don't care how my console looks, sure it's nice to look at when you open the box, but whenever you fire it up, you don't think "man, that 360 is butt ugly"

although price drop does sound awesome, I might get a PS3 now.
 

mightybozz

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Aug 20, 2009
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I'd just prefer more imaginative games to redesigned consoles. This seems to be a rise to a newe level of consumer obssession - expecting people to pay again for the same console in a different light.
 

katsabas

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Apr 23, 2008
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Finally, Sony decides to really get their game on. At last, PS3 is truly worthy to buy for those that were on the fence. On the one hand you have the XBOX, now costing about 300 bucks, but without HDMI and only multi-scart. And this is the elite model we are talking about. The Slim on the other hand will feature HDMI, cost the same and have free WIFI.
 

Andronicus

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Mar 25, 2009
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Cargando said:
I'd like them to release an Xbox that isn't so bally noisy.
Amen to that, although I'm not sure if the "bally" is really necessary...

It would be nice to be able to play games without a jet trying to take off in my room.

I think the design of the XBox 360 is fairly aesthetically pleasing as it is. If they made it smaller, as someone said before, they would have to redesign the placement of the HDD, unless they made a smaller HDD, rendering the original one incompatible, which would just be stupid.

That said, it doesn't really matter if they've solved the RROD on the first one, people will still associate that flaw with the model (don't blame me, I don't make the rules; that's just the way people work). They need a new model to market as RROD-proof, add some wacky title to it (like "XBox 360: Evolution" or "Deathproof" or whatever), and people can buy it with the smugness of someone who got the "XBox that doesn't screw up when you turn it on". Hell, they could probably even slap an extra $100 on it and the really thick ones will still lap it up, because it's new.

Marketing works, unfortunately; it's a testament to the stupidity of human beings.