Xbox 360 slim hardware thread

[AzBat]

I'm not much on patents, but it looks like the new transforming dpad controller was designed such that it gets around Nintendo's dpad patent according to this site...

http://nexus404.com/Blog/2010/09/05...ew-d-pad-that-scoots-around-nintendo-patents/

I did some looking and found this old Nintendo patent...

http://www.google.com/patents?id=jIk5AAAAEBAJ

According to Major Nelson supposedly Microsoft has or is going to, patent this tech. However, I couldn't find anything from Microsoft on the dpad except for 2 patents regarding using the Dpad in the original Xbox game Brute Force.

Anyway, that seems like a more plausible reason why Microsoft went that way. I guess we just need somebody to take it apart to find out.

Tommy McClain

 

[obonicus]

Yeah, but 'hating' the 360 D-pad isn't because it's a disc. That's just nonsense. As I said earlier, one of the very best D-pads ever was a disc.

 

[cal_guy]

The patent that was referenced in the article expired in the August of 2005.

 

[Rangers]

Interesting patent stuff.

This is baloney though. I know MS gets attacked for greed a lot and I think a lot of it is unwarranted, but what they should have done with this design is simply make it the new default controller, pack in, at normal price points. This is similar to the lack of wi-fi in original 360, I think the attacks are warranted.

 

[Silent_Buddha]

It may or may not become the default in the future. It doesn't change much in how they price it either way. As is, you could argue they are artificially tying it to the play and charge to 1) make the overall cost cheaper (if you were to buy controller + Play and charge) and 2) make it more expensive at the point of sale so that inventory of old controllers can be cleared without having to reduce price.

Whether it's a one off or eventual replacement, I don't think it would affect current pricing. As well, they could be looking to see what the reception of it is like and whether it is universally liked before taking the plunge and replacing the proven controller that everyone is used to.

Regards,
SB

 

[AzBat]

Crazzzyyy

Well, we finally got confirmation today that Microsoft will have yet another SKU which will have the 250gb Slim model with Kinect for $400. Has anybody else realized that this will make 4 different SKUs for the Holiday season and that's not including the Halo Reach SKU or any of the left over Elite, FFXIII or Splinter Cell Conviction bundles they may have left? Anybody else think that this could completely backfire on MS? I can't see how retailers could be happy with having to keep so many different SKUs in inventory. Something tells me one or two of them will probably get left behind at a variety of retailers. There's no way a retailer would have all 4 of them in stock.

Tommy McClain

 

[Squilliam]

Well, we finally got confirmation today that Microsoft will have yet another SKU which will have the 250gb Slim model with Kinect for $400. Has anybody else realized that this will make 4 different SKUs for the Holiday season and that's not including the Halo Reach SKU or any of the left over Elite, FFXIII or Splinter Cell Conviction bundles they may have left?

Tommy McClain

They've had more than 6 SKUs at one point between the Arcade, Premium and Elite and their various holiday bundles. I remember at one point the Xbox 360 had different game bundles for the Premium in Europe for instance as well.

 

[Rangers]

Yeah it's pretty much the same with PS3, how many SKU's has that been through? If you think about it it really doesn't matter. I guess one SKU died ages ago Especially when you start throwing MS holiday bundles in there. If you were to detail each PS3 and 360 SKU just in America, lol you'd probably have what, 20-30 to date for each?

For some reason I dont see the Kinect models as really different SKU's. More like the same SKU's with Kinect

 

[Silent_Buddha]

Well, we finally got confirmation today that Microsoft will have yet another SKU which will have the 250gb Slim model with Kinect for $400. Has anybody else realized that this will make 4 different SKUs for the Holiday season and that's not including the Halo Reach SKU or any of the left over Elite, FFXIII or Splinter Cell Conviction bundles they may have left? Anybody else think that this could completely backfire on MS? I can't see how retailers could be happy with having to keep so many different SKUs in inventory. Something tells me one or two of them will probably get left behind at a variety of retailers. There's no way a retailer would have all 4 of them in stock.

Tommy McClain

Argh, if I'd known that I wouldn't have pre-ordered (it's been charged and is presumably shipping now) the Halo Reach bundle. /sigh.

@#%#@#$!. If I'd have known this I would have gotten the 250 GB Kinect bundle + Halo ridiculous edition instead. Bah. Why couldn't they have announced this earlier.

Anyway, on topic. I don't see this hurting them, the lineup is fairly simple despite having multiple SKUs. You have Arcade and Elite for people not interested in Kinect. And you have Arcade and Elite for people interested in Kinect. With an interesting overlap at the 299 USD price point.

Since I'm expecting the Kinect bundles to sell out, at worst it would leave excess inventory of your standard SKUs which won't hurt them.

Regards,
SB

 

[NavNucST3]

Argh, if I'd known that I wouldn't have pre-ordered (it's been charged and is presumably shipping now) the Halo Reach bundle. /sigh.

@#%#@#$!. If I'd have known this I would have gotten the 250 GB Kinect bundle + Halo ridiculous edition instead. Bah. Why couldn't they have announced this earlier.

Anyway, on topic. I don't see this hurting them, the lineup is fairly simple despite having multiple SKUs. You have Arcade and Elite for people not interested in Kinect. And you have Arcade and Elite for people interested in Kinect. With an interesting overlap at the 299 USD price point.

Since I'm expecting the Kinect bundles to sell out, at worst it would leave excess inventory of your standard SKUs which won't hurt them.

Regards,
SB

This COMPLETELY ignores retail allocation due to physical space constraints...