So this one slipped under the radar: Microsoft revealed a brand new Xbox 360 at E3 2013 in Los Angeles this week. But why was it kept a secret until now and what can we expect?
When Corporate Vice President of Interactive Entertainment Business Yusuf Mehdi took to the stage this week at the E3 Xbox conference I wasn’t expecting much; maybe a little backtracking, more details on games and less on TV this time around, but I wasn’t anticipating anything to be revealed that we haven’t already heard about. However, I have to say that I wasn’t entirely correct. At the very start of the show, Mehdi announced something that nobody expected: a new Xbox 360. He also confirmed that the console would have its own exclusive titles during its first year, before going on to show great-looking clips for Dark Souls 2 and World of Tanks.
It was announced that the new 360 is available right now in the UK, US, Ireland, Canada and Australia (although we haven’t been able to find any word of this on the GAME UK site), and prices start from £149 for a 4GB console and £199 for a 250GB model. While the slimmer hardware design echoes the Xbox One, it looks as if the controller has stayed the same; but I’ve had no trouble with the current one so I don’t think it’s really that much of a big deal.
Nobody was expecting what Yusuf Mehdi announced.
After my excitement had died down a bit, I started to wonder if this announcement was just a knee-jerk reaction to the bad press Microsoft has received since the big reveal last month. Obviously the new 360 was planned to happen anyway – after all, they didn’t just make an updated console and have games developed within several weeks – but was it meant to happen this quickly? Did peoples’ outrage at the Xbox One cause this (in my opinion) rush release? Do Microsoft think a 360 that’s totally focused on gaming win back the support of the hard-core consumers? Or is this too little too late, with many gamers already mentally buying a PS4 for Christmas?
What do you think? Leave us your comments below.
