Following last week's rumor that Best Buy will no longer stock the Xbox 360 Core system, Joystiq has received an anonymous tip that Target will be doing the same. The tip was accompanied by several images of the product listing in a store PDA, with the image above regrettably being the clearest. The upper right corner displays the Core system's status as "Discontinued." Coupled with the Best Buy rumor, it's starting to look like the Core is definitely being phased out. The question is whether or not another product will take its place or if the Premium and Elite models will become the only remaining choice.
We're curious to see what our readers think about the possibility that the Core is going the way of the dodo. While it would eliminate the cheapest 360 offering, it would also ensure that future 360s would all benefit from a guaranteed hard drive, which would also conceivably allow game developers to utilize the hard drive for more detailed games. What do you think? Should the Core be discontinued or is it better for Microsoft to keep its bottom tier choice?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
8-07-2007 @ 4:49PM
Iliad Force said...
Good question. It seems clear that developers would rather not have to worry about coding for the Core. But if it's true that somewhere between 15 and 20 percent of 360s sold are or have been Core, discontinuing the SKU doesn't eliminate that problem. Ideally, MS never would have released a neutered version of the 360. Sure, it helped Redmond at the holidays when confused parents were suckered by the $100 price difference. But did they really think through the ramifications of that two-tiered system? Seems like a rookie mistake to me. (Not unlike the stunningly poor design of the 360 vis-a-vis heat management.)
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8-07-2007 @ 4:52PM
J.W. said...
I've been a long-time defender of the Core. I think it is a good console for someone who may not have the financial means to invest in a Premium console, but still want to get in on the fun. If Microsoft is, in fact, axing the Xbox 360 Core, then that may alienate an entire segment of their fanbase that would then only have the Wii as their means of gaming on a budget.
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8-07-2007 @ 4:54PM
Grindstone said...
Bah! Just kill the damn thing off already. It's holding back developers. Just lower the pricve on the HDD and move on.
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8-07-2007 @ 4:57PM
GregA said...
I am guessing that the reason the Core is being discontinued at retailers is they are not selling through. Retailers would sell the product as long as it made them money, they simply dont care about the technical merits.
And before MS haters and PS3 fanboys croon about this, that means more than anything else that one of the things consumers want with the Xbox 360 is XBL. That is a marketing disaster for both the Wii and the PS3.
My prediction, once the "next gen" console midlife starts next year, the Xbox with its superior to everything else by a country mile XBL starts to kick in, the Wii and PS3 fade into nothingness.
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8-07-2007 @ 4:58PM
Marasai said...
I'm sure MS wants the core around, because it allows them to say their system starts at 270 or whatever it is priced at.
But I think with ther reality that Devs can now require the HDD, it simply doens't make sense to buy without one day upping to the hdd one day. I think retailers realize that.
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8-07-2007 @ 5:00PM
Toph said...
The Core system was offered as a go-between between older generation gamers and ones that wanted to hop into the 'next gen', but didn't want to pay the total price. Those were also the gamers that thought Kameo, Perfect Dark Zero and King Kong were worth getting on day one.
Now that we have umpteen numbers of AMAZING 360 games in the library and on the upcoming games' list, I feel the Core has done it's job and should be phased out. It may hinder game development in a world where we don't need that at all, considering how competitive the market is.
It also really restricts the shelf room for the Premium and Elite, something that MIGHT JUST BE AN ISSUE this Holiday season. We have FOUR 360 systems now; one or two of those will sell better, but someone down the line will have to settle on a Core where they might have been ready to shell out money for an Elite. True they could just go to another location, but that's bad for the company that stocked the Core.
IF, IF the Core is to still stay in circulation, it should be exclusive to lower-cost stores like Wal-Mart.
GameStop, Best Buy and other high-end electronics/gaming stores should strictly sell the Elite, the Halo3 system, and the Premium. Those that might shop at those low-cost, 'value' stores may not even pursue getting an Xbox Live membership, which negates the need for the HD in the first place.
Deleting the Core, limiting it's production run, or only offering it at 'value' chains is a service for the gamers, and will prove itself in the cost figures.
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8-07-2007 @ 5:10PM
fruit_bat said...
Kill it!!!
they are dropping the price for a reason. It won't be too long till they drop the price even more on the premium, so why keep the core around.
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8-07-2007 @ 5:20PM
IrishRED said...
The Target Computers "Discontinue" the Core Model that was 299 and then bring in new code and a separate product file for for the new prices.
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8-07-2007 @ 5:22PM
Bubs said...
360 SUCKS AND BLU-RAY IS GOD , BOW DOWN ALL !!!
@ request of A.C. Ege from Amazon forums, PS3's #1 FAN !
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8-07-2007 @ 5:28PM
Zapper said...
I would love to see one(or both) of these big box stores to severely cut the price on these to get them out the door...then buy th e120GB drive for a wicked cool system at a good price...
If anyone sees these on sale for $200 or so...
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8-07-2007 @ 5:40PM
JeremyK said...
I never got the benefit of buying a core. Sure it was $100 cheaper but you still needed to buy a $40 memory card. I'm skeptical people can't afford $400 but $340 is fine and dandy. How are these people even going to afford to buy games in the future at $60 a pop?
Sure I know a lot of people that bought core's but only because of the shortage when the 360 launched. They bought a HD at the same time...
I'd be interested in know how many actual core owner don't actually own a HD that they purchased seperately...
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8-07-2007 @ 5:45PM
Trogdor said...
I doubt the core is going anywhere. The only way that Microsoft could totally eliminate the core and allow developers to code games with the HDD required would be to offer a program to give every person who purchased a core a discount on the HDD or a free HDD. Otherwise they would be opening themselves up to legal action if games suddenly came out with the HDD required. Not that they would lose the lawsuit (it's Microsoft), but it would be bad for their image and that's the one thing the 360 doesn't need any more of.
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8-07-2007 @ 5:45PM
lysernix said...
The *only* way it should have ever have been allowed to exist is if it came with a 512MB card FROM THE GET GO. Anything less was and is laughable.
So... the way it was, and the way it remains (the same since launch) is unacceptable. The only purpose (as the first poster stated as well) is to lure uneducated parents who then in turn disappoint and have to get additional accessories immediatley.
It is an insult to the customer to offer this gimped product.
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8-07-2007 @ 5:52PM
dutchb0y said...
Definitely lose the Core. It's a bit of a painted-in-the-corner scenario, but that 20GB HD price MUST drop, and they might as well do that for the separate SKU unit. Cut a deal for people with legit CORE SN's as a mail-in rebate, perhaps, to let people get their HD on with minimal funds. Say.. $30? If you don't have a core.. normal price for you!
The HD is essential, I think, for the long-term XBOX strategy. It just makes sense to drop the core ASAP so that number of machines becomes a smaller and smaller percentage of the population as time goes on.
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8-07-2007 @ 5:59PM
Matt said...
Indeed, IrishRED may be correct. Think about it, what if the Falcon equipped consoles all come with HDMI? Then, MSFT has a reason to give entirely new SKUs. Alternatively, another reason for the existing Core SKU to go away, but not the Core itself could be the eventual inclusion of a wireless controller in lieu of the wired model. After all, how can MSFT justify $279 for the Core as its currently equipped?
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8-07-2007 @ 6:25PM
john said...
They should only do it when they can get the price of the Premium/Pro sku down to $299. XBox *must have* a 200-299 offering.
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8-07-2007 @ 6:36PM
intRvenous said...
@1. agreed - killing doesn't mean devs can just ignore the HDD restriction. There are probably a couple million Cores in homes, they can't just ignore that.
Otherwise, it's a no-brainer to kill it. Anyone actually know someone who has one?
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8-07-2007 @ 6:48PM
BirdmanSTX said...
"The Target Computers "Discontinue" the Core Model that was 299 and then bring in new code and a separate product file for for the new prices."
If that's true, that would mean the Premium and Elite would be Discontinued as well then right, as all three are having price changes?
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8-07-2007 @ 6:55PM
ccc said...
Getting rid of the core system in some ways can be potentually a bad thing.
Example, I was planning on getting one of the newer 360 models with the 65 or 45 nm chip set to replace my old 1. If I have to buy a Hdd with the newer system thats not so bad, I can sell it right? I already have the 120 gig, but without the core system around will retailers still be purchasing the Hdd by it self from consumers anymore? Could be a bad thing but only time will tell I guess.
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8-07-2007 @ 7:10PM
Jeff said...
It think its a good thing to get rid of it, however developers wont be guaranteed anything, The Core was still sold for 2 years. and i dont think this is a M$ action, i think its the retailers, it doesnt sell so they get rid of it. But M$ has said forever that they want to get the 360 down to $200 and the core was made to get there first.
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