Xbox 360 add-on set for $200
Microsoft announces launch time of mid-November for HD DVD drive
By Susanne Ault -- Video Business, 9/27/2006
SEPT. 27 | Microsoft has set North American pricing for its Xbox 360 HD DVD add-on drive at $199.99 and will bundle the drive with an HD DVD copy of Peter Jackson’s King Kong for a limited time.
The Xbox 360 HD DVD add-on will be bundled with the HD DVD version of Peter Jackson's King Kong.
The company said the drive would be available in mid-November in North America, France, the U.K. and Germany but did not give a specific date. Neither has Universal Studios Home Entertainment announced when King Kong will be available on high-definition disc.
Microsoft unveiled a wide range of Microsoft gaming developments in Barcelona Wednesday during its annual Xbox event, X06.
An Xbox 360 Universal Media Remote will come bundled with the 360 drive.
“The Xbox 360 HD DVD Player is the best high-definition movie experience and value on the market,” said Peter Moore, Microsoft corporate VP of interactive entertainment business, entertainment and devices division. “We’re not forcing movie technology on game players but are instead letting them choose how to personalize their experiences. If they want HD DVD, there’s no better value out there.”
Microsoft officials also trumpeted King Kong director Peter Jackson’s signing with Microsoft Game Studios to create two interactive series for 360 and Xbox Live.
The first Jackson game, with co-creator Fran Walsh, will mark the next chapter in the popular Halo series. The duo’s second collaboration will be an original, to be determined property. Street dates have not yet been set.
“We are incredibly pleased to be here in Barcelona to talk about the next chapter of Xbox and how Xbox 360 continues to deliver on the promise and potential of the next generation,” said Chris Lewis, Microsoft’s regional VP of the home and entertainment division, Europe, Middle East and Africa. “As we prepare to launch some of our biggest global titles and best regional content both right now and well in the future, consumers will have much to choose from with a system designed for high-definition and online entertainment.”
Jackson is pleased with embarking on a relationship with Microsoft.
“From a movie-maker’s point of view, it is clear to me that the Xbox 360 platform is the stage where storytellers can work their craft in the same way they do today with movies and books but taking it further with interactivity,” Jackson said.
In an effort to highlight Xbox 360’s advantages over Sony’s PlayStation 3 console, to be released in November, Microsoft also announced platform exclusives it has garnered for upcoming games. Among them, Ubisoft’s next Splinter Cell title and 2K Games’ Bioshock will be exclusive to Xbox 360. Also, Rockstar and Take-Two will provide Xbox 360 gamers with exclusive access to two downloadable episodes of Grand Theft Auto IV via Xbox Live.
