Cheaper Xbox 360 in the works! .

Monday 9th July 2007 - 17:30


More affordable console in the pipeline, expanded version of Elder Scrolls IV announced and Virtua Fighter 5 Xbox 360 screens



According to the Mercury News in the US, Microsoft is planning a new, cheaper Xbox 360 to win over any gamers who can't afford the next-gen platform. Codenamed 'Falcon' the new console is said to have much lower production costs which the company hopes to pass on to the consumer.

The platform holder will switch to a 65-nanometer production process. This means smaller microprocessors and graphics chips for new consoles, in comparison to the current 90-nanometer processors. This may even mean that Bill's big box of tricks could even face a size reduction - which would be no bad thing. But the immediate benefit is the potential price drop - combined with possible reduction in overheating problems that have plagued the existing console, to the extent that Microsoft recently announced that repairs had cost a cool $1Billion. Microsoft has yet to formally announce the new product (which is supposed to launch in time for the Christmas rush). But sources suggest that this is a near-certainty.

'We have a bunch of different projects that cost reduce and improve quality as you find issues, as does our competition," said Peter Moore, head of games at Microsoft. "Once you get millions in the field, you learn about the box under all kinds of different circumstances, you can adjust and tweak what you do accordingly."

Meanwhile, the best Role Playing Game (RPG) to ever grace the Xbox is set to be expanded even further! Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion Game of the Year edition will include the original version of the award-winning RPG Oblivion along with the official expansion, The Elder Scrolls IV: Shivering Isles, and the downloadable content, Knights of the Nine.

This new product will allow players who have never played the 2006 Game of the Year to experience Oblivion for the first time with additional content. In addition, gamers can continue their existing games of Oblivion and experience the new quests and areas offered by the expansion and downloadable content. If you haven't already played the game we recommend you grab this title as soon as it hits the streets in September for the Xbox 360, PC and PS3 - it truly is a stunning adventure where you can pretty much do whatever you choose!

Finally we have a flurry of spanking new Virtua Fighter 5 screens - coming to an Xbox 360 near you very soon. This long running beat-em'up has already launched on Sony's PS3 back in March and received high critical acclaim. We expect the same if not better on the 360 - especially with such smooth online play.