@kwicksilver:
@henri1kk:
I guess I was mistaken. I looked on Microsoft.com and it does say all you need is a storage device of any kind, not just a HDD. My bad.

Lazlo

Does anyone on this site even use a memory unit as their main way to save? The people who only have a memory unit are the people who don't know/care about the NXE. I'm not saying it isn't a problem but it certainly isn't a problem for me.

www.allthumbsticks.blogspot.com

Speedbag

@Ad-hominem: can you actually make a better console? then go ahead,build your own and sell it.
you're just writing trash about microsoft when they are working for a solution for core owners, so they have screwed NOTHING

AlejandroLestad

Dear gamers,

DELETE SHIT.

Love,
Microsoft

Mister_Jack

@Red_Maniac: Yes, but in a remarkably uninspired way...

GOD

easy one, the update will be avaible for download, then you just download it and install, no xbox live, but you'll enjoy the "avatars experience"

AlejandroLestad

@Datheron: Exactly. There was an interview somewhere where they said that they stopped producing the original Xbox when the 360 was released because the hard drive was costing them too much.

On the other hand, as a developer, the lack of a required hard drive can be a bit of a pain. It would be nice if we could rely on it being there for caching and the like.

Cloral

Further proof that Microsoft is copying Nintendo!

Red_Maniac

I wish they would explain the technology behind this update better. Does it install anything to the onboard flash ROM? If so, what? Why does it require further storage? If I turn on my 360 without the storage unit I used for the update connected, will it not boot? They need to be clearer about all this and quickly. They planon pushing the update out in just over a month. Not a lot of time to make the requirements clear to users.

shufflemoomin

@Vrank92: sorry thats supposed to be up there ^^

Vrank92

Ha ha! that pic at the top makes the whole NXE avatar thing look as dull as dish water.

Yes!

I can make my dude look like a middle aged man who works as a wallmart clerk!

This might make me turn on my 360 after 6 months of dust gathering, well this and Gears of War 2.

GOD

It's really rather depressing.
Understand, even every single Wii has at least 512MB of memory.
There was absolutely no reason for MS to not have any memory available in-console.

I mean, why should it be an issue in this day and age that your console can't store 128MB of data? It can process 128MB of data in a second, but it can't actually hold it? Pathetic.
The 360 has it's strong traits, but you really screwed up here, Microsoft.

Ad-hominem

@I-Al2x-I: Whoa?

1. Obviously companies can't rely on customers who have friends that are generous enough to give them their old hard drives.
2. Normal hard drives cannot be used in the 360. MS says that their hard drives are so expensive b/c they have certain quality standards that have to be met, but the better reason is of course that MS is looking to make money off peripherals, like all console companies.

Though to be honest, this is only really a problem for the really early Core units, but one of the advantages consoles have is that they work with every unit of the current generation - whether you bought it yesterday or at launch. They'll burn a lot of bridges if they don't support the early adopters, and MS has always been good as a software company in terms of supporting older products (XBox games aside).

Datheron

Bottom line - no mandatory HD keeps the 360 cheap. You can upgrade later. Hell, I'll give you my old 20 gig one since I don't need it anymore after I got the 120 gig in a sale. I'd say use it as an incentive to get people to get HDs.

Connobi

I'm guessing this will entail calling custommer support and giving your core system and 64MB memory serials to them so they can send you a 256MB card.

muu

@Lazlo:
Not true!
Everyone can log onto Live and play online, even without a HDD!
You just can't download anything that's bigger than your Memory Unit!

henri1kk

@henri1kk: There is one area where it will make a huge difference even for recent games: noise levels.

While the hardware is now reliable, the one thing MS haven't managed to fix is how noisy the blasted thing is.

I know it doesn't bother most people nearly as much as it bothers me, but I'm so enthusiastic about the install-to-HDD feature that I'll probably put off playing Fable II until the NXE comes out.
(It's not like there's a lack of games to tide me over until then. Dead Space PS3, here I come!)

Antiterra

@Lazlo: @Datheron: Correct, it was not a dev decision, it was a decision made by the suits and ties - specifically, Steve Ballmer was a huge proponent of ditching the hard drive. He wanted to dump it due to cost since it really ate their profits up on the original XBox.

So thank that loud and sweaty dickhead if you're pissed about it. I know I was/am.

KaneRobot

@fearing: @Moar_pr0nz: You may have forgotten, but this IS Microsoft. Its not likely they will do the Memory cards for free.

Vrank92

@Moar_pr0nz:

They do have a lot of server space now, and they just got done with another maintenance, and Microsoft have a service that was in Beta a while back that would let you store many GB of files online.

I can't remember the name of that, though, but it would be easy for them to pull that onto Xbox Live.

AZRoboto

@Moar_pr0nz: Uh, the entire point of having a local storage space is so it's easily and quickly accessible. Can you imagine the crappy experience you'd get if somehow you weren't able to use your interface at all without logging in?

Datheron

$10 Zune discount which will be able to be used as a memory unit!

KSPRAYDAD

@fearing: Hm, I don't think it was a "dev decision" to forgo the hard drive, although the conclusion is valid: MS ditched the hard drive since it learned from the original XBox that paying for the same one in the normal 5-6 console lifespan is too cost prohibitive.

Datheron

@flyingsupernerds: Yea, I know what you mean... cutting those people's memory card space in half won't go over easy.

I'm surprised that it won't be fitting in the onboard "firmware memory" like previous dash updates. It must be a really BIG overhaul.

Looking forward to 8 person persistent chat parties tho.

Badboy1979

@Badboy1979:

Probably the same in England. I'm interested in what this new "storage solution" is going to be. I don't think people will appreciate having to delete their games to get this update...

flyingsupernerds

@Dayvie: Some devs criticize the decision too, but the thing is, when they were designing the 360 the got together a whole conglomeration of devs to help them put in the features they want and one of the big concerns was cost for the consumer. Devs want thier games to reach the largest audience and so they want a console that is accessible to everyone, so from everything I've read it seemed like a comittee of game devs helped on a lot of these design decisions. If Sony had done that maybe my PS3 wouldn't get so many sloppy ports.

fearing

@flyingsupernerds: I'll correct you ;)

Arcade units come with a 256MB memory card in the U.S.

Does it differ in other countries? I always thought the Arcade package was the same.

Badboy1979

I don't see why not having the mandatory HDD was a bad idea.

First, people who have other people with multiple Xboxes as friends will give you their spare HDD (my cuz has been through around 8 360's, he's got 3 HDDs, one gave to me, one for himself, and one that hasn't even been opened yet).

Second, you can buy the HDD's SO much cheaper on eBay and Craigs. For some reason, people believe that the HDD somehow loses all its value used.

And thirdly, Microsoft does not give two hoots if you have an HDD or not, if you don't want to buy one, go F yourself, they're telling us already that we should buy one.

Today, this isn't truely a problem because there's an Xbox for the price of $300 that has a 20GB HDD.

I-Al2x-I

Wait a second...

Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't this new update mandatory? Isn't the whole point of the Arcade version to make available Xbox 360s at a cheaper price without the need to buy any other items?

I don't get this. I might be missing something but it's sounding like they've shot themselves in their own foot.

Again, correct me if I am wrong. Haven't been keeping up to date with this stuff.

flyingsupernerds

They should give all arcade owners the old 20gig hard drives from the old Pro systems. I know this will never happen as they were retailing for 100 bucks, but at least this way devs could make games with a hard drive required.

fearing

@henri1kk:

Ditto. My 20GB HDD just isn't cutting it anymore. Rock Band & Guitar Hero alone have me pretty much tapped out.

PlasmaMachine

@the-hypnotoad: Arcade units in the U.S. come with a 256MB memory card.

It's the original Core users that have a 64MB that will need a storage solution I believe.

Badboy1979

Free memory cards for all? I dont think it would be space on the microsoft server cuz that would take too long to stream and put a huge strain on xbox live.

Moar_pr0nz

@Lurk No More:

Amen to that.

PlasmaMachine

FYI, Arcade units come with a 256MB memory unit. Which is the minimum storage device required for the NXE:

[www.microsoft.com]

This only leaves out the original Core owners who have a 64MB memory card.

Note: a memory card is minimum required for users to get on XBL.

Badboy1979

@Lazlo:
thats not true

kwicksilver

@Dayvie: Many people think Microsoft made a lot of mistakes.

But god damn it's fun console to use.

Lurk No More

I'll be buying the 120GB HDD soon, just for the NXE!
I'm really liking the "Install on HDD" feature and although it doesn't make a big difference in recent games, I believe it will bring a lot of advantages to people who own older games and to developers of future 360 games!

henri1kk

You can't log onto Xbox Live without a HDD anyways, so is this really gonna effect the Arcade users w/o a hard drive.

Lazlo

Not having a compulsory HDD built into all Xbox360s was probably one of the worse decision Microsoft could have made.

Dayvie

Hmm, intriguing. Could this be like 512mb of space on a MS server somewhere for arcade owners? Sort of a virtual hard drive?

the-hypnotoad

@Connobi: To right. I bet there are plenty of old 20 gigs to go around the core users. Mines just gathering dust somewhere.

steve86uk

When MS say they have a storage solution, somehow I don't think that mean they are going to ship everyone some free storage. And if this is the case, then some user just won't be experiencing the new service. Basically, you have all these different consoles with different capabilities that do different things. It's like a PC, you just get what you can afford and want, but crappier because when you add on, it'll cost you even more.

1nut

Oh they are going to sell you a storage solution...what a 256MB memory card that's proprietary at a cost of your first child? It's xbox hard drive all over again. Soon you'll need to buy new storage solutions to do furher updates. They clearly did not think this through. How can you sale a console that doesn't have enough memory to update itself?

1nut

@I-Al2x-I: "For some reason, people believe that the HDD somehow loses all its value used."

Not sure if it's the same still, but the data transfer cables were a one use item when they were first released. Still undecided if I'll get the 120Gb drive, but if I did I'd want to make absolutely sure the transfer cable is actually usable, and the only way to do that is buy it brand new in a store =\

RenRenRen

@Lazlo: Dude thats not true at all. Where do you get your facts? lol

Surfaced

Online storage FTW!!!

TheTimeisback4Good

@Antiterra: It was my understading that the install-to-HDD feature mostly helped older games due to the streaming optimizations present in newer games?

interim

@muu: yeah, and i bet they'll have to wait the typical 4-6 weeks. just like requesting a transfer cable.

feegore

@Moar_pr0nz: I would love to have a free memory card, especially as someone that started out with an Arcade console.

Shin-san

@I-Al2x-I: Used 360 harddrives? Those are generally, ya know, attatched to systems... Not gonna find those used without the system with it... Not often, anyhow. Except for the upgrades... I guess you may find some 20 gigs...

bobtheduck

@Speedbag: Problem is, whether they care or not, they're getting this update if they have their console online. I was a core user until I bought my 2nd game requiring that I get a hard drive. This would've rendered my console useless again.

RaepGoblin

@AlejandroLestad: He's not saying he can build a better console. He is saying that Nintendo, Sony, and last generation's Xbox, all have built in storage solutions. There really is no reason for Microsoft to cause such a hassle.

I had to buy a Hard drive because I had a core and bought 2 games. Those 2 games needed to be updated, thus causing my memory card to be full. I couldn't save any games because there was no room for it. That, quite frankly, is pathetic.

They did screw up. There's no reason to attack him for saying that.

RaepGoblin

@Ad-hominem: Nintendo*.
When EA*.
I know it's understood as it is, but I feel bad about typos.

Ad-hominem

@AlejandroLestad: You know, normally, I prefer to ignore trash like this, but I'd like to explain why your comment is so stupid.
1. You use one of the most overused, and pathetic arguments ever. "Can you do it yourself?" The only people who can say this are the actual creators, and even then, they're playing with fire. The simple fact is, criticism is necessary. Imagine if everybody said "You didn't do this, so you have fuck-all right to criticize it." We'd all look like dumb-asses.
2. Yes, I am trashing Mircrosoft, for an issue that has come up. I do the same thing for Sony, Nintendo, EA, and even my heroes, Capcom and Atlus. The simple fact is, this issue shouldn't have come up, and I'm going to call them on it.
3. Microsoft has failed to fix anything yet, and they allowed this issue to come up. Therefore, they screwed up. If you stab a guy, but then nurse him back to health, does that mean you never stabbed them? No. Microsoft screwed up.
If Nitendo suddenly released mandatory firmware that ate up over half of the memory of a large portion of their user base, I'd tell them they screwed up. When announced they were charging for the first Spore parts kit, I said they screwed up. When Sony announced a $600 price tag on the Ps3, initially, I said they screwed up. Just because you're trying to defend your console of choice doesn't change the fact that Microsoft made a poor decision, and people are going to call them on it.

Ad-hominem

Being able to plug in an external drive or SD card of some kind and use that would be nice but unlikely as it's way too easy. I think MS should offer to buy back 20GB drives from people who upgrade in exchange for a nice wad of MS points. Then they can flip those to the arcade masses at a reduced cost too and hopefully put an end to the driveless systems.

NandoX

Maybe MS will be making it so you can use thumbdrives to store some files. You can get 8 gig ones these days for like $20.

Okay now stop laughing. I know the chance of that happening is about 1 in a billion. I think a new larger memory unit and perhaps a price drop on the current ones is more likely.

Anyway I am willing to bet that most of the Arcade units were sold to people looking for a replacement unit for a dead Premium. Also there are probably plenty of cheap 20 gig HDD's on ebay these days with people upgrading to the 120 gig units (which I plan to do soon).

RykinPoe

@interim: Found on Major Nelson's blog:
"Play from hard drive. Copy your games from the game disc and play directly from the hard drive. Not only will the drive not spin, but load times are quicker, as well. Of course, you will still need the disc in the tray to prove you own the game." [majornelson.com]

Fingers crossed.
I'm not even asking to copy 100% of the games to the HDD and not have the DVD drive spin ever, but the less, the better.

Antiterra

how about the fact that a fucking 20 gig hard drive is 100 fucking dollars?!

i could buy a 20 gig HDD on tiger direct for $15. what is so special about the 360 HDD that makes it cost so damn much?

DontTouchMyDaughterYouFilthyGaijin

"Presented by: Left 4 Dead"

-Priceless.

Posthaus

@Connobi: Pfffft... no, being cheap makes it cheap. You know you can get a 120GB 2.5" HDD for $60, right? How much does MS charge for theirs? $149? One hundred and forty-nine fucking dollars? Is the price difference between the Arcade and the Elite only $60? Nope, looks like it's *$200.*

I just hope Gates bought you dinner first.

Ooooh.....I.....

Sure do love my Sony P.S.3.
Partly because of its standard H.D.D.
And popping in a bigger one is cheap & E.Z.
Can't wait to slap in five hundred G.B.

R_Shackelford

This categorically proves that this new 'casual friendly' dashboard was never planned from the start and is more of a knee-jerk reaction to the WII's runaway sales success.

not only does it show me how fickle Microsoft are to blantantly copy something that is deemed a financial success, but it also points towards a gloomy future where everything is aimed at kids, pensioners and numb 'softcore' gamers.

While obviously, the vast majority of gamers will rejoice at such a future (it is there purchasing power which has brought us here in the first place), many should see it as the stagnation of the games industry.

Gears of 4our, call of duty XXIV, Guiter Hero: Fraticide Tour, NBA 9GB basketball, GTA: Print money stories, Sonic the fat plumber, Mario the hedgehog, Lego: Lego, Wii Pie... when will it end.

GarcianIII

@RenRenRen: I dunno where you heard that one about single use transfer kits.

I was able to use the cable and disc just fine for myself and then for my friend afterward. And yes, I will gladly send it for a price to whomever needs the kit. It's not like I need it again.

7ruthslayer

@Dayvie: Agreed but the second worst decision was to use 2.5 inch HDD's that cost like 8x as much as a 3.5 inch HDD for drastically less space.

RykinPoe

MS will be offering a NXE "storage solution" for the low low price of a HDD.

All that is needed is bending over and grabbing your ankle, good old MS will take care of the rest....

cofn42

@R_Shackelford:

F.A.N.B.O.Y.

Vecha

@shufflemoomin:

I think the main issue is there is a lot more data being delivered in the NXE. This means, much of that data is cached locally to improve the response. But in addition, the NXE makes use of screen shots and video. Not to mention, that fancy Avatar probably requires a little space too.

adinnieken

More of a reason as to why I bought my PS3. Yeah people will flame me, but PS3 users don't have to worry about such crap. I'm expecting the install excuse as well.

Samicham85

wait.. why are they forcing you to have avatars? why does that matter...

dojita

@the-hypnotoad: As cool as it would be....doubtful. Maybe just some sort of thing where you send in your 64MB card and they send you a 256? Or maybe you apply for one, they send you a 260 plus a transfer cable, then you send in your old 64MB card? Not an issue for me, but it'll be interesting to see what they do.

Eschguy

@dowingba: You definitely should not take up "Business & Management" as a career/major.

TheTimeisback4Good

@Samicham85: Do you know why they stop putting HDD in all consoles? You have no idea, do you?

TheTimeisback4Good

@dojita: OPTIONAL.....Geez

TheTimeisback4Good

@GarcianIII: You can read can you. They already have a solution, they're just not ready to tell us yet. Its called anticipation.

TheTimeisback4Good

They should just not offer a "storage solution" to these people, as punishment for buying a Core 360. Honestly, why should they get all of the perks if they didn't spend as much money?

dowingba

@Lurk No More: I don't have much fun playing the console. The games are fun, though. Not so much the console.

dowingba

@RykinPoe: ? Umm, have you seen the cost for 360 hard drives?

MentalNote

@GOD:

Please... this looks worlds better than Miis and that channel dash the Wii has.

Vidikron

@Vecha:

He's correct though.

Vidikron

@MentalNote: @MentalNote:

Are you agreeing to disagreeing with him? What he said is 100% correct. Besides, the price MS charges clearly has no real basis on their actual cost. They are heavily marked-up.

Vidikron

@TheTimeisback4Good: Someone spends more, and they get more. Someone spends less, and they get less.

Makes sense to me. But you're right, I'm not a "Business and Management" major.

dowingba

@Samicham85:

Yeah Im so sorry you Ps3 users a@dowingba:

Because they are still customers??? God knows microsoft does not make there profit off the hardware. Its software and DLC that mcirosoft makes its profits on. Microsoft wants to make the customers who bought the core system happy so they will continue to buy games.

Demoskinos

@GarcianIII:

Dude seriously shut up. If you don't like whats going on with the gaming scene then get out. There are plenty of great well thought out and innovative games that are indeed sequels.

And I seriously can't believe how everyone is giving microsoft so much crap over this when they could have just stayed with the blade setup and kept on releasing half-assed updates every half a year or so.

Yet they completely overhaul the entire system and for free no less and everyone complains.

It doesn't show "stagnation" of the gaming industry. It just shows how jaded some gamers can be.

Demoskinos

does it hurt to offer 1 gig of memory from the start? even the wii is giving 512mb and its still making money. Memory cards are like 10 bucks. Im sure MS could do better, they just stripped down too much to care.

Sounds weird coming from a company that promotes DLC over adding a blu-ray drive, but sell consoles with so little memory.

Godsman

I'm kind of interested. I wonder what they will pull out of their sleeves.

macr0planet

@TheTimeisback4Good:

They claimed cost, but then it looks like it's coming back to bite them in the ass. And, of course, the RRoD more than wiped out any savings anyway. Lots of great games and a superb online service, but there is simply no question that MS fucked their hardware up.

Vidikron

@Mister_Jack: LOL

macr0planet

Virtual Space!

neoraul20

How many people who own Arcade's even go online with it in the first place? You can hardly do anything online with without a harddrive; you can't download anything since there's not enough storage so no demos, videos, or movies. You can't download map packs so you're guaranteed to get miss out on a lot of content in any game you play online. The thing doesn't even come with a headset, it's practically assumed no one buying an arcade intends to go online with it. So really how many Arcade owners does lack of storage for the update effect? My friend has an arcade and even though he has a Gold Live Membership he doesn't go online on his own box that often simply because there's no point.

bkchurch

I don't see how it could be some online storage solution, as some have speculated. Running your OS from an online storage space? How is that feasible? I realize MS sometimes do things incredibly ass backwards and inefficiently, but c'mon, that's just too much.

dowingba

@1nut: Oh, they thought it threw, they thought it threw so you'd have to buy more crap.

Ashkihyena

Is 11.7 GB enough to hold this unwanted update? Cause that's what my box has at the moment, even though this update is sucktacular.

Ashkihyena

@Ashkihyena:

Sure, but who doesn't copy? I don't know why people get so hung up on that. Avatars themselves aren't new. Technically MS was using avatars before Nintendo, but Nintendo took them 3D. And, of course, the the idea of 3D avatars themselves have existed outside consoles for a while.

Vidikron

@Ashkihyena: And also, you could be less of a jackass about answering, kthxbye.

Ashkihyena

@TheTimeisback4Good: This.

Ashkihyena

@dowingba: >.>;;; Yes, but I know squat when it comes to that kinda thing, like I'm not sure whats bigger then what, like is MB bigger then GB, yes, I don't know.

Ashkihyena

Comment system on this page = screwing up.

Ashkihyena

Go buy an overpriced HDD if you want the new shit.

Love,
Microsoft.

DrunkRaba

@Vidikron: Doesn't matter, they're still copying, and you can't even use these things in T rated games, boo!

Ashkihyena

@Ashkihyena: Well the article -- the one you're commenting on, in fact -- says in the very first sentence that it's 128mb. In fact, "128mb" is the second word in the whole article. The article on which you're commenting. Right now. Not joking. Read it. I'm serious. It's right there. Right in the article. The one you're commenting on.

dowingba

@Vidikron: Yeah, people tend to think I'm good at computers, but being on the computer all the time =/= good at that kinda thing.

Anyways, thanks. Good, guess I'm prepared when that update comes up, even if it is quite unwanted.

Ashkihyena

@Ashkihyena:

Really? Well, yes, a GB is bigger than a MB. Traditionally, in the computer world, 1 GB = 1024 MB (due to computer's binary system). Though you'll see the hard drive manufacturers say 1 GB = 1000MB. Which is accurate according the definitions of the SI prefixes Giga and Mega. Just look up Gigabyte vs Gibibyte at Wiki if you wish to know more. If not, just know that a GB is a lot bigger than a MB in either case.

Vidikron

@Vidikron:

He could have written out a more intelligent comment that didn't scream "sony payroll"

Vecha

Maybe the Avatar customiser is one of the things pushing this over the limit? Can they make this a separate download?

Seems strange they're going to break the internal storage limit for the NXE though...

f0cus

A better question is will future updates be based on this one?

Garo

AHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAAHAH

This is all kinds of fail. Sorry to say that when a company decides to make incompatible products they really need to get shot.

Honest to goodness it's a wonder that the 360 is even alive -_-;;

Oh wait it's not, credit THAT to macho-ism, loads of advertising, and buckets of cash.

pyropetey

@Ashkihyena: I honestly don't see how that's even possible. Because I happen to know you used to have an arcade/core unit 360 and then upgraded it to have a (presumably 20gb) HDD. You're telling me you bought a 20gb HDD for $100 without even realising that 20gb was larger than the 256mb card you already had? Well then why'd you buy it? 256 is alot more than 20.

dowingba

128MB is that much? Im really happy I have an HDD

HELLSRIDER

@Antiterra: You probably have the same CD drive I have. Mine is a Hitachi and it's a lot noisier than the newer Ben Q. You can find out which drive you have... [Link]

PkChris

@Vidikron: It really doesn't matter, had Nintendo not have had the runaway success that they did with the Wii and Miis, we wouldn't be seeing avatars on the 360.

Ashkihyena

@Ashkihyena: Or the regular 360 unit as said on the side of the box, but no, I did not start out with a Core/Arcade unit and update anything, so I'm still calling BS.

Ashkihyena

@dowingba: O.o;;; Um, and how would you know what kinda box I have? No, I did not buy the core/arcade unit. I got the 360 Pro, so I'm calling BS on you knowing which unit I have.

As for 256 being a larger number then 20, yes, it is, but 256 MB is not bigger then 20 GB.

Ashkihyena

@Demoskinos: Of course they want to make them happy. They should, they should be obligated, they pretty much gave them the shaft when they made a crappy core unit to begin with.

Samicham85

@TheTimeisback4Good:

Have you ever owned a computer without a harddrive? I think not.

Samicham85

@Ashkihyena: Whatever. Just misinterpreted it then I guess.

dowingba

@dowingba: I was more then likely talking about upgrading to an Elite. The system I got is the one in between the Elite and the Core system, the one with the 20 GB HDD.

Now, I'm not sure what I said in that thread, especially since I can't find the post, but I doubt I said something about upgrading to a 20 HDD.

Ashkihyena

@dowingba: [kotaku.com]

I suppose there are other reason to not want the game if it requires an HDD but if you didn't even know how big a gigabyte was I don't see why you'd be too concerned over a rumoured 8.5gb install.

dowingba

@Ashkihyena: Huh? In an earlier thread you said you didn't want to have to upgrade your 360 in order to play a game online...I think it was Soul Calibur 4. There was talk that it was gonna require an HDD and I know you were complaining about that.

dowingba

@dowingba: >.>;;; More then likely, but whatever, to me, this update is still unwanted.

Ashkihyena

@Surfaced:
I think that you actually need a storage device to save your Xbox Live profile on. If you want to go online, I'm pretty sure you'd at least need a Memory Card to save the account to.

Spydak

@Cloral:
You can still use it for caching, it is very easy in the API's provided with the Xbox 360 dev kit, to see if a HDD is pressent.

If it is pressent you can use part of it for caching and speed up load times. So people without a HDD will just have slower loading times and more pop up then people with HDDs. Still I haven't seen it used yet, but the posibility for this is in the API's and not at all that hard and it wouldn't break the game for people that don't have the HDD.

Dehnus

Time for HDD price drops, online storage, and larger HDD's(a 350GB preferably).

TheTimeisback4Good

I should jump on the HDD bandwagon soon.
I'm still rocking my 256mb card, but a $35 used 20 gig would be nice.

HDShadow

@TheTimeisback4Good:

do your own work. even kotaku posted the original story of microsoft forcing everyone to have avatars.... geez...

dojita

@Connobi: Well, if either of you guys want to part with them I just bought an arcade since i couldn't afford the bigger version at the moment (good ol' college). Any other thoughts on where to find a cheapie?

validus29

@Connobi: Hey if you're serious about that hard drive I just converted to the 360 but could only afford the arcade (damn college) and could use one. ;)

validus29

They're becoming like Nintendo now with storage problems, but maybe they will give out an actual solution to the problem.

Brav1

I'm guessing that if you couldn't scrounge together the extra $50 to "splurge" on a XBOX360 with a 20GB HDD you probably don't have the broadband connection to download the update either.

lucifer_goosifer

free 256 MU per console!

flatbush

Anyone who starts a sentence with 'Dude seriously shut up', has zero weight when they say that 'There are plenty of great well thought out and innovative games that are indeed sequels'.

its such contrived splurges of pseudo optimism that give credence for Activision to continue to release guiter hero et al sequels

GarcianIII

@Demoskinos: Free? What is this word and what does it mean.

Xaif

Didn't Microsoft market this as the first console to re-invent itself without the need to buy any additional hardware? Har Har!

Idylla