360 Arcade on sale in US today, UK Friday

[UPDATE] Microsoft's replacement for Core model lands in US and UK stores with five XBLA games; Looney Tunes cartoons now available for download through XBLM.

Microsoft's answer to the Wii.

Microsoft last week officially confirmed the existence of the much-discussed Xbox 360 Arcade console, but didn't announce when the new unit would hit store shelves. Now it seems US gamers can get their hands on the $279.99 unit immediately, with Microsoft stating in a press release that the Xbox 360 Arcade will go on sale in the region from today forward.

The 360 Arcade unit will retail for $279.99 in the US and will come with a wireless controller, HDMI output, a 256MB memory card, and five Xbox Live Arcade games: Pac-Man Championship Edition, Uno, Luxor 2, Boom Boom Rocket, and Feeding Frenzy. UK gamers are also in luck, because the console bundle with the same five games was confirmed as being available this as well, for the retail price of £199.99 starting Friday. (Date now corrected.)

Rear view of the NA packaging.

The release of the family-friendly bundle coincides with a greater push by Microsoft to snare a broader audience for its console. Microsoft also announced today that for the first time ever, Looney Tunes cartoons featuring characters such as Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny will be made available for download through Xbox Live. Nickelodeon is also adding three new shows to Live: Blue's Clues, The Backyardigans, and iCarly. Microsoft also announced Shrek-N-Roll exclusively for the service.

317 Comments

  • stfolife

    Posted Nov 7, 2007 5:18 pm PT

    I don't get it like can you only play games from xbox live? o

  • extremmotocross

    Posted Oct 25, 2007 12:18 pm PT

    great idea, hdmi output is nice, plus it's new so most likely will not get the red rings. i guess we'll see.

  • sophospeare

    Posted Oct 25, 2007 8:44 am PT

    For the Arcade system...great idea on MS' part. It may not have a hard drive, but with the memory card, it can go on Live Gold. The only thing someone should get with this package is a headset. But now even their low end systems can do some gaming online out of the box.

    On the Looney Tunes cartoons...good idea, but $1.25 for a 7 minute cartoon that's close to 70 years old??? I'm sorry, but I've seen DVDs in the budget bin with 10 of these cartoons on it for $1. I'd consider it for 1/2 the price just for the convenience and old school memories, but it just isn't worth it at this price.

  • NinjaMunkey01

    Posted Oct 25, 2007 6:24 am PT

    great, but no hard drive, which means games do not run on it as well as they could. Now people will have to pay ridiculous amounts of money for a 20gig hard drive when they find that they cannot put and music or videos on the system.

  • Raptole

    Posted Oct 25, 2007 6:07 am PT

    nice, very nice

  • Merl57

    Posted Oct 25, 2007 2:49 am PT

    this would be my 2nd choice if i didn't get halo ed

  • lanista

    Posted Oct 25, 2007 1:50 am PT

    This sounds like a good step forward because it's a better deal when compared with the Core

  • cameio

    Posted Oct 25, 2007 12:49 am PT

    NO Hard drive !!! they move back instead of goin forward, what is the new thing in this? just more failes hardware more red rings ? why should people buy this piece of junk!

  • bigbadshamoo posted Oct 24, 2007 5:05 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    bigbadshamoo

    Posted Oct 24, 2007 5:05 pm PT (hide)

    lol no harddrive. That's horribleeeee

    Plus still no wifi.

    lol X360arcade + 20GBHDD + wifi addon == 479. lololol

    Get real microsoft. The smart gamers will see right thru this trashy sku, you might be able to sucker the casuals but honestly who can't sucker an audience that doesn't know squat lol

  • Lambo

    Posted Oct 24, 2007 5:01 pm PT

    Just bought it. Now I have a 360 in the living room and one in the computer room. Life is good.

  • clawboy

    Posted Oct 24, 2007 4:52 pm PT

    I hope it has the 65nm Processor.

  • Generic_Dude

    Posted Oct 24, 2007 2:50 pm PT

    HOT TIP: Less SKUs, more reliability. I'm on 360 #3.

  • PrinceYoda

    Posted Oct 24, 2007 2:32 pm PT

    Gah! Another SKU? At this rate, the PS3 and X360 will have more versions than the Odyssy did. And their coming out almost as fast...

  • markevens

    Posted Oct 24, 2007 1:46 pm PT

    Smart move, ship a cheap gimped version of the 360 to the ignorant masses during holiday season and they will end up paying more for the hard drive upgrade later.

  • dorohala

    Posted Oct 24, 2007 1:26 pm PT

    There`s nothing special about it, why do people lose their mind over xbox 360! Wake up people!!!

  • thelegendlives5

    Posted Oct 24, 2007 1:20 pm PT

    Great move. The best part being the inclusion of a 256MB memory card.

  • josephmadde2005

    Posted Oct 24, 2007 1:04 pm PT

    This would be great but if you want to add a HDD it is just too damn expensive to spend a hundred bucks for 20 freaking gig. They need to drop the price of the smaller Hard Drive pronto. then more people would be willing to fork out for the cheapo system if they new it would be inexpensive to purchase a HDD later.

  • reactionsok

    Posted Oct 24, 2007 12:39 pm PT

    Finally unbanned again!

    Microsoft perhaps you need to start making games that just don't appeal to Geeks - so this is the right move!

    not all of us have hours to play video games! short games - mini games - is what i need - TAKE THAT!

  • CiscoRey

    Posted Oct 24, 2007 11:38 am PT

    This seems to be an excellent move for Microsoft. Just throw Pac-Man on the front of the box and see how many casual gamers catch a case of whip-lash. Seems almost like Microsoft is shifting from its original fight with Sony to focus more on Nintendo.

    Personally, I'm upgrading to an Elite console sometime next year. I'm hoping there will be some word on the rumored HDDVD model by then. But this seems like a reasonable choice for consumers who haven't made the next-gen jump yet.

  • PierreDevereaux

    Posted Oct 24, 2007 10:17 am PT

    Why would I download cartoons, especially those 50 years ago? Isn't that what Youtube and other similar sites is for?

  • Get_Shorty

    Posted Oct 24, 2007 9:53 am PT

    Well it looks like your rewarded for not buying a console when it launches.... except for Nintendo's Wii

  • dyne2198

    Posted Oct 24, 2007 8:39 am PT

    I still think that MS should have included the 20GB hard drive with this console, since most of the attention has been shifted to the 120GB hard drive which is sold separately if someone hasn't picked up the elite console yet. It's great to see MS intro this console to go head to head with the Wii, but with XBLM introducing Looney Tunes cartoons for download, you're almost forcing that same family to shell out extra cash for a hard drive of some sort, (at 7 minutes long per cartoon, they still take up about 80MB of space in standard def, so the 256MB memory card would fill up in no time)......so it almost negates the price point. But then again, if that same family doesn't have high speed internet, then it would be a pretty decent package.

  • KingKoop

    Posted Oct 24, 2007 8:07 am PT

    Great deal for those finally moving up to this gen of gaming. Smart move on MS's behalf!

  • LordGamer0001

    Posted Oct 24, 2007 6:48 am PT

    i guess it has more stuff than a regular 360 does. but it doesnt seem to be anything special.

  • jknight5422

    Posted Oct 24, 2007 6:36 am PT

    This is completely ridiculous. If it at least came with an hdd & included 10-20 arcade games, then it might be something interesting. I can go buy a joystick with 20-30 Intellivision or Atari 2600 games on it for $20 & hook that to the TV & probably get more mileage out of it than I can with this package. Or just go download MAME & play hundreds of arcade games for nothing. Just stick with a regular 360 (with an hdd) or elite.

  • Yuck_Too

    Posted Oct 24, 2007 6:36 am PT

    --v8nnwilder --
    I agree to a point except for one thing.

    If you don't have a HDTV or more importantly High Speed Internet then you really don't need and won't use any of the elite features.

    I have 2x 360's, an original Prem. and a Core...I got the Core for the cottage and it's absolutly perfect for that.

    The other thing is at this point all 3 versions of 360 have the exact same guts. With this new Arcade version if you added a 120gig after the fact (granted it would cost more) you would have exactly the same gear as if you bought an Elite.

    Where as Sony has a half dozen different PS3's with different internal hardware MS has streamlined everything into the same single box now.

  • v8nnwilder

    Posted Oct 24, 2007 6:29 am PT

    Obviously they want to take on the Wii and try and turn the "non-hardcore-gamers" over to their side... And by that "owning" the console wars completely.... Might work might not but I sure as hell won't be getting one.

    If I had kids I'd rather get them the Wii and then I'd spend my money on the Elite instead of the arcade version.

    That way I own all three.

    But I guess it's a good marketing strategy and it might work out for MS but only time will tell....

  • Yuck_Too

    Posted Oct 24, 2007 6:22 am PT

    LOL, RROD...the only thing fanboi's constantly bleat about...live in fear and sit there hoping nothing ever changes in life if that's all you got.

    As for the memory card...since all you're doing is using if for save games it's way more then enough space.

    My original 20gig is full...total save game files for everything is under 100mg. If you're getting the Arcade version you're probably not connecting it to the net so 256mg is way more then enough.

  • Anthony71B

    Posted Oct 24, 2007 1:35 am PT

    I don't care about the fancy new box when what's inside will surely get RROD. Crappola.

  • Devvy01

    Posted Oct 23, 2007 11:37 pm PT

    so does this come with a Mame32 XBOX build? So we can play tempest again?

  • p00phead

    Posted Oct 23, 2007 11:23 pm PT

    What a 256 mb memory card make it 1 gb and why haven't Microsoft made a av adapter to hdmi

  • incredibilistic

    Posted Oct 23, 2007 9:31 pm PT

    In Response to "TripSe7en":
    "Hey everybody, I spent $600 (plus another $60 for Resistance and at least $40 for Warhawk) and I don't care!!!"

    "I'm so cool for making that statement. Don't you wish you were me? I know I do."

    Well, I for one am impressed. I wish I had money to waste like that. It's comments like this that make me fear for our future. People not making investments but rather spending money and getting gadgets and technology for no other reason than to appear superior to someone else.

    Why buy something then brag about not using it? You also have too many systems and probably no real social life. Either that or you're trying to fill a void in your life that you feel can only be filled with things.

    Here's a homework assignment: watch "American Beauty". Life is more than just stuff.

    If you're not using it why not give it away to someone who can't afford it? But no you won't do that will you? You'd only go out and buy another and not that play that one either.

  • UltraWoody

    Posted Oct 23, 2007 9:23 pm PT

    TripSe7en... what a great post. I've been saying that all year. Not worth it. Power doesn't equal success. And all the negative reports about the PS3 coming in from all over prove me right.

  • TripSe7en

    Posted Oct 23, 2007 8:46 pm PT

    I wish that i would have waited to buy my PS3. I was one of those who waited in line and got the PS3 and the Wii preordered at toys r us when it came out nearly a year ago. I had already owned a 360 which I played often. In the last year, I have only bought one game for the PS3 besides resistance which I bought at launch, and that game was Warhawk. Warhawk was a fun game, but not too cutting edge and all it did was wet my appetite for Halo 3 ( I haven't turned on my PS3 since!). In my opinion, and it is only that, I would wait and buy a PS3 in a year if it is still around. There are no exclusives, the graphics are better on the 360 in the comparable games, and an online community is utterly lacking (I also just bought a new laptop with Vista Ultimate which interacts with the 360's media center amazingly!) I hold no allegiance to any system as the PS3 has potential, but the $600 I spent a year ago could have bought me two PS3's at the price they will be selling them at in another year. Until then I play Wii with my girlfriend and Halo and Madden on the 360!

    This is just to spread some heat in the forum as well: PS3 in 2008 = TGfx16 in 1992. Overpriced, Overspec'd, and Underground! I own one, so I can make that statement!

  • whyamisogood716

    Posted Oct 23, 2007 8:40 pm PT

    so, xbox put ps3 outta business. bye bye wii. hahaha.

  • IMDLEGEND

    Posted Oct 23, 2007 8:19 pm PT

    This will do much better than people think, due to the Wii not being available for many people looking for one this xmas, by Nintendo's own admission. If you had a budget for $250 for a new console, and the Wii was sold out, the Xbox 360 arcade would start to look pretty appealling for only $30 more. The audience that the arcade system is trying to reach doesn't really need a Hard Drive right now, and they can always get one later if they want. I think it really improved the value that you get from what was given with the core system. I do agree that most of the arcade games included are pretty worthless, but its better than nothing.

  • DiscGuru101

    Posted Oct 23, 2007 7:44 pm PT

    Seriously, has anyone bought one yet? --Is it more quiet or not?

  • SlawekAB

    Posted Oct 23, 2007 6:39 pm PT

    they should have made it at least 1GB memory card i mean come on static memory is so cheap these days

  • ericblue21

    Posted Oct 23, 2007 6:33 pm PT

    @ratradler
    Because last gen system/games doesn't require that much memory space and ppl don't use it to download music, movie, video clip, photos like we do now.

  • Pete5506

    Posted Oct 23, 2007 6:32 pm PT

    nice

  • EmperorSupreme

    Posted Oct 23, 2007 6:12 pm PT

    The bundled games are horrid. I can get those same 5 games and about 500 others included in one of those all-in-one boxes at the mall for about $19 bucks. Keep in mind no Backwards compatibility on this box either.

    @OnlyTbone Just a fyi. Microsoft has not made any announcement saying the RROD is fixed. Everytime the media asks they respond "We don't comment on speculation or rumor." So that says to me NOT fixed.

  • Temmehkan

    Posted Oct 23, 2007 6:12 pm PT

    OnlyTbone if you check last week the ps3 outsold the 360 2 to 1 in europe, it is also Ubisofts most profitable platform, thats not doing so bad, ubisoft knows the ps3 makes most of its money, may be a reason why Haze went ps3 exclusive, and may make more games for ps3 rather than 360 now

  • OnlyTbone

    Posted Oct 23, 2007 6:08 pm PT

    wow people quit bashin microsoft so bad, its a good sales move for the family, and its money safe. Just because it doesnt have 932 gigs! of mem doesnt mean it sucks. all ps3 lovers scream.....RROD! they've fixed that with the new chips inside. It's gone, old news. plus it never happend to mine and i have a launch system. Ps3 fans are just mad that this is going to generate more sales for xbox and ps3 isnt getting back on its feet. I guess it's about time that they realized that they lost. The only reason ps3 are ever going up now is when everyone has a 360 and wii and everyone starts getting ps3's because there cheaper and they just dont have one yet.

  • JDubs07

    Posted Oct 23, 2007 6:07 pm PT

    I wish they had this last year.

  • GreenReapers

    Posted Oct 23, 2007 6:01 pm PT

    yea i agree its not for the hardcore gamers but yea its better then the core which i think is a smart move

  • chupamelpo

    Posted Oct 23, 2007 6:00 pm PT

    why not $249? Now that's competition.

  • Temmehkan

    Posted Oct 23, 2007 5:56 pm PT

    good for people who want a 360, ima play my new ratchet when i pick it up tomorrow! which is just .1 under the halo 3 press score on gamestats!

    http://www.gamestats.com/objects/819/819456/index.html

    theres the link if you wanna see the reviews, the lowest is a 8.5 from 1up and the highest is a few 10.0s

  • nintend-man86

    Posted Oct 23, 2007 5:49 pm PT

    do you need the hardrive to play xbox live?

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