360 Price Drop This Sunday 07/13/08--New Price $299

Nexgenrulz

Looks like the 360 will get a price drop this Sunday. Also, here's a link to this Sunday's Target ad in which you will also receive a $25 gift card. Enjoy!!!

http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/09/ru...-25-gift-card/

awol

Here's the thing though. This is just a price reduction on the existing model. Word also has it that a new 60GB model is coming in place of the 20GB, and that no other prices will be changed.

I had said earlier, before learning that it's not a new chipset that's being released with a reduced price, I would buy one at $299. If they're also releasing a new chipset, but are keeping the price at $349, that's not what I'm looking for.

But supposedly in August's EGM, the rumor section stated that both the 360 and the PS3 would be getting a reduction this fall. I'll stick it out until then.

railven

Rumors on the internets is both Sony and Microsoft have their dual 65nm chipsets ready for pressing (RSX+Cell on the PS3, and Xenos+Xenon on the 360.)

The sweet spot for both is having all that silicon on one chip. I read Microsoft is close, but the daughter chip of the Xenos (GPU, sorry I always get them confused) is throwing a rock in their setup and they want it perfect before they press them.

If the rumors are true, expect the ultimate 360 (by that I mean the best engineered model to date) Q1/Q2 of 2009.

As for the PS3, the reduction of the RSX to 65nm will probably go live by Q3 2008 and we'll see them for the holidays. IBM/Sony released a press release of the Cell dropping down to 45nm before the end of the year, but for the PS3 I think Sony should (in my opinion) focus on a one chip solution rather than implementing a second die shrink for the Cell. If they opt for the Cell die shrink expect it for Q1 2009, but I don't think Sony will try to market it as it will most likely cause consumers to call for a price reduction.

I love reading about all these new chipsets and what not. My prediction for the year, a shift in SKUs on the 360 side (I seriously see them axing the Arcade) with a new SKU to replace the Arcade SKU at $300 (probably the 20GB will take this spot, but I see a 10GB or 30GB micro HDD system (based on their Zune HDDs.) with the 60GB filling the $350-380 bracket and the elite dropping to $450. This is my prediction. I see Sony replacing the 40GB with a 60-80GB still no hardware PS2 B/C at $400, and the 80GB moving to 120GB, possibly 160GB, for still $500. I predict this instead of a price cut. They'll probably try to hold off until the Holidays or Q1 2009 for a price cut.

Again, just my prediction. I use the HDD increase due to alot of PS3 games now requiring installs, and I think Sony is going to start feeling the heat when gamers start to fill up those drives. LBP will have an Install, MGS4 did, KZ2 probably will, Resistance 2 might cache (not sure if it will install instead) and Fallout 3 is already stated to cache on the PS3. 40GB isn't going to cut it especially after they roll out their Video Marketplace clone and the fabled Home.

awol

If it's ready, they need to release them NOW. PS3 needs the price advantage over it's current price, and the 3FIXME needs to become a 360. If it's lower priced to boot, even better.

railven

I think Microsoft developed too many internal code names and some of them have to be used before moving over to the final product.

Microsoft had more things to fix than Sony did, and that cost them as some of their different models were to address the RRoD issue, of which it didn't solve instantly. So their work force was cut in half, making a new SKU with no RRoD and addressing current RRoD issues.

That's were Opus comes in. If it works as the rumors claims, we can probably say good bye to the RRoD repeating itself after you sent in your system for repair, forever. And the current Falcon is already running low in units (another reason why I think they will axe the 20GB and Arcade) and introduce Japser (the second die shrink) by the holidays. Since they probably have a few Jasper's made they will try to clear out the inventory before releasing Valhala.

And if the cat gets out of the bag, they won't sell as many units during the holiday seasons while some eager to not get burned wait for after the holidays to get Valhala. But Jasper hitting during the holidays can give Microsoft a chance for another price cut (or my theory of the SKU shifts) and people won't care that Valhala is around the corner.

awol

Whoa, whoa, whoa. My head is spinning... you named three different chipsets???

Falcon is still showing RROD correct? And Opus and Valhala?? What's the difference between the two?? How will we know which one is which?

railven

Those aren't technically chipsets, but code names. The only chips in the 360 are the Xenos and the Xenon, and I always get them confused as one is the GPU the other is the CPU.

The first model Xbox360 had the CPU name. The Xenos (I believe.)
Then we got Zypher, the code name for the Elite which became the norm it was the Xenos design + HDMI Out.
Then we got the Falcon, the first die shrink everything the Falcon had (plus the improved heat sink) and the smaller Xenos (CPU)
Jasper is coming next, it is the second die shrink for the GPU, it will feature everything Falcon has, but a smaller Xenon (GPU.)
Opus is a Frankenstein design that we won't ever see on store shelves, maybe used at Gamestop. Opus is a combination of Xenos, Zypher, and Falcon. They pretty much take the Falcon chips, and stick them either a Xenos or Zypher board (depending if you sent in a HDMI or non-HDMI 360 for RRoD) and strap on a new bulkier heatsink. This gives you Opus.
Valhala is the rumored final revision, where the two chips are merged onto one chip. This is suppose to be the final revision and the final solution to RRoD as the cooling will be much greater since it is only focusing on one huge die.

From everything I've read across the internets, Falcon still has RRoD issues, not as great but people are still reporting them. And Japser hasn't been available yet. I think we'll see Jasper closer to Q3/Q4, in time for the holidays which is why I see them shifting the SKUs. The money they save on the die shrink they will relocate to the HDD increases, and if Opus is solving the RRoD issue as broken units come in, they won't be bleeding for repairs.

Then after they clear out their Jasper stock (since everything I've read claims the smaller GPU is ready) we'll see Valhala start to poke around.

SOBAY310

Have you thought about teaching an electronics class? I don't understand the technical stuff in these machines but you do a helluva job explaining it and it gives me a good idea of what's going on under the hood.

Thanks!

awol

QFT. But railven needs to learn what OAR means.

BTW, railven, thank you for explaining. Sounds like I should probably go ahead and get the Jasper when it comes out later this year, then hope I get a Valhalla back if/when it rings out.

railven

Hehe, gaming is just my passion. I've been collecting and buying different platforms since I was old enough to get my first job, since my mother couldn't afford my hobby.

That led me into computers, and since then I've been working OT wherever I work to support my habbit. It's vicious!

I openly state I prefer the PS3 in this generation, but that doesn't stop me from spending as much time at websites like Xbox360fanboy reading up on the new SKUs and games. My biggest complaint with the 360 is the PC platform. I know a lot of people don't have gaming PCs, but when you do the 360's list of exclusives shrinks - a lot.

Oh well, I noticed some typos in my post haha sorry if it confuses anyone. Again, I always get the Xenos and Xenon mixed up, damn similar names.