Will it possible list the amount of memory in the specifications on the retail box?

The Arcade version is still a piece of crap, but now with twice the internal flash memory.

The arcade is real cheap - at $200 its the cheapest modern console on the market. Don't know how you could call that crap.

I'd recommend the PS3 though to anyone. I sold my 60 GB 360 about 3 months to get the PS3 and overall quality is much better, especially if you compare it to your PC. You can fold@home, browse the web, run Linux, Blu-Rays, install a bigger HDD - even a SSD if you want. Games is totally your own opinion but the only real good exclusives on the 360 are Halo 3 for the multiplayer and maybe Castle Crashers arcade game. Gears 2 is kinda "meh"

For the extra $100 for the PS3 over the 60 GB 360 you get free online, blu-ray, and a Linux capable tinkering 2nd computer

Just elimate the arcade, since most people will need a hard-drive add-on later for. Lets have a hard-drive less PS3 for 300.

I call it that because it's a crippled version of what the console should be. It comes with no hard drive for storage of downloaded games demos, media, etc... and cant play any original xbox games. You sure don't see Sony selling HDD-less PS3's for a reason....

@xophaser : it's most likely that it will never happen . microsoft need the arcae to claim that it's the cheapest console to make it appealling to casual gamer . second of all , ps3 need the HDD to store its OS . the ps3 would not be able to do much without its HDD . it's like another article i've read somewhat long ago : new ps3 will be sold without bluray . that's just retarded . ps3 games are on bluray , without it , you cant do anything . sure the idea of cutting back accessory to make ps3 cheaper is practical , but it only go so far . the ps3 already cut almost everything it can to make it cheapest as it can without taking key component out . dont hope for cheaper ps3 until this october .

While the PS3 requires the HD to function - which is not a big deal SINCE every PS3 has a HD and every developer knows theres an HD to work with. The OS itself is still in ROM.

When doing the HD upgrade on a PS3. Once removed the HD cover, removed original 2.5" drive, then inserts whatever new 2.5" drive the owner buys from anywhere. Put the cover back on, turn on the PS3 and it'll detect a blank HD. It'll format and prep the drive for use and then require to DL whatever updates it needs. That simple.

So... a person who buys a $400 PS3 with 80GB HD, can go to newegg and drop $100 for a 500GB HD and drop it in. An Xbox Arcade user is suffering with a sub-standard Xbox360 and will spend about:
$100 to buy the "upgrade" 60GB drive,
$60 for the older 20GB drive
$140 for the 120GB drive. Ouch!

Any research into how many "Arcade" owners quickly (and how fast) buy the HD Add-on? Especially once they run into people saying "ah man, you fool! You need to buy the HD!"

256 or 512mb (whoop-dedooo!) it costs about 25cents and amounts to little for the customer. The $200 Arcade (Used to be $280 - remember that folks) is to get the sale. Without it, MS sales numbers would easily be lower. BTW, any sales stats of what versions are sold?

Why not make it 4gb? Or even 8gb? It'd ad like $3 to the cost of production.

the only reason i think they made the arcade was for the people that broke there last Xbox and still have there old hard Drive with there data

I'm just waiting for the sony fanboi to come in, and go on about how it still doesn't have Wi-Fi. Move on already

Anyway the odds are good they can get 512 for the same price of a 256.

LATTEH: That's the reason that I bought it; I had a first-release 360 that had already been repaired once and was out of warranty (even the extended one offered by MS). I thought buying a new Arcade, with its HDMI interface, for $200 was a better deal than spending at least $100 to have a 3-year-old, non-HDMI console repaired, especially as I already have the hard drive, extra controllers, and the like. I have no intention of ever playing old XBOX games anyway, so its inability to do so doesn't matter to me at all.

My guess is no one even manufactures the 256 anymore so they were forced to increase it.

that is an interesting point and a great option for having such a version of the console to.



you're adding or added your old hard drive to the arcade you bought right? so I think that fixes the issue of it not being able to play old games anyways - at least for yourself.

the arcade is an excellent deal. i bought mine, grabbed an xbox brand HDMI cable for $10 from best buys private auction, and picked up a hard drive for $30 from a friend who had an original 360 rrod. all said and done, i got a pro console for $240. crippled version my ass.

Wait a minute, I might need additional storage to run XBox Live ARCADE games on my XBOX 360 ARCADE? Way to screw the pooch on that naming convention there Microsoft. Might as well have called it the XBox 360 HD-DVD (HD-DVD drive sold separately).

I'll take a new PS2 over the "new and improved" 360 Arcade any day.

I think 4 gigs would cost at the minimum $11 at current rates, but it would be entirely pointless. What will you store on 4 or 8 gigs of flash? People even complain that the 20gb hard drive is too small. Since you can install your games on the hard drive now, 4gb would be useless for that, even 8gb would be pretty much useless. I think they are focusing more on putting the hypervisor directly on flashram for faster access and also more importantly so that they can ship the unit with whichever hypervisor is current rather than having to put it on external storage.

Another plus is you don't get perm banned from PSN for upgrading your hard drive. Tsk tsk microsoft. Xbox360 has its pluses but I'd agree that the hardware in the PS3 is more durable. They still have red ring problems with 360s.

Oh people actually buy the arcade version? Thought it was for window dressing.

Microsoft just inflates the prices on everthing like their harddrive $100 for 120 gigs ps3 whatever capacity you want in a 2.5 in. drive whether just a normal hard drive or even a solid state one.