New Xbox Experience Requires 256MB Memory Card

It was clear that the New Xbox Experience would take space to use. What still is not clear is why the hell Microsoft insists on selling a product with no hard drive while simultaneously releasing important upgrades to the system that need a hard drive to work properly. Yes, the big MS announced the Experience will fit on a 256MB storage card to allow most Arcade users to enjoy the fun of the poorly named Avatars. But let’s not forget that some Arcade users are sitting with a 64MB card.

Look, I don’t begrudge Microsoft from trying to compete with the Wii on price with the Arcade package. My real problem is that they charge such exorbitant prices for the 360 hard drives that this is a required nerfed package to make the system comparable to the Wii. Rather than selling 360’s with no drive, how about a compromise? My thought is to just do the 20B version as the Arcade and call it a day. Even if there are magical technologies no one is aware of in the hard drives, then I’ll bend and say they should just do a tiny couple gig drive.

The other question is whether Arcade owners will care they can’t get the New Xbox Experience. Maybe they won’t, but that doesn’t mean Microsoft should use that as a way to sucker punch unwitting customers.