60GB Xbox 360 Announced In Europe

Europe's Xbox 360 "Platinum" bundle is getting a boost, incorporating a console with a 60 GB hard drive instead of a 20 GB on August 15th, Microsoft UK announced. The move comes after similar announcements made for North America just prior to E3. It's effectively a price drop for the 60 GB unit; as in North America, the price of the console will remain the same at £199.99. The increase in hard drive size is primarily aimed at supporting downloadable games content, as well as movies and television shows. The newly updated hardware is one of three models of the console available in Europe, with the cheaper Arcade version featuring only a 256MB memory card for £159.99. The more expensive Elite includes a 120GB hard drive for £259.99. Unlike the announcement in North America, Microsoft has not revealed any plans to decrease the price of the 20GB model, although retailers are likely to initiate unofficial price cuts if sufficient stock is available. “No one device offers the depth and breadth of entertainment that Xbox 360 can deliver and we know consumers need increasingly more and more space to store the amazing digital entertainment content we provide” said Neil Thompson, senior regional director of Microsoft’s entertainment and devices division. “Now the Xbox 360 has triple the space to house all your entertainment needs at no extra cost," he added.