Strange Xbox 360 Site

[kuyu]

This morning I found a link to http://www.origenxbox360.com

The site shows a tree, a rabbit-like sign, and a timer that is counting down to September 27th at 12 noon EST. A whois lookup shows that the domain is registered to Microsoft. September 27th is a Tuesday, and is precisely 1 week before M$'s X05 event in Amsterdam (October 4th & 5th).

Anyone have any theories about what will happen on 9/27/05 at noon?

[raggedjimmi]

how bizarre. maybe the rabbit represents small and cute, yet its masked. how that relates to an over priced console I have no idea!

that countdown timer is quite hidden though. i had trouble seeing it. maybe there are more hidden things?

[AP_piano295]

Why do people keep calling it overpriced?
Seems like an expectable price to me same as the PS3

[applekid]

Another reality game (or whatever they're called)? Just like ilovebees.com (for the Halo 2 release) and that ant colony one (which deals with X-Box 360)?

Yet another marketing ploy, IMO. :)

[kuyu]

Yeah, it's marketing without a doubt. I just want to know what they've got planned for Tuesday September 27th at noon.

[shadowmoses]

Thats an official mixrosoft site sort of a teaser for xbox360 microsoft have always done this on the build up to big events... A simular site was made for Halo 2 before it launched...

ShadOW

[kuyu]

Over at http://www.xbox360news.com they are trying to decipher the site. There are some other clues. Basically they think the 360 core is going to launch in Japan in September with American and Europe getting both systems in November

[GFLPraxis]

Why do people keep calling it overpriced?
Seems like an expectable price to me same as the PS3

The $399 XBox 360 is well priced. The $299 is not, nor are the peripherals. The $399 is very economical, but if you get the $299 one you have to spend $280 to bring it up to par with the $399 one.

I think people are annoyed at the price of the accessories.

[kuyu]

I've been up most of the night playing this new ARG (lets call it Bonzai-Bunny) over at http://www.xbox360news.com

Good times... Anyway, since no one else here has played I'll give you guys the nickels worth of free updates.

I believe that, at the Tokyo Game Show on the 17th, M$ is going to announce a September 27th release for the Core System in Japan. On October 4th, in Amsterdam, M$ is going to make the "Big" announcement. Namely, that the Xbox 360 Premium version will include an HD-DVD drive and the price is still $399.

Also, I'm thinking that the premium Xbox360 will include some extras. I expect it to ship with one HD-DVD movie and another HD-DVD disc with tons of HD media.

Another theory is that GameM8ker is a game creator that will ship on the HDD of the premium version. Remeber J Allard saying that "this time, you're at the center of the experience. We don't know where Xbox 360 is going, that's up to the users."

Interesting stuff. Anyway the timer expires at Noon on September 27th, EST.

[saunders45]

I've been up most of the night playing this new ARG (lets call it Bonzai-Bunny) over at http://www.xbox360news.com

Good times... Anyway, since no one else here has played I'll give you guys the nickels worth of free updates.

I believe that, at the Tokyo Game Show on the 17th, M$ is going to announce a September 27th release for the Core System in Japan. On October 4th, in Amsterdam, M$ is going to make the "Big" announcement. Namely, that the Xbox 360 Premium version will include an HD-DVD drive and the price is still $399.

Also, I'm thinking that the premium Xbox360 will include some extras. I expect it to ship with one HD-DVD movie and another HD-DVD disc with tons of HD media.

Another theory is that GameM8ker is a game creator that will ship on the HDD of the premium version. Remeber J Allard saying that "this time, you're at the center of the experience. We don't know where Xbox 360 is going, that's up to the users."

Interesting stuff. Anyway the timer expires at Noon on September 27th, EST.

Sounds very interresting.......

[wrxguy]

what an odd site..? well either way...xbox360 is going be the greatest thing ever

[mrgreen4242]

Did the original XBox release in Japan first? I thought it was introduced in the states? Also, the XBox did horribly in Japan. I don't think they would release there first, nor do I see any reason for them to do so.

[kuyu]

Did the original XBox release in Japan first? I thought it was introduced in the states? Also, the XBox did horribly in Japan. I don't think they would release there first, nor do I see any reason for them to do so.

One reason might be so that it doesn't bomb out in Japan this time. I read something the other day that had 2 of Japan's top 20 most wanted games list as xbox360 titles.

Several M$ execs have stated that success in Japan is their main priority this time around. The console was designed, asthetically speaking, around Japanese focus groups. When asked who they thought designed the xbox360, the two responses most given were Apple and Sony.

Sony will still likely control the lion's share of the Japanese market. But I expect Microsoft to make a huge dent in Sony's market share this generation.

[Abulia]

On October 4th, in Amsterdam, M$ is going to make the "Big" announcement. Namely, that the Xbox 360 Premium version will include an HD-DVD drive and the price is still $399.

Also, I'm thinking that the premium Xbox360 will include some extras. I expect it to ship with one HD-DVD movie and another HD-DVD disc with tons of HD media.Nifty, but doubtful. Hope springs eternal. :)Remeber J Allard saying that "this time, you're at the center of the experience. We don't know where Xbox 360 is going, that's up to the users."
The more cynical among us (raises hand) could take that quote to mean several things, among them that J. Allard really doesn't know where the 360 is going. :D

[GFLPraxis]

Perhaps they will announce a $499 model with HD-DVD and WiFi built in? After all, they're charging $99 just for WiFi.

[Abulia]

Perhaps they will announce a $499 model with HD-DVD and WiFi built in? After all, they're charging $99 just for WiFi.Three SKUs! Chaos reigns supreme! :D

I think a HD-DVD version isn't going to happen--at least not at launch. The sell sheets are out and marketing is starting to ramp up. At this late date you don't "stealth launch" a major selling point of your box.

Plus, three 360 versions? Uuugh. Retailer hell. ;)