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Will the Xbox 360 Arcade live on?

As Microsoft stops production of the original Xbox 360 consoles, so, too, ends the career of the baseline Xbox 360 Arcade--or so we thought. It seems the new Xbox 360 S will not be the only model Microsoft plans to offer.

Jeff Bakalar Editor at Large
Jeff is CNET Editor at Large and a host for CNET video. He's regularly featured on CBS and CBSN. He founded the site's longest-running podcast, The 404 Show, which ran for 10 years. He's currently featured on Giant Bomb's Giant Beastcast podcast and has an unhealthy obsession with ice hockey and pinball.
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Jeff Bakalar
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As Microsoft stops production of the original Xbox 360 consoles, so, too, ends the career of the baseline Xbox 360 Arcade--or so we thought. It seems the new Xbox 360 S will not be the only model Microsoft plans to offer.

After inquiring about a possible "Arcade" version of the redesigned console, a Microsoft representative replied to us with the following: "We can also confirm that we will offer a $199 console. However, we have no additional details about pricing or retail strategy to share at this time."

However, as pointed out by Kotaku, Amazon.de already lists an Xbox 360 4GB Arcade System Bundle. Whether this spec is final is another story, but we're glad to see the notion that the entry-level system will come with some sort of onboard storage. For the gamer who doesn't plan on grabbing a lot of DLC or Xbox Live Arcade games, this $199 system may be the way to go.

Of course, as we pointed out in our review, the new Xbox 360's HDD interface prevents owners from supplying their own drives. Though nothing has been announced, we'd be shocked to not see Xbox 360 hard drives sold separately when this cheaper unit goes on sale.