Lord of the Web

Indian gamers must have been grudging about the fact that the faulty Xbox 360 core model, which was long replaced in the US and other places, was not done so in India. Despite being faulty ( RROD anyone? Yeah, the core models sold in India were not, mostly, Jasper based), the core model was continued to be sold and it cost over Rs.24000 ( thats around 480$!).

At last, a replacement for the Core model has arrived in India in the form of the Arcade version. Though the Arcade model costs $199 in the US, the Arcade will be sold in India for around Rs. 16,990 ( nearly 340$). Eventhough the arcade model has no hard drive, the lower cost will ensure that the console is taken up by the gamers who were looking for a cheap 3rd generation console.

In India, the PS3 had a price advantage in it that the Xbox 360 and the PS3 were sold within Rs.2000 of each other and at such a small price difference, the PS3, with superior hardware, had the advantage. Now, with the Rs.16990 Arcade 360 coming in the difference is at about Rs.10000 and gives the 360 an edge over the 360.

The Xbox 360 Arcade will come with five classic arcade games: Uno, Luxor 2, Boom Boom Rocket, Pac-man Championship Edition, and Feeding Frenzy. It will have a wireless controller, but there will be no hard drive, HDMI cable, network cable and headset. At this price point, the Arcade is a great gaming console and is bound to change the gaming scenario in India. It was pretty late in the coming, but Indian gamers must be feeling better late than never!