Xbox 360 May Not Always Have A Hard Drive, Allard Warns Games Developers

the Inquirer – After weeks of speculation, key Xbox executive J. Allard has confirmed in an interview with US magazine Game Informer that the Xbox 360 may not always ship with a hard drive, hinting instead that Microsoft may release different configurations of Xbox’s over the years, potentially creating a development minefield.

TeamXbox – It has been reported by various analysts that the Xbox 360 might ship in two versions, one which will not include the detachable hard drive unit. After the recent comments by Allard, can we expect two Xbox 360 SKUs, with one not including the hard drive unit? Would this basic SKU cost the traditional $299 launch price? What would a second SKU include? How much would it cost?

GI.biz – Allard’s comment may also refer to the possibility that Microsoft will begin shipping Xbox 360 consoles with HD-DVD drives at some point down the line, replacing the DVD drive which will be present in the original model of the system.