Allard on the Xbox 360 Hard Drive

Or lack of it, as the case may be. But it's actually a good thing, if you believe the argument.

With Microsoft's X05 conference now behind us, there's a little over a month left until the Xbox 360 makes its worldwide debut in North America, before arriving in Europe on 2 December. The console has been getting a lot of attention lately, most of it positive, but there is one aspect of the machine that has irked some: the hard drive.

The lack of a hard drive in the £209 Core System - it's included in the £279 premium bundle - means that developers will not be able to rely on it being there and consequently won't be able to design their games safe in the knowledge that everyone will be able to experience it the same way right out the box.

In an interview at Edge, J Allard, Microsoft's top Xbox man, says the backlash surrounding the lack of a standard hard drive is unwarranted:

"I don't know who we've let down," said Allard. "There isn't a game on 360 that you can't play without a hard drive, so I think that's a good thing for consumers."

Microsoft is committed to giving buyers choice and to making the process of creating games easier for developers, and it's this attitude, Allard says, that is good for game creators.

Allard does, however, admit that there are some who are "disappointed" by the lack of the hard drive.

The real issue, though, is money. Instead of Microsoft paying for the hard drive itself - like it effectively did with Xbox - the company is hoping that Core System owners will see the benefits of owning a hard drive and pick one up later.

It's similar to the approach Sony took with memory cards - something the company has taken far less flack for than Microsoft is currently getting. Games for Sony's consoles have, for instance, always been built with the memory card in mind, despite owners having to hand over extra cash to get one.

In Microsoft's case, the issue is compounded by the other uses for the hard drive, which include getting on Xbox Live, playing Xbox games (Xbox 360 uses emulation to play Xbox games) and storing custom soundtracks and downloaded content.

There's also threat that some would see the lack of a hard drive as a downgrade from the Xbox.

For Allard, though, the way forward, and the way to success, is to give people something they have in most other realms of technology - choice.

"I think that in five years everybody will look back and say that this was a very, very good move on our part to launch worldwide and to have the flexibility for consumers to decide on their products."

Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games