Xbox 360 250GB hard drive now sold separately

Just as Activision predicted, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 was the biggest entertainment launch ever. To capitalize on that occasion, Microsoft released a Modern Warfare 2 hardware bundle with the biggest Xbox 360 hard drive ever, boasting 250GB of space for downloaded games, movies, TV shows, and so on. At the time, Microsoft said there were no plans to sell the 250GB unit separately.

Plans have changed, as Microsoft today announced that 250GB hard drive accessories for the Xbox 360 are arriving in North American stores starting today. The luxury of extra storage space comes with a luxury price tag, as the drive sells for $130. Pricey as that may be (external PC 250GB drives can be found for under $50 now), it still represents the best space-to-dollar ratio Microsoft has ever offered on an Xbox 360 hard drive at retail.

At the system's November 2005 launch, a 20GB drive sold for $100, while that same price point today can get gamers an Xbox Live Starter Pack with a 60GB hard drive, Ethernet cable, headset, and three-month subscription to Microsoft's online gaming service. Prior to the 250GB drive's launch, the largest capacity Microsoft had offered as a stand-alone accessory was a 120GB drive, which originally sold for $180 but had slipped to $130 before becoming difficult to find in recent months.

The 250GB announcement isn't entirely surprising, as specialty retailer GameStop this month began taking preorders for a 250GB Xbox 360 hard drive, accurately predicting both the price point and the release date. In a move commonly seen when retailer listings like that are especially accurate, the page was removed from the retailer's Web site shortly after being noticed by news outlets.