This isn’t so much shocking news, except for how long it has taken. With the HD-DVD format now dead and Xbox Live Arcade taking off, Microsoft needed a way for gamers to download more high definition movies and arcade games. That way may be arriving soon in the form of a new 60GB hard drive for their standard Xbox 360 model.

Of course, this news comes on the heels of Sony’s confirmation that Microsoft is interested in a Blu-ray add-on for the Xbox 360. The same site that confirmed the new 60GB system also speculates that a Blu-ray integrated system is indeed on the way. It appears Microsoft’s little white box is growing up.

What are gamers to make of these constantly evolving game systems? There was a time that a console generally went through two substantial model designs-when it launched and when it was near its death. There were essentially two models of the NES, SNES, Genesis and many other older consoles. Even the PS2 held true to this method. Now, however, consoles seem to get quarterly updates. This, in turn, makes the console world feel disturbingly like that of PCs. The whole reason many buy consoles it to avoid the upgrade rotation PCs have settled into. Perhaps this is an opening for a new company?

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