MS quiet on red Xbox 360 rumours

By Ellie Gibson Published 19 February, 2009

"Nothing to announce at this time."

Microsoft has made a radical departure from its traditional stance of refusing to comment on rumour and speculation, instead telling Eurogamer: "We have nothing to announce at this time."

The statement came in response to a query about rumours about a new red Xbox 360. As reported by Kotaku, a reference to the red version recently appeared on an email sent to retailers and press in New Zealand.

Eurogamer contacted Microsoft about the email, fully expecting the stock response, "We do not comment on rumour or speculation."

However, reporters were left shocked and stunned when the platform holder instead replied, "We have nothing to announce at this time."

It's not the first time Microsoft has had nothing to announce at this time. Back in August 2005, when Eurogamer reported that Xbox 360 was due to launch on November 25th, Microsoft said it had nothing to announce at that time. As it transpired, Eurogamer was completely wrong.

More recently Microsoft has tended to favour "We do not comment on rumour or speculation" as its preferred response. In the past few months alone the company has declined to comment on rumour and speculation regarding GoldenEye XBLA, Mass Effect Special Edition, seven price cuts and a Quantum of Solace hardware bundle, to name just some of literally thousands of examples.

Microsoft has declined to comment on whether it will continue to follow the "We have nothing to announce at this time" line in future, simply stating, "We do not comment on rumour or speculation."

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

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Comments (59) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • penhalion #1 3 years ago

    My only question would be why?

    Why would they make or sell a red XBox 360. Who the heck asked for one?

  • TopKatt #2 3 years ago

    Probably completely unrelated, but I did see some piccys of red Xbox controllers on another website, but I think that might have had something to do with valentines day.
    Edited by TopKatt at 19/02/09 @ 10:23

  • Hunam #3 3 years ago

    Red's an unfortunate colour for the 360...

  • Bursiene #4 3 years ago

    So that it can match the lovely red ring of death

  • Eraysor #5 3 years ago

    A red version is almost tempting fate. Presumably so that when you get a RRoD it matches the colour scheme.

  • Uncle_Fishboy #6 3 years ago

    That was quite funny but the joke was overdone towards the end. 8/10 though Ellie, well done. See me after.

  • Britesparc Verified Creative, ITV #7 3 years ago

    Multicoloured consoles FTW

  • kangarootoo #8 3 years ago

    Red? How many living rooms is that going to suit? What about lime green?

  • Bealsy #9 3 years ago

    My guess would be its a charity based thing, like the red Samsung phones? Can't remember what the charity is though...

  • Olemak #10 3 years ago

    I hope they do something about the overall shape/form of the box. It's big, it's ugly, and it's beige, like a computer from the eighties. Make it sleek and black (or pretty much any other colour than beige) please! And quiet, of course.

  • Xerx3s #11 3 years ago

    Surely that's just asking for a jinx? 0_o

  • ChadSexington #12 3 years ago

    A red Xbox 360's a bad idea - how are you meant to see how many red rings it's flashing at you?

  • miiiguel #13 3 years ago

    I have one black and other one white, must check that beige one though...

    PS3 is bigger than the 360. But it's a Sony, I guess...

  • Doctor_What #14 3 years ago

    Yet another instance of me reading three paragraphs into the item, thinking 'it's got to be Ellie', then checking to confirm that I'm right. Gawd bless your sarcastic socks, Ellie.

  • viper_h #15 3 years ago

    Funny, my 360 was white, not beige. You probably smoke.

    So this red console... will it have a Green Ring of Death when it goes wrong?

    Edit: I say WAS white, because it died on me and I had to send it back. I'll probably get some grubby dirty scratched up shitty refurb unit back instead of my pristine, scratch + dust free model. Damn Microsoft.
    Edited by viper_h at 19/02/09 @ 10:46

  • penhalion #16 3 years ago

    @Bealsy

    You mean Product Red, the charity thing that Dell, Apple etc. etc. subscribe to. Where they make Red products and charge a little more for them but, the extra goes directly to the charity. The Red product itself, then becomes a status symbol as they are pretty rare.

  • jayayseekay #17 3 years ago

    Ah, the great Product Red. Make a red version of your product, sell it for a little premium and pass the excess on to charity, and watch as that soulless penny-grabber that bought one then runs to eBay and shifts for even more cash (due the products "*RARE!!!1*" status and philanthropic-fashion appeal), of which none gets pass onto charity. How ironic that the people that usually end up using these products and promoting their own right honourable and charitable selves probably paid more money to some ethically-challenged entrepreneur than either Apple or indeed any charity...

  • miiiguel #18 3 years ago

    ^ That was supposed to be funny? I hope you're not english, I'd loose all my respect for british humour.

    And..., shit..., I mean, how can someone be "clueless" and have a Ferrari ?

  • Olemak #19 3 years ago

    Yeah, brightly colored gaming consoles are going to become coveted symbols of social status and power any day now.

  • mcbi4kh2 #20 3 years ago

    @farti
    The power brick says hello

    @mioguel

    I mean, how can someone be "clueless" and have a Ferrari ?
    Luck.

  • autogunner #21 3 years ago

    @miiiguel john prescot had two jags and is a total pillock. end of

  • DrDamn #22 3 years ago

    @Farticus
    Actually compared and measured there is not much difference between the 360 & PS3 size wise - not so bad when you consider the PS3 has the power brick inside too. However the 360 design is much nicer and the concave curves have a great "slimming" effect.

  • kestral #23 3 years ago

    I like this article, the style of it makes it a bit more digestable non-news.

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #24 3 years ago

    Yeah, brightly colored gaming consoles are going to become coveted symbols of social status and power any day now

    Missed all the swarowski crystal encrusted and bape-transfer-encrusted DS special editions that sell for mazzive premiums, then?

  • NotSoSlim #25 3 years ago

    Cool i will buy if they release it...lovely red!!

  • DrDamn #26 3 years ago

    Actually tried measuring. PS3 is about a cm bigger in width and height and about 3 cm deeper. The designs of both machines make those differences seem a lot more though.

  • drumbaby #27 3 years ago

    Camo for the RROD. Blue LEDs FTW!

  • dirk_aircool #28 3 years ago

    I cant wait . Its simply a must have .
    BTW . I saw a red controller on (USA) gamestop.com website yesterday it looked really ............red
    Edited by dirk_aircool at 19/02/09 @ 12:09

  • Entity #29 3 years ago

    Sniff sniff...

    Asian market ploy?

  • smirny #30 3 years ago

    @Olemak the elites are black...

  • Petulant_Radish #31 3 years ago

    Isn’t the red console a special stunted release with Resident Evil 5?

  • Sunyavadin #32 3 years ago

    This article cheered me up immensely. Which I needed right now after Steam wouldn't let me play my copy of DoW2.

  • El-Dev #33 3 years ago

    They should make the 360 the shape and style of a courier return box, save some money when they need to be sent away to get fixed.

  • Toadie48 #34 3 years ago

    @El-Dev

    "They should make the 360 the shape and style of a courier return box, save some money when they need to be sent away to get fixed."

    Hey wasted person cadette, the 360's RROD issue is practically fixed

  • dirk_aircool #35 3 years ago

    miiiguel wrote.............

    And..., shit..., I mean, how can someone be "clueless" and have a Ferrari ?

    ...............................................................
    Come to UK and have a look at who is in charge of our banking system .

  • kissthestick #36 3 years ago

    ah, so this was the red 360 re5 special edition console i heard of

  • miiiguel #37 3 years ago

    "They should make the 360 the shape and style of a courier return box, save some money when they need to be sent away to get fixed. "

    Oh please stop..., you guys are killing me..., so funny! har! har! har!

    Just one more please!, and do put RRoD, loads of yankee money; and other generaly jokes with stupid and stupidly rich people. Then wave a "Free the World" flag, so we can "get the point".

  • Petulant_Radish #38 3 years ago

    “ah, so this was the red 360 re5 special edition console i heard of”

    Most probably, yes.

  • stampax #39 3 years ago

    guys - all this talk of red rings of death - surely that problem is over by now? If i bought an xbox today, am i still likely to have problems?

  • T4RG4 #40 3 years ago

    I'd have a red one. It wouldnt suit my place, but I'd have one.

    RROD - do not worry about it. I dont think I know anyone who has actually suffered and I believe the hardware revisions were long since introduced. It used to be a widespread problem (according to stuff I read on the Internet ;) )

  • dirk_aircool #41 3 years ago

    stampax .
    Dunno . but my 1st 360 lasted jan 06 to Nov 07 ( heavy use ) Got an arcade for £170-00 ( i think ) . got the old one repaired for free . now have 2 . got the 120gb drive for the arcade 'cos u can install games to the HD sine the latest dashboard update . The arcades are a lot cheaper now so I dont care if it goes bad I'll just get another and put the HDD drive on it . with games installed on HDD it runs much cooler and is more quiet so I think the DVD should last better as well .
    my only reservation is always go to the dashboard and make sure the DVD is not spinning , I've had several instances of ejecting a disk and the dam thing is still spinning in the tray , caused deep circular scratches to some disks ( had to get another Forza 2 disk and PGR 4 )
    Edited by dirk_aircool at 19/02/09 @ 13:29

  • septimus #42 3 years ago

    @Toadie48: Aww did he hurt your feelings? You protect your xbox from these nasty people.

    @dirk_aircool: Yeah my Elite has done that to my CoD4 disc. Actually the Elite is my 6th 360, the rest went RRoD. This one seems to be fine (fingers crossed).

    @T4RG4: Every 360 owner I know personally has had their 360 die. About 8 people. Not including Friends list who at least 80% of have had to send their console back at least once. It still happens a lot with the refurb consoles.
    Edited by septimus at 19/02/09 @ 13:52

  • Eraser #43 3 years ago

    "Microsoft announces they have nothing to announce"

    slow news day eh?

  • El-Dev #44 3 years ago

    "Hey wasted person cadette, the 360's RROD issue is practically fixed"

    "Practically" says it all really.

    As for the cadette part, is that your word of the day?

    @ miiiguel, I know I am hilarious.

    Since they can't cut the price anymore they're gonna paint them different colours, good idea. Hope the brainbox who came up with that idea gets a promotion, from cleaner to tea boy.

  • jayayseekay #45 3 years ago

    @septimus - do you play your games in a sauna or something??? Going through that many 360s is crazy!

    @Toadie48 - 'fraid not - a friend had a nice new 60gb console with the Jasper board and still lost it to the RRoD just weeks after buying it. Luckily Gamestation replaced it that evening with a nice new one, but the problem is still around.

    Personally though, not had it happen yet, and neither have 5 of my 6 xbox-owning friends.

  • danathjo #46 3 years ago

    OH MY GAWD...TO MANY RROD 'JOKES!!!'

  • CB.Gamestation #47 3 years ago

    Eugh...red 360 will bomb.

    On the note of RROD...i'm on my 3rd 360, my first one was a launch model 20GB, broke it and got another...then I brought an elite to match my media station :)

  • Les #48 3 years ago

    If you want something to survive in a living room for a reasonable amount of time without looking horribly out of fashion it has to be black or brushed metal. Might be boring but boring is good now and then.

  • MightyMouse #49 3 years ago

    Huzzah, good article.

  • P.I.Staker #50 3 years ago

    Where are the different coloured Wii's......... ?

  • MasterNameless #51 3 years ago

    ""it has to be matte black or brushed metal"

    Minor correction."

    Minor correction on a minor correction.

    Edit: Unless, of course, you meant this Matt Black?
    Edited by MasterNameless at 19/02/09 @ 15:47

  • Stompy #52 3 years ago

    Post deleted at 23:13:35 17-04-2012

  • Ryze #53 3 years ago

    @Uncle_Fishboy

    Get in there!

  • monkeywithnoeyes #54 3 years ago

    if theres one colour microsoft should be distancing themselves from its RED

  • hiddenranbir #55 3 years ago

    RED NOSE DAY XBOX!

  • romelpotter #56 3 years ago

    Isn't there a campaign where they sponsor products and sell them in Red with some of the money going to the charity? Bono and Fair trade spring to mind but I aint sure!

  • redgiemental #57 3 years ago

    I'd buy a red 360. I think that would look pretty snazzy!

  • Wildsleven #58 3 years ago

    i had RROD once since i bought my xbox

    my friend on the other hand hasnt been too lucky, 3 RROD since he bought his console xD

  • MightyMouse #59 3 years ago

    romelpotter

    There is indeed. This lots are the ones behind it.