As expected, Microsoft has begun selling standalone hard drives for its new Xbox 360 S systems, and as expected, they're ridiculously expensive.
A listing has appeared on GameStop for a 250GB hard drive (it's a final listing, not a tentative pre-order), and it's priced at $130. That's...exactly the same price as the larger, clunkier 250GB hard drives used to cost for the older Xbox 360 consoles.
Sure, you get Hexic pre-installed, as well as demos for Peggle, Pinball FX and A Kingdom For Kefflings, but when you're paying $130 for a 250GB hard drive, that doesn't even take a dollar's worth of shock away from the total price.
A new system with a new design was a chance for Microsoft to move away from its diabolical pricing on accessories; the in-built wi-fi in the Xbox 360 S, for example, nullified the even more ridiculously-priced external wi-fi adapter. Guess that's about as far as Microsoft's charity was willing to extend!