Xbox360rally.com first reported a rumor that GameStop might be in the midst of a promotion where you could trade in your Xbox 360 in order to upgrade to the new Elite model.
One member on the Xbox forums going by the gamertag of "Xx KILLA KEV xX" gave his story about his experience at GameStop (with minor corrections to spelling errors):
"I called Gamestop today to see what kind of value I would get for my Prem 360 and the manager told me that they would have to see it in person, of course we all know that, but after talking to him about the elite he said that corporate had sent a memo stating that MS was working on a special Trade in for existing 360 owners to get the Elite. I’m guessing there is a lot of truth to the statement due to all the negative feedback from the gaming community.
That would make things a lot better if they did."
Today, that rumor was confirmed, and the going rate for trade-ins for an upgrade to the Elite are as follows:
Xbox 360 Premium: $250
Xbox 360 Core: $200
Xbox: $50
Further confimation of the promotion was revealed when GameSpot called several GameStop retail managers who said the campaign would start sometime next week, but that the exact details wouldn’t be unveiled until then. The cash amounts given for Xbox 360s to upgrade to the Elite is higher than the store credit GameStop usually offers for Xbox trade-ins. The Elite promotional is valid "while supplies last."
Some avid Xbox 360 gamers are already unloading their 360s to friends and eBay in an attempt to scratch up some funds in order to buy the new Elite. Now, with GameStop offering trade-in deals for the upgrade, it definitely makes "things a lot better…"
