M$ announces 360 price

[Superior Beatslayer]

This has finally been confirmed, TIME TO START SAVIN MA PENNIES!

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2005/aug05/08-17EuropeNA360PricePR.mspx

[Gadfly2317]

I love MS's claim that the premium bundle gives you "hundreds of dollars worth of accessories." Yeah, with Enron style math. They're adding up the retail price of things like the faceplate, the cable, and the $39 controller to reach that figure, but they aren't subtracting from the fact that the $299 package already includes a version of each of those items; i.e. the $29 wired controller swapped for the $39 one, and replacing a $29 cable with a $39 cable.

And that's just based on "retail" for stand alone accessories; when you get down to what plastic junk like a faceplate, remote control and a headset surely cost MS wholesale, the 2-package bait and switch is just a ruse to stick it to consumers and rather than deliver on the standard system they presented at E3. Start saving your pennies indeed!

I can't believe they're retailing the 20gb HD for $99 and the wireless internet adapter for $99--I don't know what kind of internet adapater this is, but there are wireless internet adapters RETAILING for as low as $12; I don't know why these tight-assed rip artists didn't just include it as a standard feature.

[ThaMaskedGamer]

In fact, they are either consistent or lower. So, I don't know why people are so ignorant to presume a next generation system was going to be cheaper than current systems both for the console and its accessories. That was just dumb wishful thinking. Especially at launch? I mean what should they do, start with rock bottom prices and then over the years reduce the prices to FREE?

There is only thing I don't agree with, that is the WI-FI adapter. This is the only component I have an issue with. It definitely should be part of the console. Now, this isn't going to bother me, luckily, my router is hidden behind my TV, close to my XBOX so I connect with an ethernet cable. Nevertheless, MS blew that feature.

Everything else is consistent with current peripherals, so let's not blow this outta the water. Also, if the bundle wasn't a value, MS wouldn't be retracting the remote control. The remote control is going to be removed from the bundle after a time period.

So, for $400 let's look at what you get, once again compared to what you are likely to get for a PS3.

Basically, you get everything. With a PS3, you have to buy memory cards. How much do you think those will cost? And are you gonna need 1 or 2? Obviously, there won't be a HDD bundled with the PS3, so its either the HDD or memory cards, and I'll guess that both will cost more than 360's. How about remote control? You think Sony is going to bundle a remote control, hell naw! Faceplate, well there is no way to customize the look of PS3 far as we know. Hey how about a free HDMI cable? I mean with 2 HDMI outputs at least Sony will give a FREE $100 cable, hell naw! You will be lucky if you get component cables, but i'll assume Sony will include those. Any free 30 day subscription to an online service? Hmmm Sony has no online service, just connect on your own. What about a headset for online gaming? Think Sony will bundle that? Better think again, another $20-30 bucks.

I think the only reason these prices are shocking to people is because they haven't seen the PS3 prices yet. Before you criticize or if you do criticize, just be sure to have the same criticisms for PS3 when it launches. Think back to the PSP bundles if you need some assurance, but have no doubt, PS3 will be more expensive in every regard than 360.

[theWacoKid]

I love MS's claim that the premium bundle gives you "hundreds of dollars worth of accessories." Yeah, with Enron style math. They're adding up the retail price of things like the faceplate, the cable, and the $39 controller to reach that figure, but they aren't subtracting from the fact that the $299 package already includes a version of each of those items; i.e. the $29 wired controller swapped for the $39 one, and replacing a $29 cable with a $39 cable.

And that's just based on "retail" for stand alone accessories; when you get down to what plastic junk like a faceplate, remote control and a headset surely cost MS wholesale, the 2-package bait and switch is just a ruse to stick it to consumers and rather than deliver on the standard system they presented at E3. Start saving your pennies indeed!

I can't believe they're retailing the 20gb HD for $99 and the wireless internet adapter for $99--I don't know what kind of internet adapater this is, but there are wireless internet adapters RETAILING for as low as $12; I don't know why these tight-assed rip artists didn't just include it as a standard feature.

You know, all this carping from a guy who shelled out for a psp and sony's $50 accesory tax. So, why isn't sony a tight assed rip artist. Wait a minute, lets' not stop there, didn't you buy a ps2 and the obilgatory memory card. Let's see, sony hasn't changed the capacity or performance in five years whle the profit margins have ballooned to the point where the packaging probably costs more than the card itself. So, its not like you're a stranger to getting ripped off or taking it up the ass on a purchase. This is like a whore complaining her johns aren't gentleman.

Of course, MS is talking up the benefts and value of the premium pack. On one hand its marketing hyperbole, on the other hand, I had to shell out for upgraded cables for the xbox, ps2 and gc so getting a component cable in the box represents real savings for me. And I want a wireless controller and the last one I paid for cost me $60, so once again, I value this as well. Ethernet cable, got plenty of those. Headset? Allright, but if I wind up subscribing to xbox live, I'd probably get the xbox live package with the headset included as it also includes some nice extras. Media remote, okay, I guess. The detachable hard drive is pretty slick and on a value basis still beats the snot out of any memory stick on the planet. I paid $90 canadian for a 512mb sandisk mem stick, so $100 canadian for a 20gig detachable sata 2.5 hdd is a bargoon by comparison.

Also, you won't find any wireless ethernet bridges selling for $12. If that's the case, then what's your problem, just buy the $12 wireless ethernet bridge instead. Its one thing if MS forced you into buying their wireless adaptor, but that's not the case.

You call this bait and switch, but where do you see that. They're delivering the system they advertised, you're just bellyaching about the price. They also introduced the sony version of the 360, the core system. I don't care for it, but, hey if this type of ripoff marketing worked for sony, why not MS.

This time around, MS is charging for the hard drive and they have every right to do so instead of getting stuck bearing the brunt of a costly peripheral and not being able to exact any type of premium for it as has happened with the xbox. Xbox owners got a free ride this gen, the hard drive was basically given away. That along with inflexibility in pricing for key components created an unviable business model for the xbox. There was simply no way, that MS would have allowed such a situation to continue a second generation in a row.

[Gadfly2317]

You know, all this carping from a guy who shelled out for a psp and sony's $50 accesory tax. So, why isn't sony a tight assed rip artist.

That PsP was a rip thing; remember me griping about it, and saying all those "extras" were worth nearly zip. . . cheap ass headphones, a foam slip case, a dinky plastic plug in remote and Spider Man 2. . . a movie that cost them little more to throw in than the cost of the UMD. YOU were defending the PsP bundle; I complained about it being a rip. Yes, I bought it anyway, but at least I was clear eyed about it. And now you acknowledge it for what it was.

I funded my PsP purchase by getting rid of my Xbox and the few good games that I'd hung onto. Sorta like what you're doing now by funding getting a 360 by getting rid of your PsP. Are you telling me you wouldn't have preferred that MS sell a single standard system? My complaints about MS and its 2 tiered pricing scheme are valid, just as my complaints about the PsP at release were valid.

I bought the PsP despite being displeased with Sony's bate and switch. In fact, Sony's was worse because they said the PsP was $199, but you could ONLY buy it bundled with crap. I can only say its been a sad surprise that the subsequent flow of software since launch has been so abysmal. And I agree: Worst Web Browser EVER; the only feasible reason they even added it is just so they can say it "browses the web." That said, I'm not entirely dissillusioned with the PsP; there are some solid games on it, and there are some cool titles coming.

Look, even if I there were the titles on 360 that I wanted bad enough to get a 360 at launch I would STILL be complaining about this 2 tiered pricing gimmick and the bundle rip. There is nothing inconsistent about being displeased with the way a company is doing something, and buying it anyway because as a gamer there may be some games I really want to play.

Consumers forget they have power. Enough negative feedback and criticism, and sometimes companies do respond. But when you have enough fanboy sheep to defend your creepy corporate machinations, then were's the incentive for a company NOT to screw you?

[Superior Beatslayer]

Lets not forget the situation I'm in, if I go ahead and get the premium bundle for 400, then I'd be getting some accessories that're virtually useless to me. See I live "out in the boonies" and currently we have not gotten any high speed cables out here, so Xbox LIVE is out the window for the time being, so the Headset and the Silver suscription or whatever that is, is a waste of money and therefore I might as well get the $299 bundle, which DOESN'T include that 20 gb HD, and we all know I'm gonna need one of those bad boys, AND I dont even get a bloody wireless controller to boot!........I dunno where I'm gonna get
$458.85 either....

[theWacoKid]

Lets not forget the situation I'm in, if I go ahead and get the premium bundle for 400, then I'd be getting some accessories that're virtually useless to me. See I live "out in the boonies" and currently we have not gotten any high speed cables out here, so Xbox LIVE is out the window for the time being, so the Headset and the Silver suscription or whatever that is, is a waste of money and therefore I might as well get the $299 bundle, which DOESN'T include that 20 gb HD, and we all know I'm gonna need one of those bad boys, AND I dont even get a bloody wireless controller to boot!........I dunno where I'm gonna get
$458.85 either....

Dude, you live in canada, the premium bundle is $499 plus tax, which puts it at $575 canadian and you haven't bought a game yet.

[Mochan]

These prices are consistent with current gaming peripherals.
In fact, they are either consistent or lower.

Dude, you've got to be kidding.

$99 Wifi Adapter
I can buy a wifi internet adapter for $50, and those things are a lot more expensive here than they are over there.

$29 controller:
I can buy a wired controller for $18.

$99 20GB Harddisk
I can buy a 200GB HD for $99.

I don't know where you get your prices, but if you thought those 360 prices for peripherals are "lower than the norm" then it's no wonder you quit on your PC a long time ago. I can get cheaper prices and I live in a place where electronics tend to cost 50% or more of their actual US price.

They must have been charging you an arm and a leg!

...I dunno where I'm gonna get
$458.85 either....

Didn't you just buy a PC for $2500? :)

[theWacoKid]

Dude, you've got to be kidding.

$99 Wifi Adapter
I can buy a wifi internet adapter for $50, and those things are a lot more expensive here than they are over there.

$29 controller:
I can buy a wired controller for $18.

$99 20GB Harddisk
I can buy a 200GB HD for $99.

I don't know where you get your prices, but if you thought those 360 prices for peripherals are "lower than the norm" then it's no wonder you quit on your PC a long time ago. I can get cheaper prices and I live in a place where electronics tend to cost 50% or more of their actual US price.

They must have been charging you an arm and a leg!



Didn't you just buy a PC for $2500? :)

Enough with the pc vs. console gaming comparisons. Its apples vs oranges. You guys have to pay thru the nose if you want the highest end graphics card, console gamers get reamed on accessories and peripherals.

A hard drive solution even at $99 beats the living crap out of a memory card. You pay for the smaller size and the portability of the 2.5" detachable sata hard drive. What's the frickin point of comparing it to a 200gig hd, when that drive won't work on any console.

As for the wifi adaptor, you have to compare it to a wireless internet bridge. Prices here in canada for wireless ethernet bridges featuring a/b/g compatability from companies like linksys and dlink are actually higher than what MS is asking and those prices are from a mail order discount retailer. So, MS is not out of line with their price for comparable technology. It'd be nice if they were price aggressive, but thats not the case.

[Superior Beatslayer]

Didn't you just buy a PC for $2500? :)

lol, yes but that was out of my estate which I don't have complete access to until I'm 25.....Man I hate the exchange rate, they say the North American price is $299 and $399 respectively, when really they mean ONLY AMERICA! us Canadians get royally screwed in order to get everything plus ONE game, I'd have to fork over $600.........**** that ****.

[Mochan]

Enough with the pc vs. console gaming comparisons. Its apples vs oranges. You guys have to pay thru the nose if you want the highest end graphics card, console gamers get reamed on accessories and peripherals.

If you ever make an argument that consoles are better than PCs because they're cheaper, if you ever say a PS3 or a 360 is a steal because it costs the price of a GPU for the PC, I'm gonna whack you silly.

I made that comment because TMG was saying the prices were comparable or better than what the market has to offer, and I'm saying he's wrong, it doesn't matter what the application is for.

Same way I am defending the 360 or the PS3 as a steal considering the price of the console and what you get, I'm going to berate the peripherals for being overpriced.

Get some sense knocked into your biased head, you're so intent on defending the 360 that everything else flies over it.




Oh, and I didn't realize the 360 adapter was a/b/g. Changes little, you can get a Linksys a/b/g router for $80 after a quick Google search.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16839124001&ATT=PC+Cards+PCMCIA+Mode&CMP=OTC-C173T

I don't know why MS is bothering with 802.11a but a Linksys (brand you mentioned) product is out at $20 cheaper. Why they bother with 802.11a I don't know.



they say the North American price is $299 and $399 respectively, when really they mean ONLY AMERICA! us Canadians get royally screwed in order to get everything plus ONE game, I'd have to fork over $600.........**** that ****.

That's nothing. When the XBox 1 launched over here in the Philippines, it cost $800US, one pad and nothing else! PS2s today still cost $220US and you get nothing but one original controller and one fake controller.

[Superior Beatslayer]

Yeah so if I do end up getting 360 around launch or x-mas, I'll probably wind up getting the cheaper one with the wired controller and no 20 GB HD :( . But I'm wondering, how much memory to you get without that HD??

[theWacoKid]

Yeah so if I do end up getting 360 around launch or x-mas, I'll probably wind up getting the cheaper one with the wired controller and no 20 GB HD :( . But I'm wondering, how much memory to you get without that HD??

None, baby, its the sony version of the 360. 64meg mem card, $50can.

[theWacoKid]

If you ever make an argument that consoles are better than PCs because they're cheaper, if you ever say a PS3 or a 360 is a steal because it costs the price of a GPU for the PC, I'm gonna whack you silly.

I made that comment because TMG was saying the prices were comparable or better than what the market has to offer, and I'm saying he's wrong, it doesn't matter what the application is for.

Same way I am defending the 360 or the PS3 as a steal considering the price of the console and what you get, I'm going to berate the peripherals for being overpriced.

Get some sense knocked into your biased head, you're so intent on defending the 360 that everything else flies over it.




Oh, and I didn't realize the 360 adapter was a/b/g. Changes little, you can get a Linksys a/b/g router for $80 after a quick Google search.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16839124001&ATT=PC+Cards+PCMCIA+Mode&CMP=OTC-C173T

I don't know why MS is bothering with 802.11a but a Linksys (brand you mentioned) product is out at $20 cheaper. Why they bother with 802.11a I don't know.





That's nothing. When the XBox 1 launched over here in the Philippines, it cost $800US, one pad and nothing else! PS2s today still cost $220US and you get nothing but one original controller and one fake controller.

That's not a wireless ethernet bridge you googled. Google this.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16873999103

and its $103, more than what MS is charging and that's a discount price.

Computer products, videogame console products, two different markets, get over it. You want a console, you pay console pricing, that's all there is to it, don't like it, stay with your pc and quit your whining.

As for 802.11a, you're going to need it to download high def content from a media pc for one.

[theWacoKid]

lol, yes but that was out of my estate which I don't have complete access to until I'm 25.....Man I hate the exchange rate, they say the North American price is $299 and $399 respectively, when really they mean ONLY AMERICA! us Canadians get royally screwed in order to get everything plus ONE game, I'd have to fork over $600.........**** that ****.

Calm down, chip, the $499 price is only $50 higher than what the xbox launched at and this is a much better deal. Welcome to launch pricing.

[Superior Beatslayer]

None, baby, its the sony version of the 360. 64meg mem card, $50can.

.......goddamn

[King of Arcadia]

Its good to see that the industry is expanding with what it offers gamers and for what is being added to gaming, 3 times that amount is asked from the gamers. Hey you can't get mad though, look at it in the naive sense of how you all are use to looking at it for the last 5 years. At least your getting your money's worth. Hey if your shelling out that much, it has to be the best you can get for that amount. :rolleyes:

[shogun]

Every time I look at the prices of those accessories, I think of how many used PS2/XBOX/GC games I could get instead. I mean really....6-12 games for the price of an WI-Fi adapter! If I were to spend so much on a 360 to play the say, 2-4 games that will be worth playing, I might as well spring for a state of-the-art PC.

[slade]

None, baby, its the sony version of the 360. 64meg mem card, $50can.

Does it come with Sony style saves that only take up a few hundred kb's? Cause I've got over thirty PS2 games and I'm still on my first memory card.

[theWacoKid]

Does it come with Sony style saves that only take up a few hundred kb's? Cause I've got over thirty PS2 games and I'm still on my first memory card.

I've got two memory cards and I find myself frequently having to delete game save files, because they're full up. GTA SA will chew up your memory card quickly, games like jak 2 are over 1mb in size. Franchise modes in sports gamee are 1-2mb. It doesn''t take much to fill up a memory card. I think my favorite was Drakan, each save slot took up 2mb, so if you used all three save slots, you used up 3/4 of a mem card. No wonder you don't see pc style games on the ps2.

Sony style saves?! WTF is that supposed to mean?

[slade]

It means save files that aren't overly large like the 20 MB monster files you see on X-box. Your examples are not the norm on PS2. FFX, X2 and SMT: Nocturne don't take up that much space. The same is true for the DMC games, Onimusha, God of War, Primal and other action games. Even most sports games, outside the franchise mode only take up a few hundred kb's. Madden 2001 was around 300kb's, I think.

[theWacoKid]

It means save files that aren't overly large like the 20 MB monster files you see on X-box. Your examples are not the norm on PS2. FFX, X2 and SMT: Nocturne don't take up that much space. The same is true for the DMC games, Onimusha, God of War, Primal and other action games. Even most sports games, outside the franchise mode only take up a few hundred kb's. Madden 2001 was around 300kb's, I think.

About the only 20 mb monster save files on xbox that I can recall was KOTOR. Yeah, games like GT4 and Jak 2 aren't popular games, are they, or GTA:SA, and of course, sports fans don't play franchise mode. God of War is like 600k, Primal was quite large as well. You're a bit of a joke here, you're citing SMT:Nocture, that's a niche rgp. I"m talking GT4 with a save game file over 1meg. Just because you don't play these titles doesn't mean the ps2 mem card is adequate. It isn't, its low capacity, low performance and outrageoulsy priced. Only a fanboy could defend this wretched excuse for memory storage that sony hasn't bothered to update in five years simply because it represents pure profit to them. Man, its one thing to be taken to the cleaners and reallize you didn't have any choice, its another thing to defend being taken to the cleaners when its done in such a blatant fashion. You're like a rape victim who's been brainwashed into thinking the experience was voluntary and enjoyable.

[slade]

:rolleyes:

I like how you stayed away from Final Fantasy X and X2. Both games sold into the millions but they probably don't count. Same for Kingdom Hearts and tons of other PS2 million sellers. And there is still the fact that I own 20 odd PS2 games and am still on my first PS2 memory card. I mean what happened there? I should have ran out of space ages ago but yet, there it is. Hell, the thing even has saves of games I've sold off like God of War. And btw, saves for Primal are only 400 kb's. Not quite the monster you think it is.

[theWacoKid]

:rolleyes:

I like how you stayed away from Final Fantasy X and X2. Both games sold into the millions but they probably don't count. Same for Kingdom Hearts and tons of other PS2 million sellers. And there is still the fact that I own 20 odd PS2 games and am still on my first PS2 memory card. I mean what happened there? I should have ran out of space ages ago but yet, there it is. Hell, the thing even has saves of games I've sold off like God of War. And btw, saves for Primal are only 400 kb's. Not quite the monster you think it is.

Well, goody for you, here, have a frickin cookie, sony fan. I like how you stayed away from the fact that the sony memory cards are a major rape job. :rolleyes:

[slade]

Well, goody for you, here, have a frickin cookie, sony fan. I like how you stayed away from the fact that the sony memory cards are a major rape job. :rolleyes:

Well, if being raped means not having to pay 99 dollars for a harddrive, then I say, bend me over Sony and go crazy. See, it's not rape if I want it. Unlike you who doesn't really want it but would grit his teeth and get it on anyway.