Xbox 360 $299 and $399!!!

[quote name='themather']Don't be stupid. Those are all modifications of an existing product. Of course those will decline in price ... just like CD players, DVD players, HDTV, etc etc.

What we are talking about here is a new product that is more advanced. Something tells me the 360 costs Microsoft more to produce that the regular XBox, hence the price increase.

You don't have to be a baby and resort to name calling just because I don't agree with you. You're entitled to your opinion, and I'm entitled to mine.

Am I paying $399 for a 360? Hell no. But I'm not surprised or angered by the price either.[/QUOTE]

So wait, you think the 360 isn't a modification of an existing product? Who are you trying to kid? They are not starting from scratch with the 360. It's not like MS has had to put years and years of research into creating a completely new console from scratch again. They know what works this time around. How is this second console that microsoft is producing not a modification of an existing product platform?

Your logic makes little sense. The PS2 was superior to the PS1 and it launched for the same price. Calling you an idiot is not being a "baby", it's pointing out the obvious truth.
 
[quote name='darkfalzsux']I don't really see what the big deal is, the PS3 is going to be even more then the 360. [/QUOTE]

they'll be around the same price +/- 50 bucks that the most...
 
[quote name='darkfalzsux']I don't really see what the big deal is, the PS3 is going to be even more then the 360. I'm going for the uber package and I don't have any regrets. XBL and Media integration sell me on the 360 compared to the PS3. As someone else said, all these other consoles sold for 300 with just a controller and the 360 sells with all this extra stuff for 400 and you're all complaining. I don't know what you guys expected them to do, they have to make a profit somehow. And I'm sure some of you CAGs can scam around somehow and use pre-order deals to get the extra 100 bucks to put towards your 360, so quit complaining.[/QUOTE]

Wow, someone should be trying decaf. :shock:

If we're such scammers on CAG, why're you here? :whistle2:s

I'm passing on the 360 because of lack of next-gen DVD format out of the gate (don't plan to buy it twice) and questionable backwards compatibility (which they'll figure out as they go). Not because of the price. For the bundled price over what is coming in the base package, $100 more gets more than twice the $ worth of items, I'm not complaining about that.

$400 out of the gate when I might have to buy it again to get HD-DVD, or some of my Xbox games might not play on the 360 until they figure it out better, that's worth waiting on.

Might want to check for glass before you toss some stones around at people.
 
[quote name='dafoomie']I love how people that made up their mind not to buy a 360 months ago, act like this is the sole reason they aren't buying one.

I also love how people are taking the opportunity to bash 360, promote their favorite console, and add absolutely nothing of substance.


As for the hard drive not being utilized, don't worry too much about it. Developers can still cache things to the hard drive just fine, they just need to be able to not use the hard drive if its not there. I think they'll use it to improve loading times for people that have hard drives.

Also, I forsee some (very few) games requiring a hard drive, such as FFXI and other MMO's. And before people bitch about that, how is this any different than what PS2 did this gen, and what PS3 will surely do in the next gen?[/QUOTE]


honestly, my hopes of a $299 system with a HD are what killed it for me...which is my own damn fault for relying on speculation. I've been considering cashing out my preorder for a while and this new info, along with the fact that there's always something wrong with launch systems and $60 games, was the last straw. It's not that bad of a deal at all, as systems are always pricy at launch, I was just hoping it would be better.

on the other hand, after thinking about this for a minute, I've devised a few ways to get a $399 bundle and game at about half the cost. sweet.

I don't know what you guys expected them to do, they have to make a profit somehow. And I'm sure some of you CAGs can scam around somehow and use pre-order deals to get the extra 100 bucks to put towards your 360, so quit complaining.
Click to expand...

exactly.
 
I guess scam has a bad connotation, so I guess just using pre-order deals 'wisely' to get more cash for the 360 would be more appropriate wording.

[edit] See, exactly what I meant, there are going to be ways to trade in games towards something else then xfer the credit, so I'm sure some if not most CAGers will be able to get it cheaper then 400.
 
[quote name='extremep']Hey aren't you the guy who "lost his horny" for the 360?[/QUOTE]

yes yes, what, you want an autograph or something :cool:

I'll get one, if my scammer, er, wise guy tactics work out.
 
[quote name='darkfalzsux']I guess scam has a bad connotation, so I guess just using pre-order deals 'wisely' to get more cash for the 360 would be more appropriate wording.

[edit] See, exactly what I meant, there are going to be ways to trade in games towards something else then xfer the credit, so I'm sure some if not most CAGers will be able to get it cheaper then 400.[/QUOTE]

Dude if you know what connotation means you probably knew scam has a bad one.
 
whatever man, everyone knows that using some of the tactics here are frowned upon and could be considered a 'scam' by some people, that's why some trade in deals are YMMV and dependent on the people behind the register. I didn't mean to badmouth CAG or any of the people who use such techniques because we all know that games are overpriced and the economy is bad, so we all gotta get our bang for our buck somehow.
 
Actually, it's really not that unethical-- the store credit has to get back into the store somehow. Of course, taking advantage is a bit sketchy and slick, but there is no loss for the company. If it was a big problem, they would have closed up the loophole fast, but as of now, it's wiiiiidee open.


Back on topic: ummmm....yeah.....360, eh? more like 399!!! HAHAH!!! am i rite or what?!
 
The bottom line is that there is no Mario 64 coming out for the 360. If Microsoft can somehow release a AAA exclusive game that is unlike anything ever released previously for a home console then - and only then - is it worth the asking price at launch. Otherwise I'll at least wait until the first price drop because I sure as hell have plenty of adventure / RPG / racing / action / sports games to keep me busy for a long long time.
 
Yeah.. I still have a lot of Halo 2 to play, not to mention Digital Devil Saga and Atelier Iris.. :D

However, if Perfect Dark Zero shapes up to be the launch title is SHOULD be then Halo 2 may be taking a backseat.
 
[quote name='javeryh']The bottom line is that there is no Mario 64 coming out for the 360. If Microsoft can somehow release a AAA exclusive game that is unlike anything ever released previously for a home console then - and only then - is it worth the asking price at launch. Otherwise I'll at least wait until the first price drop because I sure as hell have plenty of adventure / RPG / racing / action / sports games to keep me busy for a long long time.[/QUOTE]
100% agreed.
 
Honestly, the price isn't that important. Over the life of a system, the price of the system amounts to shit. I have about 170 games for the PS2, so if I bought it for 300 that works out to an extra 2 bucks per game. If I paid 400 that works out to an extra 3 bucks per game. That isn't that much.
 
[quote name='Tromack']Honestly, the price isn't that important. Over the life of a system, the price of the system amounts to shit. I have about 170 games for the PS2, so if I bought it for 300 that works out to an extra 2 bucks per game. If I paid 400 that works out to an extra 3 bucks per game. That isn't that much.[/QUOTE]

If I could only get them to give me a system and then charge me an extra 3 bucks per game.
 
I'm pretty sure the PS3 will be just as much or more; just as someone said +/- 50 dollars most likely. As for the Revolution, I've read on several sites it may be as low as 200. I'm planning on getting a 360 and a Revolution currently with a PS3 maybe later on after I see some games I want.. since my PSP is just collecting dust now :(.
 
A launch system price is important to me-- for one thing, I don't have a whole lot of motivation to buy it, games wise. also, buying a launch system is a gamble, any way you slice it. there's nothing set in stone saying that this system will succeed(besides halo 3.) It could still completely suck ass.
 
Well, my preorder is definitely canceled, and now I need to go out and buy another Xbox because I sold mine to get a 360. There's no way I can justify that big of a purchase. Some big dissapointments..

1. Scetchy Backwards compatibility, and only for the premium console.
2. Wired Controllers, I thought this was next gen!
3. Console not wi-fi enabled out of the box. $400 and they can't make it wireless?
4. $60 games.
5. Even more money for Xbox live service.
6. Possible HD built-in in later models.
7. No downloadable content of what will be known as the "Ghetto System."

I had no interested in the PS3, and still don't. All I really cared about was the Xbox 360, but everything about this console is rushed, and half-assed. I almost wouldn't mind shelling out the big bucks if the system had full backwards compatibility, or maybe one more missing feature that a next-gen console should have, but it doesn't. Looks like I'm going to have to wait, and hope the Nintendo Revolution turns out good.

Also, I noticed people mention how can you justify a PSP at launch, but not an Xbox 360? Well, I did buy a PSP at launch, and it was $250. I justified it because of it's high quality screen, it's a portable movie player, MPEG and UMD, it's a portable MP3 player, picture viewer, great emulation possiblities, it's a fucking PS2 in your hands. In my opinion it was worth it's price, it did things that no portable console had ever done before, and did them well. The Xbox 360 on the other hand is $400, and is bring nothing new to the table what so ever, all it has is graphics, and I still haven't seen anything that wowed me from them.

I just hope next-gen gets better from here on out.
 
is not having a HD really a big step backwards for true gamers? current gen. systems with hd only make me feel uneasy when I play, because at any moment a power surge or overuse/accident can delete your life's work on that system. My heart was broken when my ps2 hd didn't work after I dropped it, I dont know if I can take that anymore. Maybe it's good that they wait until a more durable (lifetime lasting) HD is invented, for now I would prefer flash memory.....

in any case if Oblivion(only game I really want) is what I think it will be, nothing will stop me from getting the 360
 
I was all set to get a 360 at launch, but this is almost the game system equivalent of a woman telling you she has herpes. If only the $299 version had a hard drive. . . Glad I didn't per-order!
 
Oh, and by the way, those of you still getting an Xbox 360. You better call the store where you have your pre-order, and tell them you want the "good" console. Although I think that there will be plenty sitting on the shelfs with that price, just a heads-up.
 
Let's face the facts here, because everyone who buys a XBOX 360 will need to save a game. The XBOX 360 core system will cost you 299.99 + 39.99 for the 64MB memory unit = 339.98 + Tax. It is still a waiting game to see what assessory manufactures like Logitech or Mad catz will produce and how they will price their components for the XBOX 360. If you are still planning on purchasing the 360, then best choice would be 20 gig HD over 64MB for 60.00 more.
 
I won't pretend to know how games are programmed, But is my theory hypothetically possible?

Can programmers program extra stuff into the game that support HD but have them like features on fps for pc? LIke cranking up the textures and anti aliasing and such? - that will support the hd and its features giving you a better gaming experience? put them in like the options menu, for those who have hd, turn up all the effects and abilites. For those without the hd, they can keep it at the default requirements.

Or is it something that totally changes the game and they will have to make seperate versions , one that looks better and one that doesnt?
Im not quite sure what the hd adds to current xbox games atm, aside from saving files, downloading extra levels, patches, trailers and stuff like that.

If it totally changes the game and they either have to program for one version or the other, that does seem incredibly stupid of them to allow non HD360's to exist; its just gimping themselves before the race starts.
 
Historically consoles come out around $300 in the U.S. (at least ones that have survived/prospered). It’s interesting to look at what consoles came with at their release for that $300. As time has gone by, less and less stuff has come with consoles at release. Not a biggie, but this leads to something…

For it’s own time frame, each console released is (or should be) the best of what tech can be offered for that $300. In other words, while the XBOX is better than the SNES, at the time each was released, it was the top tech available for that $300.

Does anyone else find it interesting that if you compare the XBOX at release for $300 vs the XBOX 360 (base model) at release for $300, you are basically getting less tech (i.e. no hard drive) for the same money?
 
[quote name='javeryh']Here's what needs to happen:

Nintendo should announce that the Revolution will support 16x9 and 1080i (or even 720p) as the standard for all games. Nintendo should also announce that it has partnered with MS so that Live is now run through the Revolution. Microsoft should then drop the console business altogether and focus on making the Live experience even better than it already is and still publish its first-party titles like Halo.[/QUOTE]

The problem is that Nintendo has less resources than MS. MS has a better platform than what Nintendo will deliver. Nintendo makes great games. They need to focus on software rather than conosle systems.
 
[quote name='STATIC3D']
Does anyone else find it interesting that if you compare the XBOX at release for $300 vs the XBOX 360 (base model) at release for $300, you are basically getting less tech (i.e. no hard drive) for the same money?[/QUOTE]

Less tech huh? Do you really believe that?
 
I'm glad I have $320 credit at gamestop thanks to that extra 50% deal and trade in 3 get an extra $10.
 
[quote name='gregthomas77']Less tech huh? Do you really believe that?[/QUOTE]

less tech for its time he means, the original was more impressive at its time too(plus a HD, same price)
 
[quote name='Abdullah2']less tech for its time you idiot, the original was more impressive at its time too(plus a HD, same price)[/QUOTE]

I disagree. Yes there is no hard drive. But the original Xbox was a Pentium 3 at 733 Mhz and only 64MB of Ram

The new 360 is a 3 core 3.2 Ghz processor with 256MB of Ram.

The 2 version of the console is a complete blunder. Hopefully MS will change their minds.

My guess is that some games will require the hard drive and that those who purchase the $299 system will end up paying more.
 
you disgree that the original xbox's power owned next to a ps2 as apposed to 360 next to a ps3, is that what youre saying indiana?
 
[quote name='javeryh']Count me out. Everyone will develop for the lowest common denominator which means the non hard drive models.[/QUOTE]


I couldn't agree more. Way to lose my business MS.
 
one question, were there price problems with the XBOX 1? Wasnt it supposed to be more than 300? I hope that M$ drops the price when halo 3 comes out.
 
I love how the majority of gamers are psychics. If you can see into the future why don't you charge large sums of money for it then put all your money into the stock market?
 
IMO i find it funny that everyone is crying over $100. I was going to buy the hi-def cables anyways, a headset, and the dvd remote so i could give to rats of an ass about an extra $100. That is my opinion...
 
[quote name='MrFriday18']IMO i find it funny that everyone is crying over $100. I was going to buy the hi-def cables anyways, a headset, and the dvd remote so i could give to rats of an ass about an extra $100. That is my opinion...[/QUOTE]
Because the name of this site is CHEAPASSGAMER.COM
 
Only thing I'm disappointed about is the Harddrive not being standard. I'll get over that though. Can't wait to get my XBOX 360. :D

For people who preordered theirs at Gamestop. I called Gamestop about 2 hours ago and they said that in one or two days I should be expecting a call from them to pick which XBOX 360 I want. They said its not in the system yet, so you can't go in store to change it yet. The employee also said that they had no idea the price was going to be announced today.
 
[quote name='MrFriday18']IMO i find it funny that everyone is crying over $100. I was going to buy the hi-def cables anyways, a headset, and the dvd remote so i could give to rats of an ass about an extra $100. That is my opinion...[/QUOTE]

most people arent crying over that...at least i'm not....it's that since the HDD is not "mandatory" or "standard" for the xbox360, most developers may not want to develop their games to their fullest potential using the HDD since some gamers might by the 299 dollar version without the HDD

well...i guess i'll get the 400 dollar one since you cant use regular hard drives...only the ones M$ made specifically for the 360 :(
 
[quote name='swetooth9']i guess i'll get the 400 dollar one since you cant use regular hard drives...only the ones M$ made specifically for the 360 :([/QUOTE]

The mod community will probably have something to say about this within a month or two of launch though. :D The other premium goodies (wireless controller, headset, premium cables, remote, etc.) might still make the expensive model the better bargain.
 
[quote name='MaxBiaggi2']The mod community will probably have something to say about this within a month or two of launch though. :D The other premium goodies (wireless controller, headset, premium cables, remote, etc.) might still make the expensive model the better bargain.[/QUOTE]

yea, but wouldn't that ban them from XBL?
 
WOW, color me surprised about this decision--I can't believe that Microsoft could honestly think that releasing the barebones system without the hard drive is a good idea. I was so psyched for this system, and now I'm rethinking the whole thing. I know I can't afford the premium system + a game, but since i have HDTV and hate memory cards, it's the only one to buy. Looks like I'll be waiting until next year for this one :(

On a side note, does anybody else see the (still small, but just got bigger) possibility that Nintendo could come out on top in this next console war? Taking a look at gas prices (which are only going to go up) and the upcoming recession (the economic cycle is at an inverted curve right now, which has preceded EVERY American recession), how many people are going to be in position to lay down $400-$500 plus for a system and a game(s)? The Revolution is already being pushed as affordable by Nintendo, and the price point they're rumored to be shooting for is $199. More consumers would to take advantage of this price point, especially when compared to the other two consoles. The key for Nintendo is simple--release date. If the release of the Revolution is 2007, forget about it. If they somehow push it into summer of next year, it could spell trouble for the other 2 game companies.
 
I can swallow $399 for a full blown HiDef gaming system (especially if the DVD upconverts).
My main gripe that I don't hear anyone complain about is the $60 game price point.
They tried this before and failed (Mario64 anyone?)
I'll get the Super 360 at launch but I doubt I'll buy more than one game for a long time until they get their heads on straight.
Those waiting for the PS3, there already is a rumor that Sony is watching what MS is doing and may delay for another year.
 
[quote name='Noodle Pirate!']I won't pretend to know how games are programmed, But is my theory hypothetically possible?

Can programmers program extra stuff into the game that support HD but have them like features on fps for pc? LIke cranking up the textures and anti aliasing and such? - that will support the hd and its features giving you a better gaming experience? put them in like the options menu, for those who have hd, turn up all the effects and abilites. For those without the hd, they can keep it at the default requirements.

Or is it something that totally changes the game and they will have to make seperate versions , one that looks better and one that doesnt?
Im not quite sure what the hd adds to current xbox games atm, aside from saving files, downloading extra levels, patches, trailers and stuff like that.

If it totally changes the game and they either have to program for one version or the other, that does seem incredibly stupid of them to allow non HD360's to exist; its just gimping themselves before the race starts.[/QUOTE]

The hard drive doesn't affect the appearance of games. The main application on the Xbox has been for caching. Data loads from the hard drive much faster than from the DVD, so copy chunks of the game to the hard drive can allow for greatly reduced load times and more seamless transitions between areas of the game. This depends very heavily on the structure of the game. For something with big levels to explore the benefit is pretty high but for some other stuff like a sports game it just makes for less load times. Overall though, the hard drive isn't so fast it would change the quality of things like textures in a level. Those really have to be in RAM or they just can't be accessed quickly enough. Instead, by skillfully creating transitional areas for the player to move through, additional layout data for the level can be loaded without making the player feel they're waiting on the hardware. Again, very dendent on the nature of the game in question.

The second big use is for games that generate a lot of dynamic data. This would be stuff ccaused by the player's actions. For instance, a huge environment like Morrowind where everything the player does is remembered. That way you return to a location after much time has passed and still see evidence of your previous visit, either in the form of some change you made like destroying a building perhaps or in how the people there react to you based on how you treated them last time around.

So, the biggest differences wouldn't be in how pretty the game but in how deep it is and how well player generated information is handled.

With 64 megabyte memory cards as the minimum size it's possible that a lot of that second category stuff can be handled without a hard drive but it also depends on how fast the cards can be read. Flash memory can have quite good read performance but at a cost. If the memory card costs too much to have that performance, what is the point of not getting the hard drive package instead? Morrowwind Oblivion might be playable with a memory card but will probably play more smoothly with the hard drive. For programmers, the use of memory card or hard drive should be pretty transparent. They'll likely be treated as nearly identical file systems with one just having a lot more capacity and directories for non-game stuff to avoid touching. A function like caching can be made a conditional option without much hassle from the programming end but it does add a chunk of work to the testing schedule and would likely limit developer's from really pushing things with games that are largely unplayable without a hard drive's performance.

That Joystiq article is saying $40 for one memory card. Since a modern console is pretty much crippled without some kind of save game memory you might as well call the base Xbox 360 model $339 rather than $299. This is only $60 short of getting the hard drive model along with the other accessories.

With this miniscule $60 difference between the two choices, I'd have to say the lesser version is not a real choice at all. For anyone sold on the feature set promoted at E3 and since, the $399 package is the only serious choice. If wireless controllers and Xbox Live are part of your intended use it will only cost more to add those items separately later on. (Which really makes one wonder how much more the PS3 may be and still without a hard drive.)

I knew it was going to be a looong time before I bought any of the upcoming machines but now it looks to be that much longer. Even the Revolutin holds little interest regardless of whether it comes in for a low price because its games are a complete unknown and its backward compatibility is almost entirely to stuff I already own. So I expect I'm going to get that chance to catch on the accumulation of unplayed games in my collection. I hear many of them are pretty good.
 
[quote name='Indiana']The problem is that Nintendo has less resources than MS. MS has a better platform than what Nintendo will deliver. Nintendo makes great games. They need to focus on software rather than conosle systems.[/QUOTE]

I totally disagree. The Nintendo console is perfectly suited to play the great Nintendo games from the non-existant load times right down to the controller design. If anything, after partnering with Microsoft for Live, Nintendo should release an Xbox Type S controller for the revolution to play the more "traditional" games that are better suited to it. That's all that really needs to happen to please the 3rd parties...
 
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