Xbox 360 weighs in at $299 to $399
By Ryan Block 
posted Aug 17th 2005 8:21AM
posted Aug 17th 2005 8:21AM
Exactly as we thought they would, Microsoft's announced the official base price for the Xbox 360 at $299, with a
$399 version available (no surprise there either). The
$299 version will come bare with a wired controller, while the $399 version will have a 20GB drive, wireless
controller, headset, and remote. We're still on the fence about forking the product to make it more affordable, but
hey, not our company!
[Via Planet Xbox360]
sweeet!!! $399 here i come!!! wut kinda cheap ass would buy th $299 version?
No hard drive on the entry-level model...does that mean you'll need MEMORY CARDS for save data?
Those bastards! I thought they said at E3 that a hard drive and wireless controllers came standard!
You can't really blame craposoft for doing this... I mean they want to make moola.....
Developers will write to the lowest common denomenator, end of story.
So, not only are the next crop of consoles already obsolete relative to current, moderately specced PCs but, thanks to this move, they look that much less appealing relative to current gen consoles. Good work MS (and Sony, which will do the same thing, apparently).
The hard drive and wireless controller are standard..... On the $400 version :P
And I plan on buying the $400 version, this kind of makes me laugh though, if the 360 with a HD and wireless controller is $400, I can only imagine how much the BS3 will ring in at.... $500 anyone?.
STUPID STUPID STUPID.............
MS is really shooting themselves in the foot. Instead of looking at growing and keeping a stellar install base, they want to be greedy. The two price points will confuse buyers. I do not think this idea will work. MS willd drop the HD-less model by January 2006. MS is making sure Sony keeps the lead.
BAD MOVE IMO.
Not to start a flame war, either but, frankly, consoles suck IMHO.
Personally, I haven't owned a console since the dreamcast and, even then, it was only due to the piracy hype surrounding it. PCs are a more versatile device that does so much more than gaming (and you pay more for that extra functionality, yes).
To all complainers. You will still be able to buy a 360 for $300, what is the issue?. MS has already said that the HD will not be required to play games, it will basically only be used to save game files, and to swap media beetween boxes. If you are someone who really really worries about something like wether or not your 360 will have a HD, then you probably already have enough money to afford one with a HD in it anyways.
The fact is MS wants to turn some kind of profit off this, wouldn't you in their situation?. Also, for $400 you are getting quite the gaming machine, I dare you to try and build a $400 gaming PC with the specs that a 360 has. Get over yourselves.
Hmmm, guess which version everyone will buy? MS just made the $299 version to make everyone feel better by giving them an option.
*begin rant*
This is the kind of crap they do in the automobile industry....offering different trim packages. In the future, console prices will be so high that we will need take out a 3 year loan to pay for it.
*end rant*
Ok, after the initial shock, I have a little rant, and a few questions. First is that the Xbox360 will suppsedly take counter measures to stop people from installing an OS on the Xbox... That is a nono in my opinion. I mean, if they pay the extra $$ for the HD, then at least let them install an OS.
The 2nd gripe is that they don't at least include a wireless controller with the 300 dollar package. I mean, you can take away the HD, headset and everything, but you showed off the Xbox360 having the wireless controller, and many people expect to get one....
Finally, I have a question. Will regular external HDS work with the 360? I ask this because supposedly, the Xbox360 will require specific code or whatnot to run controllers or headsets, but will it require that code to run an external HD? Can you store your game info onto an external HD? Also, does the fact that you can't run 3rd party acessories on the xbox360 unless the maker pays a rolalty to microsoft mean that there won't be any keyboard/mouse games??? I originally wanted an xbox360.. But it looks like I might fork over the 500 bucks and go with the PS3...
Just when I think I have decided what system I am going to 'invest' in, I get news like this.
You kids can be the early adopters of this overpriced toy... I am going to stick with the current generation of consoles.
.oO(hmm, I wonder if this blunder has anything to do with J Allard bumping his head too hard when he crashes his mountian bike)
399 isn't really that bad for a consel..
i mean, a high end PC Video Cards can run over 500 bucks.. so this is quite a bargan.
I know the poster above is a Wintendo PC fan.. but i rather not deal with patching a system for gaming.
Macs for Work.. Consels for Play.
Can you put your own hard drive in the 360? If one can, you can take the 299 version and put a larger hard drive in it your self on the cheap. I dont need the hassle of charging my wireless controller or having to have a remote (I have enough dame remotes). screw the 360; I think I will just buy a high end graphics card and another Gig of ram, so I can play good games on my computer.
Only news to the unintelligent.
The upshot is that the Nintendo Revolution is looking better all the time (if one assumes, safely, that Sony will follow suit).
I won't buy any of them, regardless of what happens, but market competition is never undesirable.
High end graphics card with about the same power as the RS500 will cost around 375 dollars......(7800GT).
companies always rave on about how the hard drive allows them to stream data so why take it out? companies are going to be reluctant to make games that implement the hard drive and so the owners with the hard drive will have a 20gb hard drive for reletivly small game saves-something a memory card would do just fine
Also, here is the actual news article (no quotes from MS directly, its shoddy reporting but I still believe it to be true):
August 17, 2005
latimes.com
Microsoft Sets Price for Xbox 360 Versions
Alex Pham
Microsoft Corp. said its next-generation Xbox 360 game console would cost $299 to $399 when the device is launched this holiday season.
The $299 version will come with a wired controller, but will not have the 20-gigabyte hard-disc drive, wireless controller, headset, Ethernet cable and wireless television remote control included in the $399 version.
Sony Corp., which said it would launch PlayStation 3 in the spring, has not released a price for its new console.
"This will put pressure on Sony come holiday of 2007 because by then Microsoft will cut their premium price to $299 or below, while the PS3 will still be north of $399," said P.J. McNealey, an analyst at American Technology Research. Meanwhile, Nintendo Co. cut $20 off the price of its Dual Screen hand-held console to $129.99.
This just in from Major Nelson on skype:
"The Cheapest price for Xbox will have a 20 GB HD and a wireless controller. You cant expect to log onto Xbox Live without a hard drive. Xbox Live is one of the pivotal features of the Xbox 360 console. Also we announced the wireless controller will be standard as the wired controller that you saw in pictures is used for security purposes in gaming conventions and public viewing. LA Times reporting is wrong, I will post about this on my blog later on in the day."
Lets wait and see what's really true before making any sweeping statements.
How long till we get Linux on this thing? Wait... sorry I forgot the new true measure is how long till it's running OS X...
Seriously though xbox 360 + linux = good cheap (powerful!) computer.
Entry model will be close to 400 with having to buy mem cards as well.
Too expensive, not buying.
Especialy as microsoft has given us an oficial keyboard thier practically askin for the360 to run an os
Ok the powerful part isn't that true, since the PPC 3.2 GHZ processors are neutered. Don't be fooled by the 3.2 GHZ part. And also, I think microsoft said that they will do anything they can to prevent an OS from being installed... Sony however is taking the opposite approach.
wild guess, but Nintendo's Revolution strategy is looking sweeter and sweeter with articles such as these. Larger library off the bat, better specs than current consoles for the same, low price point as current consoles. It's only a matter of time before a consumer backlash occurs. Entertainment media isn't THAT important to consumers. These arent' cars, for christ sakes, where further engineering produces real practical results. And it's obvious the industry is trying really hard to avoid commoditization by making it fancier and fancier to justify the price. They're just trying really hard to squeeze money out of a subset of the current customer base who wants to be early adopters (read as LOSERS) but doing little to attract new customers. I'm not even sure if this will attract current customers, knowing that current customers are probably REALLY happy with what they got right now. I don't know if ppl really want to cut out a quarter of their weekly takeaway just to upgrade to glamorous gaming.
MS is a bunch of monopoly greed mongers. They are selling a product that they are going to make a profit off initially, the bad thing is they are making this crap version one that shouldn't even come out! How in the world can this support the old games? anyone? MS has just lost a customer sony may be next if they make a bone head decision like this.
FOR ALL OF YOU DISSAPOINTED bY THE HIGH PRICE...
DON'T BUY IT WHEN IT FIRST COMES OUT !
If you refuse to waste money on the first generation of Xbox360's,
#1 You will cause Microsoft massive profit losses and they will know it is due to the high $400 release price.
#2 When PS3 hits the shelves, MS will be forced to reduce the price of the allready failing XBOX even lower than they would have reduced it anyway.
You people don't seem to understand that the most effective way to show your discontent with a product's price is to BOYCOTT it.
To be perfectly honest, I think having an XBOX come with a controller, Hard drive, HEADSET and media remote, is a "FAIR" price considering the original Xbox Live package costed around $40 -$60 and the DVD kit costed $30. However, I refuse to pay that much money for a system. I waited till XBOX dropped to $150 before I bought it and it was the best move I ever made. By the time I got it, MS had worked out all the kinks and user complaints and I got the Controller S - which I really like.
I'm gonna buy a Ps3 when its price drops and later on by an XBOX 360 to replace my XBOX.
I can live with a big initial investment, but I gotta figure they're going to charge at least $60 for the games. I'm still having a hard time bringing myself to pay $50. I really love playing games on consoles, but it's getting to the point where it's really difficult to justify the expense. I mean, heck, why not just take up polo?
this is BS. This is just another rumor (and is probably a very old rumor).
MS said the top selling games will be backwards compatible. The backwards compatible part comes from the hard drive.
MS did not say that you will have to purchase anything extra to play the Xbox games on a 360.
THE XBOX 360 is a CONVERGENCE DEVICE.
It's like having a Media Center PC without the PC.
You need the HARD DRIVE to store Videos, Picture Slideshows, MUSIC and if the rumors are true - you're suppossed to be able to record video to it like a PVR.
If you get the base model Xbox 360, YES YOU WILL NEED TO BUY MEMORY CARDS.
If you get the premium xbox360, You won't need M.Cards, you will just store everything to the HDD.
Think about the fact that you're getting the MEDIA REMOTE and the XBOX Headset!
I think $400 is actually a "FAIR" price for the premium XBOX360,
I'M JUST NOT GONNA PAY THAT THOUGH.
how do these prices compare to the original xbox release prices? my - $ conversion is a bit rusty all these years on from the original release
the price is bound to drop as soon as the ps3 comes out anyway, microsoft want us geeks (or in business terms 'suckers') who want the latest technology to buy at release and make their money back, as soon as thats over with and more games come out the price will drop quickly
Personally, I'd buy the $299 one and hack my own HD into it. With today's HD prices, that 20gb drive is worth about $5, not $100 extra.
If I remember correctly both the PS2 and Xbox launched at $299. The $399 model is ~220 Pounds and ~325 Euros. Of course M$ will price appropriatly regardless of exchange rates. They have an entire risk management department to handle the foreign currency risk/fluctuations.
$399 model here I come!!!
The last console in America to launch at $399 was the Sega Saturn.
And we all know how well *that* did.
http://www.majornelson.com/
Stop complaining, i know its inevitable for people to complain about the pricing of a product but as a couple of people have allready stated if its too much at launch don't buy it and wait for the PS3 to come out because most likely microsoft will drop the price of the X360 in order to get attention away from the PS3, i would expect a $50 drop on the barebones console(so $250) and possibly even make the $400 dollar console $300 dollars like they stated in the beginning. I know i know i'm only speculating but seriously stop complaining. Do you think sony is going to release its PS3 cheaper than $300 dollars and with a harddrive?...I think the only console that will come with a better deal will be the revolution.
*I am not a fanboy of any console*
Again, the issue is that you need an HD to play Halo 2. MS mislead gamers on this and it will hurt their sales this holiday season. MS should have sold the base model with HD for $299.00. Why does greed ruin MS? Heck with the $6.00 per Ipod that MS will get from Apple they can afford the loss on the XBOX.
Do you guys forget what price the PS2 and Xbox launched at? I think this is a fair price for BOTH models. Early adopters will buy it and the rest of you will buy it when the price drops. I expect to see many long lines the day the 360 launches. (I will be in one!)
$399. Consider it spent.
What will suck is how they convert to canadian.
The $299 is woth, in all irony, $360. Either it'll cost that much, or more likely, $399.
The $399 will go for $481, but that leads me to $500/$550.
With the $199 Revolution rumours, I'm happy to see that $199 is $240 so we might see a $299 Canadian launch, which will lead to me entering the store with a baseball bat to make sure I get one.
Finally, the PS3, which people are saying $500, is going for so much I I might as well get a Mac Mini instead. ($602 if anyones wondering)
gamespot has more info: http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/08/17/news_6131245.html
this is not just another rumor.
I withdrew my down payment for the 360 and used it on the DS and a bunch of games last week. Looks like I made the right choice... I will wait to buy the 360 when they support HD-DVD.
I wish they launched it at 360, included the HD, wireless controller, and remote but didn't include the headset.....
Its all true http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4160076.stm
279 and 209
First i want to give u congratulations for the excelent Blog.
Second, in my opinion PS3 will win the console war. I say this because the actual number of persons with a PS2 is greatly superior to the XBox. Here in Portugal, where i live, all my friends hava a PS2 none have a XBox. I never see one!! Because of that (and not for PS is better, and for what i read isnt, than XBox) i think the PS will win. This is not a case of fanboy, people if doesnt have complains with the actual System tend to be loyal.
Third, i think that the hard drive should be a default feature. Because it isnt devolopers will not use it and it will be wasted. The price is acceptable.
im going to wait a while if i want to buy an xbox 360, $400 u.s. is around $500 canadian, i think thats a bit high, $400 or $450 would sound more resonable, im going to wait a while.
Xbox 360 - $399 (399 Euros, 279 GBP)
Xbox 360 console
20GB detachable hard drive
Wireless controller
Wireless Xbox Live headset
High-definition AV cables
Ethernet cable
Xbox 360 Media Remote Control (limited time)
Detachable faceplate
Xbox Live Silver membership
That's a helluva lot of extra stuff you get with the $399 version compared to the $299. If you think about this, the XBOX came out at $299 barebones but with a hard drive. But to get all those accessories it would have cost $120-$150. I'd say it's a good deal.
Thats actually a pretty good deal for $399. Compared to the original xbox at $299. You get a hard drive, and for $100 extra you get a wireless controller instead of wired, a media remote that cost $15 or $20 with the original, a headset that cost $20 with the original, $30 high def cables, $20 ethernet cable, and some free access to xbox live. As long as you get to play games on the weekends for free, its a good deal.
As I recall, the original Xbox retailed at $300, came with one controller and the built in HD. The DVD kit at the time was ~$50, The live starter kit was ~$75, and so forth. To get all the extra's that are coming with the $400 360 package on the original would have easily pushed it over $400. Nuff Said.
no biggie...I think people are overreacting. If you want a HD you can get a HD. The price is excellent. I hope I'll be able to get one before they sell out. 20GB is kinda small. I would rather get the base model and pay more for a larger HD later on for storing music and movies anyway.
I wonder if this report is wrong. It seems odd that even the more expensive version won't have a next-gen optical drive. I bet the $299 version will have a hard drive. I don't doubt it for a second, actually. That's one of their main selling points against the PS3.
Well, 279 is about three really good nights out, so i reckon it's a bargain. Of course I'm not a chav american so perhaps $399 is a lot of money for rednecks
This is just what I am going to do It may give other people ideas. First when the xbox360 comes out they will be sold out to thoes stupid people that are going to pre-order it. But lets say I did pre order it the $400 Version for me. I would buy a game ($460 + tax on xbox360 almost $500) Why not wait till the ps3 comes out and then some games will be less and the xbox360 will be forced to drop its price.
Xbox 360 Core System - $299 (299 Euros, 209 GBP)
Xbox 360 console
Wired controller
Detachable faceplate
Xbox Live Silver membership
Standard AV cables
Xbox 360 - $399 (399 Euros, 279 GBP)
Xbox 360 console
20GB detachable hard drive
Wireless controller
Wireless Xbox Live headset
High-definition AV cables
Ethernet cable
Xbox 360 Media Remote Control (limited time)
Detachable faceplate
Xbox Live Silver membership
Faceplate ($19.99, 19.99 Euros, 14.99 GBP)
Hard Drive (20 GB) ($99.99, 99.99 Euros, 69.99 GBP)
Memory Unit (64 MB) ($39.99, 34.99 Euros, 22.99 GBP)
Wireless Networking Adapter ($99.99, 79.99 Euros, 59.99 GBP)
Wireless Controller ($49.99, 44.99 Euros, 32.99 GBP)
Play and Charge Kit ($19.99, 19.99 Euros, 14.99 GBP)
Rechargeable Battery Pack ($11.99, 14.99 Euros, 9.99 GBP)
Controller ($39.99, 34.99 Euros, 24.99 GBP)
Headset ($19.99, 19.99 Euros, 14.99 GBP)
Universal Media Remote ($29.99, 29.99 Euros, 19.99 GBP)
Component HD AV Cable ($39.99, 29.99 Euros, 19.99 GBP)
S-Video AV Cable (US) ($29.99)
SCART AV Cable (Europe) (24.99 Euros, 17.99 GBP)
VGA HD AV Cable ($39.99, 29.99 Euros, 19.99 GBP)
Xbox 360 = owned.
>The last console in America to launch at $399 was the Sega Saturn.
>And we all know how well *that* did.
Adjusted for inflation, the Sega Saturn cost ~$510.
For comparison, the SNES cost $~225 and the PS2 cost ~$335.
"It's like having a Media Center PC without the PC."
Not sure you really understand everything that a MCE PC does. Even MS themselves have said the Xbox 360 will be an MCE Extender - you still need an MCE PC to use all of its functionality.
For most people, the Xbox 360 is just a game system like any other. Judge it as such.
Me, MS has convinced me *not* to buy at launch and to wait until a) they've ditched these multiple versions in favor of one standard, and b) they include the HD-DVD drive they've already said is coming. Why the hell would I want to over-pay for a system MS themselves have admitted will be obsolete in 1-2 years?
Way to sell systems, MS.
To me the hard drive is the only worthy feature of the $399 console. I don't have HD TV so I only need the standard cables. I already have a headset. I don't really need/want wireless controllers as they are actually more of a hassle (keeping them charged because you'll need the recharger cable at an extra $20). I'm getting Gold membership anyway so the "free" Silver is irrelevant. I already have a Media Center remote with my Media Center PC, so another useless option. BUT, I need to know if backwards compatability is dependent on the hard drive. If it is, then that sucks and I'm forced to get the super model, but I'll wait because $400 isn't worth it when I know it'll be $300 next year (minus the remote). I'll get the Halo 3 special edition 360 next year for Christmas at $400. You should also realize that the standard version will be $200 next year to match the Revo (or whatever price it comes out as).
54 its the real deal MS stated they won't release optical till later as an accesory as for the HDD 20g guys ongoing market price for a 20g drive is 10 dollars not 100 who are they kidding ( and thats if you can find it in the market)
as for the ones that are saying prices will drop when the ps3 comes out keep hoping it aint happening .
i believe folks just think it's silly to have the lower end system, which won't do much of anything, noway to save games and such...
The real question about the 2 different models is, how do they plan to do backwards compatability (emulation) on the lesser version.
Hmmm... Well, I can't say that I'm not a little dissapointed by this news, if it is truly legit. I too think that not only is $400 a bit steep (not for the price, but for the COMPARATIVE price of the base model), but that the very inclusion of a stripped down model without a HDD pretty much negates the benefits the 360 had over the PS3... Without the HDD, there is no LIVE. Without the HDD there must be memory cards. Without the HDD there will not be backwards compatability. Without the HDD there can be no prefetch and cache. Unless Sony's PS3 debuts at $500 or more, or unless the 360 drops in price at its launch, this isn't a wise decision on Microsoft's behalf. They pulled the 'ole bait and switch on us- Lure them in with "It will come STANDARD with a wireless controller" and "STANDARD with a HDD" and "STANDARD with a Silver LIVE account", then drop rumors of a $299 price point... Then when it's all said and done, slyly strip down the hardware and "deliver" on the price while then attempting to make a profit (how dare they, lol) on what SHOULD'VE been the standard model. The HDD is the SOUL of this console for crying out loud- there shouldn't be a version without it! Here's how I would've packaged/priced the 360 if *I* was Bill Gates :P
Base Model:
Xbox 360 Console with 20GB HDD *STANDARD*
Wired controller
Silver LIVE account
Headset
PRICE: $299
Deluxe Model:
Base model +
Wireless controller
Media remote
PRICE: $349
as for backward compatability boy are we still hoping or what even microsoft said it aint hapening with all games 1 out of 10 popular games might work , ( big line under might) the problem is not software the problem is hardware since they switched from nvidia to ati thats where they got stuck with compatability. the video coding had to change
now i will bet you though if their is a need for the game and it will make money then expect the companies to reprogram it for the 360
At first I was shocked by the $400 tag, but then I realized I've spent $70 on memory cards for my ps2 anyways, and don't have a headset to show for it. The thing that gets me mad is the fact that the wireless adapter isn't included and costs another $100. That's ridiculous at this point.
I was hoping M$ would take this 5 month - 1 year (most likely for US) release window before the other consoles and try to maximize their install base. The diehards will still buy at $400, or if Halo 3 were coming out with it. However, with Halo 3 not coming out until fall of next year, I see most people waiting to purchase next holiday season when all 3 consoles are out. At that point M$ will have wasted their window of opportunity and I don't think they will be a serious contender for the #1 spot even if they sell the super model at $300 and the PS3 comes in at $400 (if PS3 comes in at $500, then things will be different). I do think M$ could really hurt Nintendo sales if the base model goes down to $200. But taking market share from Nintendo shouldn't be the goal here for M$ and I'm pretty sure it's not.
Awesome, now I know two things. How much money I'll be saving with my Revolution, and that I won't be missing a damn thing.
I mean at first I was buying a Revolution on principle... because I strongly dislike M$ and I loathe Sony. (not to mention Nintendo makes kick-ass games) Now, it turns out they're fucking up their consoles anyway. The main advantage of consoles has always been hardware continuity and price point compared to PC's... and $400? Rediculous. I can get a high end GPU for less, tyvm.
I just read every single comment over at http://www.majornelson.com/2005/08/17/xbox-360-details-and-prices/#comments and only 2 people posted something positive. The other 90 posts were by people bitching about the price, announcing that they've cancelled their pre-order, or pledging to buy a PS3.
The core system is so you can buy a replacement console when your other one dies 1 day after the warranty expires.
And the pricing on the accessories seems out of line. MS may be losing $$$ on the console, but they're making it up on the accessories. $100 for a 20GB drive? The drive must cost them more because it's so small; $1/GB is pretty standard these days.
I don't understand this whole "lock out any non-MS peripheral" strategy. Their rabid fan base is made up of tech-weenies who have USB drives (both HDD and flash based) lying around, and USB keyboards, mice and other accessories. Is MS pulling an Apple and not letting non-MS hardware in to reduce compatibility headaches? Or are they being greedy bastards trying to make up the $$$ they lose on the console with overpriced peripherals?
- Jasen.
funkonaut:
Why bitch about price then pledge to buy a PS3? It will be even more most likely... I don't get it. The Revolution looks great to me. Will it be less powerful? Yes. Substaintially so? Probably not. At least Nintendo doesn't overhype, lie to us, and generally treat us like idiots.
#60, no backwards compatibility until you get the HDD. The emulation profiles (and the NVIDIA wrapper) is on the HDD.
20gig is nowhere near enough if you're going to be storing video, unless the console is compressing the video way down. Even then, that's not all that much space.
On my MythTV box, 1 hour of video takes about 2.2GB of disk space (MPEG2). After only a few months of use, I ended up adding a 400 gig HD to my machine because I'd started to run out of space.
63: I said that after I got a hold of the original XBox. What will drive each of these systems will be the games and Halo 3 won't be enough to get me to buy it.
#66, I agree. I've always enjoyed Nintendo's consoles immensely. Microsoft has a well documented history of over-promising and then under-delivering (Windows, IE, Office, etc.)
Yes!!!!!
My God...I might actually have to get a 360 now...wired controller = brilliant.(I am being serious here, I don't want to recharge my controller just so I can play games by myself at home...wireless controllers are the dumbest idea ever.)
as for backward compatability boy are we still hoping or what even microsoft said it aint hapening with all games 1 out of 10 popular games might work , ( big line under might) the problem is not software the problem is hardware since they switched from nvidia to ati thats where they got stuck with compatability. the video coding had to change
now i will bet you though if their is a need for the game and it will make money then expect the companies to reprogram it for the 360
No thanks.
Gaming is already expensive enough as it is on the PC.
Forking out an extra 500 bucks for a console (CAD) then paying 70 Dollars a game for maybe 2 games. That puts me 640 dollars in the hole.
I don't like how the technology keeps increasing, and the price of most electronics (Computers) keep going down. Yet somehow, the price of games are steadily rising.
How is that? Somewhere along the line between the manufacturing process and the retail store theres a price jacking. Meh, the higher the prices of games, the more uncontrolled piracy.
It's the company's loss, really. It's their fault for losing so much money on such high priced games. Greedy Bastards.
I was never planning on getting a 360 (I'm pro-Revolution) but when I heard the price for the 360 I wasn't surprised at all. Actually I didn't know there would be two "versions" or "box sets" to buy. But when I look at all the things you get with the $399 offer, hell, that's a good offer -- and I'm not even an Xbox fan!
Seriously -- look at what you get again!
Xbox 360 console (which, remember, has amazin graphics)
20GB detachable hard drive (how awesome is that)
Wireless controller (sweet)
Wireless Xbox Live headset (not sure why you need this.. but what the hell!)
High-definition AV cables (wouldn't use it, but a nice touch)
Ethernet cable (great)
Xbox 360 Media Remote Control (limited time)
Detachable faceplate (why not throw it on?)
Xbox Live Silver membership (not bad!)
All for how much the original Xbox sold for! (Or maybe $100 more, I forget)
Still, like I said, I'm not even an Xbox fan and that's got me sort of wanting one.
One thing that does suck is the $299 package -- it doesn't even come with a wireless controller.
Matter of fact, after E3 I didn't think wired controllers would exist anymore.
Ah well.
I'm waiting for the Revolution, but if I ever get another console, the 360 DEFINITELY what I'm going after. (definitely NOT the $500+ PS3 -- ha! yeah right..)
Oh and one more thing that kind of sucks is that you're going to have to pay between $60-70 just for one game -- and if you want another controller it's gonna cost you another $35 bucks just for one -- and if you don't get the hard drive package you'll have to get a savepack.
Eghh
XanderC, I can't speak for the MS wireless controllers, but the batteries in my Wavebird last what seems like forever. Probably a few thousand hours or more. It's a non-issue. I love my Wavebird. You should give wireless a try. :)
By making the Hard drive an optional accessory they have crippled it. No more hard drive caching. Developers aren't going to make a game that only works on a percentage of the market. This is a huge step backwards in my opinion.
$300 for such a powerful system at launch isn't a bad deal at all. When I bought a ps2 on launch day years ago I ended up spending another $100 on accessories that they didn't include in their standard bundle.
If you want a powerful next gen system you've got to pay for it. I know people have no sympathy for M$, but they will still be losing money at the $400 price point I bet.
. Posted Aug 17, 2005, 8:28 AM ET by Justice
Those bastards! I thought they said at E3 that a hard drive and wireless controllers came standard!
Technically, they are standard, on the more expensive model. But just think of the more expensive model as being mainstream, and the cheaper model as being a bargain deal!
I really dislike the HD as an option (this includes downloadable Live content, saving of Live profiles, and backwards compatability at least). I think M$ really needs to include this (or a smaller version, but I don't really think that'll save any money) with the core model. Then for the super model, they can throw in a year of Xbox live Gold. The hard drive size really isn't an issue (all 360s should have one though) since you can stream your media content from an XP or MC PC. I think M$ has really disappointed here and has delayed the console purchase until all 3 come out next year for many people. They were competing against vaporware, now they'll actually have 2 other consoles on the market next year.
I would have paid much more than this, but you're looking at a $600 expense out the door for this thing.
$400 for the system, $40 for an extra controller, and at least two games (which are going to be $60 for the 360). I'm also interested in seeing how much our XBox live subscription costs will increase.
So, that's about $600 for the average buyer. I think I spent $525 when I got the Xbox originally.
So it's steep, but us gamers are getting older, and we have more money than we did in college. Many of us spend a hell of a lot more than that on gaming PCs.
So why are so many of you acting like you have to buy ONE of these systems, when you could buy all three of them at the cost of one PC?
Relax, and wait for Halo 3's warm glowing warming glow.
you kids are cheap mother fuckers.. i spent 400 bucks on my phone, i dont mind spending that on a game system..
This is probably a laptop harddrive and not a "desktop" harddrive. Laptop harddrives are more expensive than their desktop cousins. The cheapest laptop hard drive on newegg.com is $67.
Early adpoters will ALWAYS pay a higher price than those who wait, it works like in almost all markets with all products. I fully anticipate a price drop when the PS3 hits, it just a matter of deciding do i really want it now or do i wait?
Bryan
Bryan
I'd rather pay $100 to get the extra stuff than be forced into using Sony Memory Sticks.
Well, this is why you should do what I'm doing, and get it for free.
Free360XBOX.com/?r=18508178
What form factor is the removable hard drive? 20 gigs is absolutely miniscule nowadays.
I'm not cheap. In fact I think $399 is FAIR price for the deluxe (read standard, lol) model. I just don't like the fact that the HDD is being optional this time around compared to the Xbox. They should sell the $399 package and ditch the stripped down bare bones system altogether. If they were trying to appeal to the bargain shopper, it would need to be $200 or less...
to no 77, you say you won't bother spending $500 on PS3. You must deaf, dumb and blind. It comes with Blu-Ray for Godssake. get help. But you rather buy a shittendo, which we know nothing about except that some game developers are not even bother making games for it. Do us a favour and go back to Mario Kart and send us a postcard when we want to hear something constructive you have to say.
As for the 360, come opening day of PS3, the price should of fallen by then.
Whoever posted "getting one for free" they'll probably send you the crappy core package. That wouldn't really be that great but I guess its free. Good luck trying to get that.
This price point of $299.00 is the 'PS3 Killer'. I will be getting the $399.00 version myself - all that accessory..yehawww - you can thank 'Ashlee Simpson' for my outburst. Re: Faceplates - Where the hood, where the hood, where the hood at. I already expected that price. Competition is great. Now if I can get a HD-DLP TV for $1,500.00 by Thanksgiving. I will only spend $2,000.00 for the entire System (Xbox-360 & HDTV). I feel High. It has begun.
Where are they finding these 20G drives? Who still makes a 20G drive? If they have to pay to keep a factory pumping out 20G drives, you'd think economies of scale would make a drive that is actually still manufactured (40G, 80G or higher) cheaper.
I agree with Spartacus. Ditch the cheapo model all together. I've read about 300 posts on different forums today, and 99% of buyers are getting the $400 model anyway.
I fully expected a $400 price tag, but the accessories are way to expensive. $100 for a wifi kit!!! No way I'm paying that much.
The controllers use 2 AA batteries, and they last 30 hours. You could buy a lot of batteries for the price of the "recharge" kit.
I guess I'll cancel my pre-order and wait for the PS3!
It's very simple and extremely wise.
If you just want a gaming machine and you don't use all the media center features on it then you don't have to pay money for something you won't use.Sounds like a plan to me.
So if parents want to get their kids a 360 for christmas and it's only used to play games,then why should consumers have to spend an extra $100+ on stuff they won't use? Stop being greedy and use some logic.
[rant]
OMG QUIT THE WHINING !!!!
The price is very reasonable. Everyones like OMG $400 I'm not buying that. WTF DO YOU THING THE PS3 IS GOING TO COST? $500? $600? MORE? So you all are not buying a next gen console? You guys are retarted.
[/rant]
Anyways, looks like MS has a winner on their hands. Next year it will drop $50-$100 to counter the PS3 and I think sales will go up. XBox 360 for $200-$300 or PS3 for $500-$600. The choice is obvious. You will be able to buy the Revolution (assuming a price of $200) and the X-Box 360 for the price of a PS3. Sony is screwed if they don't find a way to drop the price down to $300 at launch.
the 399 is a great price point, hell my monster hd cables for my original xbox were 60 bones below, here you get a wireless controllers, hd cables, hard driver and headset for 100? nice. besides, we know microsoft has some more hidden surprises still, ie: dvr anyone? Boo ya - I'll be selling my mommas baby for one of these...
Well, I am very disappointed with this announcement. Microsoft has mislead the hell out of us. They have failed to give gamers a real choice. The "Core System" is utterly useless to even a casual gamer. The prices for the accesories are outrageous. Microsoft has successfully alleviated the whole point of launching before the other two consoles. And in doing that, they have likely given Sony the green light to sell the PlayStation 3 at a steep price. Reality starts to set in: Shit is expensive, and the price will continue to go up.
I really had faith in Micorsoft. They did everything right. They got the developers, Japanese support, an early release, etc. But they got the most important aspect wrong. How do they expect to dent Sony's market share, with this kind of price, in so little time? Did J. Allard just break his arm, or did he fall on his head?
I once again have fallen victim to a powerful hype machine. I can't help myself. So what now? Revolution? Sony's going to pitch the PS3 at an even higher price now. I can't bring myself to get the Revolution. It just doens't appeal to me. Now, I am actually curious to hear Mr. Kutaragi's response.
The "Xbox 360" package doesn't even come with standard A/V cables. (If HD cables work on standard TVs, correct me if I'm wrong.) I can't believe Microsoft even went as far as making the metallic finish exclusive to the premium package. On top of that, they have the balls to include the media remote for a limited time only. Wow. Microsoft's is using Sony's US release of the PSP approach of "It's such a good bargain, even though you don't have a choice!" It looks like my 360 will sit alongside my PSP: on the store shelf.
In my case, this announcement simply means I will have to wait a lot longer to get my hands on a 360. But I am still confused as to why Microsft mislead us. It seems this company will never change its shady ways. I just can't bring myself to pay that much. I hate to say it, but Halo 3's multiplayer is the only thing still attracting me to the system as of now. But even then, one game for the system isn't enough. I am very curious to see Microsoft's reaction to all the negative feedback this announcement is getting.
Microsoft has temporarily (potentially) lost this customer.
OTAM said:
"It's very simple and extremely wise.
If you just want a gaming machine and you don't use all the media center features on it then you don't have to pay money for something you won't use.Sounds like a plan to me.
So if parents want to get their kids a 360 for christmas and it's only used to play games,then why should consumers have to spend an extra $100+ on stuff they won't use? Stop being greedy and use some logic."
Yes, why should they spend $399 to get a wireless controller, a hard drive, a headset, a media remote, a faceplate, hi-def cables, and ethernet cable along with the Xbox360 when they can spend $299 to get the console, a wired controller, and standard AV cables. Oh, and don't forget another $40 for a memory card.
Sorry, but whoever buys the $299 version is getting hosed.
Before huge hard drives were supercheap, PC games had install options that used various amounts of disk space. There is no reason why developers for the 360 could not do something similar. So the whole argument could be pointless. People with the hard drive can have downloaded content and faster load times and those don't can make some Mac & Cheese while waiting for their game to load.
As for BlueRay on the PS3. So what? Is there any content? Any movies to watch? Any guarantee it will not end up like Betamax, Minidisc and Memorystick. That is to say, overpriced and thinly adopted(in the US anyway). It is still up in the air as far as I'm concerned. I also read somewhere Microsoft may back HD-DVD and put it in an updated 360. There is another company working on a disc that can hold a hundred gigs and doesn't need the expense of a blue laser. Who knows?