Not interested in the hassle of a
$50 mail-in rebate on the Xbox 360 Elite? Then it looks like you may soon have another option that sweetens the deal over the basic $299 console, at least if
Ars Technica's usually reliable "mole" is to be believed. As rumor has it, Microsoft will rolling out another of its usual holiday bundles around the middle of October (after the rebate deadline, naturally), this time packing
Pure and
Lego Batman in with the Xbox 360 Elite (no word on a new Arcade bundle). In other, more disappointing news, the mole has also apparently "confirmed" that Microsoft will indeed be dropping the price of its 802.11g network adapter once the new
802.11n model rolls out, but it'll unfortunately still cost $79.99 -- or just $20 less than it costs today (and only twenty bucks cheaper than the 802.11n adapter).
[Via
Joystiq]
posted Sep 22nd 2009 8:30PM
MS needs to lower their prices or I'm never going to buy one of their WLan adapters...
Apparently nobody on the responses has priced what it costs to get a CAT5 drop put into their house. Go price it out. $99 is cheap for the adapter in comparison, especially if you want to go between floors.
MS looks desperate! Why not bundle it for free?
@Slappy Wag
So does that explain why Sony could put it into its PS3 for no additional cost?
@Slappy Wag
Yeah, but people have seen what it costs to buy a wireless adapter for their PC, and it's like $20.
@Andrew because sony actually cares about their fans unlike microsoft
Xbox wireless 100$Add on, free with the PS3
Xbox HD DVD 150$~ add on, Free superior format for free "Blu ray"
Xbox online 50$ every year, Free on the PS3
Xbox charge and play kit 30$, Free built it in on the ps3
Xbox 120GB costs 150$ if you buy it separately, Free on every PS3 and can get 500GB for 70$ from new egg
Xbox Download able games only works in one console, on the PS3 can share up to 5 consoles on the PS3 (Sony support it too)
Xbox failure rate is high while the PS3 is a reliable console
All those i mentioned where objective not subjective you can not disagree with "reality"
100$ for wireless? you can get DS for that much in many places (btw DS has wireless built in too)
I've had the original 60GB ps3 since forever and ive never actually doubted the quality of it. I respect xbox and ms but i would never pick that over the ps3. =P
Out with a smile.
Microsoft has no choice but to keeep prices high on accessories. That was the plan from the get go to recoup the losses they incurred during the run of the original Xbox. The Xbox was a LOSS LEADER for every single consecutive quarter it was on the shelf. That's due to having a built in hard drive and a built in ethernet system. That's why the new 360 had to sell every single peripheral seperate.
I don't blame Microsoft for not including WiFi during launch, but DAMN THEM for not putting it into the elite and the revised models.
@House
Yes, SONY cares about you. They tuck you in at night, kiss you on the forehead, set a glass of water on the nightstand, and wish you happy, sweet dreams.
All they care about is making the sales to make profits - just like every company, including Microsoft and Apple. You are deeply delusional if you truly think they care about you.
@NohOne
Getting more sales by putting into a console what people like is exactly what caring for your fans is all about.
Not saying Microsoft doesn't do the same with xbox dashboard updates and a massive xbla library (summer of arcade events, etc.)
It's all business but in the end good business is what the fans want. So they are obligated to care.
BTW, House, let's run through that list of your items:
- Xbox wireless 100$Add on, free with the PS3
Except it was not free on the PS3 20GB. In fact, at the time it was released some said that it was not good because it gave choice and brought down the price. But when others give a choice, it is bad.
-Xbox HD DVD 150$~ add on, Free superior format for free "Blu ray"
Superior is subjective. We were told BRD is better because it holds more data, and when TV shows are released on BRD, you will not want to be getting up to change disks so often. And yet, TV on BRD is still released on 4 disks.
Xbox online 50$ every year, Free on the PS3
PSN is the same quality as LIVE? And most places sell the cards for less than that.
-Xbox charge and play kit 30$, Free built it in on the ps3
It retails for $20. Know how people hate how the battery is not removable from iPods, Zune, etc? So half way through a game when the battery dies, you need to sit 1 foot in front of the TV because of that "extra long" charge cord they give you. On a 360, when the battery dies, the game bauses, you swap out the battery for a charged one, and continue playing.
-Xbox 120GB costs 150$ if you buy it separately, Free on every PS3 and can get 500GB for 70$ from new egg
Because everybody knows which HDD to buy, and how to replace it, correct? I may, you may, but would a parent of a young kid know?
- Xbox Download able games only works in one console, on the PS3 can share up to 5 consoles on the PS3 (Sony support it too)
This is this not correct. You can transfer the ganme to as many consoles as you wish, just sign in with your ID. Helps keep prices lower also.
- Xbox failure rate is high while the PS3 is a reliable console
No doubt the 360 failure is not as good as it should be. But I have been reading more and more about YLD, bad Blu-Ray lasers, overheating slims, etc.
@NohOne
BD-ROM discs: A lot of BD movies actually come on single layer discs to cut manufacturing costs (about the same space avail as a dual layer HD-DVD). They technically could have half as many disks for a complete season, but it'd end up costing more for the customer.
Oh, and the hard drive: not everyone may know how to replace it, but it truly is easy to do with any step by step guide on the internet, and the great part is it doesn't void your warranty (that's really the key to it, more so than cost).
XBLA game sharing: You still do have to hassle around with memory units and need to log in with that same physically transferred profile once and download the game to be able to use it. Technically, it's a loophole in usage rights.
Failure rates: Simply put, they are higher on the 360 than the PS3. End of story, that's the only point of discussion.
Andrei:
I rarely see single layer Blu-rays anymore. Yeah, 5 months ago they were common. But for example today I got "Harvard beats Yale, 29-29" on Blu-ray from Netflix. Never heard if it, right? It's a documentary they'll never sell that many of, and it's only 105 minutes long. And it's dual-layer. Dual-layer must be a lot cheaper to make than it used to be.
powerline adapters ftw!
Since when did the PS3 include wireless N? To get wireless N, you will have to purchase a separate adapter for your PS3. You think Sony is going to charge you less than $100 for it? Oh, snap. Look at that. I just rendered your argument completely meritless.
- Xbox wireless 100$Add on, free with the PS3
Except it was not free on the PS3 20GB. In fact, at the time it was released some said that it was not good because it gave choice and brought down the price. But when others give a choice, it is bad.
(Enough beating the bush. Bottom line, PS3 has Wifi included free of charge.)
-Xbox HD DVD 150$~ add on, Free superior format for free "Blu ray"
Superior is subjective. We were told BRD is better because it holds more data, and when TV shows are released on BRD, you will not want to be getting up to change disks so often. And yet, TV on BRD is still released on 4 disks.
(Again, enough beating around the bush. BRD Won. It's included in PS3)
Xbox online 50$ every year, Free on the PS3
PSN is the same quality as LIVE? And most places sell the cards for less than that.
(Xbox Online is worth it. I agree)
-Xbox charge and play kit 30$, Free built it in on the ps3
It retails for $20. Know how people hate how the battery is not removable from iPods, Zune, etc? So half way through a game when the battery dies, you need to sit 1 foot in front of the TV because of that "extra long" charge cord they give you. On a 360, when the battery dies, the game bauses, you swap out the battery for a charged one, and continue playing.
(PS3's controller charges fast and holds charges for months if inactive, and can be used for days without charging. NOT TO MENTION ITS FREE. So if you do want rechargeable batteries, YOU NEED TO ADD THESE COSTS on top of the 299.)
-Xbox 120GB costs 150$ if you buy it separately, Free on every PS3 and can get 500GB for 70$ from new egg
Because everybody knows which HDD to buy, and how to replace it, correct? I may, you may, but would a parent of a young kid know?
(How is this even a point? All you're saying is if you DO know how to replace the hard drive, you'll do it cheaper on PS3)
- Xbox Download able games only works in one console, on the PS3 can share up to 5 consoles on the PS3 (Sony support it too)
This is this not correct. You can transfer the ganme to as many consoles as you wish, just sign in with your ID. Helps keep prices lower also.
- Xbox failure rate is high while the PS3 is a reliable console
No doubt the 360 failure is not as good as it should be. But I have been reading more and more about YLD, bad Blu-Ray lasers, overheating slims, etc.
(Bottom line: RROD/E-74 makes Xbox the most failure-prone console.
Still to expensive for WiFi, find a way to put the damn thing inside and keep the price the same.
It's simple, they have razor thin profit margins on the console itself, and huge profits on the little things, like the WiFi adapter, cables, etc.
Microsoft is the ONLY one without wireless built in, even the Wii has built in wireless, and then they have the nerve to insult us with those kinds of prices....as much as I like my 360, the way MS has treated this generation has really pissed me off, their the only one who still have memory cards around while the PS3 and the wii accept standard memory, no wifi, insane hard drive prices, the cost of live, and faulty hardware. If it wasnt for the good software support, the xbox would be a joke.
Ha ha ha haaa.. Even without their software/software support, it would still be a great console! Right guys?... . Guys?... *awkward silence*
You knew that the 360 didn't have wireless, you knew it had a proprietary memory card format, you knew that you would have to pay for Live service... YET YOU STILL BOUGHT IT
As far as I'm concerned, you lost your right to complain when you yourself helped to enable Microsoft's behavior by proving to them that they can get away with such practices.
Bashing Xbox ? Then read this testament, PS3 is inferior to Xbox 360 in just every way, CPU, GPU, memory, network, you name it, PS3 fanboys better avoid this page.
http://www.hardcoreware.net/reviews/review-348-1.htm
@no_one: Yeah, right, it's cool to bash the PS3 in year 2006. But looking back at this 3-year-old article most of the points seem pretty laughable.
I own all three consoles, and as far as I'm concerned, buying it gives me the right to complain, its the non owners who should not complain.
@cpt:
I was thinking the same thing. The article hasn't been updated since 2007 lol.
That article was basically an opinion piece anyway.
@catfish24, cpt
TFA has not been updated, yes and that only confirms the discomforting and revealing truth, those lines only assert what the community long time suspected
Then stop douching around on a lame console and buy a PC. Do two paper routes, whatever it takes.
The fact that I can purchase an 802.11n router that is cheaper than both of these components is very unsettling. This shows that MS is simply screwing over the consumer. I think that if these accessories were more competitively priced then they would sell a lot more, something like $30/$50. They would still be making a profit and the shear volume of sales would probably offset the loss from reduced cost. In addition to pleasing the customer base.
i know, right?
Well I'm glad I jumped on that deal on Woot the other day. They had a Linksys N adapter that's compatible with the 360 for ~$30.
There are 3rd party wifi adapters that work on the 360? Can you tell me the model #?
I don't think MS fully realizes just how many people would buy one of the adapters if it was priced under $50. Hopefully for many of my friends, they will be reasonable. I only got the original adapter out of necessity, and performance is less than stellar, but hey, it works. Definitely not worth the $100 though.
They know everyone would rush out and buy it if they lowered the price to $25 or so but the point of its high price is to
#1 decrease production costs of the console (stripped it of a built in HDD and WiFi)
#2 sell it at a profit to recoup losses they incur ue to the RROD - which has singlehandedly ensured that Microsoft will NEVER TURN A PROFIT ON THE 360.
typically console manufacturers recoup losses by licensing software, but in this case, 360 is not only sold at a loss, it has a failure rate that keeps it a loss leader.
They were making profits earlier this year, as I recall. They have some money, and considering all the users out there, the revenue built up from a cheap WiFi adapter could pay off. There's no that they're expensive to make, and in this economy, they shouldn't expect to (successfully) reap high profit margins off of anything. I know how the business works. Frankly, they could use an inexpensive, bundled adapter to go with their consoles. They need to be adding features for lower costs, not the reverse. And yet they took out the HDMI cables from the new Elites, which isn't that big of a deal with the price-cuts, but still quite annoying for brand new customers at least. Cables are cheap...
The geniuses in Redmond probably realize that the only positive revenue steam made off of accessories will be through high volume sales, and will hardly affect overall profits. Not with their hard drive prices. For all of the faults though, the 360 is an excellent gaming console in the end, which is why I prefer it. The original Xbox was a great machine and I stuck with the platform. The key now is to do the same for their much larger user base and introduce a new Xbox in the future that doesn't melt, overheat, or have excessive fan/drive noise.
Just build it in! I don't get why they insist on adapters. Heck, for the Wii, *ethernet* is the one needing the adapter.
And I'm pissed I have to buy a seperate adapter for the wii when all the other consoles come with ethernet standard. All consoles should have both wired and wireless, standard.
If you need one goto eBay - they usually never cost more than $75 with shipping. Still too much, but a far sight better than $100!
Maybe Microsoft will include WiFi on the combo GPU/CPU unit "Valhalla"... eh who am I kidding?
Well at least they don't charge for firmware updates and OS service packs like a certain company I can think of!
I'll stick with a wireless bridge thank you.
http://www.netgear.com/Products/APsWirelessControllers/AccessPoints/WNHDE111.aspx
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/546412-REG/Linksys_WGA600N_Dual_Band_Wireless_N_Gaming_Adapter.html
And that's only if N is a must(which for most I'm guessing it isn't). A B/G adapter will run you somewhere in the 40-50 dollar range. And Wireless bridges are much more flexible since they require no drivers are dedicated solely to transferring data.
PLAIN AND SIMPLE OLD ADAPTER $25.00 Bucks and NEW ADAPTER $50.00
I own all game systems in existence since coleco. And I own 3 xbox 360's 2 are wireless and one is wired. I've had to return for repairs 3 times 2 different 360's my elite is the only one still working since day one and my ps3 is the very original one and I play online everyday their servers aren't perfect like 360 but FREE! after this year MICROSOFT will not be getting my $60.00 buck per system for Gold. I use netflix but NOW I HAVE "PLAY ON" and can get NETFLIX and HULU on PS3!
MICROSOFT PLEASE BRING NEW SLIM 360 with Built in wi-fi and Blu-ray for $299.00 I predict by 2010 PS3 will be king again.............The only thing that might change that is XBOX "NATAL" vs PS3 WAND and Crystal Ball.
Your nuts!!! HD Console war is already over. If you don't own a 360 by now you are either:
1) Not a hardcore gamer (You may hate MS but they have too many great exclusives to ignore- someone mentioned that "Sony must care about their fans..." Sony beat the every competitor in previous generations by buying up the exclusives. Both consoles are just pieces of plastic, the reason Sony LOST this generation is the gaming experience is inferior. Hardcore gamers know it, we still have PS3 for the few exclusives that Sony does have but as a sole gaming experience it comes up short).(Love its Blu-ray though)
2) Sony Fanboy
3) Do not have enough discretionary income (The economy is bad but go ask mommy to increase your allowance)
If you're paying $60 for gold you're doing it wrong. $35, $40 at most. The PS3 is very nice but Blu-Ray isn't going to help the 360 at all. It's nice for watching movies but does nothing to improve gameplay and without installs actually slows loading times.
As for a slim 360, who cares? All sony did with the slim ps3 was take away features. The price drop is the important bit. (It got me to buy one)
lol at mark... hardcore gamer... Hahahaha NEVER with a console. Go drink your yop and wait for mommy to tuck u in.
Forget about the 360 adapter. Just get an Apple Airport Express. Much better and you can use it for more than just your 360. Been using it for 6 months on my 360 with no problems.
You mean this? http://store.apple.com/us/product/MB321LL/A/AirPort-Express-AirTunes
It's just as much of a rip off as MS's wireless adapter, but it requires external power and doesn't clip on. There are definitely better alternatives to the proprietary overpriced shit that MS is selling, but not from apple.
That's actually $5 MORE than it costs at most retailers right now. $76 is a common price for it.
Most retailers have the sale price on them from around $75 but the regular MSRP is still $99.99. It could be that stores are trying to unload more of their inventory, I am not quite sure though why MS didn't drop the price down to $59.99, or even $69.99. I said last week, and even before that the new Wireless-N would be priced at $99.99. I could see that, but most people already have the wireless adapter, and now those people that are new to online gaming or new to the XBOX 360 all together will probably just spend the extra $20 and get the Wireless-N over the standard Wireless-G model, so this may end up backfiring on MS if they want to move the current model.
Similar to the XBOX 360 Elite $50 rebate that started today. The whole purpose of the price cut on the Pro model was to clear stock out of stores and Microsoft's own inventory. But offering the rebate on the Elite, something I am not complaining about by the way, will only take away sales from the Pro systems sitting on store shelves. Why buy a Pro when you can buy an Elite for the same price after rebate? Of course this is only good until October 5th.....
Wireless gaming is for chumps.
That goes for wireless mice, keyboards, and whatever else. Although, console players aren't real gamers anyway, so the point is moot.
Because we forgot all the 1337 teenagers that play CoD absolutely require amazing response times. Not every gamer is hardcore you know. How often do you hear people say 'OMFG I use wired LAN on my Wii so I can beat people at Mario Kart!' ?
I dont. Why? Cause I would never associate with a noob who plays a Wii.
My solution to the $99 wireless thing cost me $30. Picked up an old WRT54G Linksys router, dumped dd-wrt firmware on it, and made it a wireless-to-ethernet bridge for my 360 (or anything else with ethernet). Not the prettiest, easiest, or best performing solution, but the cheapest at the time.
MS prices are always high
Something else I found mildly amusing about this... The convenient fact that was left out by everyone dedicated to the PS3: The new PS3 Slim does not include wireless N. A whole new console, and still no wireless N. Typical Sony. So, now that Sony still has no wirelss N, how does one get it? Purchasing a separate wireless N adapter is the only way you will have it at present. Then if Sony ever adds it to their console, do you think will they upgrade you for free? Or will it cost you another $299 for a console with wireless N? See where this is going? You are right where Sony wants you. :guffaw:
Something else I found mildly amusing about this... The convenient fact that was left out by everyone dedicated to the PS3: The new PS3 Slim does not include wireless N. A whole new console, and still no wireless N. Typical Sony. So, now that Sony still has no wirelss N, how does one get it? Purchasing a separate wireless N adapter is the only way you will have it at present. Then if Sony ever adds it to their console, do you think will they upgrade you for free? Or will it cost you another $299 for a console with wireless N? See where this is going? You are right where Sony wants you. :guffaw:
I would recommend adding an Xbox 360 Security Kit to protect your Xbox console from being stolen, http://newpcgadgets.com/products/xbox/index.html