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$1200 Cheap!

Posted by michael on from the playing-hardball dept.

Pinky3 writes: "The LA Times is reporting that Microsoft is encouraging retailers to bundle Microsoft games with each XBox. "Beginning next month, many retailers will be requiring customers to pay from $499 to as much as $1,200 to reserve an Xbox console that, like it or not, will come bundled with games, peripherals and warranties. The reason: Microsoft will provide additional marketing money to merchants that agree to include the software giant's games in their bundles. That's because Microsoft's games carry higher profit margins for the Redmond, Wash., company than those published by third-party companies such as Activision Inc. and Electronic Arts Inc.""

4 of 388 comments (clear)

  1. Don't Like It That Way? Don't Buy It That Way? by Drestin · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I'm struggling to think of what else to write... If you don't want to buy the bundle then ... DON'T! Get the unbundled version. Is this that difficult to comprehend? Every other game maker creates bundles which are cheaper than all the components seperately -- why single out MS for this behavi- oh, I forgot, it's MS.

  2. Nothing New by szcx · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Jesus, Michael. Scraping the bottom of the barrel for Microsoft bashing articles aren't you?

    Console manufacturers have been doing this for years. Nintendo did this most recently with the Gameboy Advanced. It's Standard Operating Procedure. If you don't like it, don't buy it. It's not like you don't have options.

  3. Re:Did you expect any differently? by disc-chord · · Score: 5, Insightful

    How is it anti-competitive... when the compition did this 12 years ago?

    Most slashdotters wouldn't have been around for this so let me give ya'll a history lesson...

    When the NES originally came out in the US it was bundled with Super Mario Brothers and Duck Hunt... (two Nintendo produced games)and peripherals (the duck hunter gun) which jacked up the price to cover their loss on hardware. Later a stipped down unbundled package was offered at $50-75 cheaper.

    This has happened with every single console to date... the only reason you all are bitching is because it's r33t to bash MicroSoft.

  4. ``Loyal XBox fans'' by Mike+Hicks · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I don't understand how there can be ``Loyal XBox fans'' when the console hasn't even been released.. What magic pixie dust does Microsoft have in order to get so many people hyped up about their console (which they announced two years in advance of release -- something many companies are not allowed to do)