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The 360's Towering Pricetag Explored
Last week Gamasutra had up a call for commentary on the revelations about the Xbox 360's pricing structure. This week, comments are available on the groaning pricetags gamers will have to endure if they want to jump on the next-gen bandwagon. This commentary is especially well seen, given that Gamestop has just come out with a 360 Bundle that clocks in at a whopping $1,199.83. From the article: "I don't think the prices for the $300 or the $400 bundles are unreasonable, but anyone who buys the $300 bundle is going to end up paying more on expensive accessories. $99 for a 20 gig hard disk? You can get a 250 gig hard disk for less than that! If you don't want to get the hard disk, you have to pay $39.99 to save your game."
The 360's HDDs are 2.5", aka laptop drives. 250GB $100 laptop drives? Sign me up!
Synergy is your friend
Breaking news, this just in, the XBox 360 is gonna be expensive.
It used to be that consoles outsold PCs because PCs were so expensive that their cost outweighed their upgradability.
Well, the 360 is both more expensive *and* isn't as upgradable. I can get a pretty sweet gaming rig (that I can use for other things, too) for less than $1,000.
-EvilMagnus
...there's over 500 dollars worth of games there.
The eternal struggle of good vs. evil begins within one's self.
Wasn't the ps2 price tagged at 400€ at the begining?
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This is just moronic. Are we trying to make things sound worse, by citing some ridiculous package put together by some retailer? Please.
The $399.99 bundle that Microsoft announced is expensive. We freakin' get it, already. Considering what you get, many of us feel that its not that bad. Mentioning that $1,200 package is just flamebait.
That bundle includes every possible launch title for the Xbox 360, including those that haven't even been confirmed! Bethedsa has never confirmed that Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion will launch. The closest we get is "Holidays, 2005".
You know what's even worse? When Sony comes out with the pricing for the PS3, this is going to start all over again. Ken Kutagari has already warned us that its going to be ridiculously expensive. *sigh*
$99 for a 20 gig hard disk? You can get a 250 gig hard disk for less than that!
No, you can't.
What's even more ridiculously big than the x360's price tag? THE OLD XBOX HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Included with the Xbox360 is the brooklyn bridge.
$40 for a memory card? That's ridiculous. I know most XBox 360 buyers will be interested in the HD, but what happened to the reasoning people bought consoles in the first place?
They used to work straight out of the box. Need to hook it to your TV? There's a cord in the box. Need a controller? There's one in the box. Need to save? Either it came with a memory card or the games saved to the cart.
I'll be waiting to buy any new console until I can buy it the way I bought my GameCube (I got the cube, a controller, a game (choice of 5 I think), and a memory card) at a reasonable price.
e2 | LJ
You know, I wouldn't MIND a package deal, but they include to many games. I'd rather have extra accessories and controllers and such. Of all the packages i've looked at I dont have any desire to get 4/5 games they include.
Shadus
maybe if they had a package and let you pick 2 games from that list instead of forcing specific titles on you. I am sure i aiwll get the 399 package, and then a game or 2, so i would love a package, i would just want to pick the games...
You can fool some of the people all of the time
Yeah, I second that. They should give you options if you're spending $600 to $700.
Yup, this sounds like one of those PC World reviews of new Macs, where they moan about how it's so much more expensive than a comparable Dell once you add in a 30 inch aluminum Cinema Display and a 60 gig iPod...
What I'm listening to now on Pandora...
Soon part.
I have been saying this all along, way before the official numbers were released and I was met with countless flames.
The simple fact is that the Xbox 360 and PS3 are going to be very large busts. Sure the dedicated fanboy will spring for a $1000+ system but the average person is not. The Revolution's position keeps looking better all the time.
On top of these massive costs, the games are going to be more expensive and long gone are the days of $20 older popular titles. The other MAJOR problem will be the number of titles released over the consoles lifespan. With astonishingly high production costs and timetables almost double that of other consoles, developers are simply not going to be pumping out many titles... and those that do get made will be the "safe" titles and licensed games. So except for FPS, Sports, and safe RPG's/MMO's and crap movie/TV/whatever licensed games there will be little else. I don't even believe many puzzle games or niche titles will be seen.
It is going to be very frustrating for gamers, look how the comparatively cheap (while still way expensive) to produce for PSP is doing... If the Revolution can come in at $199-$249 and have some solid titles on top of classics/GC backwards compat. and a simplified innovative controller, there truly will be a revolution in gaming.
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Ken Kutagari has already warned us that its going to be ridiculously expensive.
There it is though. He's forewarned us that it may be more expensive then we expect. So when it does come out and it's pricey we can't turn around and scream bloody murder.
The 360's major problem is that the lower priced model is an insult. It essentially comes with *nothing* in the box, seemingly just so they can say they offer a lower pricepoint. The cost of accessories is unjustified. The memory cards hold, what, 64MB? And they cost $40?! I found a 512MB USB thumbdrive on Froogle for that price. Christ, how about just slapping on a USB port and letting us use any generic thumbdrive?
Now, I'm not a Sony fanboy. I'm just saying they've done us a favor and hinted at it's potentially large price. It's possible they're come out and charge an ass-ton for accessories also, in which case they can Suck It(TM) too.
I'm against picketing, but I don't know how to show it.
On ebgames.com right now, a 2-pack of 8MB PS2 memory cards is $40. I don't know how big the xbox card is, but I'm willing to bet it's bigger.
With the PS2, though, you have all kinds of third party memory cards which are dirt cheap. I would say that a short while after launch, you'd be able to pick up a MadCatz Xbox360 SuperMegaMemoryStick in a variety of flourecent colors for half that.
I *would* say that, except rumor has it that the 360 will only work with "approved peripherals", so MadCatz will have to pay a licensing fee to MS, which will drive up the cost of the MadCatz memory card too.
I'm still waiting for a $99 USD XBox to come out.
It essentially comes with *nothing* in the box, seemingly just so they can say they offer a lower pricepoint. The cost of accessories is unjustified. The memory cards hold, what, 64MB? And they cost $40?! I found a 512MB USB thumbdrive on Froogle for that price. Christ, how about just slapping on a USB port and letting us use any generic thumbdrive?
The bare console (particularly early in the life span) tend to be a break even, or loose money proposistion for the manufacturer (MS, Nintendo, Sony). They rely on the 'optional' extras like games, hard drives, memory cards, wireless or extra controllers, faceplates ect, to make their money in the first few years.
If they open such accories up to open competition you'll likely be paying substantially more for the console itself as the manufacturer can't rely on the income from overpriced accessories.
maybe if they had a package and let you pick 2 games from that list instead of forcing specific titles on you. I am sure i aiwll get the 399 package, and then a game or 2, so i would love a package, i would just want to pick the games...
But then nobody would buy the crappy games, which is one of the major reasons for bundling them.
I don't get why people are upset about these bundles... price point be damned.
Back when the Playstation2 came out, many who were actually able to get one turned around and sold it on eBay for 2x-3x as much as Sony's $300 MSRP. So this time around, the retailers are trying to cash in on the people with wads of money to spend and a burning desire to be the first one on the block to get the new XBox.
Can you blame 'em?
Again, people were buying new PS2s on eBay for $900... without extra accessories! At least the retailers are driving up prices by bundling a bunch of extras and not just inflating the price "base" system.
Supply and demand, here, people.
Too few units at launch coupled with people willing to pay for expensive bundles... hell, I'll be shocked if the retailers complain "nobody's buying!" I strongly doubt that'll be the case.
...Sticks with MSRP when it comes to console pricing. If they could push $99 consoles and still make a profit, believe me, they would. The revolution, by design, is going to have more games more often, for less. My problem with the GC was the complete lack of 3rd party titles. But if I *have* to participate in this generation, my dollar is on nintendo.
Why can't all fpga/microcontroller manufacturers just release free optimizing compilers???
I do wonder though if you can take the case off the [Xbox 360's proprietary] harddrive put a new larger PC 2.5 drive in.. Will it work?
Probably not. Remember that the original Xbox used a locking system on its hard drive.
I'm no Nintendo fanboy, but I cannot help but wonder if Xbox 360 and PS3 are going to price themselves right out of the market and give Nintendo a big win in the next console round. It's not just the cost of the console and the games themselves. As others have mentioned, the next gen offerings from MS and Sony are going to be relatively difficult and expensive to develop for. This could leave the door wide open for Nintendo to become the console of choice for the great middle swath of developers that don't have the resources to develop on the other machines, whose high prices may result in smaller market penetration.
If Nintendo plays the price game right, wooing consumers with a capable low cost and easy to understand (no multiple models here) console, and wooing developers with an easy and cheaper to develop for console, they could win the round.
I know that the new generation of consoles usually have more expensive launch prices, but it seems that something is different about this launch. It's taking place against the backdrop of a relatively sluggish economy in the major console markets, high energy prices, and each major console manufacturer facing financial difficulties or at least reduced profits. That makes me believe that we won't see a fast drop off in prices after launch as has been the case in the past. And some major publishers have invested a lot of money in either securing exclusive sports licenses and/or buying out the competition. In short, no one will be in a hurry to lower prices.
If Nintendo plays this right, they could win. And I can think of no company more desperate to get back to the top of the gaming heap than the big N.
To the making of books there is no end, so let's get started
Include 11 games, at 60 bucks a game that would be 660 dollars. PLUS accessories.
Bundles from stores are always a huge amount of money but the company can immedately declare a profit off of that bundle, think if you need 4 games to declare a profit off a XBox, then you have Gamestop sell a bundle with 5 games it's a profit immediatly, even if you give a small discount.
It's just good business for Microsoft to push for bundles, however most of those games have no reviews yet, so any consumer buying the bundle is an optimist or a fanboy or a fool, either way I say hold off.
Dude, that's just wrong... MMORPGs good? Xbox pricier than PC? Sony innovating?
Do you have some sort of evil looking goatee?
I'll take 5!
1. It costs too much
2. Doesn't offer anything that I can't get from a cheaper system
3. High price doesn't mean better games
4. It is developed by Microsoft
we, as consumers, control the market. It is our duty to stop this from continuing. If we keep buying things like this, for these prices, then things will stay like this and only get worse.
But then again, most of these systems cost more when they are introduced. Their prices eventually drop. This is just Microsoft imposing the early adopter tax on those willing to make the purchase.
And those that do? Well, they are wasting their money. But it is their money to waste.
WAAAAHH, the new video game console costs a lot of money, WAAAHH! especially when bundled with accessories and 11 games, WAAAAH!
But I do agree about the $300 version being worthless. For the 3 skeptics out there, here is a handy guide:
$300 X360 + Memory Card + 2 Shitty Launch Titles (tm) = $460
$400 X360 + 1 SLT = $460
How much playing time is that extra SLT going to get you? 20 minutes of "cool, I own a 360!" plus 10 minutes of "hey guys, check out my 360!" plus 5 minutes of "man this game sucks, but look at this 360! It's so fuckin new, and I own it!" That's 35 minutes, 45 MAX if you're really bored.
So, pony up and get the $400 version. That extra SLT was not worth it.
"Xbox is expensive" is fast becoming the new "Female gamers."
I guess when Zonk said he was going to post original content he meant "originally posted on 1up.com" and "originally posted on IGN."
And you still only get one controller! For $1000+ I would expect atleast 2 controllers.
Bender over.... Bill is here and his pants are down.
Retailers are trying to sell as much as they can! Someone stop the world from spinning!
I'll be going for the $400 package and probably order one or two games (Elder Scrolls and one other shooting/blow-em-up Live enabled game).
I keep saying it, and I keep getting shot down, but if the revolution that nintendo is talking about is one of pricing, they could have something big on their hands. Imagine a $150 revolution with a huge launch library available over the net and a dozen or so high quality games. I truly hope that MS and Sony get bit in the butt for overthinking this generation of consoles.
People who think they know everything really piss off those of us that actually do.
Because thats about the only pack-in game that you'll get with your "pretty sweet" gaming rig.
Seriously, this is a non-story. So, this is like the third story I've read about the outrage over various aspects of the 360's pricing. But there is nothing new here. News flash: the HD is optional (we knew this), accessories are overpriced (true since the Atari 2600) and retailers are bundling because they predict/hope for a shortage .
Is it a slow newsweek or something? Is it because we're approaching the end of the month and we haven't hit our Microsoft-bashing quota? What is it?
In fact, the only "news" of late is that 360 first-party titles will be $50... which is the exact same price as regular xbox and ps2 games. Where's the story on that??
All of Sega's disc based consoles have internal save ram. Sega CD, Saturn, and Dreamcast. The Sega CD and Saturn came with a smaller amount of RAM then a memory cartridge (Not cards!) The Saturn was 32kb of internal RAM, 512kb cartridge.
The Dreamcast came with 128kb internal save RAM, same amount as a VMU. But it was used for console and browser settings only.
Microsoft learned its lesson from the cracking of the Xbox. The new system will more than likely be a significantly harder nut to crack, especially given the Trusted Platform Module that's likely to be on the motherboard.
What position would that be? The Nintendo Revolution is the very definition of vaporware.
Mod me down as a troll or flamebait all you want, but I'll never understand why everyone here on Slashdot gives Nintendo a free pass whenever there's a chink in the armor of their competitors.
You're willing to accept price points and game libraries that haven't been announced yet! You're willing to accept that the controller is going to "REVOLUTIONIZE" gaming, despite the lack of photos or even a reliable description of its qualities!
Fools part with money no sooner than fanboys, unfortunately. Being a gamer over the years has taught me two very important things:
-Cynicism saves you money and heartache.
-No company, no matter what their record, is infallible.
"Limit 1 Xbox 360 bundle per household. "
somehow i dont hink with a 1.2k price tag, that is going to be a big problem.
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How does telling us or not telling us "do us a favor"? It's either priced reasonably by our standards, or it's not. Telling us in advance it's going to be expensive is about as "considerate" as a rapist calling you to let you know you're in his datebook for next week.
A platform *never* makes its money on the hardware. In fact, hardware is usual sold at a loss to get more market penetration for the GAMES. So though the XBox costs $400, it is doubtful you could match the processor and videocard for anywhere close to that amount.
$2000
It is difficult to free fools from the chains they revere.
-Voltaire
so far people have been starting to compare computers to the new amazin xbox. Pretty cool product if you ask me, but where do we draw the line? Why can't some GENIOUS corperate junkie finally realize that consoles are becoming so much like computers that you might as well just buy a computer and modify it to fit your console needs (connect to television, GOOD controllers, etc.) As far as i'm concerned the amount people who have the money to pay and the time to play seems very finite. Computers on the other hand are not limited into "bundles" and these 60$ games are absolutly rediculous. Just my two sense
They are now listing a bundle for $1999 that has 20 games.
-Randy
Unusual size and weight notwithstanding, why not just absorb this into the overall cost of the bundle? It doesn't seem like there is any sort of discount once everything is added up anyway.
The accessory market was pretty open (look in a store how many third party accessories are sold there for any console) before the 360. MS announced they're going with Trusted Computing in order to force accessory makers to get a license.
Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
it seems like the main selling points on that bundle are Quake 4, Perfect Dark Zero and PGR3. All of which are not confirmed to be available on the exact release day yet, which is kind of worrying.
Business Voyeur
Hoo Hoo, I invented the game industry. Tell 'em Fred!
But you brazenly resist the fact that you can upgrade your PC bit by bit.
The cost of two XBOX is relevant because my PC I bought circa XBOX 1 will play the XBOX 2 games.
I can also swap out my 'budget' FX5700 and stick a GTXZl33t6900 graphics card when the price drop to about $150 and have much better raw power.
The refined nature of the PC as a development platform means games are better, modding, more open gaming - less \per
shit gotta go, finish off the rest of the comment in your head.
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The cost of two XBOX is relevant because my PC I bought circa XBOX 1 will play the XBOX 2 games.
First of all, it won't play all the games. It won't play DOA4, which would be my reason to buy a 360. Second, you bought your PC in the middle of the Xbox's lifecycle, when you could have picked one up for probably $150 used. Could you have bought a used PC for $150 that would have played new games for the next 2 and a half years? Granted, Xboxs can't be upgraded and won't be playing new games for much longer, but you would have spent a quarter of the money. Assuming your new video card will let you play games to the end of the 360's probable lifecycle (2010) you would have spent ~$750 to game for the same period of time that $550 in Xboxs would have got you. Now consider how likely it is that you won't have to upgrade before 2010 and you'll see why consoles are cheaper, even though you can spread the cost of a PC out more.
Granted, PCs can do a lot of things consoles can't, and they do play games that don't play well on a console. If you like your PC because it does those things, that's great, but if you like your PC because you think it's cheaper than a console, then you're just wrong.
"What is Internet Explorer 7? Are you saying we can't access the normal internet?" - I love tech support. Really.
I'm still trying to figure out why people would want an Xbox over a computer. For that price you could buy a bottom line computer that would essentially do the same as the 360, and a little more. Sure the 360 can game and play dvds, but the computer can do that- email, word process, surf the internet. I am also struggling with the reliablity level with the XBOX, 4 people I know that have XBOXes have had them break, or had to replace some component of them within the first year. My computer- hasn't had issues yet.
And since you don't have any friends, you'll have to hire three hookers to play with!
The *real* fact of the matter is this:
Neither you, nor anyone else, knows what the Revolution will or won't be capable of. Despite that fact, you're willing to assume that Nintendo's track record is enough to ensure a "revolutionary" product- a notion that is brought up any time there is any discussion of the two consoles of which real hard facts are known: the 360 and to a lesser extent the PS3.
So yeah, until Nintendo can back up their claims with hard evidence of a console that they're actually bringing to the market, it remains as vaporware and you make assumptions on faith. That's the very definition of fanboy, credentials notwithstanding.
I mean listen to yourself. You're actually saying that the Nintendo Revolution is going to be Revolutionary simply because Nintendo chose to call it the "Revolution"!! And on top of that, the few facts that we do know about the Revolution- you get wrong. ("Damn near the entire legacy"... if by that you mean only the Nintendo-produced games) Oh but *my* comments are wildly off-base...
Brand loyalty is idiocy when it comes to video games, and I wish more people could figure that out. Twenty years ago, Electronic Arts were the artistic pioneers of the medium- now they represent the worst of derivitive games and corporate mentality. Why is it so hard for people to believe that their chosen "team" is just as susceptible to that pitfall?
I see that I've already been modded down as flamebait for having the audacity to disparage the all-powerful and beloved Nintendo Corporation on Slashdot- even though the OP is a pro-Nintendo post that has nothing to do with TFA.
Prove me wrong and I'll concede that you aren't just another Nintendo fanboy karma-whore.