[bigtroyjon]

Whenever I've seen a thread where the cost of XBL comes into play, I often see the comment that no smart shopper pays $60 for a year of XBL. Smart shoppers supposedly pay 40, so now you're looking at an $80 difference.

This clearly isn't a deal targeted at smart shoppers so you aren't looking at an $80 difference

[AzBat]

Going with Microsoft's own pricing you're actually saving $10.95 if you choose the $99 deal...

Xbox 360 4gb console + Kinect - $299.99
2 years of Xbox Live Gold service - $59.99 x 2 = $119.98
1 year extended warranty for Xbox 360 - $24.99
1 year extended warranty for Kinect - $24.99
TOTAL - $469.95

versus

Xbox 360 4gb console + Kinect - $99
2 years of service(includes Xbox Live Gold & 2 year warranty plus additional content) - $15/month = $360
TOTAL - $459

It's not $40 more like everybody first thought. And this doesn't take into count the additional content stated in the original rumor.

[Cipherr]

Early termination fee, I dont want to see these words in gaming, get out.

Oh man this. Sadly I can see this possibly working for them.



Next gen is going to suck, isn't it..

[Arpharmd B]

Oh man this. Sadly I can see this possibly working for them. Next gen is going to suck, isn't it..

Why is next gen going to suck. Because they are offering a subsidised option just like cell phones?

It simply makes sense for some people. Buying a 360 for 99 then doing 15 dollar payments is almost the same thing as putting 420$ on a credit card for the same stuff and paying it off slowly for however many months. Probably actually a better idea than that, depending on your CC interest rate.

Going with Microsoft's own pricing you're actually saving $10.95 if you choose the $99 deal... Xbox 360 4gb console + Kinect - $299.99 2 years of Xbox Live Gold service - $59.99 x 2 = $119.98 1 year extended warranty for Xbox 360 - $24.99 1 year extended warranty for Kinect - $24.99 TOTAL - $469.95 versus Xbox 360 4gb console + Kinect - $99 2 years of service(includes Xbox Live Gold & 2 year warranty plus additional content) - $15/month = $360 TOTAL - $459 It's not $40 more like everybody first thought. And this doesn't take into count the additional content stated in the original rumor.

Get this logic out of here. It's a horrible option! EArly TERminaton FEEZ!!!! NOOES!!! MS is Hitler. End of th eowrld etc.

[jbug617]

Here is the link for the Microsoft Store
http://content.microsoftstore.com/st...live2yr-offer/

[Somnid]

Going with Microsoft's own pricing you're actually saving $10.95 if you choose the $99 deal... Xbox 360 4gb console + Kinect - $299.99 2 years of Xbox Live Gold service - $59.99 x 2 = $119.98 1 year extended warranty for Xbox 360 - $24.99 1 year extended warranty for Kinect - $24.99 TOTAL - $469.95 versus Xbox 360 4gb console + Kinect - $99 2 years of service(includes Xbox Live Gold & 2 year warranty plus additional content) - $15/month = $360 TOTAL - $459 It's not $40 more like everybody first thought. And this doesn't take into count the additional content stated in the original rumor.

Well smart people don't actually pay full price for Live either.

[coldfoot]

Going with Microsoft's own pricing you're actually saving $10.95 if you choose the $99 deal... Xbox 360 4gb console + Kinect - $299.99 2 years of Xbox Live Gold service - $59.99 x 2 = $119.98 1 year extended warranty for Xbox 360 - $24.99 1 year extended warranty for Kinect - $24.99 TOTAL - $469.95 versus Xbox 360 4gb console + Kinect - $99 2 years of service(includes Xbox Live Gold & 2 year warranty plus additional content) - $15/month = $360 TOTAL - $459 It's not $40 more like everybody first thought. And this doesn't take into count the additional content stated in the original rumor.

Who pays $25 for a year of extended warranty on Kinect? Do you know of Anyone who bought that?

[StevieP]

Sub based next gen console at launch? lol.

Don't act too surprised when it happens

I am pretty sure I haven't played a single MP game on the 360. i didn't pay for live until the services made it worth while

I have a bunch of devices under or around my TV (including a PC, streamer box, and the TV itself) that can do what Live Gold does but for free or built-in. Does that make me stupid or smart?

[Speedymanic]

Don't act too surprised when it happens

It might happen eventually, but it won't be there at launch. I can't see MS taking the risk so soon into a new generation.

[StevieP]

It might happen eventually, but it won't be there at launch. I can't see MS taking the risk so soon into a new generation.

You can and will if the Durango BOM is $6-800 and MS wants to minimize the red ink.

[venne]

It might happen eventually, but it won't be there at launch. I can't see MS taking the risk so soon into a new generation.

What risk?

The bonus for them is they package profitable products (Live and extended warranty) with, historically, unprofitable hardware.

If they can get the consumer out the door with a next gen system and a couple games for $200-$300 at launch with another couple hundred coming in over the next couple years, it would be a major coup.

[jaypah]

I will never understand why a dude would give a shit where another dudes money goes.

[Slayer-33]

It might happen eventually, but it won't be there at launch. I can't see MS taking the risk so soon into a new generation.

They are basically securing a customer and DLC purchases + subscriptions to other content.


Major game changer imo.


They are going to achieve their set top box goal. Hell I think that they have already achieved that over here in a way already.

[SYNTAX182]

Going with Microsoft's own pricing you're actually saving $10.95 if you choose the $99 deal... Xbox 360 4gb console + Kinect - $299.99 2 years of Xbox Live Gold service - $59.99 x 2 = $119.98 1 year extended warranty for Xbox 360 - $24.99 1 year extended warranty for Kinect - $24.99 TOTAL - $469.95 versus Xbox 360 4gb console + Kinect - $99 2 years of service(includes Xbox Live Gold & 2 year warranty plus additional content) - $15/month = $360 TOTAL - $459 It's not $40 more like everybody first thought. And this doesn't take into count the additional content stated in the original rumor.

Yeah but the first deal doesn't force full price of Live Gold and warranties down your throat either.

[Sho_Nuff82]

I will never understand why a dude would give a shit where another dudes money goes.

Most of the outrage stems from how 'unfair' it is that MS is cheating somehow. MS has been selling Kinect for two years now, LIVE for nearly a decade. But somehow using these to their advantage, to put out cheap hardware at mass market prices, is breaking the unspoken rules of price drops.

[OldJadedGamer]

Yeah but the first deal doesn't force full price of Live Gold and warranties down your throat either.

Some gamers want option 1, some want option 2.

Most of the outrage stems from how 'unfair' it is that MS is cheating somehow. MS has been selling Kinect for two years now, LIVE for nearly a decade. But somehow using these to their advantage, to put out cheap hardware at mass market prices, is breaking the unspoken rules of price drops.

If this was the only option to get the system I would understand the bitching but as another option... who cares if you won't use that option?

[jimi_dini]

Why is next gen going to suck. Because they are offering a subsidised option just like cell phones?

Yes
This actually means they are going to try to pull a PS3 again ("600$") or even worse. And this time it's going to be Microsoft + Sony together. Ugh.

Also you NEED a carrier for a cell phone to be useful. Do you need Xbox Live for 360 to be useful? Not at all. You need games. But you also don't need just any game, you need games that you actually like for a console to get useful. So having some sort of contract like "buy 15 games per year not used" or "buy 5 games day-1 not used" would make more sense. Of course, wouldn't be really practicable.

It simply makes sense for some people. Buying a 360 for 99 then doing 15 dollar payments is almost the same thing as putting 420$ on a credit card for the same stuff and paying it off slowly for however many months. Probably actually a better idea than that, depending on your CC interest rate.

Yes, forgetting about the fact that it's a pain in the ass to get out of Xbox Live membership. I guess they will only accept creditcard or your bank account, so you got to enter those things somewhere. Then it also will be a pain in the ass to sell the 360 during that duration. I mean the "membership" will be forced on you. If you pay it "fully" on credit, you can sell the 360 afterwards w/o issues and pay back the credit using the monies you got from selling it. But using this scheme, you are forced into a Xbox Live membership. You also got a forced warranty that is probably not sellable at all. And you got Xbox Live membership, also not sellable at all. And in case you don't like Xbox Live at all, well crap - you got to pay for 2 years anyway. And maybe they even lock the 360 onto your account, so it won't be sellable at all.

And selling it isn't that off. I mean if you can't afford the full price of a 360, you should better not get it at all or at least get it in a way, that you can get rid of it w/o problems, if you need the money.

[jaypah]

Most of the outrage stems from how 'unfair' it is that MS is cheating somehow. MS has been selling Kinect for two years now, LIVE for nearly a decade. But somehow using these to their advantage, to put out cheap hardware at mass market prices, is breaking the unspoken rules of price drops.

yeah, I understand that a lot of the people complaining and saying the sky is falling weren't too hot on MS to begin with. Its the same as any Kinect, Live or MS E3 thread. I just don't understand why it matters if they don't plan on using the offer in the first place? I mean, I wouldn't get mad about the price of yogurt because a) I don't care about yogurt and b) I don't care about how much other people spend on yogurt. It all seems super petty to me.

[SYNTAX182]

Some gamers want option 1, some want option 2. If this was the only option to get the system I would understand the bitching but as another option... who cares if you won't use that option?

I'm not saying Microsoft should not do this. It's nice to have options, but the first deal is the better option because it saves money and you have the option of getting the warranties or not. You can get a better deal by taking the first option. There's no point in the second deal but to lock you down long term, hence the reason for termination fees. You pay $10.00 less if you pay for option 1 full price, which is not a smart consumer move. Not a great deal, your signing a contract like it's a cellphone and paying more.

[Bumblebeetuna]

Yes, forgetting about the fact that it's a pain in the ass to get out of Xbox Live membership. I guess they will only accept creditcard or your bank account, so you got to enter those things somewhere. Then it also will be a pain in the ass to sell the 360 during that duration. I mean the "membership" will be forced on you. If you pay it "fully" on credit, you can sell the 360 afterwards w/o issues and pay back the credit using the monies you got from selling it. But using this scheme, you are forced into a Xbox Live membership. You also got a forced warranty that is probably not sellable at all. And you got Xbox Live membership, also not sellable at all. And in case you don't like Xbox Live at all, well crap - you got to pay for 2 years anyway. And maybe they even lock the 360 onto your account, so it won't be sellable at all. And selling it isn't that off. I mean if you can't afford the full price of a 360, you should better not get it at all or at least get it in a way, that you can get rid of it w/o problems, if you need the money.

Are people still going on about how hard it is to cancel Live? Use the computer or a phone. It's easy.

As for the rest of that.. I don't see your point. You are paying a lower up front fee so that you can pay the rest off later. It's obvious that you're going to have things "forced" on you, that's the whole point of a contract like this. You agree to take something that at retail would cost nearly $500 and you get it for $100. You then pay the rest off monthly. If shit happens and you have to sell it, or you just decide you don't like it, you can sell it and either keep paying the monthly fee for the contract you signed or pay the ETF.

Maybe I am missing something but the ETF seems to be extremely lenient. It's $250 for the first 3 months of the contract and goes down from there. You could sell the bundle for that much if you don't like it and just wipe your hands with all of it.

[Captain Tuttle]

There's worse deals out there than this one

[deadlast]

I hope Sony drops the price of the PlayStation to counter this offer.

[jet1911]

I hope Sony drops the price of the PlayStation to counter this offer.

I don't think Sony should be really worried about a plan only available at 16 locations in the US. :P

[OldJadedGamer]

I'm not saying Microsoft should not do this. It's nice to have options, but the first deal is the better option because it saves money and you have the option of getting the warranties or not. You can get a better deal by taking the first option. There's no point in the second deal but to lock you down long term, hence the reason for termination fees. You pay $10.00 less if you pay for option 1 full price, which is not a smart consumer move. Not a great deal, your signing a contract like it's a cellphone and paying more.

Then you get option 1? Why do you care if someone is dumb enough to pick option 2?

[CaptainZombie]

So did anyone ever jump on this? $10-$12 a month wouldn't seem bad, but once you toss in tax each month, seems a bit too high.

[bill0527]

I will never understand why a dude would give a shit where another dudes money goes.

Because when dudes spend their money on shit, it enables these companies to dump more shit on top of us.

The fuckers that bought horse armor opened up the floodgates and now we end up spending $120 for our games if we want the complete experience, when the complete experience used to be a one-time fee packed complete inside the box.