Xbox 360 Prices Announced

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http://money.cnn.com/2005/08/17/commentary/game_over/column_gaming/index.htm?cnn=yes


When the Xbox 360 goes on sale this holiday season, buyers will be able to purchase a no-frills version for $299.99 or a bells-and-whistles version for $399.99.
The less-expensive core system will feature only the Xbox 360 console with a controller, which has to be plugged into the system to play games. The $400 option will come with a 20 GB hard drive, a wireless controller, a headset (used for talking with other players online) that stylistically matches the Xbox 360 and, for a limited time, a remote control allowing users to more easily access the machine's multimedia functions.

I already have mine reserved and I should be getting it from the first shipment...whenever that is.
 
yeah £210 and £279 in the UK - not a bad launch price.

Im leaning towards pre-ordering it. Not quite sure yet.
 
Sweet...I need to head to gamestop and reserve my copy I suppose. Definitely think the "luxury" model is worth the extra $100.
 
Wow. Lotsa moneys. I wonder which games will be available for lauch. I hope there are games available at launch.

But I don't get all this. Why buy a new console now? why not wait until the good games appear? Developers won't be at their best until an year or so. actually, it takes many years, but games released 12 months after the debut are generally a lot more polished and use the hardware a lot better than 1st gen ones. Not to mention price drops.

I'm not even going into the whole "choose the games and not the hardware issue"...
 
I bet the cheapo one doesn't run original xbox games what with most of them needing a hard drive. I guess the ability to run all the games I've already spent loads of money on is worth the extra $100 and then I can use my old xbox at work.

I still wonder what the hell they're thinking with that 20GB drive though. These days it really shouldn't cost a lot more for 40GB.
 
It's worth more for the hard drive alone...(which sells separately for $100) because you can't play original xbox games without a hard drive. It's worth it because of the wireless controller (another $50), it's worth it for the high def cables ($40 if bought for the cheap version) etc. I'm not saying the whole package is worth $400 but I'm saying its worth putting down the extra money over the cheap version.
 
Cpl Hades said:
I bet the cheapo one doesn't run original xbox games what with most of them needing a hard drive. I guess the ability to run all the games I've already spent loads of money on is worth the extra $100 and then I can use my old xbox at work.
That's closer to an excuse to shake us down than it is added value.
 
Edfilho said:
But I don't get all this. Why buy a new console now? why not wait until the good games appear? Developers won't be at their best until an year or so. actually, it takes many years, but games released 12 months after the debut are generally a lot more polished and use the hardware a lot better than 1st gen ones. Not to mention price drops.

Why would anyone wait? Rather than wait 6-12 months for a $100 savings, I could be playing the hell out of it this year. Of course the games look better as the platform matures, but there's going to be plenty of great games in the launch window, and they'll all look a lot better than polished XBox 1 titles.

Maj.Striker said:
Sweet...I need to head to gamestop and reserve my copy I suppose. Definitely think the "luxury" model is worth the extra $100.

Frosty said:
Hehehe, no it's not, but I'd buy it instead of the cheapo one anyway.

If they only had the base $299 model, I'd still definitely get the $50 wireless controller, $20 headset, $40 HD cables and $30 remote. That'd bring me to $440 right there. The hard drive separately would be $100. Shame the $299 one won't have it included, but the $399 package completely makes up for it. If someone has to save money by going for the cheaper package, they really shouldn't be investing in a game system at all.
 
But will they play any better? The new hardware is all geared towards making things look better... not more fun. Stuff like AI will probably remain in the same level of current titles.

I'm really worried about the effect of the next gen on development. I hope we won't get just halo and madden sequels.
 
Cpl Hades said:
I still wonder what the hell they're thinking with that 20GB drive though. These days it really shouldn't cost a lot more for 40GB.
Only a few of the exclusively X-Box games really use the hard drive. The X-Box 1 has some 5GB of hard drive space that you can fill up. Halo 2's map pack is some 400 (?) megs, but everything else uses just a few megs for savegames. That can easily fit on some solid state memory. Even the 360's 20GB is way more than you'll ever need.
 
I'd just prefer they'd sell only the fully-featured model at a reduced price, even if it's just 50 bucks less. That's one more game anyway.
 
Edfilho said:
But will they play any better? The new hardware is all geared towards making things look better... not more fun. Stuff like AI will probably remain in the same level of current titles.

You don't buy a new console at launch for games to play better, you buy them to look better and perhaps have some new technological features. Playability it a subjective measurement that's not locked to technological advancement. Games that play better will dot the gaming landscape here and there, no matter what console they're for. You buy new consoles in order to play all your fun favorites in high definition with much better effects/shading/lighting/textures/environment/draw distance/etc. Breakthrough innovative titles will come, but that's not the primarily reason to buy a new system.

Edfilho said:
I'm really worried about the effect of the next gen on development. I hope we won't get just halo and madden sequels.

That's entirely dependent on what people buy and the market dictates. Halo and Madden sequels will or won't flood the market no matter what hardware is out there.
 
Edfilho said:
But will they play any better? The new hardware is all geared towards making things look better... not more fun. Stuff like AI will probably remain in the same level of current titles.

I'm really worried about the effect of the next gen on development. I hope we won't get just halo and madden sequels.

I'm anxious to see MGS4 because of that Ed. There are a few interviews with Hideo Kojima im which he adresses those sort of concerns. Kojima gives an example of a map in a standard FPS game. He thinks most developers will use the new power of next-gen systems to make the maps bigger, maybe higher definition surroundings. Kojima wants to make the map more life-like; trees will actually grow or die, random weather patterns, etc. He wants to completely surround the player in the game environment.

That's the direction I think developers should be moving in, but I don't see much more than better graphics in most next-gen titles. Granted there isn't a wealth of information about most next-gen titles though, so we'll just have to wait and see.
 
the "Core" setup seems uncessary really.

If you want a fully functional 360 you are going to have to shell out more in the long run.

I am close to pre-ordering... I havn't quite made my mind up yet... :)
 
Yeah, of course, nobody with enough money/time to properly fund a console gaming hobby should even consider the $299 option, but it's out there so they can advertise it as "starting at $299.99" going into the holiday season. If you have a standard definition tv and you're not doing any backwards compatible/xbox live stuff with it, and you don't really have an ambitions about moving on to those things in the future, I guess the $299 package works.. but the 64 meg memory card is $40 on its own, so even then the $299 set isn't really viable.

Then in addition to the $399 set being a relatively good deal for the equipment you get, starting at that price point gives them a lot of room to adjust as the PS3 launches next year.

Conrad said:
I am close to pre-ordering... I havn't quite made my mind up yet... :)

Do you do a lot of current XBox stuff? I've had mine preordered for a while. Anything among this list appeal to you? Battlefield 2, Blue Dragon, Burnout 4, Call of Duty 2, Dead or Alive 4, Need for Speed, Ninety-Nine Nights, Perfect Dark Zero, Project Gotham 3, Ridge Racer 6, Elder Scrolls Oblivion, Ghost Recon 3?

I'm pretty interested in Burnout, Ghost Recon & Dead or Alive. 99 Nights looks good, and I'd really like to see more on this mech game called Chrome Hounds. Further out in the first quarter of 2006, Dead Rising and Gears of War look pretty neat.
 
yeah, i've owned a xbox for nearly 3 years now.

Ghost recon 3 looks really appealing, and im looking forward to see what perfect dark turns out like.

Looking for more in game footage of the launch titles to get a better idea of whether i want to get one for launch of not...
 
Ouch. That is a hefty price.

I just might have to wait for Halo 3 comes out before I buy a new console.
 
ChrisReid said:
If they only had the base $299 model, I'd still definitely get the $50 wireless controller

Personally I'd actually pay extra for a NON wireless controller. I have no idea why the whole world is so keen on wireless stuff. It never works as relieable as the conventional ones and you have more (unhealthy) electro magnetic radiation as well.
 
cff said:
Personally I'd actually pay extra for a NON wireless controller. I have no idea why the whole world is so keen on wireless stuff. It never works as relieable as the conventional ones and you have more (unhealthy) electro magnetic radiation as well.

My entire room is a 360 degree electromagnetic radiationathon. Wireless stuff used to be dorky, but it's pretty incredible now. I definitely can count on my wireless accessories to work as well as the wired counterparts. My mouse and keyboard are spot on. Finally had to change the batteries after more than a year of heavy daily use. The GameCube Wavebird is an incredible piece of technology. I wasn't interested in Wireless controllers before that, but after using one regularly, I can't imagine going back. On top of that, I've got four controllers for multiple systems sitting in boxes around here. Whether they're in storage or stuck in the pocket of a bag to travel somewhere, not having to bind and keep track of the cords cuts the size and hassle in half. There'll be wired controllers too, and if you know anyone with one, they'll probably gladly trade for your wireless.
 
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