J Allard chat transcript

[SonofdonCD]

I agree with everyone that the $300 system is a joke, and isn't really worth it, hardcore or casual. With no saving ability out of the box, you're going to eventually have to get either a memory card or HDD, bringing the price above $400 with a game anyway. You really are a dunce if you buy it, especially if you consider what else comes in the $400 system. You'll be saving a lot money in the long run if you get that version.

I think that's what they're hoping will happen in the grand scheme of things. You'll probably see the core system in much smaller quantities than the premium pack.

I thought they'd go this route at some point later down the road, not at launch. I think it's a mistake, but not a fatal one. Most people will eventually see the games and decide that it's worth the price. Let's just hope for MS' sake the different price/packages don't confuse the hell out of the casuals and/or parents buying 360's come the holidays. Microsoft better be coming out with a comprehensive advertising campaign that explains this in the most laymen terms possible.

While this has put a damper on my feelings of the system like most everyone here, I still can't avoid getting it (Halo 3, et all). But the $400 starting price is too much to swallow at this point. So I'll have to wait until after launch sometime when the premium price drops or I feel like dropping $500+ in one day on a luxury, not a necessity.

[StriderKyo]

So the 360 will be like a PSP without the emulators. Wow. That thing is shiny. Why doesn't it have any games?

Come on, 360'll have more good games at or near launch than PSP's had in its first 6 months.

While this has put a damper on my feelings of the system like most everyone here, I still can't avoid getting it (Halo 3, et all). But the $400 starting price is too much to swallow at this point. So I'll have to wait until after launch sometime when the premium price drops or I feel like dropping $500+ in one day on a luxury, not a necessity.

I'm pretty much forgetting about getting one for now and just waiting for PS3, especially if it launches in the spring like 4 months after 360. But RR6 and Oblivion call to me...their siren song will be difficult to resist. TGS will be huge this year, and answer alot of questions. That's when Sony has to begin the counter-propaganda blitz.

[MrWhitefolks]

well, removable hdd's = mods for the system within the first 6 months of launch.

i honestly dont see why you guys are getting all pissy over this, you're all gonna buy one anyways(just as you did when you were talking shit about xbox1, and now it's all the rage).

secondly, i love how you guys sit there thinking you can run their buisness better than they can.

OMG DOOD THEY TOTALLY HAVE NO IDEA WUT DER DOIN WTFLOLZ

[TobalRox]

They said long ago there would be multiple packages, it's just that they are now having 2 at launch, instead of having it down the road.... We're all blowing it up to be way more than it is. If parents buy the wrong system (of which they will have much less available for), it's the salespersons fault, and not theirs.

[StriderKyo]

well, removable hdd's = mods for the system within the first 6 months of launch.

No, they mean the opposite. Xbox used off the shelf parts, 360 will likely require you to build a custom connector or break your casing.

i honestly dont see why you guys are getting all pissy over this, you're all gonna buy one anyways(just as you did when you were talking shit about xbox1, and now it's all the rage).

Because it was the most powerful hardware on the market, with several unique features and the best version of every multiplatform game. Now it's inferior technology, has nowhere near the number of exclusives the competition will, doesn't have a standard HDD to take advantage of, uses inferior media, limited backwards compatibility, no 1080p compatibility, no HDMI, peripheral and game costs are either increased or through the roof, and HD-DVD may end up dead in the water while Blu Ray is the next standard. The two situations aren't comparable at all.

secondly, i love how you guys sit there thinking you can run their buisness better than they can.

OMG DOOD THEY TOTALLY HAVE NO IDEA WUT DER DOIN WTFLOLZ

You're right. Masterminding all this negative reaction was a brilliant stroke on their part. Companies never make mistakes, ever.

I understand the realities of why they did this, and they have enough marketing muscle to make the system work, but anybody who's not planning on spending $2000 on gaming the next 12 months will have to choose either PS3 or 360, and it's pretty obvious which is the better system at this point.

[PKBMax]

I laugh that the budget "core" system doesn't come with a memory card.

[Prince Planet]

secondly, i love how you guys sit there thinking you can run their buisness better than they can.

I agree with this, although that doesn't mean that MS can never make a bad decision. Obviously they can, but you're right to point out that these decisions get vetted in front of a whole bunch of people who presumably have some clue of how to keep the general company insanely profitable year after year.

As for MS somehow stiffing gamers -- I don't see it that way, although I certainly agree that MS's motivations for a detachable HDD included money somewhere in the equation.

I took a little inventory over the weekend of all my consoles and games going back to the 70s (yes, I still have just about all of them). Here's what I took away: I've spent shitloads of money on peripherals, most of which were no more "overpriced" than the next wave of MS's stuff (i.e., few if any of them were "good deals"); and I've bought (and was "forced" to buy) multiple, separate storage devices (also "overpriced") for just about every console in the last 10 years.

All said and done, the premium bundle for $400 seems fair enough for all of the cutting edge tech they claim is inside, even if I'm paying a premium for some of peripherals that I'd wind up buying anyway. That, and few quality games (which the will seem to have at launch), is pretty much on par with what I've blown on prior launches, and this launch may have the potential for considerably more breadth in the short term.

[SamuraiMoogle]

Because it was the most powerful hardware on the market, with several unique features and the best version of every multiplatform game. Now it's inferior technology, has nowhere near the number of exclusives the competition will, doesn't have a standard HDD to take advantage of, uses inferior media, limited backwards compatibility, no 1080p compatibility, no HDMI, peripheral and game costs are either increased or through the roof, and HD-DVD may end up dead in the water while Blu Ray is the next standard. The two situations aren't comparable at all.

The 360 doesnt have HD-DVD. Just standard dvd.

Did Microsoft say somewhere that its possible they would release different versions of the 360 or include HD-DVD down the road? It would be kinda cool if 5 years from now you could buy the XBox 3 Core system and use your old 360 harddrive. Maybe Microsoft is just thinking way way ahead.

[JefmcC]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Bob


yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

[RoleTroll]

secondly, i love how you guys sit there thinking you can run their buisness better than they can.

Good short-term business decision for MS. The fewer consoles they sell, the smaller the losses they have to report to shareholders. It doesn't mean gamers should like it.