Looks like those reports were true... http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/642/642656p1.html So no HDD included. And that probably means no games will really take advantage of it, and that the PS3 probably won't include one either. BTW, as the article mentioned, the Games Convention just started. So you may expect to see some more announcements/media in the next few days. Supposedly, there is supposed to be a MGS 4 trailer for the PS3, although it may just turn out to be the E3 trailer. If something big happens, I'll probably just make another thread for it rather than include it in this thread or make a big thread for everything. I'm expecting some things, but not a lot. I hope the rest of the show brings info better than this. edit: Here's an accessory list from Gamespot: http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/08/17/news_6131245.html BTW, it sounds like Hideo Kojima already gave his presentation, and nothing exciting was even said about MGS 4, let alone show. So it looks like no MGS 4 trailer until TGS (a month from now).
Cool thanks for the post RC.. I would have though M$ would have made the drives bigger than 20 gig for the 100 dollar price
To be fair, this is a 2.5" HD, not a regular sized one, so it isn't like we could have had a 200GB hard drive or something like that. There are bigger 2.5" drives for a lower price though, IIRC. Not that my opinion really matters, but what little chance there was of me getting a Xbox 360 has now been flushed down the drain. As I mentioned previously, I was thinking about getting one mostly because of TES IV: Oblivion. However, if I went along with this, I'd be spending a LOT of money. I think I read the game requires a HDD, but even if it doesn't, I'll at least have to get a memory card. So I'd be spending at least $390-$400 ($300+$40+$50-$60), although at that price, I'd probably go ahead and get the premium package, costing me $450-$460($400+$50-$60). And then I'll probably want another controller if I ever want to play sports games or other multiplayer games. Since I'd already have one wireless controller, might as well get another one since the wired controller is almost as expensive ($450-$460+$50=$500-$510). Ouch...and I'm not even including any of the rechargeable batteries or play and charge accessories ($64 total if I want them for each wireless controller). Good thing I don't have a wireless network (+$100), a HDTV (+$40 for the cables I think) , or plan on using Xbox Live (???) much...ugh, I forgot about the microtransactions. The bad thing about this all is that I doubt Sony will make me feel any better. I'm guessing they'll do pretty much the same thing (maybe not two packages, but still crazy expensive). One funny thing is that Europeans actually love this announcement since MS actually adjusted the price for them. They were normally paying this type of money for the PS2/Xbox, long after they launched elsewhere. So the American and European reactions to the prices are a little different. I wonder if Sony will adjust as well. BTW, for any of you who preordered, you'll probably have to get with your retail store and clarify what package you want. I think retail store managers around the country are pulling their hair out now that they have to fix the preorder problems. I'd assume most of you will go for the $400 package. Seems like a better deal to me with the HD. You'll either spend $340 or $400 if you want to save a game or use Xbox Live, and I also think the HD is necessary if you want to play Xbox 1 games.
No way I'm getting the fully-loaded package, thats just to damn expensive considering I will get the PS3 when it comes out next spring. Yes the "core" package doesn't seem like much compared to the fully-loaded one, but as long as its playable right out of the box then I'm all for it...assuming that all you need is a memory card to play the game. I could always get the extras that included with the F-L package later on if I choose to. What I would really like to know is, whatever happen to the game "Gears OF War" that was claimed by MS to be one of the launch title? That game along with Perfect Dark were promoted at E3 as the game that will really set the Xbox360 off on launch day. I saw in another thread that GOW wasn't included as one of the launch title. Can someone confirmed if this is true? GOW alone is enough for me cement my decision to buy the Xbox360.
AFAIK, I don't think anyone ever said GoW would be a launch title. The game should be released in Q2 of 2006 some time IIRC, maybe to team up with Halo 3 against the PS3. If GoW was a launch title, then MS would be doing pretty good right now, even with a rather expensive set up. The core package should be playable out of the box, unless some game requires a HD (maybe Oblivion, or a MMO game like FFXI). I just like the idea of a wireless controller and a HD, so I would personally go ahead and get the $400 package. I wonder how long it will take for the accessories to receive price cuts though. I think the PS2 memory cards still like $25 for 8MB. I'd rather get the $400 package right away instead of trying to live without some of the accessories, and then giving in later (costing me way more than the $400 for the premium package). Just my opinion though. And since I'm not getting one, it doesn't really matter.
Looks like I'm getting the $400 package. It seems to be a super deal. Only $100 extra for a HD, wireless controller, etc that would have cost me probably another $200 buying seperate. Now, I just wish they would confirm a release date.
Sony > * and M$ sux0rz i'm pretty sure that microsoft had the 360 at the $400 price point to begin with. And they're just basically putting out a 'core' membership as a weaker alternative. I mean, really, if the games will need a hard drive of some sort, they're basically pushing you to buy the $400 outfit since it'd be stupid to buy the base system and a $100 HD when you can get more with the $400.
Why do we need a standalone game console? Can't we just play games on the computer with controllers? Isn't these consoles just another conputer that is designed exclusively for playing games? That question, I never fully understood.
This isn't bad news at all. I don't get it. I don't see the two seperate prices as that big a deal - particularly since with the HDD, remote, HD cables, headset and wireless controller for only 100 bucks more is a nice package. And RC, didn't you spend 250+ on the PSP? Which is a lot less featured than this. I don't get how this means that now there's 'little chance' of you getting the 360. Not too mention the PS3 is going to probably be as least as expensive as this. Hell, Sony themselves are saying you'll have to 'work' to own a PS3. You're going to be spending a lot of money to jump in to the next-generation race right away. Everyone should have expected as much. This doesn't seem like a bad deal.
New GeForce 7800 GT video card = $400. $400 for Xbox360 with wireless/HD/HDTV adapter seems like a good deal to me.
CNN Story Seems like a great deal to me. These companies can't keep adding oodles of hardware and yet charge 200 bucks and hope to ever stop the bleeding. Are you guys gonna complain about pricing when the PS3 comes in at the same price - or even more expensive - b/c it is a more powerful system?
The premium package is a great deal...when you take the accessory list into consideration. Like I said, if I were getting one, I'd get the premium version. But IMO, a lot of that stuff either shouldn't cost that much or should have been included in every console. If you asked most gamers prior to today about the Xbox 360 price, they would have guessed that it would cost $300 and would include the HD and a wireless controller. Instead, it is a $100 more for what was expected to be in every console. To be honest, while the prices aren't great news IMO, I was mostly referring to the two versions of the Xbox 360 as bad news. I'd still think it would be "bad" if the two versions cost $100 and $150. I just don't like it when they split the user base. Now all those good comments from Bethesda and Square-Enix about the HD don't mean anything. For reference, a lot of the great games on the Xbox (Halo 1+2, Ninja Gaiden, KOTOR I think, etc) used the HD. But unless MS has some great plan, developers will pretty much be forced to develop for the core version (w/o a HD). To further complicate matter, while I know MS said not to bank on a HD for developers, I don't think that kept some developers from developing with a HD in mind; Bethesda, for example, pretty much said that a HD was essential for their game. And as I've already mentioned, I think Sony will probably price the PS3 the same range, if not more ($350-$500). I don't expect two consoles, although I don't know what Sony is planning. Depending on the reaction for the Xbox 360 premium version, Sony can price the PS3 is similar fashion ($400 or even $450) and mention that a wireless controller is standard, the console is already wireless, and that it offers the ability to play Blu-ray. If all the gamers are now more than happy with paying $400+ for the Xbox 360, then the once absurd price of $450 or so for the PS3 doesn't quite seem as crazy. I hope they don't do that though. If they really want to hurt MS, they could announce at TGS that the PS3 would be $300-$350, and would include the things mentioned above. I doubt that now, but it would be a blow to MS. Not to mention the theory that all the stuff coming from Sony is just a tactic to get MS to "overprice" the Xbox 360 (which they already did). While Ken is saying that the PS3 will be "expensive" and whatnot, he's also on record as saying that he doesn't think a console can succeed at more than a ~$300 price tag. And that's not even mentioning the reports from E3 that the PS3 would be priced similarly to the PS1 and PS2 in Japan. I've been reading lately about how "expensive" Cell, RSX, and Blu-ray would really be, and I still don't think it would be impossible for Sony to price the PS3 at $300. Again though, that's probably a pipedream since I doubt Sony would turn down a chance to cut losses on the PS3, but there's no telling what Sony is really thinking. Another thing to keep in mind about the PS3 is that if you really don't expect there to be a difference between the PS3 and Xbox 360 from a hardware perspective, then it really doesn't make sense to assume that it would cost tons more when it comes out ~6 months later. So even if the PS3 will be "expensive," it would most likely be worth it in the eyes of most. As for my personal interests, I was thinking about getting a Xbox 360 if it was priced at ~$300 (w HDD), and then buying Oblivion for a total of ~$360 maybe. I may have gotten some extra controllers, which IMO should be priced $30-$35 each (the Wavebird is around that price, I think). And then maybe I'd rent some other games. But that was before I learned that everything would be at least a $100 more, and that the one game I was looking forward to may not even really use the HD effectively. That's mostly what changed my mind of this matter, and I was barely considering it in the first place. As far as the PSP goes, I believe most people were pleasantly surprised about the price of the PSP when it was announced; that isn't the case with the Xbox 360, as far as I can tell. And I think the PSP offers some great things for what it is. The homebrew stuff makes the $250+ price tag very much worth it, IMO (and I don't think I'm the only one if you check out the PSP threads). If you think it is strange that I would be getting a PSP but not a Xbox 360, keep in mind that I'm planning on getting a PS3 as well. The PSP offered me what I wanted from a handheld (and more) and was pretty much the only handheld that offered these features, while the Xbox 360 doesn't offer me anything over the PS3 that I plan on getting. Despite all that, I still almost got one, although I would have just traded it in for the PS3 later. So to sum up everything, $400 isn't necessarily bad for what you get, it just differs from what most expected of the console. Two versions of the console are bad, IMO. The prices of the accessories are outrageous. I would expect a similar price structure for the PS3 (except for memory cards, thank goodness), although if Sony is crazy, they may be able to offer it at the ~$300 price tag. And finally, I have my own reasons for getting or not getting a PSP/PS3/Xbox 360 which seem to make sense to me, just like everyone else who made or will make those decisions.
True, but it's never that easy.. I used to play computer games for 10 years or so and the cost of video cards and upgrades have gotten WAY out of control.. Because the cost to keep up with computer games is too much I will not be playing computer games any longer...With consoles I can buy the system and get about 4-6 years out of it before I have to upgrade VS the PC at about 2 years.. Now that both next gens understand that online is the way to go it makes the switch even easier... I will be saying goodbye to the the days of spending $250.00 video cards and and upgradeing the RAM just to play the newest games around the holidays and I dont think I will go back..
As always, thanks for the info, RC. My 14 year old son has been banking on getting an Xbox 360 when they come out. (I'm a PC/RTS guy, but this stuff fascinates me) This news is going to be a heavy blow. If Sony follows the same price point, they are going to price themselves out of a lot of sales. There is a limit on how much money a kid can save up for these things, and still afford the games. And there is a limit to how much bread a parent will shell out on them as well. I don't get it. Don't they make their money off the games? If their customers can't afford the platform, how in the hell are they going to buy the games?? BTW, my son also has his eye on a PSP. I have a feeling that he'll end up with one of those, and just wait to see how the platforms shake out... wait a long time.
I think the prices are great. Do you remember how much the original PS1 and PS2, DC etc cost when they first came out? I would pay up to $500 for a PS3 because I know thats the only gaming console I need besides my pc. If anyone thinks the Xbox 360 or PS3 price is too expensive, I bet you didnt know their losing money on each console they sell. Deckard, I can assure you most people who purchase these video game systems aren't kids. It's the parents who purchase the consoles for their kids. The kids are the one who purchase the games or has mommy/daddy buy it for them.
They get money back from games and accessories...which I'm guessing most could figure out if you look at the price of games and accessories. MS and Sony are probably thinking that even if they price the consoles at $400 or more, the console will still sell out, at least initially, which they probably will. As already mentioned, a top of the line video card costs more than these consoles, and these consoles would probably tear apart any PC that you can put together. I don't like these higher prices either, but if there is demand for the consoles even at these prices, then we'll either have to pay up or wait a while for a price drop. In NA, each cost $299 IIRC. I think the DC may have even been less...either that, or Sega made some aggressive price cuts for the PS2. Prior to this next-gen, I think the Sega Saturn ($400) was the last console to surpass the ~$300 barrier.
You don't have to assure me, I'm one of those parents! I also encourage my kids to save up and buy a lot of what they want, instead of just "bending over," and buying them all the latest gadgets. Just to clarify, I bought my son a laptop for his birthday, at the end of May, because he's been an honor student, a great kid, and is starting high school, like, yesterday. I made sure it had a good video card in it, for a laptop, among other goodies. Things like this are gravy. I limit the gravy. edit: I'm well aware that the platforms are "loss leaders." I'm also keenly aware of what the latest video cards cost for PC gaming, and a lot of other things related to PCs. I don't use these game platforms myself, but I'm more than willing to shell out for a new game, on occasion, although I usually take my kids to Barnes and Noble, or Book People (they are a great book store in Austin!) for a reward, if they do something special. But I'm not shelling out $400+ bucks for a game platform. If my kid can come up with the money, great... I'll even throw in a hundred or so, but I think the price point on these is getting out of hand. In my opinion.
Well I was really tempted to buy a 360 at launch, but now it looks like I'll wait for a price drop or for Halo 3, whichever comes first. The loaded package does seem nice, but considering that all the accesorries do seem overpriced, not too mention that some of those things should have been standard, the $400 price tag does seem a little high. I was hearing reports that the HD wasn't gonna be included in the core package, so that wasn't surprising. What is a little suprising is that MS touted the 360 as a wireless system, yet the the wireless controller doesn't come standard... wtf?! I didn't even know they were making wired controllers!
