That's still not half a bad deal though like others have said. I agree though, it's expensive as ****ing hell and about $100 more than I was looking to spend. However, I'm impatient and definitely want the hard drive, so I won't be buying it months after it comes out. Only thing is though, I don't suppose that $400 price tag comes with any games or maybe some companies will begin to offer bundles, but damn this is going to be expensive :|.
Here is what it seems to me: next generation consoles are $400. I was hoping for $350 for XBOX360, but didn't think it was likely. The 'bare bones' option is just that - something for those who don't want to spend that much to buy a next gen system. 'Good' wireless controllers cost 30-40 bucks. The Communicator Headset is 30 bucks by itself. HD cables tend to be around 15-30. And that's not even including the HD. Other than Nintendo's revolution, nothing this next gen - expecially when fully loaded with online capabilities, HD capabilities, HDDs and wireless components was going to be less than 300 bucks. And, fully loaded, I think it's next to impossible to assume anything - and that includes the Cell powered, Blu-Ray capable PS3 - was going to come in at that 300 dollar mark. If PS3 manages to do it - and not with a 'barebones' option, that's great for Sony because it's a hell of a leg up. BUt you and I both know that's going to be a tall order. This pricing scheme changes a few things, but hardly comes as a shock or surprise. This, IMO, is the only real concern with all this. But at the same time, there's also the option for the developers to go however they want. You're going to need a memory card regardless - if you don't have a HD - and making games required to use either the memory card or the HD (something that should have been in place with the original XBOX IMO) is a possibility. It's really up to the developers. In which case, as I mentioned, the XBOX360 - fully loaded - price isn't that much of a surprise. If you're looking at a base of $400 dollars to get into the next gen race, you aren't losing anything with the 360. And PS3 could very likely cost at least, if not more, than that. Only to those who wanted it to be a surprise. 250 bucks for a system, another 40-50 for even a game, another 50-150 for a memory card to even let you use any of the extra features, and you're still looking at about a price point that most people were fearing. And now there's no games. There's a reason PSM had an article in the latest issue over their concerns for the PSP. Emulation (or the nicer way of putting it: 'homebrew') isn't worth 300+ bucks. IOW, your Sony tendencies were already rooted. We all know that already. You do a great job with the news, RC; it's just a little odd to see a Sony fanboy stating how new XBOX news has 'changed his mind' about getting the system. All of these companies are going to rape us over the next few years. (Well except possibly Nintendo, but that remains to be seen.) I just prefer a little objectivity as the news comes down the pipe.
What? Nintendo has been raping us since the invention of the gameboy. Gameboy, gameboy color, gameboy advance, gameboy advance sp, now the Nintendo DS. Whats next? Half a year later a Nintendo DS Advance? Don't forget their awesome consoles after SNES that has very little to zero third party support. Nintendo 64 and Gamecube. If it wasn't for Shigeru Miyamoto, Nintendo would in Sega's shoes right now. At least Sega has their Sonic Team? and other in house developers who are very talented imo.
I like the fully loaded concept. That just makes it easier to buy. But Day'um, $399 for a system that is going to get blown away by Play station a few months later. I think I may wait for the PS and decide which one to get. Tough call.
I's not like you're talkin about 5 differnt systems, just different versions of the same system. You don't have to get an SP if you have and Advance as they are one in the same. LIkewise, you don't HAVE to get a Micro when it comes out if you have an Advance or SP. And DS, while next gen to the Advance is siginificantly cheaper than the PSP and just had a price drop to boot. And the N64 and Gamecube, yes they don't have major third party support, but they have a nice collection of exlusive games to warrant getting the system, which, btw, is cheaper than the PS2 and Xbox. And then the Revolution,whch is promised to be affordably priced and well worth it for the backwards compatibility alone. So I wouldn't exactly call that raping us.
I'll get a system when all three come out and competition drives down prices. I don't see the point in getting a first run system when it's most likely to break down in 4 years. The PS and PS2 seemed to break after 3 years of good use. The Xbox had the Thomsom drive. Nintendo's been excellent with durability but they slash prices every 8 months... Despite all that, Nintendo has been turning a profit for the past 5 years.
Again, I don't necessarily think the premium version is that bad of thing. The thing that I don't like is that MS led us to believe that a HD and wireless controller would come standard with the system. That seemed to be the $299 "barebones" version, although it turned out to be the premium version. Even if MS couldn't price the console with a HD at $300, maybe pricing it at ~$360 would be a nice alternative for those who wouldn't care about a headset and HD cables. And of course, it goes along with the name. If by fully loaded, you mean with a HD, then I think you're right that no fully loaded console would be ~$300. Now, like I said, there was a possibility, IMO, that the PS3 could come in ~$300 for the PS3 with wifi, Blu-ray, and a wireless controller (no HD). That would have only occurred had MS stuck at a $300 price though, and if they had great success at it. Instead, MS already soften the blow for a ~$400 console. Depending on how Sony is doing with yields, they may even be able to up some of the specs and offer the console at ~$400. It would have an advantage over the Xbox 360 since it is more "powerful," it would already be wifi ready, and it would have Blu-ray instead of DVD. Like the Xbox 360, it would have a wireless controller. It wouldn't have a HD, but if developers are afraid to use it, then that doesn't matter as much. But from a memory stick/card standpoint, it also has an advantage. For $50, I think you can get a 1 GB compact flash card, which may go down to about the same price of a 64 MB memory card for the Xbox 360 when the PS3 launches. And of course, if you already have one, no need to worry about buying a memory card. So Sony has some things to work with in order to make it seem like the PS3 is better than the Xbox 360 at a similar price. This is also the thing that worries me the most about this all. And while some games may be able to get by with a 64 MB memory card (Oblivion might make it through ok, although probably with more load times), I don't think some MMO games will. I forget the exact numbers exactly, but there's seemingly no way FFXI will work on just a memory card(monthly updates + expansion packs mostly). Maybe if the memory card held more, or MS accepted various storage devices like the PS3, then it might be a little easier. Still, I was wanting next-gen consoles to come with HD's standard (was hoping that MS including a HD at $299 would force Sony to do the same). There's just so many great things they do. Like I mentioned earlier, a lot of the great games on the Xbox depended heavily on the HD. Without it, what would those games be like? Some of them may not have even ended up on the Xbox if they couldn't use a HD. I may be overrating a HD a little bit too much, but having something that cuts back on load times and allows for storage of demos, media, and mods just gets me excited. Too bad I'll probably have to wait at least another gen if I want consoles to really make use of it. I don't know what you were expecting, but most everyone I knew were pleasantly surprised when the Japanese price of the PSP was announced. The forced NA bundle wasn't great, but it was still below expectations. Going by "analysts," the PSP was going to cost in the $300-$500 range just by itself. Some Americans may have spent near that amount, but they ended up getting 3-4 games, a case, a memory stick, and whatever else was in their bundle. I may have wished it was lower, but I was fearing much more than what I paid in the end. And as far as the games comment, the same thing happen to the DS shortly after its launch (in fact, I might even say the PSP had a better launch, games wise, than the DS, although that is debateable). And then Nintendogs and a few other great games hit. And guess what is coming out in the fall? Madden, Burnout, GTA, NBA Live, etc. If there still aren't any games later in the year, then I'd be worried; but the PSP is just going through pains that most consoles go through. Heck, Coded Arms and MC3 sold pretty well, IIRC; imagine what it will be like later in the year when better games come out. And while I'm not much of a UMD movie fan, apparently a large number of PSP owners are. So some people are finding something worth their money to "play" on their PSP. The homebrew scene alone doesn't justify the PSP's price, but combined with its other features, it makes for a great feature. In fact, there was hack that allowed you to use any mass storage device for the PSP (not sure how far along that is though); it is a bit of a money saver. Add internet browsing, customizeable screensavers/backgrounds, document readers, and games (be it through emulation or otherwise). I assume it will get a lot better later one once those guys have had a good amount of time to mess with the system. If they can turn the GBA into a cheap movie/music player, then I can only imagine what they can do with the PSP. Usually, when I give my personal opinions, I separate them from the news. Notice I didn't say that I wasn't getting a Xbox 360 in the opening post. And even when I did give my thoughts, I started it off with "Not that my opinion really matters, but..." I give the news, and then I give my perspective on things. Again, I have my reasons for my preferences. I like what Sony is offering for the PS3 (more powerful console, BR, games I like, etc). I don't like some of the things that MS is doing with the Xbox 360, yet they almost did enough good things to make me consider getting a Xbox 360; but now they've made another mistake, IMO, and that was all I needed to make my decisions. You can call me a Sony fanboy, or you can just say that I'd rather buy a PS3 instead of a Xbox 360 given the circumstances. And FWIW, if you think I'm the only one reacting this way, you're mistaken. Just go to various gaming boards (Gaming-Age is a perfect example) and you'll see just how many are feeling about this all. There are a lot of people who were thinking about getting a Xbox 360 but are now waiting for the PS3 due to this news. Only a few are actually ok with the news, and most of them are the ones that were saying the PS3 was doomed since it didn't come with a HD standard.
Nintendo is just giving more options as far as gameplay is concerned, you dont have to upgrade each time. As far as Nintendo offering bad deals, the DS will be price cut this sunday to $130 and there are some rumors that the Mario 64 game will still be packaged at the $130 price at some stores. The Revolution, which ign is rumoring new info to be coming out very soon, will not be a Revolution as far as gameplay but will be a Revolution in affordable, quality gaming. Nintendo is also steming away from just Mario and Kirby. They have been maturing for sometime. Games like RE4 and hopefully Geist will help 3rd party developers see that Nintendo can be more than just a console for the kids.
It isn't necessarily a more powerful system. The cell technology used in PS3 is untested. If it does not work as well as they had planned, it could be a very bad move by Sony.
Since talk of seperate price points first started - and I think there was even talk of it from MS itself back when they announced the system - the HDD being optional was expected. The only thing that could be called a surprise is the wireless controller. That seemed to be considered included. But again, to me it's as simple as the XBOX 360 is $400. I don't think Sony cares what MS did. The PS3 wasn't going to be $300. If it turns out to be (loaded without a HDD), they were going to do it anyway. Sony isn't going to suddenly say, 'hey, we can charge more now!' If anything, they'd understand the incredible step they'd have on the competition. Besides, isn't the PS3 HD not going to have anything to do with games to begin with? I think the memory cards for next-gen start at 64Mb. And, like I said, I think most developers will create with the HD in mind. It could be I'm less concerned about it because I think FFXI on XBOX is a joke. Just a bone Square-Enix through before they get something good going. Most people are playing FFXI anyway if they really wanted to - through PC or PS2, I doubt there are a large number of people planning on buying the 360 for FFXI alone. (not too mentioned it's pretty much unenhanced in any real way) I don't think it's debateable. The DS launch was crap. The PSP had a great (for what it was) selection. Problem was it hasn't really had anything since. And like a lot of those things you mention - games coming down the line are just watered down versions of their console brothers (particularly with next-gen at the doorstep). Which is fine, really, seeing as how they are handheld versions... ...except that your'e still paying 50 bucks for them. It needs original software to survive. Not just ports and less-featured-but-equally-expensive titles. The PSP is great hardware, but it needs software badly. The last thing you want to do, particularly in the handheld market, is dig yourself too big a hole early on. Internet gaming boards are just exactly what you'd expect...fanboy wars. PS folks jumping up and down, XBOX folks spewing insults and Nintendo boys laughing. Concerns over developing for HDD and wireless controllers are reasonable, everything else is just standard crap.
I said next gen, simply because Nintendo hasn't announced much yet. (hence the 'remains to be seen') And the gameboys are mostly different systems. The DS isn't even a gameboy.
Just heard somethingon the news, and since I hadnt heard you guys mention this(as far as I can see)....assume it is yet another misunderstanding/faulty reporting by our wuuunnnderful news "journalists" They are reporting that one of the diferences between the full wireless 360 and the stripped down one is the ability to play current xbox games.... is this as much a load of horse-hockey as it seems to me?
I could be wrong, but IMO they probably only originally had the $400 360 but then decided to come out with a "barebones" unit at a cheaper price so that they wouldn't lose consumers. Again, just my opinion.
to clarify waht I said above... they were saying that the full version could handle all xbox games, and the stripped down model could not read old xbox games(discs?) but it doesnt make sense to me...isnt the current xbox using a dvd drive and the new one(360) is also using one?
From what I understand, the difference is in the graphics hardware. Basically, since they switched hardware suppliers, old XBOX games are built to run on the card of the old system, not the new design. So, in order to run old XBOX games, they essentially have to run on an emulator...which, I suppose, is where the hard drive would be needed.
Here's a spec sheet from the MS site dating around E3: http://www.xbox.com/en-US/press/e32005/20050516-e3exboxuberpr.htm I'm sure you could also find the numerous interviews since then that point to a similar design. IIRC, a recent Gameinformer interview with J. Allard pointed at a possibility of 2 consoles, but he noted that the launch consoles would include a HD. Unless you know everything going within Sony, I don't think you or I can really say what the PS3 could have been priced at. Given a breakdown of hardware costs, I thought it was possible if Sony wanted to risk a bigger loss on hardware, but who knows for sure. People thought the PS2 and PSP would be a lot more expensive than they ended up being; the PS3 could have ended up the same way. And I don't see how Sony could not be watching Microsoft and the Xbox 360. This is a perfect chance for them to get an idea of what consumers want. If the Xbox 360 fails to sell out and has lackluster sells, I'd think Sony would think twice about a $400 or higher price tag. Like I've already mentioned, Ken does like the $300 price tag. Perhaps Sony was thinking about taking massive losses on the PS3 at a ~$300, but if the Xbox 360 premium package sells well, maybe they'll readjust the price to cut losses. They may have thought it was too risky to charge too much for the PS3, but if the Xbox 360 shows their is demand for a ~$400 console, then there should be enough demand for the PS3 at a ~$400 price. Under this price, the PS3 still sells well and Sony doesn't lose as much money as they expected. Sony also has the option of upping the specs a little bit if they were planning on a ~$300 price tag. No telling what can change from now and then. Just a few months ago, it seemed like MS would release one console at ~$300 with a HD and a wireless controller. And I don't recall hearing about no games on the PS3 HD. Not sure though. I would think they would at least allow for a online profile, space for microtansactions, etc. If they allowed for that, I can't see why some devs couldn't use it for something. I agree with the FFXI comments, but there will be other games that seem to need a HD, such as Huxley from Webzen. That seemed like a pretty nice game, IMO, but I don't know how the no HD affects things. BTW, apparently you don't need the HD for Oblivion: http://www.elderscrolls.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=145879 It is supposed to be the same game with or without the HD, and that doesn't mean it was scaled down either. So I guess no one has to worry about that. That does make me wonder what the game would be like w/o a HD, not to mention the possibilities of it being on the PS3. The big reason why it seemed like it wouldn't be was because of no HD, but...um, yeah. edit: Here's more info on that: http://www.gameinformer.com/NR/exeres/1AB3EC02-5021-4D70-B466-C11538918174.htm It seems like Burnout Legends is pretty much like Ridge Racers but in the Burnout universe...and Ridge Racers seemed to do pretty well. GTA:LC is new, just for the PSP. The other titles are ports though. But like I said, I think MC3 sold pretty well, so I'd expect some of the big ports (Madden, Live, SOCOM) to sell well also. In fact, I think someone on this board was hoping for a 2K basketball game for the PSP. Sure, I'd prefer for there to be more games like Lumines that were in the $30-$40 range, but I'd prefer for the UMD movie's to be priced cheaper. And it has been proven that despite my preference for UMD movie prices, they still sell well. If nothing else, we still got FF:Crisis Core, Pursuit Force, Untold Legends 2, and a few other original titles to look forward to. I may even be leaving out a big one, to be honest. Maybe if you go to the teamxbox forums, or the Sony.com boards, you'll find a bunch of fanboys, but boards like GAF and Beyond3D have some of the most unbiased people you'll ever find. A lot of people there own all the consoles, usually at launch. You'll find people who diss Kameo, the PS3 controller, the KZ demo, yet they'll be stunned by Gears of War, the Xbox 360 controller, and the FF7: Tech demo. Most of those guys are the type of people who get a console on day one, yet even most of them are not thrilled by the news today. To put it another way, these aren't the type of guys that would spin a Tmac+Yao for Allan Houston and scrubs trade in a positive light. Like I said, there were even some Xbots (a popular phrase) that were really disappointed in this news. From what I could tell, this move didn't really attract customers, but it did turn some away. The Xbox 360 should be able to read the discs just fine. But it will need the HD to play Xbox 1 games, especially the ones that need one. Like Rokkit said, it is mostly an issue over the GPU's of the two consoles. Although, besides for games needing a HD, I don't see why the HD is needed once MS got the permission to use the Nvidia tech. It is a good way to reduce the costs of doing so though.
