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[Gantz]

You're kidding? What about the $2,500 that PC gamers spend on a goddamn PC which isn't even guaranteed to run their favourite games?

They are complete retards who know nothing on PC gaming and feel like they have buy brand new gear each time a new game comes out. The most I have ever spent on my rig is $1000 and to this day never had ever trouble running a game. For the most part I can re-use my case, mobo, cpu, ram, hard drive, dvd-rom drive, LCD/CRT, etc.. The only thing you really need upgrade is your video card. With console gaming you have to buy a whole new overpriced console and pay for overpriced accesories like hard drives, memory cards, extra controllers, network adapters, multi-taps, and HDTVs etc.. So I would say console gaming and PC gaming comes out to be about the same in terms of cost if you consider all the shit you have to buy.

 

[gofreak]

IF you knew you could sell HDDs in a nice case for a big mark up, would you let people use their own , non-sony drives?

If you could charge $40 for proprietary 64MB cards, would you let people use their own mem sticks, compact flash, sd cards etc?

People are saying "they all do it", but they may not all do it this time around.

For starters, Sony has already pretty much confirmed you'll be able to use the media mentioned above for game data. I don't even think there is a memory card slot on PS3? Wifi will also be standard in every system, handheld or home system, since DS, except X360, where you'll pay $99 for it. Nintendo's the one that's supposed to be the cost-concious profit-reaper, yet there it is with a built in 512MB storage space, and wifi! I believe some analyst estimated the cost of wifi to MS as being $5..trying to reconcile that with the number MS is charging for kinda just highlights the penny-pinching lengths they're going to. If you were more cynical, you'd even find choices like the 3 USB ports very suspect - if you want 4 players on one system, one of your controllers at least has got to be wireless, with the extra expense (and profit, for MS) that that entails.

There's potentially room elsewhere for other "openess" on the part of the others - like perhaps using a standard 2.5" HDD on PS3 - but beyond the removeable media, who knows. At least Sony has said they'll be offering "proper" sized HDDs, even if they're proprietary (I think Kutaragi was talking about 60GB or 80GB and upward), and somehow I think they'll show up MS's 20GB offering for the horrible value that it is, if they don't cut the price.

 

[SKOPE]

I'm sorry man, but you have no idea what you are talking about.

The MSRP is suggested not forced.

The price list I posted above is the price Microsoft is selling it to retailers - the wholesale price. Outlets like Sam's and Costco will be selling at about 2-5% over wholesale, everyone else will be selling at MSRP, but as I said, the MSRP isn't something a retailer is forced to go by.

They aren't technically forced to sell them for suggested retail price. No, that would be price fixing and that's illegal, but Microsoft won't help retailers out with marketing if they sell for less than MSRP.

And the retailers that regularly sell at less than suggested retail price are the ones most often threatened with losing their retail accounts.

 

[qirex]

The only pricing I find really lame is cables, $40 for the component and VGA kits is a straight up jack. If either of those cost even than $5 to make I'd be shocked. I guess we can thank Monster Cable for inflating people's expectations for the price of shielded copper coax [under 5 cents/foot wholesale].

I do think MS is charging too much for accessories, especially since almost everything will have to be officially licensed but it's their call.

 

[Ranger X]

I don't see what's surprising here. Microsoft stated alot of time their goal is now profitability and this will be at any cost and regardless of the customer as it seems.
Why do you think there's 2 packages? It's part of the accessorie strategy, and it may just work well 'cause people are generally gullible (spell?).

 

[jedimike]

I was shocked to see that the wireless attach rate was 98% and that accessories were selling great according to NPD. Yesterday, I ventured out to do some Xmas shopping. I needed to get an extra controller and a play & charge kit. There were no wireless controllers available and the last store I went to had 1 P&C kit. This was shocking because 1 week prior to this WalMart had this huge cardboard display in one of the center aisles with nothing but 360 accessories. Tons of faceplates, controllers, memory cards, etc. The only things left were a few wired controllers and an ass ton of memory cards.

I didn't take inventory at every store, but basically I saw a ton of memory cards, quite a few wired controllers, a few wireless batteries, and some silver faceplates.

For such small launch numbers, the accessories are selling much better than I ever thought they would.

 

[Dr_Cogent]

Didn't read the whole thread, but Costco sells the 360 controllers for $38.99

 

[NWO]

You're kidding? What about the $2,500 that PC gamers spend on a goddamn PC which isn't even guaranteed to run their favourite games?

What the hell. The price of PC's has gone down over the years but it seems like the price that people on Internet gaming boards say you need to have a top notch computer keeps going up. :lol

You could buy a top of the line PC for gaming at $1000 max if you were smart and didn't waste a ton of money buying God knows what. I don't even think you can spend $2500 on a PC unless you were buying some flat screen panel that cost a couple hundred dollars and made the PC out of gold.

Plus you use your PC for much more than you would for a console so its not like a PC just plays computer games which everyone seems to think.

 

[Ristamar]

Logitech controllers were what, $40? Wavebirds $35?

Actually, Wavebirds can usually be found for $30 or less, and it's been that way for years. I think with every Wavebird I've bought, I've spent less than $25 per unit.

 

[jedimike]

What the hell. The price of PC's has gone down over the years but it seems like the price that people on Internet gaming boards say you need to have a top notch computer keeps going up. :lol

You could buy a top of the line PC for gaming at $1000 max if you were smart and didn't waste a ton of money buying God knows what. I don't even think you can spend $2500 on a PC unless you were buying some flat screen panel that cost a couple hundred dollars and made the PC out of gold.

Plus you use your PC for much more than you would for a console so its not like a PC just plays computer games which everyone seems to think.

$2500 is still the going price for a "top-of-the-line" gaming PC. A high-end alienware is around $4500. Sure you can get an adequate gaming rig for $1000, especially if you already have some of the hardware. And of course, PC's are multi-dimensional, but we're talking about gaming here.

The point is that console gaming is much cheaper than PC gaming. I don't think anyone can argue against that.

 

[Prine]

Accessories i bought

2 wireless controllers
play and charge kit
charge kit

Im happy with the quality of these devices, dont think the price is too steep (UK), the controller is £5 more expensive than Xbox controller, play and charge kit is £15 with the charge kit £10

But, having to buy these accesories in order to be comfortable is a little greedy on MS behalf. Instead of the remote control included in premium packs, id rather they include p & C kit

 

[Version 3.0]

Those wholesale prices are ridiculous. Retailers aren't "gouging". The markup on videogames, including accessories, is one of the lower markups in the retail world. The markup on almost anything else is higher--clothing markup is universally no lower than double (it's such a common markup it has its own industry name--"keystone"). Markup on toys is way higher. Magazines are higher. Even movies get a better markup. Even many food products are as good or better.
It's very hard to stay afloat as a retailer with anything less than a 25% average markup, as operating costs are generally no less than 20% of revenue.

To sum up: yes, blame Microsoft. The higher retails of X360 stuff is a direct result of their higher wholesale pricing. They're screwing the retailers and consumers--the retailers aren't screwing anyone. They get a pretty small piece of the pie. If it weren't for volume, they'd be dead. Just ask any independantly-owned videogame store--if you can still find any that haven't gone under.

However, in Microsoft's defense, this is only a slightly worse ass-raping than last gen, and Sony and Nintendo do exactly the same thing (in fact, they've been at it longer). MS has tightened the screws a little further, but I bet Sony and Nintendo follow right along.

 

[PhatSaqs]

Hope it gets to this thread in time....

 

[qirex]

However, in Microsoft's defense, this is only a slightly worse ass-raping than last gen, and Sony and Nintendo do exactly the same thing (in fact, they've been at it longer). MS has tightened the screws a little further, but I bet Sony and Nintendo follow right along.

The PS3 has a standard HDMI port and an optical port built-in to the back of the console. I'm sure those Bluetooth controllers aren't going to be that cheap though.

 

[The Faceless Master]

i'm just waiting to see if sony will have a 'Brand S' HDD again...

 

[open_mouth_]

MS is hoping to make a profit on each 360 sold by also selling at least 5 games, a live subscription, two extra controllers, a P&C kit, and video cables or a memory card. Anything after that is just gravy. In four years when the 360 is priced at $125 or something and there are tons of platinum hits on the shelves, profits are going to be rolling in.

 

[AndoCalrissian]

So I'm looking at a whopping $64 increase between PS2 launch and Xbox360 launch.

Sounds like you would have been able to buy another game.

 

[djtiesto]

I remember back in the day paying 60 for some Genesis games, and 70 and 80 for some SNES games like FF3, CT, and others. You kids have it easy with your 60 dollar games!

Except, a lot of those games are really really good... Paying $60 for something like GUN or Tony Hawk for 360 is just an insult to good taste.

 

[Cheesemeister]

Adjusted for inflation...

Nov. 15th 2001

Xbox = $325.35
Extra Controller = $32.54
2 games = $108.45
HD Video Cable = $21.69
DVD Kit = $32.54

Total = $520.56

Nov. 22nd 2005

Xbox 360 = $400
Extra Controller = $50
P & C Kit = $20
2 games = $100- $120

Total = $570 - $590

 

[sangreal]

If you are going to add a P&C kit, you'll also need to add a rechargeable battery pack for the second controller.

Wireless controllers are $50, but you can also opt for the $40 wired controllers which are more comparable to the XB1 controllers.

Also, I think Wireless networking for the Xbox1 was also $60-100 (but that was a bridge -- a more expensive device)
and what about the XBL Starter pack?