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If the Xbox 360 Core pack sells like crap....

S

Synbios459

Banned
Do you see them discontinuing it? I mean for $100 more you get awhole lot more, which when you buy a memory card plus another controller equals up to that anyway. So if the core pack ends up bombing (which I hope it does so no other company will do some crap like this) do you think Microsoft would pull the plug on it and just release the awesome pack:)
 
They'll pull ist, send all core pack owners a HD and premium pack owners a few games to compensate so that developers can be sure that there is a hdd in each 360.

Remember the overpiced euro launch with an immediate pricedrop? I think they send out free games then too.

The core pack already succeeded in what it set out to do. You just called paying 100$ extra for what should have come with it in the first place (minus hdd maybe) 'awesome'.
 
Synbios459 said:
Do you see them discontinuing it? I mean for $100 more you get awhole lot more, which when you buy a memory card plus another controller equals up to that anyway. So if the core pack ends up bombing (which I hope it does so no other company will do some crap like this) do you think Microsoft would pull the plug on it and just release the awesome pack:)
Click to expand...

I'm curious to know how you define bombing? Seeing as the shipments are already going to be more heavily weighted towards the Premium pack vs. the Core.
 
If >insert product< fails to sell then it always gets lower shipment numbers followed by discontinuation.. so.. duh?

And yes, you do get far more value for your money with the Premium pack but:
1- Not everyone "needs" things like the remote, headset, HDD, wireless controller, component cables etc.
2- People are cheap, hence the choice.
 
Core pack is here to stay.

A cheaper package will always eventually outsell a more expensive package.
 
Mrbob said:
Core pack is here to stay.

A cheaper package will always eventually outsell a more expensive package.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately yes. I know this first-hand from car sales.

"This one costs $19,000. It has air conditioning, ABS, an upgraded VTEC engine, a moonroof, alloy wheels, and more attractive color options.

"This one is $14,000. It, uh, runs."

"THAT ONE PLZ."
 
No they won't discontinue it. Microsoft stands to make more money off of Core Pack buyers over the long run when they realize they actually do want any of those Premium Pack features that they didn't get.

I can imagine the Core Pack being very popular with people whose gaming involves buying the yearly updates of Madden and a GTA or two.
 
I wouldn't be surprised if the contents of the core pack are changed over time, but I don't see why Microsoft would give up its dual SKU approach. It could really benefit them if they need to compete hard on price, even if it is for the bait & switch approach. What I wouldn't give for a core with a 5 GB hard drive for $329.99, though...
 
SuperPac said:
No they won't discontinue it. Microsoft stands to make more money off of Core Pack buyers over the long run when they realize they actually do want any of those Premium Pack features that they didn't get.

I can imagine the Core Pack being very popular with people whose gaming involves buying the yearly updates of Madden and a GTA or two.
Click to expand...
That's true but considering how big sports games saves are they'll end up having to buy a bunch of memory cards anyway so you'd think they'd do it for the HD alone.
 
Synbios459 said:
That's true but considering how big sports games saves are they'll end up having to buy a bunch of memory cards anyway so you'd think they'd do it for the HD alone.
Click to expand...

You'd think. But they won't.
 
One thing about MS's excuse of why the hdd is not standard in every 360 is because they are using a removeable 2.5" which is more expensive than a normal hdd.

My only question is, am i the only one that would rather all the 360's come with a cheap'o nonremoveable hdd if it means that all 360's will have hdd as a standard?

Did i miss something, was there really that big of an outcry for a removeable hdd?
 
am i the only one that would rather all the 360's come with a cheap'o nonremoveable hdd
Click to expand...


Id say it has more to do with the marketplace future. Dpwnloadable HD movies and HD content in general will take a BIG hardrive to make that kind of system viable, which would be even more expensive then the 2.5 drive they are offering now. Upgradeability for big marketplace sells..........
 
Backwards thinking. The core pack is something that they're going to be RAMPING UP regardless of how it sells initially to keep costs down.

They're not going to slash prices on the 360 willy nilly, they're going to do it very deliberately, and the core pack is going to be very important in bringing over casual game players away from the PS3 by offering the system at a much more attractive price point.

The percentage of people buying the core pack is going to climb drastically with every year the 360 is available.
 
Helznicht said:
Id say it has more to do with the marketplace future. Dpwnloadable HD movies and HD content in general will take a BIG hardrive to make that kind of system viable, which would be even more expensive then the 2.5 drive they are offering now. Upgradeability for big marketplace sells..........
Click to expand...

But they could've still built in a lower-capacity (20 GB) hard drive internally into the system, and then have the connector to allow a higher-capacity external hard drive to be attached in the future. It would have been the best of both worlds--all users would be guaranteed a 20 GB hard drive at minimum, while the hardcore power users could also buy a larger one if they desired.
 
They're both going to sell out initially. So it's gonna be kind of hard to tell which one people prefer until there is a consistent supply(early next year, probably).

But oh, I forgot, this is GAF. STUPID CASUALS WILL FORCE RETARD PACKS UPON ON US ALL! THE END IS EXTREMELY FUCKING NIGH! BOO HOO! SHENMUE WAS GOOD!
 
Helznicht said:
And most expensive.
Click to expand...

Not necessarily. If we accept the explanation that the 20 GB hard drive costs $100 because they used a 2.5" drive usually intended for notebook computers (as justification for the high cost of the X-Box 360 hard drive relative to other 20 GB hard drives), then we can assume that if they had used an ordinary hard drive instead, it would've been cheaper. Right?

Sure, this would essentially eliminate the need for a "core system," but isn't that what a lot of the fans wanted...for everyone to have a hard drive, and for developers to be able to program games with the notion that everyone would have one?

This would also have the added advantage of enabling a hard drive purchased later to be used in conjunction with the original 20 GB drive. As far as I know, the X-Box 360 system as it exists now does not allow this--you can only have one hard drive at a time. So, if a power user wanted to buy a 200 GB drive in a couple of years, then he would have to disconnect the 20 GB drive--which would all of his existing game saves and downloadable content stored on it. With that in mind, it almost defeats the purpose of getting the "deluxe system"--pay $100 more now, only to be forced to start over with a clean slate in a year or two anyway?

Clearly, there was not much thought put into this aspect of the design and how it would affect long-term use.
 
The whole point of the core pack is not to be in a position 3-4 years from now where they have to take massive losses on hardware to compete. They're *still* losing money on every Xbox they sell (last I heard, at least) and a big part of it is having to include the hard drive in each unit which is largely a fixed cost.

In the future -

core system - $99
system with hard drive, component cables, and wireless controller (mostly fixed costs) - $175

Microsoft gives you options and doesn't fuck itself financially. And the retard pack isn't so retarded anymore as long as they bring out a memory card that isn't $45 or whatever they're selling it for at launch.
 
Oh, who stores movies on their current Xbox? That's what your PC hard drive is for. Streaming is good.

edit:

Clearly, there was not much thought put into this aspect of the design and how it would affect long-term use.
Click to expand...

Yeah, you're right. They probably didn't thing about it at all. Good think you're here.
 
Yup. The core pack is certainly going to stick around. The marketing advantage that it gives you is powerful (MS has wisened up from XB1). Besides now Sony's forced to apply same model so consumers just have got to get used to this.
 
BTW: MS has priced themselves very close to zero margins (or negative margins in fact). Because of this I'd be surprised if core packs would be widely available. Figure core packs are going to be in very restricted supply before end of Q1 next year.
 
Actually what Microsoft wants is people to buy the retarded pack.
The premium pack will be available in smaller quantity.
We have been advised about in advance at EB. At my store the premium pack we are going to receive won't even cover half my pre-orders for it.

Cheaper = more sales. They are going to make the retarded pack easier to get hence why it's cheaper and, most of all, that's why the accessories are high priced. They want you to buy the accessories seperately and pay more in the end.

Receiving games in advance is also something true. It's also part of their "good" business plan. Resisting before a game at 60$ is a lot harder than at a 399$ console. Also, with the argument of "buy it now so you won't have to wait in case of shortages around the launch", they are actually going to sell more of those games. They also launch earlier in holiday time so it = more sales.

Business is a mind game. And Microsoft is really playing the game this time believe me.
 
If there is one version of the 360 going away, it is the one with the expensive, fixed cost hardware component.

If Microsoft hadn't spent the last four years touting the harddrive as one of the Xbox's 'edges' there is no way in hell there would be an 399 version today.

The Xbox harddrive has been nothing but a disaster for Microsoft:

1) It has caused a gigantic pain in the ass for implementing/supporting backwards compatibility.

2) It was a huge expense that didn't drop over time and kept Microsoft from aggressively dropping prices.

3) It created an unrealistic expectations in Xbox owners that the free lunch would last forever.

Microsoft has already made the decision to mandate all games will run without a harddrive. There is simply no way they would have gone that route only to dump the version without a harddrive a year down the road. It seems like there are a lot of Xbox owners hoping that they can steer people away from the harddrive-less version and have it flop and get canceled. And then companies will start focusing on the 360 version with the harddrive.

Not going to happen.
 
My prediction is that the X360 premium pack will be in scarce supply post-Christmas and will be totally phased out by Christmas 06.
 
Do you really think people who by an Xbox 360 two years from now will care about backwards compatibility, Final Fantasy XI, slightly faster loading times in some games, and what amounts to a giant memory card?

Premium Pack will initially be the bigger seller, but Core Pack will be, by far, the bigger seller by the time the 360 is discontinued.
 
Each Core System actually has a small amount of C4 inside, awaiting the date at which a radio signal will be transmitted from Microsoft headquarters promptly detonating the C4 and killing all within 1/2 square block. LOL FUKKEN RETARDS R GUNNA DIE

I hope the Tardsys gets discontinued in a timely fashion.
 
Although the lack of interest in the 299 Core version of the 360 might seem like good news to Xbox owners, it would indicate a lack of interest in the system from the bulk of the console buying public. And that the interest in the 360 is skewed heavily towards former Xbox owners.

I would say it is an early indication that the 360 is most likely going to be end up with Xbox level installed base numbers.
 
Marathon said:
Although the lack of interest in the 299 Core version of the 360 might seem like good news to Xbox owners, it would indicate a lack of interest in the system from the bulk of the console buying public. And that the interest in the 360 is skewed heavily towards former Xbox owners.

I would say it is an early indication that the 360 is most likely going to be end up with Xbox level installed base numbers.
Click to expand...

Hmm, no.
 
I do not have a problem with a cheaper retard pack....

What I do have a problem is with the horrendously expensive accessories.....this will affect all X360 buyers...

It looks like controllers and the like will be encrypted to try to _shut out_ non-licensed accessories, so that won't be an inexpensive option for us either....


Yes, most games will not be optimized for the HDD (if microsoft is to be believed) and that is a slight annoyance to me.....but the prices of controllers, memory cards and such is a total ripoff and seems to be a cheap and easy way for MS to subsidize their losses for the previous gen in my view.....
 
Kleegamefan said:
I do not have a problem with a cheaper retard pack....

What I do have a problem is with the horrendously expensive accessories.....this will affect all X360 buyers...
Click to expand...

Of course they'll keep the Retard Pack around....so they can get people to buy the overpriced/overblown accessories.
 
Wyzdom said:
Actually what Microsoft wants is people to buy the retarded pack.
The premium pack will be available in smaller quantity.
We have been advised about in advance at EB. At my store the premium pack we are going to receive won't even cover half my pre-orders for it.
Click to expand...

That's pretty much the exact opposite of what we've been hearing since the announcement was made.
 
Synbios459 said:
That's true but considering how big sports games saves are they'll end up having to buy a bunch of memory cards anyway so you'd think they'd do it for the HD alone.
Click to expand...
Compared to the hard drive the memory card space is tiny, but compared to past memory cards 64 megabytes is pretty good. 8 times the standard PS2 card. 128 times the launch DC/GCN cards. 512 times the standard PS1 card. Shouldn't be a problem for most sports games.
 
JoshuaJSlone said:
Compared to the hard drive the memory card space is tiny, but compared to past memory cards 64 megabytes is pretty good. 8 times the standard PS2 card. 128 times the launch DC/GCN cards. 512 times the standard PS1 card. Shouldn't be a problem for most sports games.
Click to expand...


Not saying it will be a problem, but I think the more relevant measure of how good it is will be what percentage of the card the save files actually take up, not how big it is compared to past cards. I mean you're most likely not going to be able to save 512 times as many games as a PS1 card...
 
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