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Why I Will Buy The Retard Pack

G

Gaz Ultra!

Member
Many of you will buy the Xbox 360 and bundled goodies for £279.99 or thereabouts. This bundle is the number one selling Amazon games item, while the cheaper Xbox 360 at £209.99 is the 212th best selling item. It seems like you're getting a lot more for your money if you opt for the more expensive model.

But consider this:

I have never been interested in online gaming and I probably never will, bar trying out Mario Kart DS with some of you guys. So I'm really not bothered about the headset. And as for the hard drive, if all I want to do is save my games, I won't be needing one. The only games I really want on Xbox right now are the two Rare headliners. If they don't happen to be very special, I don't want to be regretting the prospect of paying out well over £300 to try them.

And like most of you, I have a DVD player which is undoubtedly better than the 360's inbuilt device. It's a Pioneer and it cost £300. So no, I don't want the remote control either. I've also been playing computer games since the year 1990 - and always with a wired controller. Am I bothered about the wireless version bundled with the £279.99 model? No. Did I go out and buy the Gamecube wavebird? Nope, and I never will.

All I want is a next-gen console before 2006 that plays good games with great graphics. I want to play these games with a controller, on my own, and for the lowest price possible.

Will I be the only one buying the cheap model? Well, let me put it this way. Microsoft certainly won't be keeping the budget version well-stocked, so I'd place your order while you can. It's in the company's interests to sell you the expensive version, after all.
 
And the moment someone does something cool with the hd like home brew, or inverted phasemic fuckwaddle..you'll be all "Shit. I knew I shouldn't have been a cheap git."

You will.
 
It's called the Retard Pack

Get it straight.

:lol

xbox360pack29if2rp.jpg
 
I think there will be a few people in the same boat as you.

As for me, I own a 48" Widescreen HDTV, a broadband connection, and an Xbox Live account. For me not to buy the more expensive version would be retarded since I'll need the hard drive for downloadable content, and possible downloadable demos or other goodies. I'll also be needing that $40 HDTV cable that they're not including in the reta...err, core version. The wireless controller will also be nice because I've got toddlers around my house and I'm sick of them tripping over the cords or trying to eat the damn cords, or make a noose out them and choke themselves to death.
 
Personally, I want:

Downloaded content (need the harddrive)

The ability to autosave whatever I want without worrying about space limitations (need the harddrive)

Custom soundtracks (need the harddrive)

Patches/bug fixes for games (need the harddrive)

Though I don't really want a wireless controller, I'm down for all the other goodies that come with the package. And although I bet it will be something stupid like minesweeper, I'm interested in whatever bonus content they will put on my harddrive in advance. :)

Mark my words, you'll regret getting the "goober pack". Some game will end up coming along that you didn't count on getting and suddenly you're going to want it. Then you'll end up wanting the harddrive because you'll probably need it for that game somehow. Just wait.
 
bill0527 said:
I think there will be a few people in the same boat as you.

As for me, I own a 48" Widescreen HDTV, a broadband connection, and an Xbox Live account. For me not to buy the more expensive version would be retarded since I'll need the hard drive for downloadable content, and possible downloadable demos or other goodies. I'll also be needing that $40 HDTV cable that they're not including in the reta...err, core version. The wireless controller will also be nice because I've got toddlers around my house and I'm sick of them tripping over the cords or trying to eat the damn cords, or make a noose out them and choke themselves to death.
Click to expand...

Yes, and you`re like 3% of the market.
 
Dr_Cogent said:
It's called the Retard Pack

Get it straight.

:lol
Click to expand...

:lol :lol :lol


Gaz Ultra! said:
Many of you will buy the Xbox 360 and bundled goodies for £279.99 or thereabouts. This bundle is the number one selling Amazon games item, while the cheaper Xbox 360 at £209.99 is the 212th best selling item. It seems like you're getting a lot more for your money if you opt for the more expensive model.

But consider this:

I have never been interested in online gaming and I probably never will, bar trying out Mario Kart DS with some of you guys. So I'm really not bothered about the headset. And as for the hard drive, if all I want to do is save my games, I won't be needing one. The only games I really want on Xbox right now are the two Rare headliners. If they don't happen to be very special, I don't want to be regretting the prospect of paying out well over £300 to try them.

And like most of you, I have a DVD player which is undoubtedly better than the 360's inbuilt device. It's a Pioneer and it cost £300. So no, I don't want the remote control either. I've also been playing computer games since the year 1990 - and always with a wired controller. Am I bothered about the wireless version bundled with the £279.99 model? No. Did I go out and buy the Gamecube wavebird? Nope, and I never will.

All I want is a next-gen console before 2006 that plays good games with great graphics. I want to play these games with a controller, on my own, and for the lowest price possible.
Click to expand...

Are you sure about this? You might not need the extra features but don't forget that the Memory card + Core pack is only a little cheaper than the bundle....

Gaz Ultra said:
Will I be the only one buying the cheap model? Well, let me put it this way. Microsoft certainly won't be keeping the budget version well-stocked, so I'd place your order while you can. It's in the company's interests to sell you the expensive version, after all.
Click to expand...

Ummm no. The Bundle offers good value for money; MS will be losing more on this than the Retard pack and they'll make loads on accessories bought by Retard pack owners.
 
Dr_Cogent said:
It's called the Retard Pack

Get it straight.

:lol
Click to expand...

Stop trolling.

It's going to be the full monty for me but I like your thinking.
 
Only 10% of the Xbox owners even use Xbox Live - and by extension - really need the Hard Drive. Even factoring in the homebrew/mod/xbox connect scene, I doubt it's even close to 20%.

The assumption is that early adopters = hardcore gamers = online gamers. I doubt you'll be the only one proving that to be wrong.
 
DarienA said:
Interesting posting history Gaz....
Click to expand...

Hehe, in the olden days I was a bit of a silly boy. Don't fret, I'm not here to spam. I make a good contribution to gamesradar and I'll do the same here.
 
To save $60 even if I were an offline, low-def gamer, I wouldn't buy the tard pack. Just to guarantee the lowest possible load times and the increased likelihood of future hacks and other fun hard drive stuff, I'd spend the $60.

$60. That's the price of one game. Core pack is bullshit.
 
BuzzJive said:
Only 10% of the Xbox owners even use Xbox Live - and by extension - really need the Hard Drive. Even factoring in the homebrew/mod/xbox connect scene, I doubt it's even close to 20%.

The assumption is that early adopters = hardcore gamers = online gamers. I doubt you'll be the only one proving that to be wrong.
Click to expand...

Right, but one of microsoft's primary goals for the 360 is to bump that percentage considerably. They're hoping for 40-50% this gen. No HD standard is obviously very counterintuitive to that goal.
 
GDJustin said:
Right, but one of microsoft's primary goals for the 360 is to bump that percentage considerably. They're hoping for 40-50% this gen. No HD standard is obviously very counterintuitive to that goal.
Click to expand...
Not really. Memory cards will hold XBL sub data just fine.
 
beermonkey@tehbias said:
$60. That's the price of one game. Core pack is bullshit.
Click to expand...

So what you're implying is that the Xbox 360 lineup is so bad that instead of getting an additional game, you should pick up the Hard drive instead?


And what if these people finally change their minds about the hard drive and a 40 gig drive is available or the 20 gig drive drops in price?

GDJustin said:
Right, but one of microsoft's primary goals for the 360 is to bump that percentage considerably. They're hoping for 40-50% this gen. No HD standard is obviously very counterintuitive to that goal.
Click to expand...

Sure - but that doesn't change the fact that they offer a version without it.
 
I agree with you i'm only intersted in Perfect Dark and Kameo. I use my PC for online games if ever. So i dont need the headset or the hard drive which i'll never use. The £209.99 is the one to go.

What do you need a hard drive for if the games dont require it.
 
Thanks to the retard pack, the premium pack has now become the official poster child for the phrase: Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

The way I see it, you're screwed out of something getting either pack. Screwed out of a shit load of cash (thanks to the outrageous accessory pricing), BC and full 360 functionality with the Core pack, and screwed out of an extra $100 smacks paying for bundled in accessories that the Core pack singnificantly hinders with the Premium pack.

Wow, I really think this may end up being the worst launch since the Saturn; and we're not even considering how shite the games look!
 
nightez said:
What do you need a hard drive for if the games dont require it.
Click to expand...

You don't need it for anything but game saves, custom soundtracks, backwards compatability and patches.

Neither package fits my needs. I'm holding out until something better comes along.
 
nightez said:
I agree with you i'm only intersted in Perfect Dark and Kameo. I use my PC for online games if ever. So i dont need the headset or the hard drive which i'll never use. The £209.99 is the one to go.

What do you need a hard drive for if the games dont require it.
Click to expand...

Exactly. It seems like the people screaming "retard pack" do it to feel superior or something lame like that..
 
Whether or not its worth getting the core pack in this guys situation (no online) really comes down to how big saves are gonna be. Memory cards are £23, a hard drive is £70, so you can own two before you get to the stage where you "should have just bought a hard drive to begin with". This is where the lack of information from MS is annoying, if saves are going to be at least as big as they are on xbox, you buy 2 bioware games and you're screwed...if they intend to put a bit of pressure on devs to compress save files then it wont be the problem.

And then of course there is the issue of whether or not there will be loading time benefits of owning a hard drive, its a SATA drive this time so streaming off of it could really make a noticeable difference, Im pretty sure Bethesda said they'll use it but what about everyone else?

On paper the Hdd option seems supreme. But you don't need it for media (you can plug your MP3 player in and use the music in game, you needn't even buy the media remote), and if you don't need it for saves, and if developers wont use it for streaming, then the only benefit of it is DLC, aka Microtranactions, something 90%(guesstimate) of you bitched about and said you didnt want.

I guess the bottom line at the moment, imo, is that it is impossible to make an informed decision on the value of either pack because we dont enough about what we are being offered.
 
So what you're implying is that the Xbox 360 lineup is so bad that instead of getting an additional game, you should pick up the Hard drive instead?
Click to expand...

I suppose if somebody was so goddamn poor that they couldn't afford both, they should probably get a different hobby. Or stick to Dreamcast.

Neither package fits my needs. I'm holding out until something better comes along.
Click to expand...

I dunno if the idiot savant pack is ever coming, dude.
 
if you're not interested in online gaming, what are you doing buying an Xbox 360? MS are going to push LIVE like crazy.

Anyway, its still wrong to buy the core pack. You need a memory card for save games. Thats £23. You're up to £233 - £45 from the premium pack.

You only get a composite cable, so you'll need at minimum an RGB cable. Thats another £18. Now only £27 difference.

Isn't it worth £27 for a 20GB hard drive (you may run out of space on the current memory card, 20GB is lots of space); wireless controller and a remote control?

MS have *very* carefully priced both packs and accessories to steer you towards the premium pack.

The core pack is for people that won't have many games (so one memory card is plenty), who is happy with composite cables (why buy a 360 if you're using composite?!) and will never use any streaming audio.
 
Can I make a move to stop using the term 'retard pack'.?

Its offensive,
What does that accomplish?

There is nothing wrong with saving money and just playing games.
 
mrklaw said:
The core pack is for people that won't have many games (so one memory card is plenty), who is happy with composite cables (why buy a 360 if you're using composite?!) and will never use any streaming audio.
Click to expand...

Which is 80-90% of the market. I know tons of people with flashy TV`s, broadband etc and whenever I mention RGB scarts, Live and so on they couldn`t be any less interested.
 
So now are we gonna argue that Microsoft are fucking geniuses for the different pricing points?

I don't really give a damn. Let people buy what they want to buy and if they spend too much money in the long run, it doesn't affect me at all. But if someone asks me, I would always recommend the premium pack (at least here in the U.S.) because most people are probably going to own an HDTV in the next 5 years and broadband penetration is only going to increase. I mean just the hard drive and HDTV cables alone are gonna cost you $140.00 and lets say 2 or 3 years from now, you decide to upgrade your TV and/or internet connection. I would rather know that I've got everything I need already than have to run out and spend an additional $150 or so for additional equipment so that I can get the functionality I need out of Xbox 360.
 
Retard pack will always be retarded because the memory card is about half the cost of the hardrive. 64 mb worth of saves in one (could be good or bad depending on size of save files), virtually unlimited saves in the other. The money used to get the hardrive also nets you a bunch of other accessories and other options down the road like extra content (extra content doesn't always have to be downloadable, it could be an add on disk that uses the hardrive to store the info) and possibly more games like FFXI that require it.

If you ever buy a second memory card, then you've just got owned by going retard. If you ever get the hardrive in addition to the card, then there aren't even enough owned pictures on the net to describe said ownage.

But M$ was brilliant in pricing things the way you did. It's almost like apple with their ipods. They price each one closely eachother so you always feel stupid for buying the cheaper one. Feeling stupid is better than feeling retarded though :p
 
Future said:
If you ever buy a second memory card, then you've just got owned by going retard. If you ever get the hardrive in addition to the card, then there aren't even enough owned pictures on the net to describe said ownage.
Click to expand...
People get "owned" every day doing something akin to that so it'd be no different.

Ever buy just ONE beer/coke/bottled water? Guess what.... you got owned too...
 
If the memory cards and component cables did not have the prices so exhorbitantly jacked up, the Retard Pack would actually be a good option. Microsoft has borked the hard drive anyhow...
 
GDJustin said:
Right, but one of microsoft's primary goals for the 360 is to bump that percentage considerably. They're hoping for 40-50% this gen. No HD standard is obviously very counterintuitive to that goal.
Click to expand...

I fully expect that Microsoft will sell a good 35-45M units this time around minimum. If they can get 50% of those folks ~ 20M to have XBox Live, then fuck winning the installed base wars.

That's $1 billion dollars a year just off of Xbox Live. :O :O

I think that percentage is way too high, but clearly it's a huge potential profit center for the Xbox that Sony doesn't have (as of yet). And, of Xbox Live owners, most appear to consider it to be a trivial cost when considering the value offered.
 
sonycowboy said:
f they can get 50% of those folks ~ 20M to have XBox Live, then fuck winning the installed base wars.

That's $1 billion dollars a year just off of Xbox Live. :O :O
Click to expand...
Jumping from 10% use rate to 50% seems unlikely with non-standard hard drive and general rudeness of Live users. And it's only a billion per year if those are paying accounts (not XBL Silver).
 
PhatSaqs said:
People get "owned" every day doing something akin to that so it'd be no different.

Ever buy just ONE beer/coke/bottled water? Guess what.... you got owned too...
Click to expand...

Hell, if you want to get technical you get owned for buying any console on release, because everything is always cheaper down the road.

But decisions like that or the one in your analogy aren't so bad because there are good reasons to make them. The only reason to get the retard pack is to save $60...the price of one game. And after looking at all the options, that's always gonna be a retarded decision. Good for M$ though, because people WILL make that decision which will just net them more dough down the road.
 
Gregory said:
Yes, and you`re like 3% of the market.
Click to expand...

It's gonna be more like 30% among people who buy X360's at launch.

Gregory said:
Exactly. It seems like the people screaming "retard pack" do it to feel superior or something lame like that..
Click to expand...

Hahaha, some people are getting pretty defensive about their choice to buy the retard pack. $60, you get a bunch of neat crap and you'll never have to buy a second memory card or component cables, even if you don't go online or use xbox 1 games. Do it.
 
sonycowboy said:
If they can get 50% of those folks ~ 20M to have XBox Live, then fuck winning the installed base wars.
Click to expand...
Wait wait wait: you mean if you're pulling down profit then it's okay to not have the highest install base?

You know this is GAF, right?
 
Do the mods really care about the term Retard Pack?

Quite honestly, I don't think anyone here is ragging on handicapped people.

We are ragging on M$.
 
John Harker said:
Can I make a move to stop using the term 'retard pack'.?

Its offensive,
What does that accomplish?

There is nothing wrong with saving money and just playing games.
Click to expand...

Agreed. I too find it offensive :(
 
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