Xbox 360 Price Drop

[trancejeremy]

I think they should just discontinue the core. So many games use the HD to reduce loading times, I've heard that Oblivion is practically unplayable with one.

I've actually heard the opposite - thanks to bad programming on BS's part, if you don't clear out the cache frequently, loading times actually get worse.

Anyway, the core really never made sense. Sure, it was $100 cheaper, but you also needed a $50 memory card to save games. Mostly just a marketing gimick to say it was $300.

 

[Vigilance]

Making the core package available at a low price is smart business.

I'm not saying it's the package I would want. I bought the full system package over a year ago.

But price matters guys. There's a reason the Wii is kicking ass and taking names. And it's not all about the cutesey gyro controllers. Those are nice, to be sure, but if the Wii was the same price as the 360, it would have been killed in the marketplace.

Price matters; and it matters A LOT

I totally agree that price matters and is a big reason for the Wii's success. However, there was a Wii that was $100 more with a HD, and the Wii had no internal memory and required you to buy a memory stick for $50 bucks, Id proclaim the HD-less Wii dumb too

I'm not saying a $279 price point is bad. I'm saying a $329 price point (core plus 50 MB memory card) is dumb, confusing and bound to piss folks off when you have a $350 model with a 20gb HD.

 

[Vocenoctum]

reading various articles, they say the regular 360 is 80% of sales, with the Core probably making up the rest. (and, at least at the start, mostly representing folks that couldn't find premiums)

In addition, Joystiq has reports that Best Buy and Target are probably ditching the Core, which could make this a clearance sale for Cores.

Personally, I think they should squeeze some memory into the Core somewhere and move on, but it really needs some rebranding I think.

I got a Premium, and frankly found the cheap models (PS3 20gig & 360 Core) to be something like false advertising. 360 advertising wireless on/off and such, then saying "we have this cheap one, it lacks all the cool stuff, but it's cheaper!"

Such is life... and marketing...

 

[John Crichton]

But price matters guys. There's a reason the Wii is kicking ass and taking names. And it's not all about the cutesey gyro controllers. Those are nice, to be sure, but if the Wii was the same price as the 360, it would have been killed in the marketplace.

Yeah, cuz it would have been a total ripoff.

 

[Felon]

The is 360 is doing well but I feel like they could be doing a bit more to try and put Sony farther behind. Not that I want that but as I mentioned before it would simply force more competition from the other two console makers.

...or it would force the competitors to fold. Remember the Sega Dreamcast?

The thing about the Wii is that it has its own exclusive games, so right there I don't see it as being in competition with the PS3 and 360. If I want to play GTAIV or Bioshock or Oblivion, the Wii just isn't an option.

 

[Mallus]

Remember the Sega Dreamcast?

Yes... with many fond memories. Wonderful little system, I still hook mine up from time to time.

Anyway, I've resigned myself to buying a 360 much later in its life cycle, like I did with the original XBox, mainly because I just picked up a PS3. Anybody care to guess exactly when that'll be? When will we see $250-300 units?

 

[John Crichton]

...or it would force the competitors to fold. Remember the Sega Dreamcast?

Yeah, but that system isn't even close to what the PS3 has in store. It wasn't pricing that killed the DC, it was Sega.

Remember the The thing about the Wii is that it has its own exclusive games, so right there I don't see it as being in competition with the PS3 and 360. If I want to play GTAIV or Bioshock or Oblivion, the Wii just isn't an option.

They all have their exclusives, for sure. And MS is in no position to shut Sony out of the console business at this point. They just don't have the influence or the games to do it. They'll have to do much better than what they are doing now, starting with making a reliable piece of hardware that would sink any other company straight out of the industry.

 

[drothgery]

Yeah, but that system isn't even close to what the PS3 has in store. It wasn't pricing that killed the DC, it was Sega.

Eh. It was a combination of insane PS2 hype from Sony, Sega having no money to finance the PR to combat it, and Sega being unwilling to sell the company to Microsoft (which did have the money, and was looking to get into the console business) that killed the DC.

 

[John Crichton]

Eh. It was a combination of insane PS2 hype from Sony, Sega having no money to finance the PR to combat it, and Sega being unwilling to sell the company to Microsoft (which did have the money, and was looking to get into the console business) that killed the DC.

Right, that's what I said. It was Sega's fault.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

Right, that's what I said. It was Sega's fault.

You could say that its Sony (slowly) killing the PS3 right now, though.

Sure, they've got things down the road...but...they're down the road. Hell, GTA IV, one of those big games, just got delayed FARTHER down the road. You can only get people to buy a system in anticipation for games for so long. Eventually you have to actually get the games OUT there.