Joyrex Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 Microsoft is offering an XBOX 360 Arcade console (no HDD, 4GB of storage) for 99USD with a 2 year subscription to XBOX Live Gold (14.99/month), and a Kinect motion controller interface, available at Microsoft retail stores (yes, they have them - think Apple store for crappy products). Interesting they are trying to be "first" with the sub-200USD console of this generation (Wii does not count). Let's do the math: XBOX 360 Arcade Console -199.00 (-100.00 savings): 99.00 XBOX Live Gold for 2 years: 14.99/month x 24 = 359.76 XBOX Kinect: 149.00 (-149.00 savings) Total cost (- savings): 309.76 Now, from what I understand, it's almost useless without an HDD, so add 90.00 for the cheapest HDD (120GB): 399.76 When purchased normally: 4GB XBOX 360 Arcade w/Kinect: 299.00 XBOX Live Gold Membership (12 months): 49.99 x 2: 99.98 120GB HDD: 90.00 Total cost: 488.98 Your total savings is 89.22 buying the 2 year commitment versus each item separately. What's interesting is how much more they sell the XBOX Live subscription per month for versus if you just bought two 12-month cards of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squee Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 I mentioned this on another forum so I'm just going to copy and paste... Not everyone can afford to pay full price for a 360. So even though it ends up costing more than what a 360 normally costs it will seem like a lucrative offer for those who can only afford to pay smaller amounts of money at a time i.e. students. I got my iPhone4S for free - but this means I am tied to my carrier for 6 months and have to pay a certain amount of money each month. Plus, the following 18 months I have to pay a smaller amount of money each month. Yes, when you do the math you might as well put a gun to your foot but it's BETTER for me to get my iPhone this way because there is no way in hell I, as a student, will ever be able to put whatever it is an iPhone costs. If I did pay the full price it would hurt my economy so much that it would take months to get back on track, but paying only a small price each month doesn't hurt me that badly. So yeah, I can see why this 360 deal is a good deal for SOME but not for everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eugene Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 couldn't you buy the phone like that with a credit card ? in 18 payments without tying yourself to a cellular company ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyrex Posted May 7, 2012 Author Share Posted May 7, 2012 Agreed on the "now vs. later/never" factor - but that ramp up in costs on the subscription is really taking the piss! You'd be better of putting the whole thing on a credit card (just a guess, not going to do an amortization schedule to see if it comes out more or less) and pay a set amount each month (the 14.99+ whatever gets you above your credit card minimum payment plus what it takes to pay off in two years). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squee Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 couldn't you buy the phone like that with a credit card ? in 18 payments without tying yourself to a cellular company ? Sure - but I wouldn't bother dealing with an overdraft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bubba69 Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 wait, for a second I thought you were saying that it CAME with 2 years of xbox live for free. I see now that it is basically like an iphone contract. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hexagon son Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 wait, for a second I thought you were saying that it CAME with 2 years of xbox live for free. I see now that it is basically like an iphone contract. That's how I initially read it too. What a let down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyrex Posted May 8, 2012 Author Share Posted May 8, 2012 wait, for a second I thought you were saying that it CAME with 2 years of xbox live for free. I see now that it is basically like an iphone contract. Right - you're basically locked into a 2 year agreement with Microsoft. Funny thing is, I would suspect the next XBOX will be out within those two years... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rubin Farr Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 Xbox contracts? Complete bullshit. Then you pay $180 a year for next 2 years so they can keep fucking you. Buy a used console and fuck MS! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyrex Posted May 8, 2012 Author Share Posted May 8, 2012 Xbox contracts? Complete bullshit. Then you pay $180 a year for next 2 years so they can keep fucking you. Buy a used console and fuck MS! Yeah, but you still have to pay for XBOX Live membership to play online... so either way, MS is making money off you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rubin Farr Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 Yeah like I said $14.99 a month, so $180 a yr plus tax for what everyone else is paying $60. Us smart ones even got discounts. You end up paying $360 for two years of Live, coincidence? Or bullshit! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baph Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 Doesn't the new package include 2 years of extended warranty? Isn't that sort of valuable since, you know, xboxen are built to such exacting, fail-proof, field-hardened standards? I love how I've seen about 10 separate analyses of this offer and each one has a totally different "normal purchase" cost figure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyrex Posted May 8, 2012 Author Share Posted May 8, 2012 Doesn't the new package include 2 years of extended warranty? Isn't that sort of valuable since, you know, xboxen are built to such exacting, fail-proof, field-hardened standards? I love how I've seen about 10 separate analyses of this offer and each one has a totally different "normal purchase" cost figure. I thought the standard warranty on XBOXes after the whole Red Ring of Death debacle is 3 years? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baph Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 I don't know. Everyone seems to be posting conflicting information. Because MICROSOFT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chassis Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 wait, for a second I thought you were saying that it CAME with 2 years of xbox live for free. I see now that it is basically like an iphone contract. Ye thats what I thought too. This is bullshit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spratters Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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