RROD for sale *runs*

nekotails

@1981suede:

Hmm, Ive been through 5 PS2s and only 2 360s. My PS2s only stopped crapping out when I stopped playing them. Then again, ive never had a sony product work for more than a year aside from the PS3(which I never play so it doesnt really count)

Honestly, does it really matter though? This entire thread topic has gone into a console wars debate.

The impact of the price cut will lead to a sales spike then a slowdown. Consoles dont spike long term on price only, rather some sort of outside event has to occur. The PS3 for instance had the winning of the blueray format war which will see a long term sales spike.(much to my dismay since bluray is a horrid format) So if MS wants to win this generation, they have to find something with mass appeal to shift peoples perspectives on the console. Oprah maybe?

RuneX

@lionkitten: I only get one console every generation(I'm 15) I've had Playstation stuff since i was 10 so naturally i went with the PS3 this time around. To tell you the truth i'm dissapointed so far. Warhawk is awesome, Call of Duty 4 is brilliant, (i've yet to play uncharted or ratchet yet) but i'm still really jealous of Gears, Halo 3 and Bioshock I mean every 360 only owner should be sad to miss the likes of resistance and warhawk but i'm till waiting for that game that hooks me onto the ps3 it hasn't happened yet. It was Spyro for PS1. It was ratchet, socom, goldeneye god of war and okami that stole my heart on ps2. So Far the only thing that i love on Ps3 is Call of Duty 4 which freakin blew my mind i mean i was at loss for words, i cried when my Marine Character died in the Nuclear Explosion(No Joke)Some other fond memories include Need for Speed Porsche Unleashed for the Computer Best game of all time!!!If a game emotionally draws me in and it makes me care than that is when i finally love my console. So far i haven't expierienced that yet(sans CoD4) and i think my next hopefull game is the new Socom Confrontation. This game might be the last chance Sony has at capturing my heart for their console.

Barf#1

@Stormbringer: Well, I agree with one of your points, yet it still doesn't really have an effect on the big picture. So, "dead", in that case is a little extreme. In all the other cases, "dead" doesn't factor in at all.

mind in rewind

@bobtheduck:

It's not in the bag at all. 360 sales are dire in Europe and Japan, and whilst this may kick things a little, the 360 is dead.

dead because HD DVD is dead
dead because no HDD in the Arcade and Core
dead because it's reliability reputation is in tatters
dead because nobody cares anymore
dead because PS3 has all the good exclusives this year
dead because Wii has all the casual gamers attention.

Stormbringer

@LittleBigPlaneteer: What are you smoking? Don't post utter bullshit please.

in5ane

I can't deny it... Microsoft has this one in the Bag... Unless, of course, anti-american sentiment is THAT high... Sony needs to respond to this with a huge price drop...

bobtheduck

@reptile168:

Let me fix that for you..

360 is still unreliable. they still overheat like hotcakes.

Stormbringer

Cough ***Firesale....COUGH..

Stormbringer

360 has good value once again. hope they start selling like hotcakes.

reptile168

Thankfully people with no console at all aren't fanboys, nor do they visit gaming websites.

The price cuts will increase sales.

Antiflow

@Kyle81: The 360 is still in the lead in US sales. Yeah, I know, it came out a year before. But, it's still #1 in the US.

mind in rewind

@TalKeaton: Game Design Major:

Knowing the dollar conversions doesn't really provide you with any useful information anyway.

A better way to look at it is the percentage price drop, and apply that to your prices.

Onouris

I think this move just puts and keeps the pressure on Sony. Remember, the USA dollar is in the tank, and it gone down about 40% compared to most currencies. This means that Sony Japan is taking a bath on ps3's sold in the USA (because the us dollars are not worth a lot these days, even with a price drop, Sony only getting 60 cents for each usa dollar). It killing them right now. So, it is REALLY hard for Sony to make money in the USA market now. By xbox dropping the cost in Europe, they are just keeping things difficult for Sony.

And, hey, that bottom feeder arcade box is a super deal with live, and even a HDMI port. Even without a hard disk, you still get great on-line play. And, you get 5 games. It REALLY is a great way to get into xbox on the cheap. And, when you save up some more money, you can spring for the hard drive.

Getting people into xbox on the low end is REALLY important, and that how you win NEW people into xbox.

SuperTurtle

@Tepoz: Because it was not the same. The 360 since day ONE had lots and lots of hardware failure. All you would hear about everywhere was reports of faulty hardware and ever since it's launch, it's been nothing but report after report of hardware failure.

The PS2 did not suffer near as much of failure when it came out and if you actually read more carefully into the lawsuits and such, they were for specific models which were known to have faulty hardware. Not all PS2's suffered the DRE problem. Anyone can claim the problem was on all PS2's, but it really wasn't. Just cause you got a DRE or someone else did doesn't mean it was a widespread problem. DRE is something that happens to all optical drives, they all are prone to possible failing. The bad model series that suffered the DRE's was not the entire PS2 run like some try to say.

With 120 million sold compared to only about 15 million, the 360 has far worse press than the PS2 ever did.

Kyle81

@E-lai-e: Which store? In my local EBGames there's much more 360 games etc than PS3.

Harteex

@Accordion:
"Successful" is a relative term. But as I said my intent is in no way to be condescending, I think (as we can see) there is an argument to be made from either side.

I guess my question goes more to whether or not this is the proper place for that debate. This is a "Blog" not a "Forum" and there is a difference. But I agree with anyone's right to give their point of view intelligently in the hopes of sharing their knowledge and experience.

-EDGE-

Very foolish... All this will do, is flood more HDD-less arcade units out on the market, and can't play Xbox games to their full advantage (Burnout Paradise, GTA IV for example), and will further crippled HDD enabed Elites and Premiums.

Stormbringer

DRE problem was not as serious RROD. I was the only one out of eveyrone I know who ever had a Disc read problem in all the years I had it and it was easily remidied by taking the case off with a few screws and wiping the lens.

Swarm19

@-EDGE-:

There is a general lack of understanding as to why the 360 isnt successful.

RRoD is part of it, but i think lack of diversity of games is much more of an issue.

Current gen consoles are still competing with the PS2, for diversity it is way ahead.

Accordion

Not to be a dink, but. How did an EU price cut become an RRoD vs. DRE debate? I am all for the proper discourse, and love intelligent debate. But for some reason this to me should "Hey, great for the EU" or "I don't live in the EU, so when do I get a price cut?".

Anyhow, maybe it's just me, carry on.

-EDGE-

@Phenom88: I have NEVER read/heard of ANY articles about good customer service. When I had to send in my 360 everything went smoothly, I can't imagine how people have a hard time.
But all I wanted to point out that people never write about pleasant tech support experiences on this side of the internet.

back on topic though:
This move will increase sales no matter what, I wonder if it will push it past the PS3 though... as many have pointed out Europe is Sonyland after all.

TheHun

@Accordion: @Grave of the Fireflies: I think you're both right. I've gotten some awful responses for customer service, especially complaints directly directed at products and I've had some awesomely helpful ones, especially when I moved and had new ISP service and the stupid thing wasn't connecting. Super helpful. I think it depends on WHY you're calling, and , of course, luck of the draw.

lionkitten

RROD vs DRE

We all know about the RROD:
[www.google.com]

Do we all know about the DRE?:
[en.wikipedia.org]

2002
[www.consumeraffairs.com]

2003
[arstechnica.com]

[faqs.ign.com]

[forums.techguy.org]

2004
[www.gamingworldx.com]

2005
[digg.com]

[www.gamespot.com]

Why was Sony given the benefit of the doubt while Microsoft is crucified? Well, that has to do with warranty work.

If your PS2 had DRE problems while under the original 30 day warranty (later to changed to 90day warranty, then changed to 1yr warranty after class action lawsuit) it was repaired and you usually didn't have problems again. For PS2's out of warranty you either paid $120 for out of warranty repairs or bought a new one.

If your 360 had RROD problems while under the original (11/22/2005) 90 day warranty (later changed to 1 yr general warranty and 3 year RROD warranty after pressure from consumers-09/21/06) you may have problems again. For 360's out of warranty you either paid $140 for out of warranty repairs or bought a new one.

So the question is: Is one worst than the other or are both the same? Why is one worst than the other or why are both the same?

Tepoz

Crap. Any chance of this coming to America by this Friday? I bought the Arcade edition 26 days ago, so my Amazon 30-day refund guarantee is about to run out. I was able to get the wireless adapter and hard drive for $100 total from a third-party seller, and since I'm so cheap, I'd like to get the actual system even cheaper. Probably no chance of that happening this week, though.

Anyone have any recommendations for a good wireless headset? I feel I'm missing out on something in The Orange Box by not hearing pubtards calling me a "homofag."

Bonus_Eruptus

@Grave of the Fireflies: PS2 and 360 is tied for me so far. I had one of each go bad, both when they were about one year old.

lionkitten

@Grave of the Fireflies:

In my experience evryone i know with a launch PS2 has no problems, everyone i know with a 360 has had to get a replacement. Roughly 10 PS2s and 10 360s different people i know personally in my local area.

also : [www.dcemu.co.uk]

read onto page 2 for the worst of it.

Accordion

@Phenom88: Not in my experience. I called last week because my Halo 3 disc broke (spider fractures from the inside hole spread out into the data part of the disc) and the lady I spoke to was great. The only other time I called (about home networking my 360) the guy I got knew what he was talking about and it got handled quickly.

Madeira

Anyone that says the RROD is far more widespread than the PS2 disc read error is a fucking liar.

Just between myself and 2 brothers we have had 7 PS2's 1 for me, 3 for each of my brothers. Only my younger brothers still works but with a catch. It will only read PS2 games on a single layer disc. Disgaea(CD), Rogue Galaxy(DL-DVD) as well as movie DVD's, PS1 games and music CD DO NOT WORK. This has been the case for the majority of PS2 owners and especially with people we all know. Which is why Sony lost a class-action lawsuit and still lie about the problem, which has never and will never be fixed.

We all have 360's, 2 premium and 1 core between us. No problems ever. Most of the people we know have all got 360's and only a couple have had any problems, only one of which was the RROD, the rest like the PS2 were DVD drive problems.

The entry level 360 is now almost half the price of a PS3 and with the superior software catologue and online service anyone that does not buy one is only to regret it.

The whole RROD thing has been completely blown out of all proportion and I strongly recommend not listening to anyone online about this problem. It does exist but not to the degree people claim and having people pull figures or percentages out their fucking ass is getting old real quick.

Grave of the Fireflies

@Madeira: Sorry man but MS customer service is poor at best. There are plenty of articles about that.

Phenom88

@1981suede: "I don't know who you are trying to kid but thw RROD issue in the 360 is a lot worse than the PS2 disc read error."

You're sure about that how exactly?

"Who cares what a Sony rep said? It bares no relevance whatsoever."

Sure it does. It shows that Sony made no effort to make it right until they were forced to, and my point was that at least MS owned up to it. So it's completely relevant.

"I'd also like to add that it took at least a year for Microsoft to respond to the RROD issue."

What do you mean by respond? The extended warranty?

Madeira

I still think that the RROD isn't as prevalent as the numbers say. I am NOT saying that it isn't a problem!!!! But there's been lots of these types of stories...

All kinds of people from Xbox, from Gamestop, Best Buy, etc. have said that people say their boxes have "red-ringed" when they haven't. They flip out when they see other drive erros/read errors etc. that show as those same red ligths in different patterns, when all that's needed is a restart ro a chache clear.

They flip out and say I got the redring and send it in and there's nothing wrong with it.

lionkitten

@Mike Fahey:

It's not desperation. It's what they've talked about for YEARS now and they have manuvered things to this point. Its definitely time and I think this will definitely catch people's attention.

DARTH_TIGRIS

@Old-school Sonic fanboy: "If MS is such a saint of a company, why don't they release a system that DOESN'T fuck up? Is it really that hard for them to do that?"

I'm not excusing MS on the rrod issue, but rather pointing out that MS owned up to it and is doing whatever they can to not only fix anyone's rrod'd 360 and get it back to them asap free of charge, but are re-engineering the thing so it won't have the problem going forward.

If you want to crucify them for this, nothing is going to change your mind. But if you want to be sensible about the whole deal, then look at it realistically: as far as hardware failures go, the rrod is about as bad as it gets- unlike the PS2 drive problem, it's not an easy thing to change just like that. But they are getting it handled. If you buy a 360 and it rrods, when you call MS (which has very decent phone support btw) they take care of it. It's not like you're out of luck.

And it's not like every 360 will fuck up. I put mine through its paces daily and it runs fine. I don't worry about it. Personally, it's one of my favorite systems I've ever owned, and I'm 32 and the first console I bought with my own money was the Genny.

Madeira

@Madeira: The PS2 may of had some DVD problems but it was fixed pretty quick. It most certainly didn't have these kind of problems,

[us.i1.yimg.com]

Phenom88

@Old-school Sonic fanboy: Corporations are only beholden to their stockholders and as such, are amoral. Never look to a corporation for some sort of guiding principle in your life or you will be severely dissapointed.

Microsoft has followed the Sony PS1/PS2 playbook to the letter and while Sony decided to go another direction. Nintendo just didn't play the game in the same court.

Tepoz

@greeble: It's not sad. It's true. I mean I am exaggerating when I say "can't live without it" - obviously I could - but it's such a huge part of my social networking it would be very uncomfortable. It was hell to be off Live for those 10 days in December when the system was screwed up.

lionkitten

@Madeira:

I don't know who you are trying to kid but thw RROD issue in the 360 is a lot worse than the PS2 disc read error. Who cares what a Sony rep said? It bares no relevance whatsoever. I'd also like to add that it took at least a year for Microsoft to respond to the RROD issue.

1981suede

The only thing that has stopped me from buying an XBOX360 is not the the price or the cost of games, it's that damn RROD that some of my friends are complaining about.

Senshi34

@Madeira: If MS is such a saint of a company, why don't they release a system that DOESN'T fuck up?

Is it really that hard for them to do that?

Old-school Sonic fanboy

@Old-school Sonic fanboy: I don't "blame them" at all. I just find it very ironic because the major reason for the Wii's success is the Wiimote and people aren't using it on the system's biggest title. It also lends to the argument that the Wii is nothing more than Gamecube V1.5

Mr.SithNinja

@Swarm19: I mean licensed content. As far as video service, I believe it when I see it.

okenny :)

@Kyle81: Okay, now that's going against what's been posted/reported/analyzed about PS2 problems. It was a major problem for years until the slim PS2 design. You know the links.

Tepoz

@Kyle81: Downplay it all you want, who knows what the numbers are. But compare this Sony rep response to MS's response to rrod:

From Gamestop:
A Sony rep confirmed the settlement for GameSpot but insisted it is in no way an admission of guilt. "While we are convinced that there is no problem with these models, and that we would win if we defended this case through trial, we have agreed to settle these lawsuits to avoid the extraordinary high cost of cumbersome class action litigation," the representative said.

Madeira

Given the EU's love affair with MS. I imagine they could be giving the 360 away with a free bowl of soup and no one would care.

-EDGE-

@Mr.SithNinja: But can you blame them? I'm sure more people feel comfortable with it because of Melee. I'm planning on using the GCN controller, once UPS brings me the @#$%^&* game.

Old-school Sonic fanboy

That's a darned good price.

KilgoreTrout__XL

@greeble: I agree I love Live and it make me want to pay Sony for better content and layout for their online services. You get what you pay for.

Mr.SithNinja

@Mr.SithNinja: Oh I also think it is HILARIOUS that people prefer to use the Gamecube controller on what is supposed to be the Wii's biggest title.

Mr.SithNinja

Well I'm definetly buying a 360 now!
GTA IV anyone?

MasterBalls

@LittleBigPlaneteer: That is the only problem I have with the Wii. I don't feel like it is any better than the Cube. You take the cube, you add the Wiimote and there you are. There is no other difference other than the VC. I do LOVE the VC. If it wern't for the VC I wouldn't own one now.

Mr.SithNinja

@okenny :): What are you talking about? They already are and have a video service in the works.

Swarm19

@Accordion: Sony can't offer HD or SD content though ;)

okenny :)

@Madeira: It was only a small group of PS2's that were faulty, only certain model numbers. The problem was not at the start of the PS2 run and it was only for a short amount of time, they got in trouble and fixed it up with later model runs.

Kyle81

Microsoft shouldn't have had to do an extended warranty.

The problem should have never existed to being with.

Old-school Sonic fanboy

@LittleBigPlaneteer: Ya but they got that problem under control.

Ra on the Moon.

@LittleBigPlaneteer: It sure was, if not worse. Sony was forced to settle a class action lawsuit over it. And they were nowhere near as forthcoming about the issue as MS with the rrod. MS came right out with the extended warranty and has been pretty good about the whole thing.

@Old-school Sonic fanboy: I got a launch PS2, I didn't have a problem either.

Madeira

PS2 had a widespread drive problem. The difference is they fixed it pretty quick. (Less than 1 year.) It took Microsoft 2.5 years to "fix" the problems plaguing the 360.

greeble

@Madeira: Problems that bad? I got my PS2 a year after launch, and I never had a single problem.

Old-school Sonic fanboy

@Madeira:

The failure rates were nowhere as high as the RROD problem though

LittleBigPlaneteer

@lionkitten: That was one of the most sane defenses of 360 I've seen on a forum post. I'll stick with my Wii (and maybe a PS3 someday if I get some dollahz) but just wanted to say that that was the most non fanboy fanboy post I've read. And I mean that in a positive way.

MonkeyBallRoller08

@Mr.SithNinja:

I used to think like that too, but then I realized that I'm basing "next-gen" on whether or not graphics are improved and/or in high-def. The Wii may not have next-gen graphics, but in a way it has next-gen controls. It's truly the first time a system like that has been created for a home console, and it works nicely. The literal term next generation console simply means an advancement from the previous generation. Seeing as the Wii is the next-gen of the Gamecube it counts as a next-gen system.

LittleBigPlaneteer

@Neo-Senku: The PS2 dvd drive problems were widespread and it was a pretty big deal at the time. It was bad enough that there was a class action lawsuit.

@Kyle81: My favorite consoles have never been 1st place. Dreamcast, Genesis, Saturn, TurboDuo...

Madeira

@bangbangblah: The price cut is no doubt part of MS trying to target the European market that they have been having trouble in. They said they want to focus on the territory and they seem to have given up really trying in Japan anymore. In the US MS is doing just fine and really doesn't need a price cut at this point. Though many assume MS will try a price drop for the release of GTA for a big sales boost.

Kyle81

@lionkitten: "If my 360 dies, I will immediately buy a new one. I can't live without it." That is pretty sad. But yes what you said is true about xbox's ace in the hole Live. Seems Japan is really lagging behind on this online thing. Perhaps its a cultural thing.

greeble

@okenny :):

Still, the PS3 employs a proprietary partition method rather than proprietary drives.
No content on the the PS3 partition can even be read on another computer, or even a PS3 direct linux install. If Microsoft is a software company, i'm sure they could create a proprietary partition system…they cant charge for a firmware feature however.

It is possible.

Accordion

@Kyle81: Yeah, good point. I guess there's no "we'll just drop a price to make people happy." But your "for now" does make me optimistic.

bangbangblah

@bangbangblah: 360 is selling well in the US, it's unlikely that we will see a price cut to go with this one. If anything this might lead to a PS3 price cut... but only in Europe.... for now.

Kyle81

I wonder if this will jumpstart other price-cuts as well. Namely, outside of Europe, and then extending to other systems that I still really want to buy (*cough* ps3 *cough*).

bangbangblah

@LittleBigPlaneteer: When Nintendo puts out a true next gen console they will then be considered in the debate over the "Console Wars". Nintendo is it's own nitche and is doing amazingly well with a great product. It is NOT; however, in the same class as the 360 or PS3. It shouldn't be mentioned in the same breath as any "Next-Gen" console.

And before you flame me as a "fanboy" you should know that I own all 3 systems. The Wii is what it is but it is NOT a next gen console and its sales should not be compared to any other system. It is apples and oranges.

Mr.SithNinja

@lionkitten: Makes sense to me. :]

But I'll stick with my PS3, since it has the games I want. I don't plan on buying an Xbox ever really, unless Square Enix starts making exclusive games for it ( which I doubt, since Japan doesn't like the system ) or a new Jet Set Radio is excluse to the system.

Old-school Sonic fanboy

@Madeira:

ps2 didnt have it to this exent. and its main issues came from the disc read errors that occured when they were still switching between blue discs and regular discs

Neo-Senku

@Neo-Senku: Wii is beating the crap out of 360 in the US as well. The 360 really is not going to be number 1 anywhere this gen, it's basically fighting to keep 2nd place.

Kyle81

@Accordion: The 360 hasn't been hacked from a DRM perspective and that's what the closed architecture buys them. HD hacks for the 360 for example still require you to get a special brand and model of hard drive which still requires electrical modifications in order to get working and when all is said and done, it's still a closed box that you can't see inside of. Other hacks include CD firmware hacks and things of that nature. People haven't defeated the DRM countermeasures in the system. As long as this remains the case, we can get rich media from content service providers and I like that. Sure you could eventually (if someone hasn't already) completely hack the system to the point of installing Linux on it but that will probably make it impossible to take on LIVE; I just hope piracy doesn't ruin it for everyone. That said, HD closure is a vital part of keeping content safe; The fact that it's to expensive is Microsoft being it's old shrewed self. Competition and success should effectively stop this as they realize that it's beneficial to give customers more space to download more content (or even hold more ads).

okenny :)

@Old-school Sonic fanboy: "How can you praise a system with so many flaws? It boggles my mind."

I praise my 360 constantly, but not really about the console so much as the games, the controller and Xbox Live.

What system doesn't have flaws? They all do. Wii's crap, except for like 6 games. PS3 is too big, too expensive and we're STILL waiting for a killer app and they still don't have their online sorted out. 360's die too easily and are too noisy and freeze up WAY too often.

I agree that 360 has lots of flaws,and some BIG ones (I got the RROD myself and I think my optical drive is going any second). But if you list out all the pros of the consoles, I'd argue 360 has the most of those as well, if you are only looking for a games machine. I know I am a walking cliche but I really do ened up using my PS3 as a Blu-Ray player, and I LOVE games. I play constantly. My PS3 was FREE and I still can't get excited about playing games on it.

If my 360 dies, I will immediately buy a new one. I can't live without it. If my PS3 died, I'd be pissed but I'd get over it.

Don't get me wrong. I loved Uncharted and Ratchet, and I like a little Warhawk from time to time, but there isn't a single game available on both consoles that I would rather play on PS3. Why? Because of Live. It's crack-tastic. And it's something people will never understand that haven't been heavy Live users before. PSN isn't even close yet. Even when playing single player games, I just have to be connected to Live to get messages and invites and send IM's and chat and stuff. When I am on PS3, I wonder what all the 360 friends list is doing.

That's a huge reason why people will defend MS and Xbox forever. It's brilliant.

If PS3 gets that interconnected after the new version of PSN hits this summer, maybe that'll change. But it's not even close yet.

lionkitten

No what history shows is that the Xbox does poorly in every territory but North America.

Phenom88

@interstate78:

It's still the console to beat in America and no place else really. The thing just dosen't have that broad of an appeal

I don't these price drops are gonna make anyone who didn't want an 360 buy one. most that have wanted it buy now have saved up for it and brought it. it will just allow the few who can't afford still to buy it.

Neo-Senku

"You can't win a console war selling only first party games. It just won't happen."

Uh, pretty sure Nintendo can

LittleBigPlaneteer

@okenny :):

360 is already hacked and HDD has nothing to do with it.

The PS3 uses standard 2.5inch laptop drives and is still secure.

The 360 uses proprietary peripherals to make profit. What's strange is Sonys console is very open, contrary to prior practice. [Oh Memory Stick how i despise you so!]

Accordion

"Whats the point in the core/arcade? really?"

To be able to say they have the cheapest console on the market, obviously. Even if it's not a SKU that anybody in their right mind would buy.

"You can't win a console war selling only first party games. It just won't happen."

Maybe not, but you can make lots of money. Who do you think is going to make more profit out of this generation - Nintendo or Microsoft?

This isn't just Microsoft bashing - I have a 360 and I love it. I have a Wii and I'm incresingly disillusioned with it, Super Mario Galaxy apart. But I'm watching MS throw away their early lead with a string of awful, obviously wrong decisions, and it frustrates me enormously. There just doesn't seem to be any joined up thinking at all. They try to pitch it as a family machine, but spend all their marketing money and development effort on the likes of Halo 3 and Gears of War. Christ, they even thought Viva Pinata, with one of the most hardcore gameplay mechanics around, was made going to appeal to kids. They make Live the benchmark for online console gaming, and then throw away that advantage by refusing to allow mods or almost any user generated content.

cdammers

@Old-school Sonic fanboy:I've had my elite for 5 months, it's on 5-6 hours a day at least and I haven't had a problem with it. Sure there are some lemons out there. But the PS2 had its share of hardware problems and that console was awesome too, so who cares about that crap really.

Madeira

@okenny :): Haha! Would it be so good to have a penis that could kill? Actually yes. I'd get that in a heartbeat!
Yeah I guess I'm just grumpy about it as PC Hard Drives are so cheap. But the difference shouldn't be €100 all the same.

NunianVonFuch

Hmm, sorry im just not tempted at all.
On the one hand there are 3 or 4 games i would like to play on the 360 and on the other hand there is the reliability issues which is number one for me and then there is the paid for internet gaming which to a pc gamer like me is like asking me to pay for filling my lungs with fresh air.For the hard of understanding this means..I dont like it and i dont give a fck how cheap you say it is! :P
Also i have a ps3 and a pc that is capable of giving crysis a good kicking with all on high settings and 1680x1050.So multi platform games are out.
So what are they trying to sell me again?
Oh the games.. i would really like crackdown and dead rising looks fun too,if a tad repetative and maybe one of the pgr games.You can keep halo thanks, i have the first 2 and the are cack imo
ET ftw!
This is just my opinion and from my perspective so pls dont throw a hissy fit anyone.
I think a lot of pc gamers see the 360 games coming out for pc (mass effect,gear of war) and are going the way of ps3 for their console stuff with the likes of mgs4 and gran turismo gta etc.

UFO

@kNZA: I mean the $120 or $130 price tag they put on repairs when you are out of that warranty or you have another problem like busted DVD drive that is not covered.

Swarm19

360 bashing is fun, can i join?

sudz

@LittleBigPlaneteer:

Jokes on them, then. I'm still not undoing my adblock, even for Kotaku.

It's showing up as white page, text based right now. It's ugly to look at, and kind of reminds me of "The Drudge Report," but I refuse to be bombarded by ads by anyone.

PapaBear434

"Sorry, you get 3 years from your initial purchas, it doesn't refresh if you are sent a replacement 360."

Thats ridiculous. Worst customer service ive ever seen.
Ive been asking this question for a long time. Every other product i have had from various companies including my PSP has been given a renewed warranty it any major problems occur within the year. Apple even gave me a three year warranty on my Macbook Pro because im a student.

@interstate78:

Fact is, the 360 is in desperate need of a wider audience ,it hold a very small percentage given its time in the market, and it isnt growing anywhere near fast enough. Go and read last months EGDE article. Too many mistakes.

Accordion

@Lot krotan (wut?): Muchas gracias.

That's kind of annoying, with all the scare stories of multiple Red Rods, but I suppose if it does break after 2 years or so, Microsoft may have implemented the 45nm processors. Still, it's the only console I really want, and I've been really pining for a great RPG afer Morrowind, and my PC can't handle Oblivion.

Krondonian

How can you praise a system with so many flaws? It boggles my mind.

Old-school Sonic fanboy

next xbox would not be coming out in 2010
current gen will stay for long, the only new gen will be Wii HD, which would just catch up with x360 power and PS3 will stay for the next 10 years

Spds

@TrekVogel: Really sales won't matter over there,the games are way better on 360.

PerfectGears

@kNZA: I suspect that the reason why they are keeping the HD tech proprietary is the same reason they are able to get into bed with content distributors. Hacking is a serious issue and I think that's why MS is keeping the system so closed. That said, I feel that the prices for hard drives are far to expensive. Here's what they need to do:

20GB: $50
60GB: $80
120GB: $110
250GB: $210

That would be sweet.

okenny :)

My prediction: There will be a US Price Cut before April 29th 2008. My reasoning? Grand Theft Auto 4.

@Krondonian:

Sorry, you get 3 years from your initial purchas, it doesn't refresh if you are sent a replacement 360.

In 3 years, it will be 2011, which would be 5 years after the 360 launched, which is about the time that the next xbox would be coming out.

Lot krotan (wut?)

Cheaper yes, but still unreliable.

CPAGamer

I wonder why Kotaku always shows the XBOX as pleading for an audience when everybody knows it's the best selling console, game-wise.

I know a lot of people must be really happy to see Microsoft not first anymore but the way I see it, it's STILL the console to beat.

You can't win a console war selling only first party games. It just won't happen.

interstate78

This is what will lead to me to buying a 360. I was going to anyway, but with a sub £200 Pro, I can't refuse.

A quick question to owners though: If it RROD's a year after you bought it, you send it off for repairs. Does the new one come with a new 3 year warranty, or are you down to 2 years? Thanks in advance.

Krondonian

Very interesting. I guess now the 360 will get its ass kicked by a machine that is not only nowhere near as powerfull but now also more expensive. That will make 'em look good.

Don't get me wrong though, I do like 360 and think about picking one up. I just don't see this working out the way is is supposed to.

TrekVogel

@Jechticknight:

Yes, I realized it was because I blocked all ads in Firefox (adblock Plus). When I disabled it the page showed up fine. They must of reworked it so it looks bare if you block ads :(

LittleBigPlaneteer

Whats the point in the core/arcade? really? i know no one who has one of these, i dont see the point. Maybe for people who live in the sticks with no broadband? but surly you would want the hdd it adds so much to gaming.

Raikkenon

Was kotaku acting up this morning for anyone else besides me? The page was completely devoid of content at one point, and even now the log in function is slightly iffy.
Oh.

-On topic-

I don't expect this price drop to really garner an increase in sales for Microsoft in Europe. I personally don't see the Arcade a viable purchase when people want either the semi-full or completely full package. It all depends on whether or not the price drop is good enough for the elite and pro.

Jechticknight

@cdammers:

Nails in the coffin? A bit early for that.

You are dead-on about the Arcade, though.

Throw in 8GB of flash or a 20GB HDD and make it a usable 360, MS!
The Arcade strategy is failing because you are restricting LIVE games and disk games by trying to cater to a system with no storage.

Second, you need to make a reasonable upgrade strategy for Arcade owners. $100HDDs are a rip-off and everyone knows it.

Build a $30 HDD-case kit. You will make millions and, more importantly, you will make millions happier. This will strengthen your position in the industry.

Fools!

kNZA

@Swarm19:

Do you mean the free repairs?

I don't think the console is free yet...

If you voided your warranty, that was your choice.

kNZA

Elite pricing is way out-of line!

THat thing should not command more than a $50 premium.

Bump the Pro to 60GB and make the elite 250GB.

THEN you can charge an extra $100 for it...

kNZA

@Naif: Thanks for the critique but if you dont like it dont reply to it. kthxbye.

Swarm19

Now people can heat their homes for a low, low price. :]

Old-school Sonic fanboy

I've always wondered why Europe gets such inflated prices on these consoles. Your turn Sony. (Not even going to bother asking Nintendo)

greeble

And so Microsoft puts the nail in the coffin of another Xbox generation. This pushing of the Arcade KSU will kill the 360. It simply doesn't have the brand to compete with Wii for families and casual gamers, while the insistence on no-hard-drive-dependence is crippling the Premium/Elite SKUs. It's dumb, dumb, dumb. Stop trying to compete with Nintendo. Remember the Wii-60? That's what you should be aiming for, Microsoft.

cdammers

@NunianVonFuch: LOL @ slightly larger. I guess 6 times the storage could be seen as slightly larger. If a doctor tells me he can make my penis sightly larger by making it 6 times larger... I'd say go for it!

okenny :)

The console almost costs as much as they charge you for repairs now.

Swarm19

@Swarm19:
*sigh*
comment intelligently plx
floods of new people make my kotaku comment-binge-reading less happy =[

on topic:

even as a 360 fanboy, i cant see them making much leeway over the PS3 dominated euro areas...
its probably going to win a lot of ground here in the UK though, with a price that cheap people'll snap it up!

Naif

I hope this news embarrases Nintendo as they realise that a technically superior machine is cheaper and more available. I don't expect them to care, just feel a little insecure on their koopa shell thrones.

mysteryboy2k

So, yes, pretty cool. I'd pick an Arcade up if I had enough space in my entertainment arrangement and could afford the additional cost of the games. But it's dirt cheap other than that.

I'll stick with the PS3 & PC for now. Should get most 360 games on the PC as well. Heh, looking at you Mass Effect.

Candlejack

@Heavyfuel:

It's such a huge spin it's comical I swear. If Sony said something like that, they'd already be 20 people commenting on the amount of spin.

LittleBigPlaneteer

Good to see the drop but €100 difference between the Elite and the Premium is still too high for a slightly larger hard drive. Can't bitch about a pricedrop in general though, all is good! :-D

NunianVonFuch

RROD for a cheap price.

stennex

@LittleBigPlaneteer: OK, thanks. I knew the conversion a few years ago when I was in Germany, but I knew values have changed since then.

TalKeaton: Game Design Major

"Xbox 360 is the number one next-gen console in EMEA, owning 42% of the market in terms of life-to-date revenue." Life to date revenue? With enough qualifications, everyone's the best at something.

Heavyfuel

Ok, it's cheap. I was looking for a notebook last saturday, I saw PS3 all over (I mean consoles and huge PS3 adds with Uncharted on it among other), no XBox 360. I think they probably had it somewhere in a corner, but they are sure making adds for PS3 atm. We sure love our Playstation brand.

I live in Sweden btw, no idea how it looks in other cities in Sweden, or other countries here in Europe.

E-lai-e

yup :) Pro version @ €269.99 FTW! Now if they could only release the following pricing scheme in the US:

Elite: $350
Pro: $290
Core: $200

I would so buy a core (I'z gotz a 20GB HD already Bi-atches!!) This is what competition does people so don't knock it!! Should this happen in the states, I'd like to thank all those people who bought a PS3 and Wii. This wouldn't have been possible without your support. I'd also like to than my moth....

okenny :)

Well the Arcade cut isn't much but the Pro and Elite cuts are pretty big.

Probaby a counter strike by MS to help puch sales up in the wake of the PS3's recen success in Europre.

FoxHoundADAM

Dont buy it people, its a trick lol

Swarm19

@TalKeaton: Game Design Major:

Contrary to whatever people will tell you (and correct me) it translates into 199 and 269 respectively. Not when converted directly, but the amount in Euros is almost always the same amount we see in US dollars.

LittleBigPlaneteer

Whoa. The Euro console warzz just got a whole lot chiefier.

Madeira

Would a £30 saving really tempt people into buying a console if they had already decided against it? I can't imagine it will but good luck to them!

1981suede

"Xbox 360 is the number one next-gen console in EMEA, owning 42% of the market in terms of life-to-date revenue"

HOLY F'n SPIN BATMAN!

LittleBigPlaneteer

*fears being seen as a typical American*

What does that translate into dollars as?

TalKeaton: Game Design Major

yay! elite coming my way at last!

henri1kk