Analysts predict 360 price cut tomorrow.......
 

Logan, I hope you kept your receipt handy on your Xbox 360 you just bought.........

http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?op...=6299&Itemid=2

Wow! Might have to pick up an elite at that price point.

I bought GME (Gamestop) stock today. I know its at a high and anticipate some ups and downs but I suspect that the 3rd and 4th qtr of this year could be a huge season for games, system, and accessory buying. I plan on holding it through at least next January.

It's a good move on the Elite price point. Part of the pricing problem at $479 was that you could get a PS3 for only $20 more with a HD movie player and built-in Wifi connection. Excluding the movie player, you can now get an Elite for $399 and purchase the $100 Wifi if you want it and still spend only $499, which compares similarly to the PS3.

The next move by Sony and MS will be the add-ons like packed in games or throw-ins for online store credit, which can be given away at minimal costs. We likely will see more price cutting/giveaways before the holiday season is over.

The PS3 really needed to drop 125-150 bucks, they already tried the 499 market with the 20gig model and it just didn't work. I know there are some considerable differences between the two models but not enough that they're going to start flying off the shelves now like they initially thought they would.

Putting the core 360 in line with the Wii price (250) would be a smart move as well.

Capitalism = Roxxors!

Microsoft's gaming division is running circles around Sony's.

This is probably enough to get me to pick up a 360 soon.

I have some, too. So far, it has been a good investment.

Yeah, I'm trying to figure out the right time to make the move. I would really like NCAA/Madden on a next gen system this year, but if prices are going to drop another $100 or so come the holidays, then I'd just assume play these out on the PS2 and then get a new system.

But I don't want to get into that constant waiting game always waiting for the next price cut.

If you really want a PS3 or 360, why wait at this point? You get to play the games right now at a lower price point for both systems.

A lot of people keep waiting and then never end up buying a system. If you don't game that much, perhaps that's the best option.

I don't game that much and it's an option I'm considering.

This is basically a system for NCAA Basketball and NCAA Football and/or Madden.

Dola:

But that's part of the problem with this generation and why the Wii is winning by such a large margin. This is the first generation, imo, that the price point is just so out of reach for the casual gamer.

LOL...read closely Mizz...I was planning on buying it this coming Sunday :). Thanks for the heads-up though.

Yep. I could afford a PS3 or 360, but just can't justify spending that much on a console. So I bought a Wii and love it so far.

Exactly. It's not that I can't afford it, it's that I can't justify the expense for how much time I put into it.

I keep meaning to go to a friend's to play the Wii to see how I like it. If I did (especially if my fiance also likes it which I think she will), that may be my solution. I just don't know that it's that great of a solution for my sports gaming needs.

They do price matches as long as you keep the receipt. Just wanted to make sure you were covered. :)

If the price cut for the 360 is true, you'll be able to get a Core system for the same price as a Wii and the Premium system for only $100 more. The difference in price fades away in a hurry if the price cut comes to pass.

im still holding out for when rock band comes out, since it appears that wont be for ps2. whichever has a better bundle at that point, or a better deal, anyway, if it isnt bundled, will win for me.

right now, its 360.

Depends on how well they integrate the Wii-mote. Once developers get better at integrating that into games (and make it a priority to do so), I think the sports gaming experience has the potential to be the best of the bunch. I love Wii Sports and would love to see what a serious sports game can do with similar control mechanisms.

I'm looking forward to the new bowling game where you can do a pro career. It seems like an idea that could really be good given that the Wii Sports: Bowling was done so well.

I think the Wii is a great, fun system. However, I can't see it ever being my primary sports console system as it is unlikely to ever get some of the best gameplay improvements that games will have. For example, I doubt the Wii will ever get gang tackling, branching animations, etc in Madden. The direction seems to be more focused on novel control in the game.

Now that's funny.

I posted the story about Sony's price cut last night around 9:30pm Pacific.

Did a little writeup after the story talking about ramifications and whatnot.


There's a couple things in that story that I'd like to have back, but I think I predicted Microsoft's response rather nicely. Shame I whiffed on that Elite price point, though. :)

Gameplay improvements? I don't know if I'd call gang tackling and branching animations big gameplay improvements. Improved graphics are nice, but they don't equal fun to me.

I had more fun playing WiiSports Tennis than I've ever had playing Madden. I'm usually a stat head when playing games, so I wish I could have been able to have some kind of career mode or something like that in the Tennis game, but it was just so damn fun that I didn't care.

The Core doesn't even have a HD, right?

Right, you can always purchase one later seperately, or purchase memory cards to save your games though.

Shoot, you can buy a 512 MB card (matching the Wii's internal memory) for $50.

Value isn't quite equivalent - game + card + system = $350 on the Core - but it makes it a much harder decision for the "one system" families that are out there.

I may be wrong, but I think those two new features are going to make the game much more realistic than past versions. If they do, I'd say they are significant gameplay improvements. I've played the Wii at a few friends house, and I think it is a great system and I've also had a lot of fun playing WiiSports Tennis. I just don't think it would serve me well as my primary sports console system.

Yeah, but let's face it - you're a hardcore gamer. I think it's pretty clear that the 360/PS3 are the system choices for hardcore gamers. I'd be pretty surprised to find someone using the Wii as their primary/only system when they're a hardcore gamer.

Memory Cards, ugh..

Buying one later, ugh..

I really think your best bet is to get the Premium 360. And I'm with EaglesFan27 - I can't take sports games on the Wii seriously. It's a fun party-system, but I can't see it being much good for a serious dynasty type game like NCAA Football or Madden.

Yeah, the Premium is what I've considered to be the sytem I'd buy if I bought one.

I'm just a cheap bastard sometimes ;).

Only sometimes?




;)

Are the new .65nm chips worth waiting for?

http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=7972

They aren't going to be faster or have any new features, just be cooler and cheaper for Microsoft to produce. With the 3 year warranty announced, is it worth you waiting months without playing it just to get a cooler box?

Probably not.

Although in my case, it looks like it will end up being a Christmas purchase anyway, so it will probably be a moot point.

Any more info on this? A search of the web just turned up random rumors and every place still selling for $399. I am looking to buy a one, Id just hate to see it drop 50 bucks the week after I pick it up.

Yes, that was interesting that nothing came through in the presentation last night. Probably should wait until E3 is complete though before we start wondering about why MS didn't drop the price on the 360. They could be just holding this back until right before the Sony presentation and then release it to upstage Sony's thunder.

But if we don't see one by early next week, then we can begin to wonder.

I'm buying it at Circuit City on Sunday, as the system will come with a free year of XBox Live. Through them, you're also protected on drops in price for 30 days...you'll get the full difference if you show up with your receipt. I figure that if it's going to happen, it will be within that timeframe, and if not, no big deal.

I have to admit I'm surprised that MS continues to say publicly that they feel no compulsion to drop the price. Maybe that's just PR bluster and they really are going to drop their prices soon, but if not - wow. Yes, they've built up a pretty big lead on the PS3. Yes, Sony has very few exclusives left, and some games on both systems actually look worse on the PS3. But now is not the time to let Sony try to regain some ground - now is the time to put the boot to the throat and give gamers no reason to consider buying a PS3.

I have this feeling that MS has gotten too cocky with their lead, with Sony losing exclusives and with the strong lineup MS has going into this holiday season and is looking to do a little short-term profit-taking by keeping their prices static, at the probable expense of letting Sony gain some ground on install base.

Totally agree. MS should be going for the jugular right now.

I get the feeling (especially after the Nintendo presentation) that both Nintendo and MS are a bit too comfortable with the margin and Sony's early struggles. Sony's got a lot of work to do, but they have a solid machine who's only major fault right now is that it's still $100 too high. If they can find a way to get the 60 GB system down another $100 near the holidays, MS may be wishing that they would have stepped on the throttle a bit sooner.

Totally agree with your 1st statement, only partially agree with the 2nd.

MS should be going for the jugular, it's just stupid that they're not.

You know as well as I do (and lord knows TroyF does) that the only major fault of the PS3 is not the cost.

What is the other issue? The reason the games aren't out for it is because there's a small installed base at this point. Some talk about that it's difficult to develop for, but they'd have no issues finding ways to develop for it if it had 10M installed base. The reason for the installed base problem? Price. It's a very simple equation and it's textbook economics.

But some people prefer 30 FPS to 60! It's a fact!

Whether it is the chicken or the egg - people aren't going to buy the system in masses if the games aren't there. Right now, the games aren't there. It doesn't look like the system seller type games will be there until 08 at the earliest. You know that is a problem, just as much as the price of the system.

That is a problem, but these developers are pushing back those games until '08 because of the lack of installed base. If Sony would have released a system at $399 or $499, the base would have been bigger and these games would have had these 'delays'. Regardless, Sony created the situation, so they now have to dig their way out as best they can.

Seriously? Who said that? Link?

Or they are pushing them back because the PS3 is difficult to program for as several developers have said.

There's also already been more than one article detailing developers who admitted that they intentionally are pushing back games that could be otherwise released. I'll buy that somewhat, but as I said, they'd have games out for the PS3 in droves by now if there was a major installed base.

I don't want to take this topic too off topic, so I'll stop there.

Looks like Bill Harris was just as surprised that Microsoft didn't even attempt to go for a kill shot......

Exaggeration, sir. You just seem to be downplaying the fact that PS3 has a lower framerate than the 360 for some prominent sports games. Just having fun. :)