[PAPERNUT]

Lots of good points, theories, etc in this thread so far, but none of it will matter in the end. Little Johnny will get that new Xbox in the end just to play COD like his other friends. He will drive mommy and daddy crazy till they give in to shut him up no matter the cost. Big Johnny will get one as well, just like he does for Madden and NCAA every year even though he says he will not, only to buy it again and go back to the forums a week later and whine about it.

MS knows all this as they have seen it for a decade now. It will not matter if they do all the things people are flipping out about as they know a large majority will still buy in the end. They have set the tone(DLC, Online, etc) ever since they got into the console business and there is no reason for that to change now, especially since the consumer has not changed.