Microsoft Slashes 360 Prices in U.S.

re: Microsoft Slashes 360 Prices in U.S.

subzerohitman721 — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 23:37:49 GMT

@subzero what does a cheap Blue Ray burner going to do for the 360??? Not going to plug it into it?

Answer:

1.) Save you cash to buy games.

2.) Save more data incase your PC crashes.

3.) Get a Blu-Ray burner and still have money to buy a 360 or a Wii.

4.) Buy or rent more Blu-Ray

5.) Save your money period.

Why spend over $400 dollars, when you can buy a Blu-Ray burner for less, and still have cash for a better 360 or a Wii. Besides, the 360 games have been better graphically and have consistently rated higher. So you can get your Blu-Ray on and still afford something else. While the PS3 is a decent console, the games do not match up to their 360 counterparts.

And you're 100% right about summer. I've already reserved the Force Unleashed.

re: Microsoft Slashes 360 Prices in U.S.

Waethorn — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 19:25:56 GMT

@Lindy:

It's called Netfront, and the same one that's on the PSP (except that the PSP version is even more limited). It doesn't support most AJAX sites, and Flash is limited to version 7, so basically useless.

Netfront is defunct, and the company shows no signs of improving it beyond the limited HTML 3.2 support that it has now.

re: Microsoft Slashes 360 Prices in U.S.

Lindy — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 18:00:49 GMT

"Except on the webpages that it doesn't...." Lol, probably I just tried gmail and a few others, some web parts did not show up for sure.

re: Microsoft Slashes 360 Prices in U.S.

Waethorn — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 16:48:56 GMT

BTW: PS3 Home is amazing. The gaming library, not so much, but there are some real gems. I must be getting too old that I'm looking at a game console as an exciting entertainment device more for social networking and multimedia than for actually playing games on.

"The web browser blows but it works."

Except on the webpages that it doesn't....

re: Microsoft Slashes 360 Prices in U.S.

Lindy — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 14:34:43 GMT

PS3 is a way better media player, DVD, BLue Ray, bigger hard drives for local content, network connectivity out of the box. Blue tooth support for keyboards and mice out of the box.

The web browser blows but it works.

@subzero what does a cheap Blue Ray burner going to do for the 360??? Not going to plug it into it? I dont buy blue ray movies or not many at all, but I do have BlockBuster in the mail subscription and have my account set to ship blue ray if available, at no additional cost.

re: Microsoft Slashes 360 Prices in U.S.

joe-dokes — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 14:23:18 GMT

Sony has been catching up on the titles. With virtually every new game being available on both consoles AND sony having blu-ray, AND sony online gaming is FREE the only way MS could compete is on price.

For those who said this is good for the consumer, you're correct cheaper is better. For MS not so good, it simply means more years losing money in the games market.

For those arguing over graphics, I think the Wii has proven that graphics aren't the end all be all, both the 360 and PS3 have amazing graphics, unfortunately for both companies that no longer drives sales of consoles.

As far at the MS being the better media player, I disagree, with its proprietary drives, you would have to keep it perpetually tied to a server. Not exactly the most energy efficient way to watch a movie.

Regards

Joe Dokes

re: Microsoft Slashes 360 Prices in U.S.

Lindy — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 14:19:49 GMT

@subzero, summer is alway the dry season for gaming:) When Madden football comes out the signals the start of new games typically.

So just recently you have seen Madden and Merc 2, The force Unleashed is coming next week, then then flood in the fall, COD5, Fable 2, Socom, MotorStrom2, Gears of War 2 and more.

re: Microsoft Slashes 360 Prices in U.S.

Lindy — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 14:12:35 GMT

@kalewallace,

The newest 360's use the Falcon chipset or CPU cant remember what I read. Its a .65nm GPU I think. Plus they have newer heat sync on them now. So I would think if you bought one today the RROD potential is probably decreased for sure. Down the road the 360 is going to have both a CPU and GPU that is .65nm, which is a shrunk die/chip. This is key because it uses less power and produces less heat. Heat being the cause of the RROD.

I do prefer the 360 controller, but its not that much of a difference IMHO, took me an hour to get use to the PS3 controller, and mainly because the main fire button is swapped, so I kept changing weapons when I meant to shoot which got me killed a lot.

The PS3 also has no external power brick. The 360 has a big one, not that big of a deal, just messy and bulky behind any setup. If traveling to say a LAN party or taking to a friends house, just more mess to lug around.

The PS3 comes with wireless and ethernet, the 360 does not. It needs a external wireless device, $99 from MS, which is USB, or you could go with a wireless Bridge, I use a AirPort Express N, jacked into the ethernet port of my 360. My router is wireless N as well set to 5ghz so I get a really good speed. The 360 thinks its wired.

The newest PS3, came out a few weeks ago is a 80gig model that has a .65nm CPU/GPU update so it has a max power usage of 135watts, down from 200 from what I read. I think the 360 has a max of $175 now, cant be sure, too lazy to look it up.

re: Microsoft Slashes 360 Prices in U.S.

WebGuy3000 — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 14:12:34 GMT

What I wonder is whether Microsoft can make money at these prices. Or are they going to be selling them at no margin just to chase market share?

Anyone know the answer?

re: Microsoft Slashes 360 Prices in U.S.

subzerohitman721 — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 13:56:21 GMT

This is good news. Keep cutting down that price and make it irresistable to pass up. However, I feel that Microsoft did blow an opportunity. Instead of the pro's new price of $299, IMO Microsoft should have matched the Wii's price point of $249. Heck, I would have gone lower like $229. Anyways, I'm glad they did lower the prices down.

I bought my 360 in May of 2007. However, thanks to all the heat issues that was brought up by Paul, I just bought a cooling system to go with it. Loud yes. I've not experience one RRoD, and the system boots up every time. It gives me long term gaming. I just turn up the volume and keep gaming.

I figure when the new hardware version comes out, I'll swap it at the local Gamestop. Just like I have when newer and more efficient versions of the PS1, 2, and Xbox.

At the local Fry's I can get a blu-ray burner for under $160. Microcenter has a blu-ray burner for under $140. So the PS3 isn't the cheapest route. Better to just upgrade your optical drive, still gain the ability to watch movies in full HD, and save money for all those Blu-Ray movies. As for the gaming, might as well get one of the backwards compatable PS3's for discount than pay full price for an expensive Blu-Ray player. I now have one friend who has as PS3 and 100 percent of the time he uses it strictly as a player. Most of his gaming is on his 360 and the Wii console.

However I will say this, Microsoft does need to work on getting better titles out lately. This summer was not good at all.

re: Microsoft Slashes 360 Prices in U.S.

kalewallace — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 13:50:39 GMT

@Lindy

You've made it a little less difficult. I've been eyeing the PS3 for quite a while as well but am worried about the lack of titles. I also don't care for the controller shape and size, not to mention the lack of backward compatibility.

Anyway, I've heard that the newer XBOXs are quieter and less likely to red-ring. However, Microsoft knows there definitely is a problem with some of their systems and are quite willing to trade them out. I'm still suspended between the two choices though.

Any other +/- that makes you lean one way or another besides the previously mentioned?

re: Microsoft Slashes 360 Prices in U.S.

tayme — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 13:41:34 GMT

@Lindy - Very cool. Thanks! I hadn't even searched yet, so I figured someone here would know. I may have to buy a PS3. NOw, how to get it in the door without my wife knowing?!?

--tayme

re: Microsoft Slashes 360 Prices in U.S. | Online Gaming

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re: Microsoft Slashes 360 Prices in U.S.

Lindy — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 13:21:01 GMT

@tayme, I think you can use Media Center on a PC with the PS3, never tried it my self. Here is a link, on the right are some choices.

uk.playstation.com/.../Connecting-to-other-devices

For OS X I use.... www.nullriver.com/.../medialink

The 360 loud when using the DVD drive. Its just OK not using it, I can still here its fans but its considerably quieter. So when watching a DVD is bad.

re: Microsoft Slashes 360 Prices in U.S.

tayme — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 13:11:56 GMT

I have an Elite that my daughter and her friends had been using for gaming for a long time. I also had set it up as an extender for her in her room. Now that she is off to college, and left the 360 at home, I moved it up to the living room. There have been no issues with the box (he says, with fingers crossed). I guess that the noise hasn't been an issue on mine, or I am too old and deaf to notice it...because, really, I'm not hearing it...only when a disk first spins up. But, I am not a big A/V nut, either.

Can anybody tell me if there is a way to stream audio and video from a PC to a PS3? I would truly consider one if I could do that...now that BluRay has won the format wars.

--tayme