Gizmodo is reporting a rumor the Xbox 360 could be skipping the $100 price drop because they're going to bundle their HD DVD drive with new Premium consoles. An interesting theory that makes sense in combatting the PS3 onslaught.
It would make them lose even more money by doing that and also contradict on what they have been saying. They said they didnt build the hd-dvd drive into the machine so people would be able to chose whether they wanted it or not. If they did this anyone wanting the premium bundle would be forced into getting the HD-DVD drive and also what about all of us that paid for the premium bundle already? Then they go ahead and stark giving away free hd-dvd players??? I know i would be pissed.
I just don't believe this rumour there isn't a significant reason to drop the price anyway because #1 360 is already at an good price point for what it offers #2 it already costs less than the PS3 #3 the price drop was always a rumour anyway #4 I think that the HD DVD will cost more than $100.....but I could be wrong, we will see. Also I can't help but feel like IF this is true then the early buyers like me didn't get as good of a deal....but in Im still happy with what I paid for and I will probably go out and buy it if its a reasonable price.
Why not bundle it with the premium and raise the price 100$ to make it 500$.. That's still 100$ cheaper than PS3!! Not only that but have the regular premium at 399$ and bundle it with GOW or something like that!! And of course have the core at 299$!!! MS could have 3 choices for the consumer and if you ask me the more choices consumers have the better!! I really would like MS to do something for people like me who have already bought the Premium system and want the HD DVD!! Maybe price cut to 100$ for it?? Who knows but why can't MS do this? I think its a good idea!!
This is a silly rumor, probably started by the same people who doggedly suggest a price drop is imminent.
1) There will be NO PRICE DROP in 2006 OR 2007 2) HD-DVD will NOT be added to the premium as a built-in drive
Who do you think MS has become, Sony? =0
Seriously, the previous poster had it nailed - XB360 and its entire marketing strategy to date has been about freedom to choose instead of having features (especially useless ones) dictated to the consumer.
If you want HD-DVD, great buy it. If you want HDD available, great buy the prmium or the add-on. If you want online multiplayer, great subscribe to XBL.
And the beauty of that is that if you DON'T want any or all of that, you don't HAVE to buy it.
HD-DVD will remain an interesting add-on and nothing more....
This rumor is silly. This will contradict everything MS has been saying from the beginning about us having a choice. I hope that they just leave the choice to us and not get caught up in Sony's game.
I think having 3 instead of 2 is way better!! Like # 6 and 6.1 said choice is what MS is about and why not have 3 choices instead of 2?? Think about it!
Personally I do NOT like the look of the add on at all. It is the reverse of the console, which has a convex face in white, where as the add on has a concave face in grey??
If on the other hand, they internalized the drive, and created a 3rd sku..I would buy another one! Perhaps they should consider a special edition 360 with HDDVD, in black, with 2 wireless controllers, and a 100gb HDD!! Now THAT would be sweet! Oh and make it available for less than the PS3!!
The amount of money lost on the first XB was something MS does not wish to repeat this time around. They were very clear on that from the start of the 360. The intention is to minimize loss per console and maximize the consumer's choices. The bundle you envision would be probitatively expensive to subsidise if they wanted to sell it at less than $600 to stay beneath the PS3 price point. If Sony is losing anywhere from $300-400 per console and MS is losing about $125 per unit now, they probably would not see any reason to up that amount by introducing a highly subsidized HD-DVD and 100GB HDD.
It would be nice, but then again, it would be really nice if Microsoft simply gave me a few games with the console at launch too...:)
This is impossible. An HD-DVD drive will cost more than a hundred dollars, meaning that doing this they will have to lose more money. This will not happen with no price change.
Wow this rumor is pathetic. An HD-dvd add on would cost 150 or 200 atleast. Putting a premium up to 500....which is exactly what MS doesn't want this christmas.
People, this is where sony went wrong. The HD movie playback market is very very very small. It will not pick up speed for a few years to say the least. I'm thinking 5 to 10 years maybe. So Don't force gamers to buy into the hd dvd movie market. Now if give an option I think thats great. This way the small amount of people interested in hd dvd movies can get one. I would. But just because I would, I know better than to think it will be so massively popular. It will fill a need for some but thats about it. I think its cool as an option and not forced upon us as consumers.
Microsoft isn't having money issues like Sony. They can loose a bit of the console and still make money and their stock still goes up. They will be alright. They are the most business savvy companies PERIOD. So what ever they choose to do it will be a benefit for the consumer and financially benefitial to them. We are talking about Bill Gates people. He himself is worth 80 billion dollars. He could fun the xbox projects himself if he wanted and still be richer than the second richest man alive. Just enjoy what they are doing. We all enjoy windows...and now we all will be connected and enjoying live anywhere and gaming.
The 360's component costs are much cheaper than the PS3's, even when you take Blu-Ray out of the equation.
Micorsoft OWNS the price mechanism because they are in far better financial shape, with respect to PROFITS, not total revenues, not total costs, but workable cash for new investment.
Sony's shareholders are screaming fowl and Sony now has very little investment capital to sustain a price war with Microsoft.
The 360 more than matches the PS3 from a graphical and feature set stand point.
Consumers will easily be able to conclude that a Blu-ray drive is a "risk" and will have a disportionally high impact on price, versus the actual benefits that it provides for games.
The PS3 will be no different from any other console, in that it's initial launch year will suck compared to the flood of many top-notch second-generation 360 games.
There are many companies that could supply a Blu-ray / HD-DVD dual hybrid drive for the 360 with-in the PS3's launch window (November 2006 looks doubtful at this point).
Whatever the case, bundling the external drive with the 360 Premium will completely make the PS3 a mute point, while reducing the price of the core package will probably put it at or (finger-crossed) below the Wii's price!
Conclusion: Bye Bye Sony and rock on 360, rock on! See you on Xbox Live Sony fans.
Imagine 4 SKU's....Simply a premium and core with a HD-DVD add on. And keep the regular premium and core. Now that would confuse some customers, but it'd work good if it brought the add on price down a bit.
They wouldn't do this. A price drop would attract waaaaaaay more people that HD-DVD/Blu-ray. But a 3rd SKU would be amazing. Have it at $499 to $549, include a bigger harddrive and a combo HD-DVD/Blu-ray machine with HDMI. 100% sony is dead if Microsoft does this.
I tried to read some of these comments but their kinda off base a little. First to people talking about built-in drives this article says nothing about this, and to everyone else about saying it gets rid of freedom of choice, um if it's "included" in the regular price than it's just an extra...who in their right mind would complain about a free movie player?
well 18 as far as my post was concerend im speaking of bundles as in what the do around christmas selling bundles for high prices, im saying people wouldn't like it...but as far as including it for free in the premium package is okay. I hate add ons so i'd leave it.
Don't belive the rumors that somebody is reporting about the Xbox 360 but when it comes to the PS3 you guy's actually belive every rumor about the PS3 isn't that retarded of you guy's now is it! knowing that you 360 fans are more dumber then ever you people belive every word and rumor that they say about the PS3 like that retarded CELL downgrade.
It would make them lose even more money by doing that and also contradict on what they have been saying. They said they didnt build the hd-dvd drive into the machine so people would be able to chose whether they wanted it or not. If they did this anyone wanting the premium bundle would be forced into getting the HD-DVD drive and also what about all of us that paid for the premium bundle already? Then they go ahead and stark giving away free hd-dvd players??? I know i would be pissed.
I just don't believe this rumour there isn't a significant reason to drop the price anyway because #1 360 is already at an good price point for what it offers #2 it already costs less than the PS3 #3 the price drop was always a rumour anyway #4 I think that the HD DVD will cost more than $100.....but I could be wrong, we will see. Also I can't help but feel like IF this is true then the early buyers like me didn't get as good of a deal....but in Im still happy with what I paid for and I will probably go out and buy it if its a reasonable price.
For the new ones that way you won't need it externally.
Why not bundle it with the premium and raise the price 100$ to make it 500$.. That's still 100$ cheaper than PS3!! Not only that but have the regular premium at 399$ and bundle it with GOW or something like that!! And of course have the core at 299$!!! MS could have 3 choices for the consumer and if you ask me the more choices consumers have the better!! I really would like MS to do something for people like me who have already bought the Premium system and want the HD DVD!! Maybe price cut to 100$ for it?? Who knows but why can't MS do this? I think its a good idea!!
The Xbox 360 is about freedom of choice. Bundling the HD-DVD with future 360's might be smart, but it goes agaisnt Microsoft's ideology.