How Microsoft rips you off

Ok, i'm making this because I'm so mad. I'm ran out of space on my 20gb(Only games, all my media is on my ps3). Now I have to replace it. I get so mad at the price of microsoft's accessories. For me, ethernet is not an option, I have to use wifi, so I had to churn out another $100, and now I have to spend crazy amounts of money to buy an HDD.

1. The 360 Hard Drive.
Oh how Microsoft rips you off here. You know to buy a 250gb hard drive for the ps3 is extremely cheap. I got mine for $70. But Microsoft makes you pay $150 for a 120gb hard drive.

I wondered why the 360 HDD was so expensive. I did some search online, and what I found astonished me. Inside the guts of the xbox 360 hard drive was a 2.5in laptop hard drive, which I can replace with my own. Except, I couldn't replace it with any 2.5'' hard drive because that hard drive actually had some important OS files. And for some stupid reason, the 360 only recognizes 120gb, 60gb and 20gb hard drives.

So all this time, Microsoft is using a regular laptop hard drive and they are charging so much just for it.

2. Wi-Fi Adapter
This has been one of my biggest complaints since day 1. The Wi-fi adapter costs so much, and it doesn't include wireless n for that price. How much does it really cost to add wifi. This is one of Microsoft's devious tricks to make you think its more expensive than it actually costs. You can get a wireless N usb adapter for a pc for anywhere from $39.99 and up.

3. Rechargeable Battery
Ok, this one is not as bad, but its still pretty expensive for rechargeable batteries. I don't think it costs $15 to put 2 rechargeable AA batteries in a case.

In conclusion, Microsoft overcharges greatly for their accessories. Like the rebel soul I have within myself, I found a workaround for all of these problems and saved myself so much money.

Lets look at how much I saved.
------------------------------------------
HDD - Saved $90
I bought a 2.5in SATA 120gb hard drive. I did some stuff and formatted it with some simple tools I found online. And I was ready to go.

WiFi - Saved $60 , but what a hassale.
This is what I did.

Rechargeable Battery pack - Saved $15 per controller
I just put some rechargeable batteries in there. Yes its kind of a hassale to take them out and charge them, but it works

Total Savings that didn't go to Microsoft - $165

[Cajun Chicken]

Yeah, I hardly have 4gb left on my 20gb 360 and they make it hard to transfer your games.

[hoo_mook]

no dispute about 360 hdd price gouging.

don't go wifi. you already know the issues associated with wireless gaming so i won't list them. best options in order are:

1. hard wire
2. powerline - http://www.amazon.com/gp/se...
3. wireless

and yeah rechargeable batts are not really an issue. my nyko batts can sit on a charger with the 360 off and last longer than my 6axis.

[Anon1974]

I moved into a new house and had to buy a Wi-Fi adapter for my 360, which is still an unbelievable $100. Now with the Pro console I bought at launch, 2 controllers, extended warranty from MS (which thankfully saved me from a disk gouging unit they sent me that I would have had to pay for), charge and play kits, more batteries when they stopped charging and 2 years of XBL I'm over $900.

They also charged me an extra $340 in repairs for RROD, which eventually, and after a long fight, they refunded back to me.

My PS3, which has been running great, cost me $500 at launch plus $50 for an extra controller. That's it.

[a_squirrel]

Good to hear a sucess story :)

And ouch, 2 disagrees to above?

Some people don't like it when someone makes a point, aka. fanboy

[thor]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wik...

In the 360's case, the 360 is the razor, and Live, Xbox 360 games and peripherals form the blades.

It's a simple business tactic. Many people will feel cheated once they realise how much they've actually spent, and Microsoft will be laughing because they've got $900 from someone who intended to spend $300 on a console. By breaking down the cost into small chunks it appears manageable to anyone. "Only $299! Only $50 a year! Only $100 for wi-fi! Only $15 for controller batteries!" Most people won't add it up in their head.

[Gue1]

Weak

Those that still don't understand this simple fact to this date and age will never understand at all. You need to make a blog with more facts than the obvious 3 things you have there...

[potenquatro]

The HDD and WIFI are really the rip-offs. But you don't NEED the MS WIFI unit. The rest is non issue for me. The HDD being so expensive really gets to me. They can sell a gig for a buck and still make money. Yet they totally rips(arbitrages lol) you off on this. Live HAS to go down. It's gotta be $20 a year.

EDIT: If you don't mind having wired controller, get it for 360. The D-pad is really good, better rumble and it's non issue for fighting games. It's like the perfect controller....only wired :(

Every company rips you off, we have to call them on it.

[randomwiz]

for me, ethernet is not an option, its hard to describe, but because of my set up, I would need a 100ft cable running through my home down the stairs.

[hoo_mook]

you definitely dont need MS official add on.

randomwiz - did you see my recommendation for powerline ethernet?

[randomwiz]

yeah i saw that, but I already have my own solution