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Microsoft's new holiday bundles  (Source: Kotaku)
Microsoft to include Forza Motorsport 2 and Marvel Ultimate Alliance with the Xbox 360 Premium, Elite

Microsoft today confirmed what has been rumored on the Internet for a few weeks with regards to its Xbox 360 console. The Redmond giant will include Forza Motorsport 2 and Marvel Ultimate Alliance with its Xbox 360 Premium and Xbox 360 Elite consoles.

News of the two bundled games first leaked to the web via Best Buy's online website -- the store later took the product pages down (likely after being contacted by Microsoft).

Bundled games are nothing new and retailers often bundle free games with new consoles during special promotions. When the Xbox 360 price cuts went into effect over the summer, Circuit City offered Rockstar Table Tennis for free with the Xbox 360 Premium.

This move, however, marks the first time that Microsoft itself has officially included two high profile games with its console.

The holiday season should prove to be quite fulfilling for potential Xbox 360 customers. Microsoft has already rolled out HDMI ports on the current crop of Xbox 360 Premium, Xbox 360 Elite and Xbox 360 Halo 3 Special Edition consoles.

In addition, cooler-running 65 nanometer Falcon CPUs are starting to show up in Halo 3 Special Edition consoles and will likely rollover to the rest of the Xbox 360 range shortly.

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Pretty good value
By h0kiez on 10/8/2007 11:00:47 AM , Rating: 5
For those waiting to get in on a 360, now is a great time. New Falcon chipsets, a modest price drop, 2 pack in titles, and several stellar game releases lately make me think they're going to move a lot of these in the 4th quarter.




RE: Pretty good value
By wannabemedontu on 10/8/2007 11:02:25 AM , Rating: 2
Throw in an extra controller and i'll bite.


RE: Pretty good value
By FITCamaro on 10/8/2007 11:13:16 AM , Rating: 4
What are you joking? The two games alone are worth $120 new. On the Premium you're already getting the console, wireless controller, ethernet cable, 20GB hard drive, HD component cables, headset, and 2 two games now. Pretty damn good deal for $350. Way better of a value than the $599 80GB PS3 thats just a console, wireless controller, standard cables, ethernet cable, usb cable, and Motostorm. Yes when the 40GB PS3 makes its appearance it'll be a pretty good value as well but doesn't come with titles packed in or HD cables. With this you pay $350+tax and you're gaming. With the 40GB PS3 you're still talking $460+tax.


RE: Pretty good value
By CRimer76 on 10/8/2007 11:38:20 AM , Rating: 2
Well if you add XBox Live to get online and a wireless adapter then they come out to about even.

I know I'll be picking one of these 360's up at some point this holiday season, but I wish I could swap out Forza with something else.

But I'm not one to complain with free crap.


RE: Pretty good value
By solgae1784 on 10/8/2007 11:53:15 AM , Rating: 3
You can always wait for deals in xbox live 13-month cards (I found as low as roughly $30), and you can just get a cheap router that allows AP client ability instead of that expensive official crap MS sells.

I agree with you. Who would complain about two free games offered with the console?

Now give us a self-install hard drive upgrade option, MS.


RE: Pretty good value
By walk2k on 10/8/07, Rating: 0
RE: Pretty good value
By Frallan on 10/9/2007 9:00:54 AM , Rating: 1
only if bundeled with two hot Films in Blue-Ray :0)


RE: Pretty good value
By theapparition on 10/8/2007 1:15:16 PM , Rating: 3
quote:
What are you joking? The two games alone are worth $120 new.

Value is only worth it if you intended to buy those games. If you didn't, then is it really worth $120?

Not trying to start anything, but freebies, that are not used, don't add any value. But if you wanted those games, then it's a great deal.

Throw in Halo3 and Gears of War as the two free games, then even I would have to pick up a console. And I'm so old I have a stack of PC games still in shrinkwrap waiting for some free time.


RE: Pretty good value
By IceTron on 10/8/07, Rating: -1
RE: Pretty good value
By bighairycamel on 10/8/2007 2:12:34 PM , Rating: 3
Much like your spelling.


RE: Pretty good value
By erikejw on 10/9/2007 5:06:11 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
Throw in Halo3 and Gears of War


It still amazes me that people actually enjoy playing 3d shooters without a mouse. I can't stand it. If MS would throw in a mouse option I would go out an buy a XBOX otherwise I stick with my PC.

It is not like Microsoft can't purchase cheap mouses and bundle, oh wait they sell tons of mouses for PCS already.


RE: Pretty good value
By Oscarine on 10/8/2007 2:12:34 PM , Rating: 2
To nitpick its not 120$s as Ultimate Alliance is a platinum hits title worth 29.99 so its a 90$ value.

I own both... and the PS3 cost me less overall to use.

Stuff I purchased for the 360.
HD-DVD Player $180
WiFi Adapter $90
Play and Charge Kit $30
12 Month Live Membership $49.99

PS3 60GB cost me $499 and has all those things out of the box, lets say the gold membership is nitpicking and exclude it. It still cost me $700 to get the same ability that the $499 PS3 had. If you include the price cut since than and the 2 games its more competitive. Its now $560 vs $499.

As for the cable ... the HDMI cable since its not of proprietary design cost me $14.99 for a 3 foot cable at a local store.


RE: Pretty good value
By Oscarine on 10/8/2007 2:15:03 PM , Rating: 1
To add on, if we're going to count value added items, we could add the dubious value of the five free Blu-Ray movies you can get via mail-in with the PS3, and than OMG your getting an extra (at retail pricing) 175$ value !11!11


RE: Pretty good value
By AmbroseAthan on 10/8/2007 2:44:54 PM , Rating: 2
Well you can cross it out, being the HD-DVD drive comes with the same deal (5 free HD-DVD's), plus King Kong:

http://www.dailytech.com/Microsoft+Xbox+360+HD+DVD...


RE: Pretty good value
By Oscarine on 10/8/2007 4:43:04 PM , Rating: 2
Thats only if you buy the HD-DVD drive which isn't included, and also why I didn't add the 175 to the "value" of the system, because it isn't really.


RE: Pretty good value
By rushfan2006 on 10/8/2007 3:59:33 PM , Rating: 2
Dude...its awful tacky to be in a conversation about value for the dollar for consoles when you bought everything for both systems....lol.

That's akin to someone who is a "cook" at the local "Burger World" franchise and they will bust on the skills of an executive chef at an exclusive 5 star restaurant.

It just doesn't seem right.

Oh and to everyone else -- STFU - you guys are sitting here complaining over the value of free stuff.

If you like the deal buy it, if you don't...shut up and move on with your life.

Its not that big a deal really.


RE: Pretty good value
By Oscarine on 10/8/2007 4:49:47 PM , Rating: 4
Not really, I bought like nothing extra for the PS3 except an HDMI cable. I bought the other things for the 360 because I wanted them, they are all useful. HD-DVD Drive, I love the picture quality on my 1080p screen, and if I want to watch things like say Transformers I have to have it.

WiFi adapter? Well my router is where the cable box is which is on a whole seperate floor of the house than the 360, so unless I wanted to hire someone to run cabling than again it was nessecary.

Play and Charge? Sure it might take awhile for it to pay for itself but its a nice convinience.

As for the cable, well... Its nice and all that the component cable was included with the 360, but I paid almost as much for the optical audio cable like 10 bucks as I did the HDMI cable at 15.

A la carte is nice, but I wish it could be just a wee bit cheaper, or bundled for a similar price as it was with the PS3.

In my opinion the 360 regardless of price is the greater value... why? Relavent games.


RE: Pretty good value
By Legionosh on 10/8/2007 4:29:02 PM , Rating: 4
To get function for function capabilities out of both consoles the 360 will cost more overall. No one will argue that.

However there are other things to consider :

My HD-DVD add on was bought SEVERAL months after my 360..actually well over a year come to think of it.

I don't about you but it's much easier for me (and probably many people) to spend $500+ over time as opposed to one big purchase.

Coming up with $170 or so is much easier than $500+ at any given time for me, so while it did cost me extra for the HD-DVD it only cost me $200, as I already had my 360 well over a year. If I upgrade my tires on my car to 19" a year after I get it I don't add that to the cost of the car...or add on something to your house after purchase,,

(maybe not the best analogies, but I think you get the idea)

(and like it or not the HD-DVD is not needed at all in any way to enjoy your 360. Yes it's great for HD-DVD movies, but these are primarily game consoles here. You can own the 360 for 5+ years and not need the HD-DVD add on at all. So while it's always brought up when comparing the price of the consoles, no one needs it to play on XBOX Live, or Halo 3, or Bioshock, or Gears of War, or Mass Effect, or Forza 2, or to download HD movies from the marketplace, etc, etc)

The play and charge is only $20 not $30 (then again the wireless is $100 not $90, so your math balanced out in the end).

While the play and charge is extra, when the Sixaxis battery goes bad (as all batteries do) you can either A) deal with the hassle of opening your controller yourself (something I've done on PS2 controllers..not fun by any means) or B)send it in to Sony and wait for them to replace it.

I much prefer knowing if my battery dies in my 360 controller I can spend $12 at Wal-mart or Gamestop and get a new one. No hassle, no fuss.

(not to mention unless Sony plans on upgrading the battery in the new Sixaxis w/rumble..the battery life is going to go way down).

The Wi-fi adapter should be no more than $50, if not free. That is one area MS really should work one. I see NO reason for them to charge $100 for it. That is one area where they are sort of screwing the customer, but since wired is a much better connection anyway I don't mind..but accessories is where the console manufacturers always make a killing.

..what, you don't think the PS2 memory cards cost anywhere NEAR $25 to make do you? They might cost Sony $3-$4 (if not much less), counting packaging. If that's not a markup I don't know what is.

I know XBOX Live is $49 for the year (or $7 a month, as is the way I pay for it), but again the service is tops especially when compared to the PSN. The total integration and ease of use of XBOX Live is well worth my $7 a month. No one who isn't biased and that has used both services will say the PSN is better.

I know Live has been around longer, but Sony had 3+ years to work on getting their online into a comparable state. Sadly that is not the case yet. Their servers seem to be reasonably fast, but we'll see how fast they are when there are 7+ million members..any decent server can be fast with a low load.

In regards to the bundle games..Forza2 is pretty good. I like it personally. Marvel UA...I could care less (as I'm sure most people who buy it feel). I don't know anyone who actually "likes" the game..lol..

Still free games are almost always a good thing. Heck if you don't want them bring them into Gamestop, get some credit and get a game you really want.. :-)

My two cents,
Kevin

legionosh@msn.com


RE: Pretty good value
By Oscarine on 10/8/2007 4:59:12 PM , Rating: 2
I agree on many points. Of course I bought the 360 long before the PS3, and for the primary reason .. games.

The PS3 I actually bought for a different reason... Blu-Ray movies and eventually games.

If you noticed I didn't count XBox Live against the XBox's pricing scheme because I agree its of greater value than PS3s online system, at least until they start getting some more online killer apps than just say Warhawk.

As for the controllers thing, the PS3 controllers are the same price as 360 controllers sometimes cheaper, and they already include the rechargable battery. Honestly I don't care.

The less now vs more later approach I actually prefer the opposite, which I guess is my main gripe. I'll pay more upfront if I don't get nickel and dimed along the way.

I do love the 360 though, and have picked up alot more than the comparison, more controllers for Madden, The Camera, 360 Wireless Headset, Logitech's Harmony controller for the 360, my GF has a couple of those silly dance pads for DDR Universe, I've got a couple of guitars for GH2, and I'll probably get Rock Band for the 360 since I think it will have the better multiplayer implementation.

That brings me to my last gripe, I wish the 360 had more USB ports by default :P