What the Hell is Microsoft doing now?
Everyone looks for a good deal. When we see Coke on sale for a $1, we all stock up on it, even if we don’t need it. ‘Tis the American way. But, Microsoft’s newest ‘deal’ is not what it’s cracked up to be. So, when I bought my XBOX 360, I think I spent around $200 for it, as I got the 4 GB model cause I’m a cheapass. But, Microsoft has decided to release a 4 GB XBOX 360 for $99. Sounds great right? Well, there’s a catch. When you buy this cheap XBOX, you have to sign up for a two year XBOX Live plan at $15 a month. This may not seem like that much, but after the two years you’ve spent $459 before sales tax; that’s over $40 more than the XBOX Kinect bundle with a separate XBOX Live plan.
I get trying to make a more affordable console, which is what I thought the 4 GB model was, but apparently that shit wasn’t good enough for Microsoft.
When I first heard about this, I didn’t think it would really be that bad. Then I thought a bit more about it. Kinect has a basic value of $100. The Xbox itself is normally $200 with a free month of Xbox Live ($15 value.) So, that’s $300 already. Throw onto that the $15/month of live for a full year afterward ($180) vs. the year of Xbox live that I bought from the marketplace ($59.99) The difference in price would be as follows:
The OLD deal (no kinect, 4gb xbox, 1 year xbox live): $200+$60= $260
The NEW deal (w/ kinect, 4gb xbox, 1 year xbox live): $100+$180=$280
I know that upfront it sort of sounds backward the way that they say it, but really, I think you’d be getting the best deal out of it in the new deal, because now you’re basically getting a Kinect for $20.
That’s my argument for it.
I just read a bit more about it. It’s actually a 2-year contract for Xbox live at $15/month. If you violate the contract (which is a true and legally binding contract) it will affect your credit. You must be 18 or older to apply for it, and really the only people that they are aiming this toward is the people who can’t manage to scrape together $400, but might be able to pull off $99 and then the $15 wouldn’t be too much to pull off, for most.
Upon signing the contract there is a fee if they were to pull out of the contract. It seems like quite the trap, in the end. You were right all along.