That’s right, you too can buy $265 worth of hardware for $460. WHY DOES THIS EVEN EXIST?!?!?!? We talked about this last week as rumor and now we know that Microsoft is in fact taking sales advice from the Cell Phone industry (thanks probably in part to their new found relationship to Nokia). So you can buy this bundle for $265-$300 and a 12 month Gold membership for $40-$60 or you can subsidize it and pay an additional $115 in interest (16.67%). Technically it’s better than opening up a Best Buy card to finance it (sitting at 25.99% right now) but sweet jeebus. At least this can serve as a reminder to people of the perils of financing and to always keep in mind how much that interest will get you in the end.
***UPDATE***
Microsoft is saying this is a “Pilot” program that will only be available at the 16 Microsoft stores throughout the country (there is one here in Scottsdale if you feel like being raped). Hopefully this “Pilot” crashes and burns though.
You beat me to this but man I am not excited. I cant believe that M$ even wants to gamble on there being this many stupid people in the world who are willing to do this. But what I’m really upset about is that they are probably going to win this bet.
*FACT*
Microsoft will clean up like gangbusters on this. The same stupid people that buy those Blue Hippo PC’s and shop at Rent-a-Center will be buying these in troves.
I don’t think you can get mad at Microsoft for knowing its market and exploiting the crap outta them. That is just business 101. The people to be upset with are the idiots that are going to actually buy it, plus them buying it doesn’t affect us in anyway.
I will be mad at both of them. Stupid jerks for preying on the feeble minded and the feeble minded for falling for this BS.
*FALSE* It will effect us! especially when ALL consoles go the way of the Cell phone. Think about it. What better way to combat the resellers market than REQUIRE anyone using your console to have a service. (Think EA DRM but for full consoles) Sure it wont be next year but if this takes off in a big way why wouldn’t Sony or Nintendo follow suit.
Easy way to corner the market too, “hey the newest and greatest ps4 or xbox 720 are only $199” *with plan $8000 without, oh also if you buy it without the plan you cant access everything your new system can do. In other words you pay more for less or in Business terms “FUCK YOU FUCK YOU IM A MAJOR CORPORATION SUCK MY DICK FUCK YOU”
^like
Nice rant J
You guys are focusing on the potential that this will end up being the only way to buy a console, and not the benefit that this will get more xbox 360s into peoples homes, making the xbox a more attractive system to make apps (like hbo go, espn, etc.) and games for. You have to keep an open mind and look at it from both sides of the coin. The only way I see this as being the sole way to buy a console is if buying it straight up starts to suffer. I don’t have a problem with Microsoft doing this if it remains just another option, and not the only way.
Ok, but do the people who buy it with the contract only get access to certain aspects of the system? I mean I guess we will have to see what extra is offered to them for just being on the contract vs what is offered to people who purchase out right. If its the same no matter what then there is no issue imho as I dont care how people waste their money. Its when companies FORCE me to “opt in”. Now obviously its Microsoft’s console and they can do as they please with it I just dont like the idea where this is heading.