XBOX360: Good deals?! - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

TylerDurden0083 · 01-10-2006, 07:51 PM

Ugh, These things are impossible to find right now! Well, unless you want to dish out around 800 bucks on ebay. I figure that all us gamers on here can share any and all information regarding good deals on XBOX360s.

I am coming up with nothing right now .... (Why didn't I pre-order!?)

I Hope somebody has some good ideas, because I really don't feel like spending a month's pay to satisfy my gaming addiction..... but I will do what I gotta do

Buk · 01-10-2006, 08:28 PM

Ask the employees at your local gamestore when their freight days are, and then call them every morning on those days and ask if they got them instock.

Good Luck, See you on LIVE!

TylerDurden0083 · 01-12-2006, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buk

Ask the employees at your local gamestore when their freight days are, and then call them every morning on those days and ask if they got them instock.

Good Luck, See you on LIVE!

I haven't thought of that one before, GOOD THINKING!

right now I have been harrassing the local gamestores a lot. It would seem that there is a high concentration of gamers in my area because the 360s have been sold out everywhere....

a shot in the dark attempt to getting one is a website my good friend told me about called Limbo Auction. They've got some 360s as part of a promotion, but I think my odds are low...

feelgood · 01-12-2006, 11:37 AM

Pretty damn low at this time of the year, the next shipment of 360s that is set to hit the stores is sometime around the end of the month, if not, feb.

Buk · 01-12-2006, 07:46 PM

I have received 10 per week at my store pretty consistently since mid-December. You just have to time it right, call first thing when they open every morning like I said. Microsoft is just air freighting them straight to the warehouses and then they are split to the store, often times they are so last minute that they get thrown on the back of the truck and not even billed to the store until 2-3 days later. I go check my freight load first thing in the morning when I get to work (which arrives 3 days/week) and I bring anything interesting (ala 360s) straight to the floor with me when we are opening up. I don't get any communication from buyers or Microsoft so no one knows when they will show up.

So, anyone who says they know when the next shipment is arriving is either in charge of some sort of production/shipping for Microsoft or full of shit.

Any Gamestop/EB employees still fulfilling pre-orders? Or did you refund all remaining?

TylerDurden0083 · 01-17-2006, 07:42 PM

One problem is this plan of microsoft's to slowly release new systems to keep the prices and demand high.... Not really making me want to give them my money

.

I am also still having a problem with finding out exactly what version the available system is. The "core" or regular? I don't want to pay a ton of money for the weak system, and I think a lot of misinformed gamers will if they are not careful! I tried to figure it out on these auction websites like Limbo and Ebay, and they are not clear at all.....

CityOfAngels · 01-18-2006, 02:00 PM

I believe the better version comes with a Hard Drive, wireless controller, and 30 days of XBOX Live or something like that. Just ask if it's "The one with the hard drive and wireless controllers." If they say yes it's the good one; no then it's not.

My friend showed me his 360 about a week ago. I must say I am impressed, but not overly-impressed. Graphics are smoother, but there are framerate issues with some games like the new Quake. For a system that is so new and costs so much, I'd expect to be able to look around the level without visually noticing the framerate skips. Call Of Duty 2 was VERY impressive; but you still get the ventriloquist doll effect when you see people talking. Plus, it doesn't seem like it lets you throw grenades far enough. I didn't get a chance to see any original XBOX games be played on it though.

All in all, I would DEFINITELY NOT pay $800 for it, and I know I won't be paying the initial $420 price tag. I don't think buying the non-HDD one is worth it, so even though I'm cheap, I'm not buying that either. If the 360 comes down to the $250-$300 range, I'll probably pick it up. So i guess when everyone's getting their XBOX 720's, I'll be getting my 360.

TylerDurden0083 · 01-19-2006, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CityOfAngels

I believe the better version comes with a Hard Drive, wireless controller, and 30 days of XBOX Live or something like that. Just ask if it's "The one with the hard drive and wireless controllers." If they say yes it's the good one; no then it's not.

My friend showed me his 360 about a week ago. I must say I am impressed, but not overly-impressed. Graphics are smoother, but there are framerate issues with some games like the new Quake. For a system that is so new and costs so much, I'd expect to be able to look around the level without visually noticing the framerate skips. Call Of Duty 2 was VERY impressive; but you still get the ventriloquist doll effect when you see people talking. Plus, it doesn't seem like it lets you throw grenades far enough. I didn't get a chance to see any original XBOX games be played on it though.

All in all, I would DEFINITELY NOT pay $800 for it, and I know I won't be paying the initial $420 price tag. I don't think buying the non-HDD one is worth it, so even though I'm cheap, I'm not buying that either. If the 360 comes down to the $250-$300 range, I'll probably pick it up. So i guess when everyone's getting their XBOX 720's, I'll be getting my 360.

good points here. I agree that it might seem "rushed" now the more I research, which for a system is a deathwish. I have also come to the conclusion that if I am to pay this much, it has to be the Premium system. Some games apparently will not play without the hard drive, so that is a dealbreaker for the "Core".

Was this High Definition thing in the premium system just a rumor? I thought that was part of the next gen graphics....

Rawb · 01-22-2006, 01:56 PM

I found one locally on craigslist before Christmas, paid $400 for a core (which should be $300), and bought the HD cables and the HDD on the way home at Target.

So far, I have PGR3, Kameo and Condemned.

Coming from GT4, PGR3 looks nice, but not amazing. The physics seem really bizarre, and there isn't a whole lot of car choices for you to really choose from. There is no car customization, and the cars seem to all act pretty much the same. The courses are fun, but some of the races you have to do (aka, the style point races) are pretty retarded. Overall, a 2 out of 5.

Kameo was alright, and I played through all of the way. It's a nice looking game and doesn't have really any slowdown at anytime. The control setup was maddening, having you switch between your characters on the ABXY buttons, and actually attacking using the triggers. I dug through the menus time and time again hoping to have a system where the shoulder triggers would swap characters, and ABXY would go back to doing stuff. I played the game all of the way through, and took way to long to do it. Probably ended up getting the lowest score possible on a bunch of the missions because I never cared about my score. Overall 4 out of 5

Condemned seems like a game where the creators were trying to frustrate you. Every weapon you pickup is only rated based upon what weapon you already have, so you can't really tell if it's way more damaging and just a touch slower, or just a little more damaging and a ton slower. The lighting effects make everything look like plastic (thanks, bump-mapping), and there is a very minimal amount of interactivity throughout the game. Being able to only carry a single weapon at a time is also extremely annoying, assuming that you are a police officer, you should have at least a holster handy. Also, not having any ammo for the guns you pick up is pretty annoying. I would kill in that game for the ability to holster my weapon and switch back to the lead pipe. The music and general feel of this game is good though, so the atmosphere is good in general. Overall a 3 out of 5

So, basically, don't worry about picking up a 360 yet, unless you want to play another WW2 shooter. There just isn't anything out for it yet that really is a "must buy"

CityOfAngels · 01-22-2006, 04:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TylerDurden0083

Was this High Definition thing in the premium system just a rumor?

My buddy mentioned to me, "When I get my HDTV this is gonna look so sweet!" So I'm guessing the capabilities are there, but I haven't personally experienced it. Might be something to look into. I know I'll be 80 by the time I can afford an HDTV, so I won't even bother.

Wingless · 01-22-2006, 05:07 PM

HDTV with the 360 is amazing, and does make a significant difference. All games are required by Microsoft to support 720p, and I think PGR3 supports up to 1080i. PGR3 has the biggest difference between standard-def and HD. (Aparentally next-gen graphics means extreme reflection mapping).

I've been telling this to customers a ton since I "experienced" my friends 360 - none of the games are worth buying the system for. What the system may be worth getting for is Xbox Live. All 360's, out of the box, can connect to Xbox Live (you can't, however, play your games on XBL without signing up and paying for it). Downloadable game demos, movie and game trailers, and Xbox Live Arcade are all amazing. I personally found the downloadable trailers the most impressive part - in particular the X-Men 3 trailer in full 720p goodness. The potential in Xbox Live is absolutely through the roof - I'd expect to see some sort of iTunes-like service where you can download full songs, albums, probably even movies sometime soon too.

Actually, on second thought, probably not movies, since they packed such a small hard drive in with it. (20GB right?) The potential, though, is still there.

Buk · 01-22-2006, 08:03 PM

Microsoft would like to eventually "stream" digital content to your TV and Entertainment center through your Xbox. So having a 20GB hard drive will be plenty.

And their points system will allow manufacturers to offer much larger and more detailed downloads for a small price and enable them to actually give you small expansions while still making a profit.

01-10-2006, 07:51 PM	#1 (permalink)
TylerDurden0083 Upright	XBOX360: Good deals?! Ugh, These things are impossible to find right now! Well, unless you want to dish out around 800 bucks on ebay. I figure that all us gamers on here can share any and all information regarding good deals on XBOX360s. I am coming up with nothing right now .... (Why didn't I pre-order!?) I Hope somebody has some good ideas, because I really don't feel like spending a month's pay to satisfy my gaming addiction..... but I will do what I gotta do

01-22-2006, 05:07 PM	#11 (permalink)
Wingless Psycho Location: Metro Detroit, Mich, USA	HDTV with the 360 is amazing, and does make a significant difference. All games are required by Microsoft to support 720p, and I think PGR3 supports up to 1080i. PGR3 has the biggest difference between standard-def and HD. (Aparentally next-gen graphics means extreme reflection mapping). I've been telling this to customers a ton since I "experienced" my friends 360 - none of the games are worth buying the system for. What the system may be worth getting for is Xbox Live. All 360's, out of the box, can connect to Xbox Live (you can't, however, play your games on XBL without signing up and paying for it). Downloadable game demos, movie and game trailers, and Xbox Live Arcade are all amazing. I personally found the downloadable trailers the most impressive part - in particular the X-Men 3 trailer in full 720p goodness. The potential in Xbox Live is absolutely through the roof - I'd expect to see some sort of iTunes-like service where you can download full songs, albums, probably even movies sometime soon too. Actually, on second thought, probably not movies, since they packed such a small hard drive in with it. (20GB right?) The potential, though, is still there. __________________ Tommy Nibs is a funny word. So here I am, above palm trees, so straight and tall... You are, smaller getting smaller, but I still see... you. Jimmy Eat World - Goodbye Sky Harbor

01-10-2006, 08:28 PM	#2 (permalink)
Buk Addict Location: Seattle, WA	Ask the employees at your local gamestore when their freight days are, and then call them every morning on those days and ask if they got them instock. Good Luck, See you on LIVE!

01-12-2006, 11:37 AM	#4 (permalink)
feelgood Free Mars! Location: I dunno, there's white people around me saying "eh" all the time	Pretty damn low at this time of the year, the next shipment of 360s that is set to hit the stores is sometime around the end of the month, if not, feb.

01-12-2006, 07:46 PM	#5 (permalink)
Buk Addict Location: Seattle, WA	I have received 10 per week at my store pretty consistently since mid-December. You just have to time it right, call first thing when they open every morning like I said. Microsoft is just air freighting them straight to the warehouses and then they are split to the store, often times they are so last minute that they get thrown on the back of the truck and not even billed to the store until 2-3 days later. I go check my freight load first thing in the morning when I get to work (which arrives 3 days/week) and I bring anything interesting (ala 360s) straight to the floor with me when we are opening up. I don't get any communication from buyers or Microsoft so no one knows when they will show up. So, anyone who says they know when the next shipment is arriving is either in charge of some sort of production/shipping for Microsoft or full of shit. Any Gamestop/EB employees still fulfilling pre-orders? Or did you refund all remaining?

01-17-2006, 07:42 PM	#6 (permalink)
TylerDurden0083 Upright	One problem is this plan of microsoft's to slowly release new systems to keep the prices and demand high.... Not really making me want to give them my money . I am also still having a problem with finding out exactly what version the available system is. The "core" or regular? I don't want to pay a ton of money for the weak system, and I think a lot of misinformed gamers will if they are not careful! I tried to figure it out on these auction websites like Limbo and Ebay, and they are not clear at all.....

01-22-2006, 01:56 PM	#9 (permalink)
Rawb Crazy Location: Salt Town, UT	I found one locally on craigslist before Christmas, paid $400 for a core (which should be $300), and bought the HD cables and the HDD on the way home at Target. So far, I have PGR3, Kameo and Condemned. Coming from GT4, PGR3 looks nice, but not amazing. The physics seem really bizarre, and there isn't a whole lot of car choices for you to really choose from. There is no car customization, and the cars seem to all act pretty much the same. The courses are fun, but some of the races you have to do (aka, the style point races) are pretty retarded. Overall, a 2 out of 5. Kameo was alright, and I played through all of the way. It's a nice looking game and doesn't have really any slowdown at anytime. The control setup was maddening, having you switch between your characters on the ABXY buttons, and actually attacking using the triggers. I dug through the menus time and time again hoping to have a system where the shoulder triggers would swap characters, and ABXY would go back to doing stuff. I played the game all of the way through, and took way to long to do it. Probably ended up getting the lowest score possible on a bunch of the missions because I never cared about my score. Overall 4 out of 5 Condemned seems like a game where the creators were trying to frustrate you. Every weapon you pickup is only rated based upon what weapon you already have, so you can't really tell if it's way more damaging and just a touch slower, or just a little more damaging and a ton slower. The lighting effects make everything look like plastic (thanks, bump-mapping), and there is a very minimal amount of interactivity throughout the game. Being able to only carry a single weapon at a time is also extremely annoying, assuming that you are a police officer, you should have at least a holster handy. Also, not having any ammo for the guns you pick up is pretty annoying. I would kill in that game for the ability to holster my weapon and switch back to the lead pipe. The music and general feel of this game is good though, so the atmosphere is good in general. Overall a 3 out of 5 So, basically, don't worry about picking up a 360 yet, unless you want to play another WW2 shooter. There just isn't anything out for it yet that really is a "must buy"

01-22-2006, 08:03 PM	#12 (permalink)
Buk Addict Location: Seattle, WA	Microsoft would like to eventually "stream" digital content to your TV and Entertainment center through your Xbox. So having a 20GB hard drive will be plenty. And their points system will allow manufacturers to offer much larger and more detailed downloads for a small price and enable them to actually give you small expansions while still making a profit.