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Next Xbox Live Update will cripple non-authorised memory devices.


Astor

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so, what's your point?? the technology that goes into the Wii continues to be much cheaper than the $200 price tag that it carries. yet for some reason, it just gets called "good business" instead of gouging. :indif:

spectacularly missing the pont.

 

the wii has no rivals manufactured by competitors that do exactly the same thing yet sold at a fraction of the price. hard drive makers are a dime a dozen and i don't think many are anywhere near as expensive as those sold by MS. this is basically the very definition of anti-competitive business practice really.

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hard drive makers are a dime a dozen and i don't think many are anywhere near as expensive as those sold by MS.
MS buys a container load of laptop HDDs from Western Digital and puts them in a $5 plastic case. Then sells them for 3 times what the drive inside normally retails for - http://www.xbox.com/en-US/hardware/x/xbox360harddrive120GB/default.htm

 

This update is about memory cards though. The official MS memory card is 512MB and has a RRP of US$29.95 - http://www.xbox.com/en-US/hardware/x/xbox360memoryunit512mb/default.htm The main target of the update is Datel and their unofficial MAX memory cards. They come in 2GB and 4GB versions for US$39.99 and US$49.99 respectively. Not hard to see why people would buy them in preference to the official MS memory card.

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spectacularly missing the pont.
i don't know about you, but i'm referring to the game industry as a whole. if you want to narrow it down to the specific sector of console accessories, then i'd be more than happy to oblige you with examples, both past and present, in which console manufacturers consistently charge more for their accessories than it costs to make them. otherwise, the only person that's missing the point is yourself.
the wii has no rivals manufactured by competitors that do exactly the same thing yet sold at a fraction of the price.
in english, please.
hard drive makers are a dime a dozen and i don't think many are anywhere near as expensive as those sold by MS.
but seeing that the Xbox 360 is Microsoft's creation, legally, they have control over what devices can communicate and connect with the console. if it's their desire to make it so that only their hardware works with the 360 console, then that's their prerogative since they legally have the right to do so. if you don't like it, then you only have two options: don't buy the darned thing, or call your senator and complain to him/her about the laws not being fair.
this is basically the very definition of anti-competitive business practice really
true, but its the very nature of marketing in a capitalistic society. if you can make something that people want, then you'll make a good amount of money. however, you'll make a lot more money if you can sell optional items for that item that are exclusive to that item. that's the way it works, and if the prices are too high, well, then perhaps you shouldn't have considered that item in the first place.

 

don't forget that the other part of capitalism is the consumer. you always have the choice to buy what you want to buy. complaining to everyone about something that you bought when you knew about a potential problem only speaks volumes about yourself and not about the thing you bought. ;)

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Another thing to consider is that Microsoft finds it very difficult to make money (for their video game division specifically) from hardware sales for the 360. The only way they end up making money is through software sales and Xbox Live.

 

I know, as crazy as that sounds considering how cheaply hardware can be made, it took a long time for Microsoft to actually break even with their hardware for the first Xbox and with the 360 as well. Microsoft spends more than it makes, that was the problem.

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The Wii is pretty much the only console that has ever launched at a price above cost. Hardware is always a loss leader. Companies generally only start to make a profit on console hardware after about 2-3 years. Software is where the money is. Even with the ludicrous margins MS put on peripherals, the vast majority of their Xbox earnings is in software.

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Hey my 360 just bricked! Again. This one only lasted 2 months. Yay for 58% failure rates. I'm sticking with PC from now on.

Some people are unlucky I guess lol. I held off getting a 360 for so long because I was so worried it'd RRoD on me.... but then I got my 360 elite and it's never given me any problems at all since day 1.

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I've been through 3 xbox360's, my first was a premium, lasted about 6 months... RROD, so I thought hell, I'll buy an Elite, that wont die... 2 months, RROD, so I ended buying an Arcade and using my Elite Hard drive, ok so far, but it has crashed a few times. It's Strange, xbox has done nothing but cost me money, yet I would NEVER consider getting a PS3 lol.

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^^^^

i've owned 2 360's. the first was a secondhand unit that i bought from a friend who managed to win it in a drawing from Mountain Dew (i think it was that every 10 minutes thing). anyways, he had already owned it for almost 2 years before he sold it to me, and it ended up giving me an E74 death after 3 months. i got a new one about 6-7 months later, and its been going fine ever since. i've had that one for well over a year now.

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