*** Official *** XBox 360 Hardware DISCUSSION Thread (1 Viewer)

[Jeffery_H]

I was at the Best Buy near here on Tuesday and here is exactly what I was told by the sales person in that deparment.

Since I was there doing some Christmas shopping, I naturally asked about the 360 shipments that day. He just grined and said no, not right now but maybe soon. Then went on to say "Even if we did have some in, like say today, we have decided to make it a store event and advertise we have them ahead of time. That way we will draw a much larger crowd and have people camping out and get more publicity from it and thus increase our sales, especially since many will shop for other items. So say for example we had a few in today (tusday), we would advertise them tomorrow and wait until Saturday or Sunday to build up. We want to give it at least 3-4 days after a shipment arrives."

That is close to an exact verbatium statement as he made that I can recall. Some may not be 100%, but it's very darn close. I told him that was a mistake I thought trying to drum up business that way and would turn many people off, especially those that work and can't spend every single second waiting in line. Basically he just shrugged and said that's what the boss wants to try to do.

If this is true and I have no reason to doubt they would try something like this, especially since most local TV stations covered the people waiting in line, I really think it will make a lot of people upset. To use this is publicity for added sales when they know they won't have enough to give everyone in line a 360.

Just thought I would relate the info and see if anyone else has a Best Buy doing this too.

 

[Chris S]

According to a Best Buy memo that is floating around the net the next shipment should arrive on Dec 16th for the Dec 18th ad. Stores must hold 20 Pro units for the 18th.

So this memo pretty much says exactly what Jeffery_H was told by the BB employee.

O'yea and one other thing... again according to the memo the remote controls "won't be in the next shipment".

Chris S.

 

[Harold Wazzu]

I sure hope Sony will learn something from this.

 

[Clinton McClure]

Would direct shipping not drive the retail price up further, since the shipping cost would have to be absorbed somewhere?

On a sad note, my boss bought a premium on ebay last night for $900.

 

[Jay Mitchosky]

Today's Best Buy flyer doesn't even show the Xbox 360. Other consoles are represented, as well as 360 games, but not the 360 system itself.

 

[Justin1]

No, direct shipments are the normal delivery system for games/systems that need to be at stores in a hurry. The cost is incurred by the publishers/manufacturers. Normally, this is done to replenish stores when they have an ad that features a hot selling game/movie, etc. It's not uncommon for stores to receive 20-50 boxes a day during the Xmas season.

 

[BrianB]

No, the cost would be absorbed by Microsoft.

 

[James T]

I don't know if anyone read that report from the MS employee saying that all the reports of a recall and no shipment till next year is BS, b/c I just went to Best Buy today and asked a few employees about any possible shipment. They still stand by their mid-December shipment, but said that they have not got a single unit since launch and there are no plans until that mid-Decemeber shipment.

Someone's lying or is not fully informed.

 

[Clinton McClure]

Here's a good one. Ebay users selling 360 boxes.

 

[Clinton McClure]

What's the full purpose of the hdd? I know you can do multiple game saves and download emulator programs to play old xbox games (which I have none). What else is it for? Do you have to be an xlb member to download the emulators? Will it be required for gameplay in the future?

 

[Len Cheong]

I've read that you can connect your ipod to the usb port and listen to music while playing your games. Can anybody verify this?

 

[LarryDavenport]

I beleive that's true, but you won't be able to play songs you bought off of I-Tunes because they are MP4s. I'm wondering if you burn the songs to a CD then reload them into I-Tunes as MP3s, if that will work.

BTW, EB Games just sent me a message saying my bundle shipped!

 

[Clinton McClure]

No i-pod here. I'm trying to cost justify getting the premium system.

Premium system = $400 (includes wireless remote, hdd, HD cables, and remote)

Core system = $300 (includes wired controller and AV cables)

If the hdd serves no real purpose to gameplay, I may just spring for a core system, buy a wireless controller ($50) and an HD cable ($30) and go in saving $20 which will cover sales tax. If there are drivers available for download or none required, I can use the wired controller for my PC.

Over the past couple of days I've spoken to the electronics managers for three different Wal-Mart stores and the closest Target store. All three Wal-Mart managers told me that when games and console stock comes in via UPS/FedEx, (which runs only once per day between 10AM and 3PM) it waits in the back until the freight is brought to the floor about 10PM. (This has not changed since I worked for Wal-Mart in 1993 and again in 2003.) Of the three Supercenters, only one has even received 360s since launch day and they got two systems for black friday.

As for Target, the manager told me yesterday that their games and consoles all come in on trucks from the distribution centers and not UPS/FedEx. He said the only way to find out if any arrived is to call every morning at 8AM or be there when the store opens since their new freight is put out at night or before store hours. So far, they also have not received any since launch day.

Maybe it's just a central Arkansas thing, but I still believe there is no rhyme or reason to the shipments and the team Xbox guys who are shouting weekly shipments to all stores are misinformed or are being used as talking heads for damage control. A third possibility is that MS is only supplying large cities or heavily populated areas and isolating more rural areas.

 

[Patrick_S]

Everything I've read shows that Premium units do not come with a remote.

On a side note I think a remote is a must have since you don't have to leave the couch to turn off the unit.

As for deciding between a Premium unit and a Core unit, I think you have make some good points. Since I have legacy games that I want to play on the new unit a Premium was the only choice for me.

 

[ToddS]

The premium bundle also comes with a headset for live. If you do not get a hard drive then you will need to buy a memory card to be able to save your games and that is another $40 dollars. You also need the hard drive for backwards compatability.

 

[Clinton McClure]

Backwards compatibility is not an issue since I have no legacy games and no broadband so live is out of the question which renders the headset useless. (Talk about a run-on sentence.) I didn't think about the memory card so that puts it at $420+ tax.

With a hdd, is a memory card still required?

I thought I read the unit could be turned on and off via the controller. Perhaps I dreamed that up. Besides I can always program a macro into my Harmony 659 if I wish.

 

[Scott_lb]

Clinton - the unit can be turned off with the controller. If you press the center "Xbox button" on the controller you'll get a window that pops up on the left side of the screen. If you press and hold the button, a window will pop up on the right asking you if you are sure that you're interested in shutting off the system. And yes, you can always program it into a macro as well.

Also, a memory card is not required. If you have some data on the hard drive that you'd like to take somewhere else (e.g., friend's house, relative's house, etc.), you can always detach the hard drive and take it with you. However, due to its size, it may be easier to simply use a memory card (of the $40.00 cost doesn't bother you).

Patrick - it is my understanding that the first batch of premium units came with a remote that is about half the size of the one that sells in stores for $30.00. It is my understanding that the remote will not be included starting with the second shipment (arriving now).

 

[James T]

Not too sure about that. I picked up a 360 on Wednesday and it came with a remote. I believe it's a running promotion until the end of the year.

Core isn't worth it, IMO.

 

[Jay Mitchosky]

Agreed. What the ads don't say is that you must buy a memory card as well. Unless of course you're inclined to play all your games start to finish in one sitting without the need for game saves. The difference at that point is relatively little, plus you're getting a wireless controller as part of the deal. The hard drive is also preloaded with some software if I understand correctly. If you chose to add the hard drive at a later date you're getting really hosed.


Off topic, but I've been keeping an eye on Middle Atlantic for the release of the custom RSH shelf/faceplace for the 360. It just became available in their search engine for those with an MA rack who are interested: P/N RSH4A3S MICROSOFT XBOX360. I ordered the Xbox plate for the time being and it's a perfect contour so presumably the 360 will be the same.

 

[Romier S]

Core is an utter sham IMO. You end up paying 299.99 for the system, and 39.99 for the memory card. Let's not forget you'll also need to pick up the HD cable to be able to play these games in high definition. The Hi-Def cable is 39.99. So we are at 380.00 about now? Why not pay 399.99 and get yourself the normally 99.99 hard drive (which will give the system full functionality including ripping music, media connectivity, backwards compatability if you do decide to play older games etc.), the 19.99 head set, the 39.99 HD cable, a smaller version of the normally 29.99 media remote, and the 49.99 wireless controller since you'll only be getting the wired (which is 10 dollars cheaper). You're essentially getting 500 dollars worth of product for 399.99.

The Core is 100% not worth it.

Though Microsoft loves to say that all 360 games will not require the HDD, Square Enix have already been quoted as saying that Final Fantasy XI will indeed need to have the HDD there to be playable. Developers from Bethesda (the guys behind Elders Scrolls IV Oblivion) have also noted that while the HDD is not necessary for Oblivion, HDD owners will see real benefits from having it.

Ive no doubt future games will more than likely take advantage of it down the road, though not to the extent that developers did with the original Xbox. Of course we have MS to thank for that by segmenting thier user base into HDD owners/non-HDD owners.