Microsoft boosts Xbox 360 component orders due to upcoming Halo 3 launch

Well better figure out quick,since they either will or will not announce it before too long.

 

Not a chance. It will take consumers $360+ to play Halo 3. That's over 2x the amount it took them to play Halo 2. Halo 2 moved 700k units that month it was released. Without a price drop MS will not reach maximum sales and definitely not reach thier previous record of $125 million the first day, they could if they had released the game at a lower hardware price. Consoles sales will jump up significantly in NA & EU at christmas anyway. Why not make it better with a price drop already in place.

The process already started.

 

Already started. Production ramps up mid - late July.

 

hardware problems presumably gone with these, right?

 

MM. I wonder how many people would 'upgrade' to a core for 65nm and a quieter drive...

Has any other console lasted 2 years without a price drop?

 

Not to my knowledge. I'm going to get an Elite next yar and give my current launch 360 to my daughters.

 

These are 65nm chips. Heat issues are gone. Better heat sink. Less fans.
The only thing I don't know is if the GPU will also be on the same time schedule as the 65nm CPU chipsor they come later like around October.

 

Just out of curiosity, $ 125 000 000 / 50 = 2,5 million sold copies. And yet you say 700k units the first month. What am i missing?

 

That was suppose to be 700k xbox consoles thie first month Halo 2 was available. Sorry.

 

I think there's enough people out there who already own the Xbox 360 for the initial Halo 3 sales to be inline from last time. I also think that there's also enough people out there that haven't bought a Xbox 360 that will finally jump onboard once Halo 3 ships. I believe the hype and large fanbase from the past game is large enough to at least generate the same level of hardware and software sales. I don't see how anybody can say that it will do worse than Halo 2.

BTW, the cost of Halo 2 was $200 versus $360 for Halo 3. That's not over 2x. That's only 1.8x.

Tommy McClain

 

I'm still not convinced. It's still too enpensive to buy a 360 with Halo 3 if there isn't a price drop.

And I forgot to add in the price of a memory card. Since no memory card or HDD comes with the 360 core unit. So it's not $360 for the entry price to play Halo 3. It's more like $380 not including taxes. So in total you spend over $400 dollars overall. So playing halo 3 is 2x the cost of the entrance price to play Halo 2.

 

They need to drop the price asap. There is no way they will be as successful as they were with Halo 2.

 

Elaborate please...

 

I'd guess he's going to say price drop.

 

Umm yeah. With that logic the original Xbox didn't come with the DVD remote kit, Media Center Extender kit, a TV, a sound system and a 12-pack of Mountain Dew. So let's make sure we add all those up, because you really needed those to play Halo 2. Oh wait a minute, no they were not. Let's not get silly. You'll be able to play Halo 3 without a memory card or hard drive. What percentage will? I have no idea, but I figure some will do that if they going to spend the least amount they can just to play the game.

Tommy McClain

 

I disagree. One could argue, but from the things i've read aswell as from personal experience, "most" of the problems the X360 is having stems from the GPU rather than the CPU.

A 65nm X360 isnt going to make the difference. Unless the GPU gets processed to 65nm aswell I can still see future X360's dying, unless MS changes the internal design(which probably isnt an option atm)

It remains to be seen whether the added HS for the GPU is working any miracles, so ill keep a close eye on that.

If im wrong, go ahead correct me, im just speaking from the information I gathered

 

All new Xbox 360s manufactured from late min-late June seem to have the new heatsink addition so they must of found good reasoning to make that standard.

Personally i think people are being far too paranoid, especially when it comes to buying newer units. Most of you seem to have the embedded view of every Xbox360 dying when thats simply not the case, especially, as far as im aware, on newer units. Not to point out the obvious, but yet again it must be reiterated as well, people that ARE having problems will be the vocal majority, always. I see way too much FUD being spread, even here, about the quality of the Xbox 360. Even if every unit from the beginning of this year on never had an issue people would still be calling the Xbox 360 an unreliable peice of trash.

Someone asked why Sony does use it to their advantage, i think the answer to that is pretty clear, people on the forums and in their blogs and news blurbs are doing all the work for them. I remember when people thought it was cool to bash Microsoft for anything. Hell it still is. Find a legit reason though and all hell breaks loose.

Its also worth noting that Microsoft has very good Customer Support usually, and that all units, even refurbs, can have their warranty extended to 2 years no questions asked for $40 through MS as long as you do it on a unit that still has some of its 90 Day warranty left. So i really cant see a good reason not to get one.

 

IMHO it would be stupid to drop its price before (or just after) HALO3 release, Microsoft should do that only if they need to answer to some Sony move, otherwise it's better to wait Q1 2008
They have a very good line up, next xmas is going to very good for them even without a price drop.

 

All of the quality issues generate big noise.This is the reason why the acceptable quality level have to be under the financialy optimal level.
The oter point, the qality is a relative term.
You compare it to the level of the competitors.

But anyway,all of the reliable statistic show more than 10% scrap rate for the x360.

 

I agree but substantial price drops would increase the amount of sales quite a bit more. As im sure you're well aware one or two big titles sell systems but not that many. Especially to price conscious buyers who also think $60 per game is too much and wait until they drop to $40 or $20 before they scoup them up which many do. Those are the people who dont care about Halo 3 for the moment but are looking at Kameo, Condemned etc... Personally i think they've been coming across as very stubborn even going this long without a price drop which is technically late compared to what happened with the PS2/GC/Xbox 1, all of which had a price drop at the end of the first year if not earlier. It depends what kind of holiday sales numbers they want to have, decent sales, or fantastic sales.

Im not saying they arent having unacceptable problems, but from the way people in general talk, they literally make it sound like if you buy an Xbox 360 its going to simply die. That everyone is lucky enough to encounter game stopping problems.