Hot deets on Burger King's Xbox 360 promo

by Vladimir Cole { Apr 12th 2006 at 10:41PM }

Facts and speculation about the Xbox 360-Burger King promotion that's rumored to be in the works have been popping up hither and thither on the internet, thanks to loose lips and inadequate secrecy measures.

In the latest gaffe, an entire FAQ on the program appears to have been left open to public access. Looks like someone needs to hire themselves a capable web administrator.

Then again, maybe this is another of those "leaks" that was done on purpose as a viral campaign ahead of the big push. If that makes us unwitting pawns in some grand marketing scheme, we're ok with it for once, because there's a ton of interesting information here (but not here).

Tags: xb360, xbox, xbox 360, Xbox360

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Tai @ Apr 12th 2006 10:49PM

Basically it's like the partnership Nintendo has with MacDonald's' with the addition of actual disks being sold. It's a good move too, for you tend to make impulse purchases when you go to BK with the munchies.

understander @ Apr 12th 2006 10:50PM

Here's what I'm seeing:

* Burger King will be selling Xbox 360 games for $3.99 with purchase of a Burger King Value Meal.

* A total of three games are slated for release over the five-week period. Each DVD will include one game in Xbox and Xbox 360 format.

* Burger King and Microsoft estimate that the Xbox 360 will have 22.1 million consoles in US households by Holiday season 2006. That number's important, because this deal is about driving foot traffic to Burger King locations and about generating excitement and buzz for the Xbox 360.

* Of the $3.99 recommended retail price, Burger King franchisees will keep $1.00 if they manage to sell a total of nearly 7 million DVDs across all restaurants.

* Each store that signs on for the promotion is expected to sell 180 DVDs per week for the duration of the five-week promotion.

deft @ Apr 12th 2006 10:54PM

Is Microsoft really that desperate to sell games...?

On another note: DDR Kids premium?
As a DDR fan I say: WTF?

jaemz @ Apr 12th 2006 10:55PM

I wonder if they are talking about already released Xbox games, new Xbox games... maybe XBLA games?

I'd pay $3.99 for burger time or some other classics from the '80s.

h8rspotter @ Apr 12th 2006 10:57PM

Don't be a silly fanboy, Deft. This is a solid marketing move.

Did you say, "Is Nintendo that desperate to sell Nintendo products" when they announced their deal with McDonalds?

Did you say, "Is Sony that desperate to sell Sony products" when Sony announced their deal with McDonalds? (http://www.afterdawn.com/news/archive/5099.cfm)

Most companies would love to do a deal like this. Don't be a blind hater.

DJ @ Apr 12th 2006 10:59PM

Ugh...marketing drivel...I hate marketing...and i work in a marketing department...ahhh! the irony!

kagai @ Apr 12th 2006 11:09PM

22 million systems sold by the end of this year? Someone's been smoking the burgers instead of eating them!

Tai @ Apr 12th 2006 11:14PM

My eyes hurt

rainking187 @ Apr 12th 2006 11:27PM

Is it just me or does that FAQ seem more like QNONHA? (Questions No One Has Asked) "Does the 360 play movies?" How is that at all relevant to selling Burger King games? Hell, after reading that employees at Burger King will know more about the 360 then most Gamestop employees do. Of course the games will tank, when you go up to order you have to deal with someone who never has any idea whatsoever as to what the current promotions are, and I'm sure will be completely baffled by someone asking for 360 games.

I also have to agree with deft, DDR toys? WTF?

Zee @ Apr 12th 2006 11:57PM

Dude, that would be "QNOHA", not "QNONHA". :P

Ian @ Apr 13th 2006 12:15AM

Holy shit, I hope their not old games like Fusion Frenzy or shit like that.

Sabre @ Apr 13th 2006 12:27AM

It was bad enough that the Burger King mascot guy was an unlockable trainer in Fight Night Round 3...but to now sell Burger King themed games? Gimmie a break man.

What I wanna know is who the hell they tricked into developing those games for them.

Sabre @ Apr 13th 2006 12:35AM

@ h8rspotter:

That's a different situation though. You didn't see Ronald McDonald in a Nintendo console/handheld game.

To my knowledge, the only things that Nintendo has done with McDonalds is using them as wifi hotspots and installing Ninetndo systems for kids to play (i.e. N64's.)

I haven't used one of the McDonald's hotspots so I'm not entirely sure if it requires buying something.

huh @ Apr 13th 2006 12:39AM

hmm. I wonder which 3 games will sell for $3.99? Probably the shittiest games on the 360. Just hope none of your games that you own come out for $3.99 or your gonna feel like shit paying full price for them, not to mention if you ever tried to sell it on ebay, you would get mere pennies for it.

Now does this promotion apply to BK in Canada as well? If not, ill have to buy the 3 games off ebay :p. I dont eat junk food so its gonna be funny me going into a BK and ordering a vlue meal to buy my $4 game and then saying they can keep the meal heh.

h8rspotter @ Apr 13th 2006 12:44AM

How is it different? Give me a friggin' break dude: Nintendo and McDonalds know what they're doing. Bring kids in and they *will* buy McDonalds food.

Whether the promo is "free" WiFi or a $3.99 DVD, both parties involved stand to gain.

If Nintendo's intentions were so holy, they'd have set up free WiFi at churches and synagogues. Or perhaps at local public libraries.

For McDs and BK, it's all about bringing wallets into the stores.

Reddrive @ Apr 13th 2006 12:46AM

Sabre:

Did you forget about these?

* M.C. Kids (NES)
* Ronald McDonald in Magical World (Game Gear)
* McDonald's Treasureland Adventure (Genesis)
* Mick & Mack: Global Gladiators (Genesis)

K_G @ Apr 13th 2006 12:47AM

The really interesting thing here is that apparently MS is pushing up the price of the orginal xbox up to $199, up from the current 179 with forenza packed in game.

Overall, it probably won't be any great shakes...they'll repackage three realtively non violent games Xbox games (like project gotham racing 1, and at least one sports game) and sell them for $4. MS and the publisher won't lose any sales because the games are so old they're already off the market and may result in secondary buys or further interest in more recently released sequals. The only real expense will be some of the recoding necessary to make these old games play on 360 core systems.

epobirs @ Apr 13th 2006 1:24AM

#14

Some of Dave Perry and Co.'s early work! A lot of the Genesis code and style that went into later hits like 'Disney's Aladdin' started in those McDonalds games.

Sabre @ Apr 13th 2006 1:48AM

HAHA...actually yea I did and for good reason...those are games that I would rather not remember. There were waaaaaaaaaaay too many of those types of games in the 1990s.

BPMΩ @ Apr 13th 2006 3:26AM

Even though I don't own an Xbox, I'd probably get these for the novelty of it all.

Maybe... depends on what the games are.

I'd laugh so hard if one of the titles was DOA XBV...

AbleJames @ Apr 13th 2006 6:01AM

Please...Please please please...Never EVER use 'deets' again. It demeans us all. Thanks.

Adam @ Apr 13th 2006 7:18AM

That demo just prooves how well microsoft marketed and hyped up the 360. Pretty damn good if you ask me.

Nik @ Apr 13th 2006 8:44AM

Gotta second the no deets. I see deets, I read teets, I lose all focus on caring what the article is about, I go look for bovine porn. Oops.

Pixelantes Anonymous @ Apr 13th 2006 9:52AM

What sort of games are they going to sell at $3.99???

They are most certainly not going to be new games, because Microsoft's retail partners would revolt in a second.

I would guess none of the games are going to be 360 games either, except possibly XBox Live Arcade titles. Down to $3.99 rom $59.99? I don't think so.

So it's going to be either XBox Live Arcade titles or original XBox games, possibly the Platinum Hits (or older) titles.

Could be good for impulse buying, but no gamer is ever going to be interested.

Anonymous Rep @ Apr 13th 2006 10:10AM

#15 - This is incorrect. The Xbox will remain at $179 with Forza (NOT Forenza) for the remaining life of the console. Which really isn't that much longer, anyway - manufacturing stopped on them quite some time ago.

Jamar @ Apr 13th 2006 11:07AM

Wait... is this a US-only thing? It would make BKs here in Shanghai more crowded than they needed to be (there are only 2 in the entire city) with gamers desperately seeking to purchase games for their 360s (I can't find a single shop that has games for the 360 in stock- Chinese people will JUMP at the chance to buy a game for cheaper than retail- witness pirated CDs and DVDs and Gamecube games for example)