$100 Xbox 360 Core up for election
by James Ransom-Wiley 
{ Nov 16th 2006 at 11:55AM }
Amazon has kicked off its first week of "Customer's Vote" (user votes decide a weekly deal) with a doozie: $100 Xbox 360 Core Systems. There's some stiff competition though, including perennial holiday favorites like the Mongoose bike ($30) and Barbie doll ($10). There's a catch too, if selected, the Xbox 360 bargain would be limited to 1,000 units.Let's assume the $100 Core is voted in and you secure a unit. Naturally, your end-goal is an Xbox 360 Premium System. So you'll need to invest in a hard drive ($100), wireless controller ($40), and HD cables ($40); bringing your total (including Core) to $280. That's still $120 less than the standard Premium bundle, plus you'll have an extra wired controller (and spare AV cables) -- it's also a better value than Micro Center's current rebate promotion.
Go vote! (The winner will be announced next Wednesday at 11 am PT; and will go on sale Thanksgiving morning!)
[Thanks, Vin]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Person @ Nov 16th 2006 12:04PM
FTC!!! (For the cause)
phantom @ Nov 16th 2006 12:04PM
Hey, Erin Miller is kinda cute!
BlindsideDork @ Nov 16th 2006 12:07PM
Only thing about this...you forgot to add on TAXES and also even if you get all that other stuff from stores, how much is Shipping & Handling with Amazon?
MosquitoControl @ Nov 16th 2006 12:08PM
I'd try to get one, unquestionably.
Just so I can play Gears against my roommates on 2 TVs.
phantom @ Nov 16th 2006 12:08PM
@BlindsideDork
LOL, have you never ordered from Amazon before? No taxes, shipping is (almost always) free on orders costing more than $25.
Schmullus @ Nov 16th 2006 12:09PM
Umm...
"So you'll need to invest in a hard drive ($100), wireless controller ($40), and HD cables ($40); bringing your total to $280."
$100 + $40 + $40= $180
Which only serves to make this a better deal.
Schmullus @ Nov 16th 2006 12:10PM
Heh, I get it now....bad wording...the TOTAL is $280
Boy do I have egg on my face...
Vin @ Nov 16th 2006 12:12PM
This is an amazing deal, however the systems will likely sell out within minutes. To the victor goes the spoils!
Geirskogul @ Nov 16th 2006 2:01PM
Schmullus: He's adding in the 360 itself, dumbass.
JodyAnthony @ Nov 16th 2006 12:12PM
awesome, I might have to try to get one if they go at that price.
currently that deal has 76% of the vote, and I assume it'll stay that way. it'll be hard to get one though, I'm sure.
KilgoreTrout XL @ Nov 16th 2006 12:13PM
Damn! I was naively hoping Joystiq wouldn't post this.
BlindsideDork @ Nov 16th 2006 12:23PM
#5 phantom
Nope, I don't think I have.
I mean the deal is interesting but I am already getting the Wii and I am not sure if $280 is worth the price cause there is only like 2 or 3 games I want on the system.
Tom @ Nov 16th 2006 12:28PM
Is this deal only for US Customers or can Canada take part as well?
FSK405K @ Nov 16th 2006 12:21PM
Now that the vote has been blogged, the 360 is unstoppable. I don't know about a lot of blog sites for Barbie, do you?
Wedge @ Nov 16th 2006 12:23PM
Oooor you could use one of your cheap USB Flash Sticks as a memory card, until they release a 100gb HDD, hook it up to your standard def TV, and get Gears of War for it. Then you have a 360 and an awesome game for only $150. I played GoW on a cheap ass old 19" TV and it still looked fantastic
BlindsideDork @ Nov 16th 2006 12:23PM
@11 Snaileb
What are you talking about? Destructoid stopped working on this computer here so I was commenting on this web so I haven't read what they said over there.
And how am a "sony fanboy" or my comment constitute as being paid off by sony? In no way did I SLAM/DISS the 360 or praise sony! As of right now, there are even FEWER PS3 games that I would want and the price is WAY too high. So I am not a sony fanboy or paid by them. I am a gamer who likes to PLAY games.
Captain Obvious @ Nov 16th 2006 12:26PM
I'm so trying to get one of these. I would love to have a second 360 hooked up in the office to the 26" LCD, which I could play when my wife is watching "What About Brian" or "Law and Order: SVU" or some other chick show on the bigscreen.
robrob @ Nov 16th 2006 12:27PM
shit yeah, i would totally try and score a second unit for my other HDTV.
reguy @ Nov 16th 2006 12:29PM
hey joystiq can we get BlindsideDork booted?
Jose @ Nov 16th 2006 10:31PM
Damn, this might just be the deal for which I was waiting. I can hold off on the HDD and what not, and just get a wireless controller and component cables for the time being. This would really be a steal. Dang, I would never have thought that'd I'd be considering purchasing an Xbox360 before the Wii, but here I am...
Jose @ Nov 16th 2006 6:22PM
Joystick is so teh biased.
Busterspace @ Nov 16th 2006 12:36PM
I wouldn't need HD cables. I also think I could live wirelessly for a while. So really I could get a 360 with a hard drive for $200 + roughly 10 in taxes. That's an incredible deal.
MMurdock @ Nov 16th 2006 12:35PM
I smell a christmas present for my brother
Zero @ Nov 16th 2006 12:36PM
Damn and I just bought a 360 Premium. Atleast I got free copies of Ghost Recon and Xbox Live Arcade Unplugged.
If I had known. I would've waited and tried for this. Still don't regret my purchase though.
Paul @ Nov 16th 2006 12:37PM
Buy one - take it to gamestop and trade it in used. I bet you will get more than 100 bucks for it.
White Rose Duelist @ Nov 16th 2006 12:48PM
Paul - that was mostly my plan (though I bet it would eBay for more than that).
Pete C @ Nov 16th 2006 12:55PM
The 1000 systems will probably be sold within 5 seconds. Everyone is going to be hitting that page the exact same time. You will just have to be extremely lucky. Hey, but at least you aren't in line in the cold for 5 days just for the CHANCE to get a PS3.
Crusader Oath @ Nov 16th 2006 12:59PM
Frankly, I am suprised there is no one else remembering that Wii60 will now be the best combination around! A cheap 360 and a cheap Wii, what better combination is there? Wii60 FTW!
C_Rod_27 @ Nov 16th 2006 1:02PM
I have a question about the hard drive. When you buy a hard drive for the Xbox 360, is it a special hard drive for the 360 only or could you buy a computer hard drive and use it on the 360? I am pretty sure you could buy a regular pc hard drive for the regular Xbox, so it is the same with the 360?
Also, wireless controllers work with the core Xbox 360?
Nigel Warren @ Nov 16th 2006 1:12PM
If you think about it, this is an incredibly generous deal from Amazon.
They are selling 1,000 units for $200 cheaper than retail price, which = a loss of $200,000.
It's not like they need the traffic...
Chappy @ Nov 16th 2006 1:26PM
C_Rod, if you were to take apart the 360 hard drive you'd find a standard laptop drive, but the connector and housing is proprietary, and the drive is formatted in a proprietary (and likely secured) filesystem. There's currently no way that I'm aware of to buy a core and a standard drive and hack together a solution. That may change in the future (It is possible on the original Xbox with the right software downloads), but for now you'll have to pay $100 if you want a hard drive.
Textbook @ Nov 16th 2006 1:28PM
definitely trying for one of these, because the xbox is most definitely going to beat out Barbie and that bike (who goes outside anymore?) and even at $280 upgraded that's an incredible deal
Chappy @ Nov 16th 2006 1:29PM
C_Rod, I forgot your wireless question. The Core system is identical to the premium, it's just missing the hard drive and headset, and has standard AV cables substituted for the HD cables and a wired controller substituted for the wireless controller. So yes, you can buy a wireless controller later and it will work with a core system with no hassle.
iLLwiLL @ Nov 16th 2006 1:32PM
I just cast my vote for the 360 core and pulled out the old snyper rifle from the closet to try and nail me a 360 for the sake of supporting technology. Let's see if I'm going to enter the Gears realm any time soon.
According to my calculus operandi:
$100(360) + $100(HD) + $40 (pad) + x(shipping)=
+ $49.90(gears of war)from ebay. shipping incld.
= "SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE FRIEND!"
$289.90x
BlindsideDork @ Nov 16th 2006 1:33PM
Seriously someone has their pantsu in a bunch...
CiQuat @ Nov 16th 2006 1:38PM
Does anyone know if the price will be applied if the item is already in your shopping cart when the discount goes live or do you have to place it in your cart after the start time? Just trying to shave off a few seconds here...
Inspired @ Nov 16th 2006 1:46PM
Holy moly!
The amount of people wanting the core to be 100 bucks stands at 81.9% of votes. You can bet your life I'm going to be online for this promotion. How can you pass this up???
epobirs @ Nov 16th 2006 2:01PM
Lets see. If I got a 360 any time soon, I would be connecting it to my PC's 19" monitor via KVM, so I'd need VGA cables regardless. That cost is there no matter how much or little I pay for the console itself. I have a source to get the VGA cable for far less than SRP. I'm not buying an HDTV any month soon but I could justify an upgrade to a better PC monitor.
I'd be positioned close enough to that monitor that a wireless controller would be of no benefit. I've never cared about such with a big TV either. So no loss there.
I'm interesting in seeing if Microsoft offers a higher capacity hard drive solution. In the meantime, I can get the current unit for about $25 thanks to a pile of MyPoints I can cash in.
So, Core System with VGA cable and Hard Drive for around $150? I think I can get into that.
placebo @ Nov 16th 2006 2:15PM
@3 I've never been charged taxes from Amazon purchases. (I suspect there's a tax in their state of operation though.
As for shipping? Amazon Prime is free 2 day shipping.
They also do free ground for most purchases over $25.
iLLwiLL @ Nov 16th 2006 2:13PM
@ epobirs:
Amen to that!
Better yet, I'll shave off the $40 pad and bag me a VGA cable for half that which will drop said gaming elements even more front and center in my stomping grounds.
So, total damage assessment= $269.90x FTK (for the kill)
KaneRobot @ Nov 16th 2006 2:16PM
I did something similar (not as good a deal as this) where I wound up buying a core and two games for $340. I sold my wired controller as new on ebay to make up any bleed-over cost that would put it equal or above the premium. You can probably pull 20-30 bucks for a wired controller...so factor that in as well if you are so inclined.
I also like the look of the core better...that "chrome" looks kind of cheesy on the premium.
"Hey joystiq can we get BlindsideDork booted?" Seconded. This guy has more doubletalk than Bush and Kerry combined. Ugh.
He did the same "I never said I DIDN'T" thing yesterday on Kotaku when someone caught him in a lie that was only there to further his annoying "praise Sony, f-Microsoft! NO MATTER WHAT!" agenda. While it's amusing seeing him try to talk his way out of his own fumbles, it really annoys after a while.
B @ Nov 16th 2006 2:17PM
A $100 Xbox sounds VERY tempting.
BlindsideDork @ Nov 16th 2006 2:22PM
wow you guys are way off if you think I am a sony fanboy...
Jackson Pritt @ Nov 16th 2006 3:31PM
That deal now has 86.5% of votes.
I was going to get a Wii, but fuck it.
At this price (and with HALO 3 looming) I'll gladly get a 360 and then wait to see if the Wii proves itself before buying in.
Chris Clark @ Nov 16th 2006 3:20PM
This is a hell of a deal. However, my math is a little different from your Math, guys.
If you want a wireless controller, you can sell the wired and buy a wireless. This is assuming that you don't want two controllers in the house. But if you did that it would be something around this:
$100 - $30 (Asking price for brand new wired controllerif you sold it) = $70 + $50 + $100 (Hard Drive) = $220. That is, unless you buy the Hard Drive and new wireless controller on the cheap (from eBay, etc) as well!
Glad I can be of some cheap bastard service.
Billybob @ Nov 16th 2006 4:23PM
I would have gotten a xbox 360 a long time ago if they have free internet online play, but if I get this deal then it won't be as bad, even though I REALLY WANT FREE ONLINE PLAY LIKE THE PS3!
Kata @ Nov 16th 2006 6:19PM
Woot! $100 360 will allow me to be the "cool" Aunt by getting my nephew the game system, while allowing me the money I need for a Wii. Now to pratice my "refresh and click" skills. ^_^
HeisttheWorld @ Nov 17th 2006 9:36PM
The 360 currently has 86.6% of the votes. Even non hardcore gamers, just the casual Amazon visiter will see that as an amazing deal and vote for it.
I'm gonna get the guys in my band to try for this (they could all use it) and try for one myself to sell to them for the price I pay.
Joey @ Nov 23rd 2006 2:11PM
Well.. the server went haywire. *sad* I lose.
jammen @ Nov 23rd 2006 3:40PM
no go on the xbox 360 cores on amazon.com. the site got hammered at 12:59 pm you couldn't get in until about 10 minutes later after all the 360's were gone