$400 will get you a lot these days. You can buy yourself any of the existing major consoles on the market, or you soon
might be able to buy Microsoft's newer and more improved
Elite console bundle. Word is that Microsoft will be jam-packing its existing Elite bundles with copies of
Halo 3 and
Fable 2, you know,
just for fun. The best part is, the console won't be increasing in price. The bad news is that you're now furious if you already bought an Elite console.
Ars Technica says that we'll have confirmation on this rumor by the end of next week, so that leaves us little time for the confirmation/debunking party. Who's on chips and dip duty?
{ Apr 10th 2009 at 2:35PM } 
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Deathmessiah @ Apr 10th 2009 2:39PM
NO!!!!!!!!!!!!! I got an Elite with stupid Kung Fu Panda and Indiana Jones last Christmas!!!!
Markez @ Apr 10th 2009 3:09PM
I didn't like Kung Fu Panda when I tried it, although I do love that the guy that was David Lopan in Big Trouble Little China does some of the voice work. Like the Lego game quite a bit, really fun co-op.
joshuaq @ Apr 10th 2009 4:24PM
dude why you complaining.. I got my xbox360 20gb two months before the 60gb came out.. now thats is a bitch.. lol but is all good I still got 11 gb left on my console..
yolarrydabomb @ Apr 10th 2009 6:37PM
I on the same boat as Josh. damn sneaky bastards!
Sony also did the same shit on the ps2 slim. So I waiting on a ps3 slim...lol
Donald @ Apr 10th 2009 2:40PM
Color me interested if this does turn out to be true. Elite + good RPG for under $400 after I shuck the useless stuff? Sign me up.
Brian @ Apr 11th 2009 5:43AM
Good FPS also.
Alex @ Apr 10th 2009 2:43PM
who is going to buy this? everyone on the planet should already have each of these. Then again having two is always better than having one. one for the livingroom one for the bedroom.
hunter2223 @ Apr 10th 2009 2:45PM
More like One for the Game Room, one to wold on to so you don't have to not play while the main one is off for repairs.
(Bug 360 Fanboy BTW... also on my 3rd Elite console, so just being realistic)
As to the bundle. Always good to add value... Still would be better at a $350 price point
Markez @ Apr 10th 2009 2:46PM
Believe it or not, not everyone is a 360 owner. Until a few months ago, my buddy was still content with rocking his PS2 and then he jumped onboard with the Kung Fu Panada / Indy Jones bundle. I'm sure that one is selling quite well, and I expect this would sell great as well.
Can't wait for the next Fable II DLC! WOOT!
Alex @ Apr 10th 2009 2:47PM
in my case it would actualy be one for me and one for the wife so we don't have to play halo split screen.
Deric Lee @ Apr 10th 2009 2:51PM
I was going to say one for the living room, one for the living room...you know, while the other is off being repaired.
SoCoolCurt (PSN: KillaKornbread - XBL: SoCoolCurt) @ Apr 10th 2009 3:31PM
not everyone has a 360, Halo 3, and Fable 2.....i assume those are the people that are going to buy this.
either way, it's a really great bundle IMHO, and much more current than Sony's new PS3 bundle that has Resistance and Motorstorm (and no, not the sequels). this will certainly move some units on the MS side. maybe Sony will take a hint next.
Alex @ Apr 10th 2009 3:36PM
I now that not everyone owns these already but they should.
(If you don't go buy it what is wrong with you?)
Courtney @ Apr 10th 2009 4:05PM
@Alex, my wife and I have been thinking about getting a second 360 for months. Don't mind the cost of the second console so much as having to buy a second television.
Tone @ Apr 10th 2009 2:45PM
Could make for a nice july birthday present for myself......
jinn35 @ Apr 10th 2009 4:24PM
The 15th?
Paul @ Apr 10th 2009 2:56PM
I just got an xbox elite last week because my xbox got the e74 error...too bad my xbox couldn't have held on a little longer!
Alex @ Apr 10th 2009 6:32PM
This E74 thing... Is that covered by 3 years of warranty like the RRoD?
If it isn't, then if you do happen to get it could you not just kick the Xbox around until you MAKE it get 3 red lights?
Paul @ Apr 10th 2009 9:06PM
I don't think it's covered by the 3 year warranty yet. But at the rate it seems to happen, I think it should be. But you make a good point, I should have just made it get the 3 rings. But I bought a warranty at Best Buy for 2 years back when I bought my Pro system for $400, so Best Buy let me get an elite system to replace it since the cost of the elite is $400 so either way I probably would have stuck with going to Best Buy and getting the elite rather than wait to get back my same system.
Intentless @ Apr 10th 2009 2:49PM
If I manage to buy a house, this will be good for one in the main room one in another room...
F1: Basu Gasu Bakuhatsu @ Apr 10th 2009 2:54PM
Best. Bundle. Ever!
EI8HT @ Apr 11th 2009 5:46AM
cant say much on your avatar Bundle though
Cheif Helmet with Zelda suit?
pete @ Apr 12th 2009 6:44PM
suck on that one PSfanboys!! no longer does your cost-effective argument hold true.
mouldtooth @ Apr 11th 2009 12:20AM
That is a good bundle. Two essential games that are exclusive and really good.
Troy Powers (PSN: TroyPowers) @ Apr 10th 2009 2:56PM
That's a great deal. But, somehow, I'm just not interested. Somehow, it still doesn't seem worth it. For that price, I could buy 6 games for my existing console. All of a sudden, I understand why 360 owners complain about the PS3 price. If you've already got a great console at home, I guess it takes a lot to make you want to spend a few hundred bucks on a second one, instead of just buying a bunch of new games.
hunter2223 @ Apr 10th 2009 3:01PM
Exactly
I'd love a PS3... but I can't pull the trigger. My official bar now is when I can find enough games that I can't get on my 360 (read as PS3 exclusives) that the cost of those games is more than the cost of the console.
I even keep it at full Original Retail and I'm only up to $300 in PS3 games I want to play :(
Markez @ Apr 10th 2009 3:02PM
Yeah I'm dying to play R&C and Uncharted, but it just ain't gonna happen anytime soon :P
Troy Powers (PSN: TroyPowers) @ Apr 10th 2009 3:05PM
Hunter, what are your 5 games?
hunter2223 @ Apr 10th 2009 3:09PM
"Hunter, what are your 5 games?"
MGS4 (duh who doesn't wanna play it!)
Uncharted Drake's Fortune
Little Big Planet (Need to make me a good penis map where you try to get the penis across the map... has that been done yet?)
Killzone 2 (again no Duh)
and
Valkyria Chronicles (Which appeals to me on all sorts of different levels)
When GTA5 comes out that could tip the balance... but having played Forza now... well, I just didn't have as much fun without a damage model. So if forza 3 hits this Christmas as it may... well... kinda back burners that...
Troy Powers (PSN: TroyPowers) @ Apr 10th 2009 3:31PM
I guess this is why it was such a good idea for MS to be first to market. Say what you want about those guys (and I've said it all, lol), they're business sense is right on.
But, yeah, justifying that second console is tough. By the time there are enough games you want to play on the competition's console...half of them are old. I mean, we're looking at Uncharted 2 dropping soon.
I've got to be the only PS3 owner (possibly the only gamer) that hasn't played MGS4 yet. Though I saw it on amazon for $40, so I see that in my near future.
Uncharted kicks ass.
KZ2 kicks ass.
LBP seems cool simply for the infinite replay value, but I'm just not a creative person like that.
VC is pretty cool.
Not really into the racing sims. I'll take Midnight Club over GT any day (I know. Blasphemous!).
But, if I had to judge each system strictly on it's exclusives, I'd say still Sony is the team to run with...if you're in the market for your first console.
catfish24 @ Apr 10th 2009 3:38PM
Yeah, that's the main reason I haven't bought a 360.
I'd love to play Halo and Gears, but it's not worth spending the money imo when I can buy most other games for the PS3 anyway.
I have to admit though, this is tempting for the people who don't have either console just because they're 2 very fun games.
acefondu @ Apr 10th 2009 3:56PM
Troy, I haven't played MGS4 either. I never liked the Metal Gear series. Filled with the most pretentious and bloated writing and boring gameplay ever, no thanks! But the PS3 is great.
Tyler @ Apr 10th 2009 4:20PM
@hunter2223
Also, for the cost of that $400 console, I can play more than half of those 'exclusives' on my PC... Which I can leave on all day/night, and it doesn't overheat.
As well as free online, and other games...
@Troy
I also have not played any of the MGS series.
Spartacus @ Apr 10th 2009 6:49PM
Troy,
Right on. I'm only considering a PS3 now because I want a BD player and I got in on a Sony Card special ($200 off!). However, though I know games are all subjective, it would be tough to say the PS3 has a better exclusive library either in quantity or quality. Just glancing at metacritic, of the top 20 scoring games on each platform, the 360 has 8 exclusives (although some of them were timed- but by almost a full year) while the PS3 has 5. I'm not saying the PS3 library is anything to sneeze at, but I think most would agree that MS has been much more agressive and successful in securing noteworthy exclusives this generation (at least for the Western audience).
Troy Powers (PSN: TroyPowers) @ Apr 10th 2009 7:50PM
Spartacus, that may be true, but how many of those exclusives are either:
A. No longer exclusive or
B. More than 12 months old?
I mean, if you're looking at buying a new console TODAY, you're probably not going to take the first Gears into account, and you're surely not going give the 360 the edge for Bioshock. Then, when you look at the games coming out in the next 12 months, PS3 is probably edging the 360 out.
Not to take anything away from the 360, cuz as you say, they've been majorly aggressive in securing good exclusives, or getting games that used to be PS exclusives. But, I'd say that lately they've really slowed down.
CH3BURASHKA @ Apr 10th 2009 2:58PM
Now I just need to find sixteen hundred quarters... better start checking all the vending machines.
Smoke_me_a_Kipper @ Apr 10th 2009 3:00PM
I got my elite with Halo3 for the regular price a year ago. Too bad that was $100 more than you would pay now.
chris joseph @ Apr 10th 2009 3:00PM
and no blu-ray player
hunter2223 @ Apr 10th 2009 3:03PM
When I was Next-Gen Console Shopping I had a really nice, but older 37 inch SD TV.
Quick... Tell me what Blu-Ray would do for me when looking at the overall value of a gaming console?
chris joseph @ Apr 10th 2009 3:06PM
Certainly made a difference in killing that (now) useless HD DVD add on, now didn't it?
hunter2223 @ Apr 10th 2009 3:10PM
Again... didn't have an HD tv. Never Spent money on the HD DVD add-on that I never needed because it would do no good for me.
So in buying a GAME console with no HDTV tell me the advantage of Blu-Ray?
CannabisPrime @ Apr 10th 2009 3:21PM
Who needs Blu-Ray with streaming Netflix anyway?
Erluti @ Apr 10th 2009 3:25PM
I'm sure everyone will be real glad they sprung for the Blu-Ray when all content is just streamed HD off the internets in a few years.
Jeremy White @ Apr 10th 2009 3:33PM
Blu-ray is amazing. If you say who cares about Blu-ray you're just saying that crap because you CAN'T get it, not because you don't want it.
Troy Powers (PSN: TroyPowers) @ Apr 10th 2009 3:38PM
Well, there's still the fact that you can fit much more data onto a single game disk. Therefore, leading to better (?) games, and more content. Especially when you start thinking about longevity.
As far as streaming movies...meh. Even streamed HD movies aren't equal quality to blu-ray. Then you've got extra content and stuff like that. Truth be told, if I had the option of walking over to a shelf and grabbing a dvd, or streaming content of the exact same quality from netflix (or wherever) I'd take the dvd. But, streaming movies has been troublesome with my connection. Either way, I just can't get into the whole streaming thing.
Troy Powers (PSN: TroyPowers) @ Apr 10th 2009 3:42PM
Also, I've been seeing blu-ray movies on amazon that are actually cheaper than their dvd counterparts. I just bought Foo Fighter's Live at Wimbley blu-ray, and it was $17.99 as opposed to $18.99 for the dvd. Only a buck less, but that's a buck less for better picture and better SOUND. That's pretty much a no-brainer.
Chris D.(PSN: Aggie_CEO | XBL:The Aggie CEO | Steam: Aggie_CEO @ Apr 10th 2009 3:43PM
@Cannibus: You are telling me you can get 1080p New Releases thru Netflix Streaming???
Shagittarius @ Apr 10th 2009 3:47PM
In the future Blue ray movies will stream you.
The Dark Wayne @ Apr 10th 2009 4:46PM
if all that stuff about time warners if true erluti, i'd guess discs are here to stay
Paul @ Apr 10th 2009 5:42PM
yeah you are right chris joseph that hd dvd addon is useless. its a shame it can no longer play any hd dvd's someone might still own. (oh wait it can). its also a shame that it has no backward compatibility which means it can't play dvd's which are still the media of choice for most people (oh wait it can). also it really sucks that you can't hook it up to your computer and use it as an extra drive (oh wait you can). you are right; it sounds useless to me especially for the 17 dollars i paid for it. have fun spending at least double for a movie on blu ray as what i will pay on hd dvd. and if its not on hd dvd i am perfectly fine with buying the dvd version and letting the 360 upscale it to look great...