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Microsoft's Xbox 360 console was designed with online competitive gaming in mind. The Xbox 360 has top-of-the-line graphics quality and allows for gaming in high definition -- although don't expect that out of box; buying extra cords is necessary. Microsoft charges for access to online content, with a minimum annual subscription fee of about $50-$60. The subscription plan covers online gaming, but users can also access downloadable games, movies, TV shows and other content. Microsoft offers customers the option of purchasing the console all or once or signing up for a subscription plan. With the subscription plan, a 4GB Xbox bundle is sold for $99, but customers must agree to 2-year contract for Xbox Live at a cost of $15 per month. The total cost including the 2-year commitment comes to $460 for the option of paying over time; purchased all at once, the same package would cost $360.
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Prices For Xbox 360 (Console Only)(Prices as of 07/9/2013)| Xbox 360 4GB Console | Xbox 360 250GB Console | Source | | $200 | $300 | MSRP | | $200 | | Amazon | | $200 | | Target | | $200 | $300 | Toys 'R' Us |
Prices For Xbox 360 Bundles(Prices as of 07/9/2013)| Xbox 360 4GB Console & Kinect bundle | Xbox 360 250GB Console bundle | Source | | $300 | $300 | MSRP | | $300 | $300 | Walmart | | $300 | $300 | Target | | $300 | | Toys 'R' Us |
Additional Costs:
| $150 | Kinect | | $22 | Headset | | $30 | Chatpad | | $50-$60 | Xbox Live annual subscription fee | | $30-$60 | Game discs | | $5-$40 | Downloadable games |
Specifications:
Xbox consoles come with three main storage capacity sizes -- 4GB, 250GB and 320GB on limited-edition models. The larger capacity consoles are ideal for folks who want to store movies (about 2GB each, 4GB-8GB for HD movies); while the smaller 4GB capacity is ideal for people who only save their game information and don't download additional content. Xbox's optional Kinect motion-sensor ($150) is the only device that allows hands-free gaming, which is proving popular with games such as Fruit Ninja. Xbox allows online streaming of subscription-based services including Netflix and Hulu Plus in high definition.
| Processor | 3.2 GHz PowerPC Tri-Core Xenon | | RAM | 512 MB GDDR3 RAM | | Media Type | DVD, CD, Xbox 360 Game Disc | | Disk Capacity | 4GB, 250GB, 320GB | | Graphics Quality | 1080p | | Online Content | Xbox Live ($50-$60 a year) | | Colors | Black, special edition models vary | | Other Features | Backward Compatibility: Limited compatibility with original Xbox games
Streaming movies: Hulu Plus, Netflix | | Warranty | 1 year for console; 90 days for accessories |
For manufacturer information about this product, go to Xbox.
Best-Selling Games| 1. Call of Duty: Black Ops II | $30 | | 2. NCAA Football 14 | $60 | | 3. Minecraft | $20 | | 4. Halo 4 | $28 | | 5. Far Cry 3 | $29 |
(List as of 07/9/2013) Source: AmazonBest-Selling Accessories| 1. Xbox Live 1600 Microsft points | $20 | | 2. Xbox Live 400 Microsft points | $5 | | 3. Xbox Live annual subscription | $49 | | 4. Xbox controller | $38 | | 5. Xbox Live 800 Microsft points | $10 |
(List as of 07/9/2013) Source: Amazon
What People Are Saying:
The Xbox 360 excels with its HD graphics, but not having an HDMI cable included in the box is frustrating for some gamers. The Kinect option ($150), with its controller-free gaming, offers quite a bit of fun, but there are still some bugs to be worked out with the Kinect. Also, adding the motion-sensitive gameplay costs the same as purchasing a brand-new Wii, which can be a deterrent for some. Xbox Live, the online service of the console, is the only service to require an annual subscription fee ($50-$60) to provide any level or service. But, while PlayStation's Network has suffered frequent attacks by hackers, Xbox live has seen fewer malicious activities. Users complain that if the system gets knocked over or jarred while a disc is in use, the disc gets scratched beyond repair -- a flaw noticeably absent in competing systems. Users also frequently note Xbox 360s are more prone to failure -- a 2009 study by Game Informer found Xbox 360 consoles are five times more likely to die than competitors such as PlayStation 3; the same survey found Microsoft takes about a month to replace or repair consoles while Nintendo and PlayStation typically completes the work in a week.- Cnet.com: "Though the new Xbox 360 certainly addresses most of the concerns we've had with the versions before it, we don't think it warrants a purchase if you already own an Xbox 360 in working order with an HDMI-out port and a hard drive."
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