# New Xbox game, only $249.99! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 26, 2002, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-xbox-game-only-249-99/125572 "2002-08-26T04:19:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-xbox-game-only-249-99/125572/1 "2002-08-26T04:19:31Z")
Does anybody have any earthly idea whatsoever why [Steel Battalion](http://www.xbox.com/steelbattalion/default.htm?cs_catalog=cat%2dus) is going to be literally 5 times as expensive as any other Xbox game on the market? I understand that it comes with it’s own controller but aren’t controllers traditionally in the $20-40 range, not the $200 range? Are people actually going to pay more for a game then for the system (the Xbox is only $199 now)? ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-xbox-game-only-249-99/125572/2 "2002-08-26T04:25:10Z")
Supply and demand. They are charging that much because they think people will pay that much. If very few people want it at that price, the price will drop. If lots of people want it at that price, look for it on ebay at $500. Haj ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-xbox-game-only-249-99/125572/3 "2002-08-26T04:32:39Z")
Also, it’s a 40-button controller, which sounds a bit more complex than usual. It’s the same rationale the pharmaceutical companies use–“we spent all this time developing this thing, so we’re entitled to charge whatever the traffic will bear, as compensation…” [http://www.techtv.com/extendedplay/e3/story/0,24330,3386185,00.html](http://www.techtv.com/extendedplay/e3/story/0,24330,3386185,00.html) > [@](#): > > …So back to that controller again. The thing is awesome, hands-down the coolest looking peripheral ever designed for any home console. People tend to underestimate the importance of a game’s interface to its development. Whether you are using a mouse and keyboard, a steering wheel and pedals, or a joystick, makes a huge difference in how you play a game. So it can be said that “Steel Battalion’s” controller will offer gamers something entirely new. ---
**Author:** ![EmbarrassingDad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/embarrassingdad/32/5441_2.png) [@EmbarrassingDad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmbarrassingDad)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-xbox-game-only-249-99/125572/4 "2002-08-26T04:51:13Z")
Holy cow [look at the controller](http://www.techtv.com/graphics/extendedplay/3386294.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![BlahMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BlahMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlahMan)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-xbox-game-only-249-99/125572/5 "2002-08-26T05:10:58Z")
WOW!!! I WANT THAT CONTROLLER. Is there a PC verison? Doesn’t really matter anyway, it wouldnt be that hard to convert it for use by a PC. The hard part would be the custom HW needed, the driver would be easy. Anyway, why dont they just make a keyboard for the X box? Or is there one already? Is the controller just for that one game? -Blah ---
**Author:** ![Genseric](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Genseric](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Genseric)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-xbox-game-only-249-99/125572/6 "2002-08-26T05:15:59Z")
That’s not a controller, it’s a space station… ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-xbox-game-only-249-99/125572/7 "2002-08-26T05:42:07Z")
\*\*BlahMan, \*\*your sig is much too long. Trim it down to four lines or less, please. Or I’ll do it for you. Lynn ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-xbox-game-only-249-99/125572/8 "2002-08-26T11:32:02Z")
Helluva a controller but is the game any good? Is the controller compatible with any other games existing or to come? ---
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-xbox-game-only-249-99/125572/9 "2002-08-26T15:33:57Z")
Seeing as how I can’t find my way back to the rescue pods to get off of Halo level 1, I don’t think they’d better count on me to purchase one (honestly, I am so hopeless at games) ---
**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-xbox-game-only-249-99/125572/10 "2002-08-26T16:14:05Z")
That is a sweet looking controller. > [@](#): > > ? I understand that it comes with it’s own controller but aren’t controllers traditionally in the $20-40 range, not the $200 range Your right, of course. However, that contolller looks more like a flightsim HOTAS controller on steroids than you typical $20-$30 generic controller. I understand that Microsoft wants to port Flight Simulator 2002 to the X-Box. I was wondering how they could use a standard controller effectively to pilot an aircraft. Maybe they could use something like this or possibly MS will release their own Flight-Sim Uber controller now. ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-xbox-game-only-249-99/125572/11 "2002-08-26T17:35:50Z")
A friend told me about an interview he read where the game designers were told to design a game around a controller with a heck of a lot of buttons. Thank God they decided to make a mech game. Could you imagine a Streetfighter clone with 40 buttons?! ---
**Author:** ![Mikahw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Mikahw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mikahw)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-xbox-game-only-249-99/125572/12 "2002-08-26T22:45:06Z")
The game’s Japanese price converted to something like US$160. Hopefully that price is in error. $150, maybe. $250, only if it comes with lots of gold bars. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![BlahMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BlahMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlahMan)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2002, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-xbox-game-only-249-99/125572/13 "2002-08-27T05:47:55Z")
Lynn Bodoni: What!!! My sig is too long? But it looks like 4 lines to me…But then again im running 1600x1024 screen res on a 25" monitor… Trimmed my sig, I HOPE its under 4 lines… looks like .5 of a line to me… -Blah ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2002, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-xbox-game-only-249-99/125572/14 "2002-08-27T05:51:06Z")
**BlahMan** , you can put your AOL Instant Messenger name in your profile. You should probably do that. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2002, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-xbox-game-only-249-99/125572/15 "2002-08-27T06:45:27Z")
I have no idea what the controller costs, but I work for the company that build’s X Boxes for Microsoft and _our_ cost to build an X-Box is $30!!! My guess is that there’s one helluva mark-up on those things. ---
**Author:** ![AndrewL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@AndrewL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndrewL)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2002, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-xbox-game-only-249-99/125572/16 "2002-08-27T13:31:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tuckerfan \* > \*\*I have no idea what the controller costs, but I work for the company that build’s X Boxes for Microsoft and _our_ cost to build an X-Box is $30!!! > > My guess is that there’s one helluva mark-up on those things. \*\* So, you’re saying there’s no truth to the oft-repeated claim that Microsoft loses money on every X-box they make? Got any actual numbers or references to back this up? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2002, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-xbox-game-only-249-99/125572/17 "2002-08-27T13:58:02Z")
“Steel Battalion” is going to be a financial disaster. You heard it here first. It looks cool, but really, what a silly idea. Why not just buy Mechassault for $50? ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2002, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-xbox-game-only-249-99/125572/18 "2002-08-27T17:13:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by AndrewL \* > \*\* > So, you’re saying there’s no truth to the oft-repeated claim that Microsoft loses money on every X-box they make? Got any actual numbers or references to back this up? \*\* I’m not saying that Microsoft is lying at all. We build 'em _for_ Microsoft and charge them for units. I have no actual data for that price (which seems shockingly low to me), but that is what the plant manager stated they cost us to build in our Mexico plant. ---
**Author:** ![Necros](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/necros/32/11086_2.png) [@Necros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Necros)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2002, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-xbox-game-only-249-99/125572/19 "2002-08-27T18:04:53Z")
**RickJay** asked: > [@](#): > > Why not just buy Mechassault for $50? Because MechAssault is third person. ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2002, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-xbox-game-only-249-99/125572/20 "2002-08-27T18:17:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tuckerfan \* > \*\*I’m not saying that Microsoft is lying at all. We build 'em _for_ Microsoft and charge them for units. I have no actual data for that price (which seems shockingly low to me), but that is what the plant manager stated they cost us to build in our Mexico plant. \*\* The question is does that $30 include the parts with which the box is assembled? If Microsoft buys the parts and has them shipped to your factory and you charge Microsoft $30 to assemble and manage the factory then Microsoft can still loose money. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-xbox-game-only-249-99/125572.md?page=2)