# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2002, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-xbox-game-only-249-99/125572/41 "2002-08-30T19:50:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BlahMan \* > **True, True…but I would still sacrifice that little bit O graphics for that extra load time…multiply that load time with the amount of times it hits and you get an impressive figure…** Little bit? Perhaps you don’t realize how much of a difference there is between a 12 MB cartridge and a 650 MB compact disc… The CD-ROM has over 54 times the capacity - that’s the difference between an RPG with 10 areas and an RPG with 500 areas, or between 32x32 textures and 256x256 textures, or between MIDI soundtracks and MP3 soundtracks, or between having one low-quality FMV scene at the ending and having several high-quality FMV scenes after each level. If you look at any arcade game that’s been ported to a cartridge-based console, they almost always had to cut something out to fit it on a cart. Fewer characters, lower graphics quality, missing sounds, etc. With the advent of CD-ROMs, that was over. ---
**Author:** ![BlahMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BlahMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlahMan)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-xbox-game-only-249-99/125572/42 "2002-09-04T05:53:50Z")
True, True… But I still HATE the load time… ---
**Author:** ![Mikahw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Mikahw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mikahw)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-xbox-game-only-249-99/125572/43 "2002-09-04T06:08:47Z")
That’s what Game Boy is for. It’s perfect for playing during another console’s (which shall not be named…) load times. 😃 Seriously though, you’ll get used to them. Most load times I’ve seen on disc consoles are 15 seconds or less. There are a few offenders that seem to take forever, though. I’ve heard Morrowind for Xbox is one of these, but unfortunately I probably won’t find out for a while. ---
**Author:** ![fluiddruid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fluiddruid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluiddruid)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-xbox-game-only-249-99/125572/44 "2002-09-04T06:14:40Z")
Back on the original topic, I predict that this game will be a spectacular failure. It will then become a collector’s item because of the limited numbers available, and it will subsequently keep its value to a much greater level than other video games. This is especially true if the controllers have some sort of flaw that makes them break or lose pieces easily (and given the size of that behemoth, it wouldn’t surprise me). Hence, go and buy a few now and keep them in their original packages. Wait a few years. Repeat if necessary. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-xbox-game-only-249-99/125572/45 "2002-09-04T14:41:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Genseric \* > \*\*That’s not a controller, it’s a space station… \*\* Ah… there’s an (adapted) Star Wars quote for anything… ---
**Author:** ![mrbuddylee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/51bf81/32.png) [@mrbuddylee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrbuddylee)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-xbox-game-only-249-99/125572/46 "2002-09-04T15:02:57Z")
About a year old: [http://news.com.com/2009-1040-275793.html?legacy=cnet&tag=xbox\_nav](http://news.com.com/2009-1040-275793.html?legacy=cnet&tag=xbox_nav) XBox cost to build: > [@](#): > > Estimates of Microsoft’s cost to build each unit have ranged from $320 to $400. Microsoft representatives would not comment on manufacturing costs. PS2: > [@](#): > > “Historically, companies break even in year three, but they don’t normally spend a half-billion dollars in marketing,” Lin said. > > One exception, Lin said, may be Sony and its PlayStation 2 gaming system, which he said was close to breakeven after initially costing about $450 per unit to build. Sony launched the PlayStation 2 in late October last year. Now, this was from Nov. of last year. I am almost certain that I read somewhere that the PS2 was costing sony about $150 to make and the XBox was costing Microsoft $290ish … ah, here it is: (Very interesting read on how console makers make their $$) [http://www.red-mercury.com/mmceo/mmceo\_current.html](http://www.red-mercury.com/mmceo/mmceo_current.html) ---
**Author:** ![BioHazard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3bc359/32.png) [@BioHazard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BioHazard)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2002, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-xbox-game-only-249-99/125572/47 "2002-11-24T02:47:04Z")
Does anyone know if you can use this controller for the new mechwarrior game? If so then it is worth the price. BTW its down to $189 now. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2002, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-xbox-game-only-249-99/125572/48 "2002-11-24T05:37:55Z")
$30 is a ridiculously low price. I have heard from Intel engineers that each Pentium 4 chip costs somwhere in the vicinity of $36 and Pentuim 3 chips are, ironically, more costly. More importantly, if the Video card was less than $30, then nVidia must be laughing all the way to the bank since they used to sell the exact same graphics chip cut down a bit for well over $400 when it was first released. Never mind the fact that motherboards are usually at least $20 per unit in 100 unit quantities. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2002, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-xbox-game-only-249-99/125572/49 "2002-11-24T05:53:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Shalmanese \* > \*\*$30 is a ridiculously low price. I have heard from Intel engineers that each Pentium 4 chip costs somwhere in the vicinity of $36 and Pentuim 3 chips are, ironically, more costly. More importantly, if the Video card was less than $30, then nVidia must be laughing all the way to the bank since they used to sell the exact same graphics chip cut down a bit for well over $400 when it was first released. > > Never mind the fact that motherboards are usually at least $20 per unit in 100 unit quantities. \*\* Yes, but do you think that Dell is paying $20 a unit for it’s motherboards? I seriously doubt it. Remember, they’re not buying them in lots of a hundred, but in thousands. One of the reasons that companies move production out of the US is because the labor costs are greater than the materials costs. [Wired](http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.11/flex.html?pg=1) magazine’s done a piece on my former employer, where you can read a description of the plant that XBoxes are built in. I should like to note that the plant I worked in, had **no** air conditioning (except in a few of the offices) and **no** heat! (One of the reasons why I’m glad I’m no longer working there, now that winter has begun to set in.) ---
**Author:** ![red\_dragon60](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ce73a5/32.png) [@red\_dragon60](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/red_dragon60)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2002, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-xbox-game-only-249-99/125572/50 "2002-11-24T06:02:29Z")
I believe the XBox is what is called a Loss Leader. That is, the company makes little money on it or even loses money, planning to recoup it on selling peripherals. Xbox hopes to do it with games. Microsoft also loses a bit of money on them too. > [@](#): > > Estimates are that Microsoft is losing between $75 and $150 on every Xbox unit it sells — making the box itself a kind of loss-leader for the games. The software giant has said that it plans to spend about $2-billion to market the Xbox this year and in 2003. from [here](http://www.globetechnology.com/servlet/ArticleNews/tech/RTGAM/20020925/wmath0925/Technology/techBN/) . McDonalds does the same with its burgers. They expect you to buy soft drinks and fries, which have an insanely high markup. ---
**Author:** ![BrandonR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@BrandonR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrandonR)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2002, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-xbox-game-only-249-99/125572/51 "2002-11-24T17:24:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*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 is your company responsible for all the failing DVD drives in first generation Xboxes?! ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2002, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-xbox-game-only-249-99/125572/52 "2002-11-24T23:39:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mikahw \* > \*\*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. 😃 \*\* Welcome to what it is like living in Europe. Imagine if every game was marked up like this. In the UK nearly all gaming equipment (consoels, games, controllers etc) works on a 1 UKP = 1 USD principle. Here in Stockholm one of the biggest software stores is selling Timesplitters 2 for the PS2 for 729 SEK. That’s approximately 73 USD. These people have a lot to say about it: [http://www.fairplay-campaign.co.uk/](http://www.fairplay-campaign.co.uk/) ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2002, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-xbox-game-only-249-99/125572/53 "2002-11-24T23:40:37Z")
Sorry, didn’t make that clear. The 1 USD = 1UKP thing. If somethign costs 100 USD in the US it will generally cost 100 UKP, which is around 140 USD. It happens all the time. On everything. ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2002, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-xbox-game-only-249-99/125572/54 "2002-11-25T00:28:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by amanset \* > \*\*Sorry, didn’t make that clear. The 1 USD = 1UKP thing. If somethign costs 100 USD in the US it will generally cost 100 UKP, which is around 140 USD. > > It happens all the time. On everything. \*\* Does that have something to do with the 17.5% tax in England? In the US the prices are almost always quoted before sales tax. If 100 UKP includes the tax there is about half of the markup. ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2002, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-xbox-game-only-249-99/125572/55 "2002-11-25T01:31:26Z")
At the latest official rate, £100 (GBP) is $157.62 (USD). British prices are almost always quoted before VAT. ---
**Author:** ![BrentLumkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9d8465/32.png) [@BrentLumkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrentLumkin)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2002, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-xbox-game-only-249-99/125572/56 "2002-11-25T01:47:12Z")
The price is right, no mistake there. It costs that much because, basicly, it is an arcade type game created for a home console. It it a highly complex setup, which requires a very complex controller. This is why it costs so much, and understandably so… …it’s also been getting great reviews, and from what I hear, is more than worth the money. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2002, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-xbox-game-only-249-99/125572/57 "2002-11-25T03:38:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BrandonR \* > \*\*So is your company responsible for all the failing DVD drives in first generation Xboxes?! \*\* **Ex** -company, and I don’t know if they make the DVD drives, or simply buy them from someone else. ---
**Author:** ![JRootabega](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e7dd6/32.png) [@JRootabega](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRootabega)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2002, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-xbox-game-only-249-99/125572/58 "2002-11-25T15:07:57Z")
The controller is even bigger than we thought! [![](https://www.penny-arcade.com/docs/sbstick.jpg) ](https://www.penny-arcade.com/docs/sbstick.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![eno801](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c2a13f/32.png) [@eno801](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eno801)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2002, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-xbox-game-only-249-99/125572/59 "2002-11-25T16:45:10Z")
i just got the game last week and the controller is huge plus the foot pedals. very well made however. luckily i got it for early christmas from my family who chipped in 150 so all i had to pay was the remaining 50 bucks. great game. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2002, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-xbox-game-only-249-99/125572/60 "2002-11-25T16:47:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by JRootabega \* > \*\*The controller is even bigger than we thought! > > [http://www.penny-arcade.com/docs/sbstick.jpg](http://www.penny-arcade.com/docs/sbstick.jpg) \*\* I only have 1 question…is it compatible with any PC port types if so a driver could most likely be written for it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-xbox-game-only-249-99/125572.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-xbox-game-only-249-99/125572.md?page=4)