# You greedy bastards!!! $650 for an X-Box??? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 16, 2001, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-greedy-bastards-650-for-an-x-box/93735 "2001-11-16T14:55:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dalovindj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/65b543/32.png) [@dalovindj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalovindj)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-greedy-bastards-650-for-an-x-box/93735/1 "2001-11-16T14:55:27Z")
Went to the video game store next to my work yesterday, my hard-earned cash in hand, and went to buy the $299 X-box. They had 'em all right. I says “Got any X-box’s left?”. He says “Yeah, we got 2. You gotta buy the box plus 4 games plus 2 controllers plus the DVD controller. $650. Cash only.” Go fuck yourself, fucknut. I wanna buy it piece by piece you money-grubber. I was ready to drop $400 or so for a game, a box, and a controller. Now I’ll just do it somewhere else. Screw you. I’m not buying any more games from you either. DaLovin’ Dj ---
**Author:** ![geepee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ebca7d/32.png) [@geepee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/geepee)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-greedy-bastards-650-for-an-x-box/93735/2 "2001-11-16T15:08:41Z")
Bah you should see exporters of the PS2 when it came out in japan asking $4000+ for them ---
**Author:** ![RainbowDragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6a8cbe/32.png) [@RainbowDragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RainbowDragon)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-greedy-bastards-650-for-an-x-box/93735/3 "2001-11-16T15:21:09Z")
Just out of curiosity, which video game store is this? Doesn’t sound like a big retailer if they only have two in stock… Also the “Cash Only” stipulation sounds rather odd. I don’t know of any reputable retailer that has this policy on some items, but not on all… ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-greedy-bastards-650-for-an-x-box/93735/4 "2001-11-16T15:28:30Z")
Let me get this straight…you’re willing to throw down $400 on a system just so you can say that you have it first, and they raise the price and put conditions on you, and you get mad about it. Hmmm… WAAAAAAAAAAA!!! It’s just a game, dude. That’s it. This is not a tragedy. You just have to wait a little longer, that’s all. -Dave, who hasn’t had a video game system since the Atari 2600 and doesn’t get why someone would shell out 400 ducats for something like that. ---
**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-greedy-bastards-650-for-an-x-box/93735/5 "2001-11-16T15:29:43Z")
Hate to tell ya DJ, but I’d be doing the same thing if it was me… They’re going to sell out that way. I assume he meant he had two left, not he started out with two. So if you own a store, and you have the option of moving 100 units at $300 (+ a few extras here and there) or moving 100 units at $650, And you’re going to sell them all regardless, the choice seems easy to me. The cash only thing is a little weird, though. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-greedy-bastards-650-for-an-x-box/93735/6 "2001-11-16T16:02:57Z")
The real question is: Why would anybody spend any amount for an X-Box when the PS2 is available? ---
**Author:** ![Niobium\_Knight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bc8723/32.png) [@Niobium\_Knight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Niobium_Knight)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-greedy-bastards-650-for-an-x-box/93735/7 "2001-11-16T16:10:00Z")
why did he want cash??? that’s well dodgy man. if he wouldnt accept debit card it’s seriously dodgy. ---
**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-greedy-bastards-650-for-an-x-box/93735/8 "2001-11-16T16:14:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pepperlandgirl \* > \*\*The real question is: Why would anybody spend any amount for an X-Box when the PS2 is available? \*\* [Here’s a list of about 20 reasons](http://www.gamesradar.com/news/game_news_1611.html). ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-greedy-bastards-650-for-an-x-box/93735/9 "2001-11-16T16:30:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by mouthbreather \* > \*\*The cash only thing is a little weird, though. \*\* Not really. Obviously these guys are grubbing money anywhere they can find it. When you buy something with a credit card a certain percentage of the purchase goes to the credit card company. That money comes off of the retailer’s bottom line. If they can save that cash then they will. Still sucks though. In this day and age its rare for people to tote hundreds of dollars incash around with them and you can’t get that kind of money out of an ATM. You’d need to visit your bank first for the ‘pleasure’ of giving that merchant your money. Sounds like too much trouble to me. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-greedy-bastards-650-for-an-x-box/93735/10 "2001-11-16T16:39:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by mouthbreather \* > \*\*[Here’s a list of about 20 reasons](http://www.gamesradar.com/news/game_news_1611.html). \*\* [And here are some counterpoints](http://firingsquad.gamers.com/hardware/xboxlaunch/). > [@](#): > > The hardware of the Xbox is superior, but at this time, the first-gen Xbox graphics are still only a modest improvement over the second-gen PS2. With only a modest improvement, recruiting developers away from the solid PS2 userbase will be difficult. It will also be a challenge to sell consumers to the Xbox platform. Certainly, as developers become more comfortable with pixel and vertex shaders, we can expect to see a large jump in graphic quality. However, this is center of the test that the Xbox will face. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-greedy-bastards-650-for-an-x-box/93735/11 "2001-11-16T16:48:47Z")
I remember when I got my ColecoVision. First one on the block, baby. 16 colors, 8K of RAM, and 8 bits of hard packin’ Arcade action, aw yeah. Kids lining up to get a load of those number pads. I’se da shit, baby. ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-greedy-bastards-650-for-an-x-box/93735/12 "2001-11-16T16:59:43Z")
Coleco???!!!?? Dude, yuo suxxor!!! ATARI 2600 is tha shiznit, babeee!!! ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-greedy-bastards-650-for-an-x-box/93735/13 "2001-11-16T16:59:59Z")
The last system I bought was a Gameboy. Not gameboy pocket, gameboy color, or gameboy advanced, it’s just the original model. I got it used, no game, at a garage sale for $4. My Atari 2600 finally broke a few years ago. Fortunately, I found an emulator that comes with Every game made for the 2600. It’s bliss. ``` Even with inflation the price of PS2's, Xboxes, and Gamecubes stuns me. I am hoping that the Xbox replaces the Edsel as a term for failure. I have hated MCPsoft for a long time. ``` ---
**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-greedy-bastards-650-for-an-x-box/93735/14 "2001-11-16T17:05:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Whack-a-Mole \* > > > [@](#): > > > > The hardware of the Xbox is superior, but at this time, the first-gen Xbox graphics are still only a modest improvement over the second-gen PS2. With only a modest improvement, recruiting developers away from the solid PS2 userbase will be difficult. It will also be a challenge to sell consumers to the Xbox platform. Certainly, as developers become more comfortable with pixel and vertex shaders, we can expect to see a large jump in graphic quality. However, this is center of the test that the Xbox will face. > > \*\* That’s certainly not specific to XBox. Anytime a new, more powerful console comes out against a one-step-down, established console this is the case. See also Dreamcast vs Playstation, circa sept99. The high-end Dreamcast games now blow the high end PS1 games out of the water. ---
**Author:** ![thinksnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thinksnow/32/2849_2.png) [@thinksnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thinksnow)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-greedy-bastards-650-for-an-x-box/93735/15 "2001-11-16T17:09:24Z")
The cash sales thing is easy to explain: they are gouging and with cash sales, they can hide it. ---
**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-greedy-bastards-650-for-an-x-box/93735/16 "2001-11-16T17:09:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DocCathode \* > **Even with inflation the price of PS2’s, Xboxes, and Gamecubes stuns me.** I certainly could be wrong here, but I seem to remember my dad dropping $120-$150 for an Atari 2600 in 1977. If I am correctly remebering, the prices for new systems don’t seem that unreasonable (in comparison), when adjusted for inflation. ---
**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-greedy-bastards-650-for-an-x-box/93735/17 "2001-11-16T17:11:14Z")
I certainly am starting my posts with “I certainly…” a lot in this thread. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![kabbes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e99b99/32.png) [@kabbes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kabbes)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-greedy-bastards-650-for-an-x-box/93735/18 "2001-11-16T17:12:13Z")
And yet even the PS1 still seems as popular as ever whereas the Dreamcast is whithering away. pan ---
**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-greedy-bastards-650-for-an-x-box/93735/19 "2001-11-16T17:15:32Z")
Kenny G more popular than Eric Dolphy, I don’t think we’ll assume that means he’s better. ---
**Author:** ![kabbes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e99b99/32.png) [@kabbes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kabbes)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2001, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-greedy-bastards-650-for-an-x-box/93735/20 "2001-11-16T17:20:17Z")
Who’s talking better? I thought that we were talking about commercial viability. pan, who bought a Dreamcast. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-greedy-bastards-650-for-an-x-box/93735.md?page=2)