750°

Remember When An Xbox Cost $699.99

Remember when an original Xbox cost $699.99? Check out this old advertisement to see what a terrible deal this really was.

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gamejudgment.com
pat_11_54990d ago (Edited 4990d ago )

That's so much money, I'm suprised people we're willing to pay that much at launch. Although people wait in line for hours for new consoles so I probably should expect it.

qface644990d ago

i actually never remember it being 699.99 o.O''

T9X694989d ago

Well it launched in Nov. 2001, and according to this article posted in Jan. 2002, Xbox was only $299

http://www.microsoft.com/pr...

I wouldn't be surprised if someone payed this much for a new console, I mean people where paying $599 for a PS3 and people where buying them on Ebay for over $1,000. Don't remember what the 360 was selling for on Ebay when it first came out though.

Anon19744989d ago (Edited 4989d ago )

If you make an adjustment for inflation, that would have put the XBox at $850 today.

That's one expensive bundle when you consider you were just getting a console, two games and a DVD remote.

StanLee4989d ago (Edited 4989d ago )

Never owned an XBox but I don't ever remember it having cost that much.

Edit; just read the article and it seems the ad was for a launch package that included the console, your choice of two games and a peripheral which include a controller, DVD remote or memory card. Still $699 is a bit steep!

hmmmm4989d ago

I don't know if this happened in the US but in Australia, if you bought the console at the launch price you could send away for 2 free games of your chosing and another controller. This was due to it only being on sale for about 1 month before they 'revised' the price of the console.

Beefstew4u4989d ago

The ps3 cost $650 at launch up here in Canada. $750 after tax.
It was a good investment =).

insomnium4989d ago

I remember they cut the price after only a few months of availability here in Europe. They cut it hard too so they gave a free game+controller+dvd-remote or something like that to compensate the early adopters here in Europe.

I love my xbox. Couldn't live without Halo 1 ce, wolfenstein, doom 3 etc. Just recently I started playing Project Zero 2 on it. It really saddens me to see the direction MS took after a wonderfull console like xbox. I don't want to touch a x360 again. Not until they've stopped the production in 5-8 years or so. The blame lies on many things but mostly on MS executives and the poor build quality.

darthv724989d ago

U.S. Launch Prices
1977: Atari 2600 - $199
1982: ColecoVision - $175
1982: Atari 5200 - $269
1985: Nintendo Entertainment System - $199
1986: Atari 7800 - $139
1986: Sega Master System - $199
1989: TurboGrafx-16 - $199
1989: Sega Genesis - $189
1990: SNK NeoGeo - $649
1991: Super Nintendo - $199
1993: 3DO - $699
1993: Atari Jaguar - $249
1995: Sega Saturn - $399
1995: PlayStation - $299
1996: Nintendo 64 - $199
1999: Sega Dreamcast - $199
2000: PlayStation 2 - $299
2001: Nintendo GameCube - $199
2001: Xbox - $299
2005: Xbox 360 - $299 / $399
2006: PlayStation 3 - $499 / $599
2006: Nintendo Wii - $249

And probably THE most expensive console (if you could call it that) ever is/was the Pioneer LaserActive at over $1000. And that didnt even come with a genesis or turbografx game pack. Each of those were several hundred as well.

I have one of these with the genesis pack. It is an awesome laserdisc player above anything else it can do.

xboxlj4989d ago

People were selling the 360's for thousands of $$$ on ebay. I paid $500 for my 360 bundle when it was released. I remember getting several offers from people in the mall up to 3x's the amount that I paid. I did not sell it and unfortunately several months later I go the RROD.

RedDead4989d ago (Edited 4989d ago )

Gamestop + Microsoft = $699

Really though I got mine for €250 back in the day with Halo 2.

Edit---xboxlj
it's always tough when you get the ring...

AndrewRyan4989d ago

I do. :P That is why I didn't buy one until the Slims.

RedDead4989d ago

PS3 was €630 over here at lauch.... No way I was buying that one, I got the 80Gb one for €400 with MGS4 though which is a good deal imo

Spydiggity4989d ago

you should know better than to say something that makes complete financial sense about a system that was crafted by the hands of god (apparently). what is wrong with you?

BWS19824988d ago (Edited 4988d ago )

Agreeing with "financial sense" in this case has nothing to do with objective monetary insight and everything to do with the interpretation of "value". Sarcasm Fail. C'mon, you're really obvious.

But yeah, thanks for the post, troll.

Spydiggity4988d ago

The guy said he waited til the ps3 came down in price before making the purchase and has more disagrees than agrees. where do you think they came from?

you think i'm the troll?

BWS19824988d ago

your content that gave the troll accusation, it was your sly delivery. "Crafted by the hands of God" is textbook 360 lemming talk and I took your comment to indicate you thought $500 is a waste of money for everyone, regardless of his comment.

Perhaps I was overzealous with the label, it's been a long day. I take it back, no hard feelings.

BWS19824988d ago (Edited 4988d ago )

HA! ^^^ I'm not allowed to be sorry. Nay, a disagreer is insisting I'm not truly remorseful for my comment. This site is a joke, reminds me why I come on here less.

RedDead4988d ago

Just ignore the agrees/disagree's. Most of them are from Fanboys. People who understand you will responed. Peopl ewho can take a joke will laugh and might responed. Just forget the other idiots

Spydiggity4988d ago

doesn't it seem a little odd that you are complaining about the exact same thing you were criticizing me for complaining about? i have nothing against you, i just think it's fitting that you are getting the same treatment now. i agree though, the n4g community is a joke. gamers, for the most part, are no better than the people that love garbage like twilight.

BWS19824987d ago (Edited 4987d ago )

I previously wasn't even speaking to your agrees/disagrees, Spy. My critique of you was a misguided attack on what "appeared" as Sony bashing. I was directly addressing what I "saw" in your comment at the time I read it, so I guess I don't see what you mean by "fitting" but I'm glad we're cool now. I regret a post, but someone disagrees with my own sentiments. That's symbolic of the dysfunction on this site (and in this world)...As I said, no hard feelings.

Sometimes I put faith in the agrees/disagrees, sometimes it's just a fairy floating by with a total void of rationale. It's a glaring sign of the mismanagement of this site, really. It's overrun by such tools.

+ Show (16) more repliesLast reply 4987d ago
Baka-akaB4989d ago

well i remember local stores trying to con folks with import japanese ps2 and dreamcast at 800-1000$ too at their launch ..

avengers19784989d ago

I remeber SNES games retailing for 80 bucks too, doesn't mean we need to see that again.
60 is a perfect price for games, and 300 to 450 is a good price for consoles.
Understanding that everyone wants to make money, if the PS3 didn't have such a high launch price who knows where the sales would be today, but IMO they would be at least 10 million higher. I really can't say I remember the orginal xbox costing that much though.

George Sears4989d ago (Edited 4989d ago )

Oops double post. Stupid thing didn't refresh so I thought my comment didn't register.

George Sears4989d ago

I still find 60 bucks too steep. 40 is a perfect fit IMO and even then I would think twice. Last game o bought at launch was MGS4 LE and that was because money wasn't afactor for me in that time. (not as much responsibilitie as I have now)

AmazingBrian4989d ago

Those were the good days when there were good single player games. Look at that list, there is only like 1 or 2 FPS games. Now that Live is in the picture, there are not too many games that arent fps.

lightningsax4989d ago (Edited 4989d ago )

I remember a very bundle-crazy scene in the games marketplace back then. It was hard to find a console that wasn't in some expensive and unneccessary bundle. I'd argue that Gamestop had more power back then, they could almost restrict the market to force you to buy expensive and unneeded crap.

But seriously, let's keep the fanboy stuff away from Xbox Classic. That system brought us Jet Set Radio Future, Panzer Dragoon Orta, and Gunvalkyrie. In other news, Sega was awesome back in the day. The console was a great addition to already owning a PS2.

tacosRcool4989d ago

When I lived overseas at the BX they had advertised Xboxs for $500. Thats another reason why I got a PS2, on top of some awesome games!

kwicksandz4989d ago

Pretty sure this is an aussie advert.

The ps3 launched at $1000 AU here. A DS3 is still $85AU on sale http://www.ecogamer.com.au/...

$85AU = $82US hows that for currency conversion eh sony?

pat_11_54989d ago

It's Canadian actually.

spunnups4989d ago

That's insane, I don't know how you guys afford to game as a hobby, DS3's here in the U.S. are about $45 or so on Amazon.

insomnium4989d ago (Edited 4989d ago )

PS3 was 699€ here @ launch. Games are 69.95€ here. Those prices convert according to todays conversion rate as ~ $900 and ~ $90. I bought the console from here but I always order games online.

btw DS3 is 50€ here which is ~ $65.

n4f4989d ago

i remember when the xbox AND ps2 were that high if i still got the newspaper i will upload it. there was even a new about how they cut the price cause it was too high here in canada.
i feel sorry for those who bought it in this price range

MikeGdaGod4989d ago

December 10, 2006 i bought the last PS3 in a Target. console + extra controller + 3 games + extended warranty (which i later used to my advantage) + tax = $1000+....and i was more than happy to drop it

...ahhh memories....

+ Show (5) more repliesLast reply 4987d ago
jack who4990d ago

no i dont remember got mine for way less then that

huzzaahh4989d ago

If you had read the article, you wouldn't look like a fool for posting your comment.

Otheros004990d ago

When you add all the cost up it wouldn't even be close to $699.

pat_11_54990d ago

I think it was because it was a launch deal, I'm not really sure. This was back in 2001 I believe.

theonlylolking4989d ago

So what that is a crazy price.

PRHB HYBRiiD4990d ago

for $60 bucks with like 10 games in my school but that was in 2004

MultiConsoleGamer4990d ago

Bundles are always a rip-off but that's not the worst price I've seen.

Show all comments (95)
150°

10 Biggest Xbox Mistakes of All Time (So Far)

The Xbox brand has done a lot of good over the years, but their various blunders are pretty wild to look back on in their magnitude.

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culturedvultures.com
piroh3d ago (Edited 3d ago )

Ironically number 9 can save them at this point (releasing games on multiple platforms)

ChasterMies2d ago

By “save them” you mean make more profit for Microsoft. Xbox will still be a dying hardware platform.

OtterX2d ago

You could add the naming scheme for the consoles, it just confuses customers. I know they wanted to avoid traditional numbering bc it would always be lower than their competitor, but this whole 360 then One then Series thing is confusing af. Imagine a Soccer Mom trying to figure this stuff out. I still mistakenly call the Series X the One from time to time on accident.

RNTody2d ago

Don't forget about the Xbox One, Xbox One X and Xbox Series X! Good luck to Soccer moms around the world.

S2Killinit2d ago (Edited 2d ago )

They did that on purpose to confuse and direct attention away from the generational numbering.

MS doesn’t like reminding people that they joined the industry after others had already been involved in gaming.

For instance, they called the xbox “360” to combat PlayStation “3” because they wanted to seem like “more” than “3”, so instead of xbox 2, they opted for xbox 360. Also this had the additional benefit of selling consoles to uninformed parents who might purchase a “360” instead of a “3” by mistake, or because they thought 360 was more than 3. Kind of a disingenuous move.

They have been continuing with their confusing naming patterns for pretty much the same reasons. Frankly, it fits with who and what they are as a brand.

FinalFantasyFanatic1d 20h ago

I can understand their reasoning, but whoever came up with that naming scheme should be fired, bad naming schemes have killed consoles (I'm pretty sure it was the major reason for the downfall of the WiiU). They should have had unqiue names like Nintendo and Sega have had for their consoles, far less confusing for the consumer.

Cacabunga2d ago (Edited 2d ago )

Phil Spencer is the worst that has happened to Xbox.
They built a respectable brand up to Xbox one. Then this guy took over and things became a joke

Reaper22_2d ago

He still has his job. Something you can't say about Jim Ryan.

Cacabunga2d ago

Both bad execs. One is on job and one thankfully retired.

FinalFantasyFanatic1d 20h ago (Edited 1d 20h ago )

I didn't like either person, both people damaged their respective brands and produced worse outcomes, but Phil did save the Xbox brand from being retired by Microsoft. Although in hindsight, he should have just let it die, rather than languish in limbo like it is now.

Rainbowcookie21h ago

Yeah but the one that was "bad" didn't even affect sales.

bunt-custardly2d ago

Phil Spencer was also on the team back when 360 was around, alongside Shane Kim, Peter Moore etc. I think the damage that did the most harm was the Don Mattrick "Always Online" console (ahead of its time basically). They handed Sony and Nintendo a free-pass when that was revealed. It went downhill from there. Then the corporate machine went into full swing to try and recover. They have to a degree as a games company for the masses, and less so for the core gamer. Outside USA, the Xbox brand does not sell as well as Japanese based consoles (citation needed).

Cacabunga2d ago

Want a decision maker. The always online and TV plans was a disaster yes, but they caught up by announcing 1st party games that gamers actually kept the hype going.. until this moron took over and introduced the PC day one release.. e all know where that ended..

S2Killinit2d ago

I dont think they were ever a respectable brand, not since the beginning, when their goal was never to be involved and share in the gaming space. I think the OG xbox was an exception because MS as a brand was still getting its foot in and so the people behind that were people of the gaming industry.

FinalFantasyFanatic1d 20h ago

The 360 was the brand in its prime though, everything went downhill towards the end of that generation. Its staple games like Halo, Forza and Gears are what kept the console relevant and afloat for so long.

MaximusPrime_2d ago

Really good video.

I remember the days with RRoD was big news on here, N4G.

Microsoft had it turbulence number of years.

Looking at the success of Sea of Thieves despite being 6 years old, time to release Halo, Forza horizon 4 & 5 on PS5. It'll help their revenue

shinoff21832d ago (Edited 2d ago )

2 of the 4 games they did already sold really well. So it's definitely going down. Idk about halo or forza but I feel those studios they've bought in the last 5 years, their coming

ChasterMies2d ago

I found this video painful to watch. Can someone list them out?

Top 10 for me from are:
1. 2013 reveal presentation
2. Bundling Kinect 2 with Xbox One
3. RRoD or why rushing to market with hardware is always a bad idea.
4. Buying studios only to close them.
5. Ads on the Home Screen
6. Letting Halo die.
7. Letting Geard of War die.
8. Every console name
9. Charging for Xbox Live on Xbox 360 when Sony let PS3 players play online for free.
10. Cancelling release of OG Xbox games after the Xbox 360 launched.

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150°

Microsoft to Add Copilot AI to Video Games

Microsoft recently revealed its plans to incorporate Copilot directly into video games, with Minecraft being the first showcased example.

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xpgained.co.uk
Fishy Fingers7d ago (Edited 7d ago )

F*** AI

"Hey Copilot, what's a good meme to prove I dislike AI".... https://giphy.com/clips/sou...

Einhander19727d ago

Two trillion dollar company that just can't wait to put as many people possible out of work as fast as possible.

It feels like every single thing they do is making gaming worse and destroying the industry.

7d ago
7d ago
7d ago
darthv726d ago

....you know it takes people to program the AI.... right? It isnt like it is sentient. We haven't reach skynet level of situation or anywhere close to the matrix just yet.

That's next Thursday.

Einhander19725d ago (Edited 5d ago )

It takes a people to program the AI then that AI is used for who knows how many games eliminating countless jobs which only grows as AI is used for more and more game creation functions.

What you're saying is so ridiculously short sighted and truly larking any kind of understanding and foresight.

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CaptainFaisal6d ago

Why all the hate? Im actually excited about this! Always wanted this kind of immersion, and an AI companion with me all the time helping me out knowing the status of my skills/inventory/progress and giving me tips on the best approach or how to craft something specific is game changing for the industry.

Hate all you want about AI, but this is just the start and I can see the potential already. You wont be complaining in the next 5-10 years about this, but rather complain if a game hasn’t implemented it.

MrDead6d ago

Yes we can't wait for the work of others to be used without the need to pay them so that MS can profit even more from the people they fire.

I_am_Batman6d ago (Edited 6d ago )

There is no chance I'd ever use something like this, especially if it's not part of the core game design, but a layer on top of it. It's way too much handholding. Many games already feel like busy work, because they don't let the player figure things out on their own. Having a real-time interactive guide defeats the purpose of playing the game in the first place in my opinion.

If this were to become the standard like you predict, we'll see more and more video games get away with bad design, because people will just be used to ask for help from the AI companion anyway.

Number1TailzFan6d ago

Well Nintendo don't need this with some of their games these days, with invincible characters, items, easy bosses etc.. they do the hand holding built in

helicoptergirl6d ago

Takes "hand holding" in games to a whole new level.

BlackDoomAx5d ago

Because human nature xD Almost every new technology had these kind of comments.

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70°

Activision team is opening a new game studio in Poland 'Elsewhere Entertainment' to build new AAA IP

Microsoft's Activision subsidiary announced today that it is opening a new game development studio to take advantage of the huge talent pool growing in Poland. It'll be the second Activision studio based in the region, joining Infinity Ward Krakow, although this studio is, in fact, not working on Call of Duty.

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windowscentral.com
Psychonaut8510d ago

They’re not working on Call of Duty? Give it time.