XBox 360 Core System + Game - €269

Prisoner6409

Harvey Norman(Blanch shop) are doing the Xbox 360 core system plus 1 free game for €269. I do not know how good this is but it seemed allright. If you are up there they also have a 25 pack of Verbatim DVD -R or +R for €9.99. Now I know this is very good as Maplin sell these for €32 and PC World for €29.

GhostInTheRuins

That seems like a real bargain, so do the cds, might have to pick them up. Thanks for the info.

alastair_doom

Seems like a good price for the xbox. Any idea if there's a choice of game?

event

what comes in the core pack?

Velocitee

Google is your friend!

Xbox page with table of differences between core and premium

I'd really want the hard drive though for xbox live but good deal otherwise!:)

amazing how the price goes up with this system when you buy a wireless connector, wireless controller, plug and play kit etc.

Still though *convinces self again* needed!

event

tbh, id get the one in xtravision for €399

the premium console, PGR, GOW, Crackdown + come sort of charge kit

think thats it anyway

dubmick

Prisoner6409 wrote:

Harvey Norman(Blanch shop) are doing the Xbox 360 core system plus 1 free game for €269. I do not know how good this is but it seemed allright. If you are up there they also have a 25 pack of Verbatim DVD -R or +R for €9.99. Now I know this is very good as Maplin sell these for €32 and PC World for €29.

they've had those Verbatim DVD's at €9.99 for about a year now. It's a great deal, I always pick up some when I am in there.

SamoZlo

Prisoner6409 wrote:

Harvey Norman(Blanch shop) are doing the Xbox 360 core system plus 1 free game for €269.

if it was €169 - it would be a good deal. but for now it looks like HN tries to get rid of Core XBoxes. why?

1. to save a game, you'll need a memory card. that's additional €35-50
2. you won't be able to download any content from MarketPlace - unless you download it to memory card. but then you'll have to buy the bigger one, for €50. and that's still only 512 MB, so you won't be able to download most of demos for XBox360, because they're usually about 600-700MB each.
3. to connect it to the HD TV you'll need to buy additional cable - about €10-20
4. you won't get headset - you'll have to buy it separatelly to be able to contact with friends during the game (it's very usefull in co-op modes). another €15
5. instead of wireless controler you'll get the one with a cable.
6. if you want to get a hard drive in future - prepare for spending A LOT of money for 20GB.

so: if you want to get a next-gen console - don't bother with that offer. because most likely you'll regret it in month or two, and you will be wishing that you bought Premium version.

XBox 360 Core is a crap.

art

Agree with last poster, core system is a rip off really, it leaves you too short of too many important things. Whilst it may seem a fair price for a console system, I think most will be unhappy with the core system and end up then having to spend lots of extra money getting the missing bits back!

Fnz

Agree with SamoZlo - particularly in relation to the hard drive/memory issue.

FrankGrimes

Anyone just wanting to use it as a Media Centre Extender will be delighted to get the Core 360 for cheap, and glad they don't need to pay for the extras they do not need.

mickoneill30

FrankGrimes wrote:

Anyone just wanting to use it as a Media Centre Extender will be delighted to get the Core 360 for cheap, and glad they don't need to pay for the extras they do not need.

For the media centre extender I think the original Xbox (modded with XBMC) does a much better job. Cheaper too. I've got both machines and the old Xbox won't be going away for a long time. Doesn't do High Def but does 480p. Doesn't bother me on my CRT anyway.

skywalker

mickoneill30 wrote:

For the media centre extender I think the original Xbox (modded with XBMC) does a much better job. Cheaper too. I've got both machines and the old Xbox won't be going away for a long time. Doesn't do High Def but does 480p. Doesn't bother me on my CRT anyway.

It doesnt natively support 720p/1080i videos, but with a component cable it does a pretty damn good job of upscaling stuff.

qwertplaywert

whats with all the negitivity on the core system-its great for people like me who cant get broadband,so wont be using xbox live,so 1 or so memory cards would do us, and buying this would save buying a console with a hard drive that mostly wont be used

mukki

mickoneill30 wrote:

For the media centre extender I think the original Xbox (modded with XBMC) does a much better job. Cheaper too. I've got both machines and the old Xbox won't be going away for a long time. Doesn't do High Def but does 480p. Doesn't bother me on my CRT anyway.

XBMC is better then an extender?
its handy for playing your downloaded stuff but it can't.....

• play dvr-ms (audio looses sync)
• schedule the mediacenter pc to tape stuff ( and start playing it why its still taping)
• pause and rewind live tv
• add a guide to terrestial telly

although you can do the above with a modded original xbox (there is an official m$ app) its not as good as a 360

this 360 for 269 is a great deal and very tempting (for a mediacenter extender, not for a gamer), i was planning on waiting until they are less the 250 as i need 3 extenders

Fnz

qwertplaywert wrote:

whats with all the negitivity on the core system-its great for people like me who cant get broadband,so wont be using xbox live,so 1 or so memory cards would do us, and buying this would save buying a console with a hard drive that mostly wont be used

The Core system pack is (potentially) holding up the implementation of interesting new next generation game features because development studios have to take into consideration that roughly 20% of the install base is made up of those that bought the core system and possibly have no hard drive. This may be the reason for negativity towards the core pack.

Many games run faster when they have a hard drive to pre-cache game information on. The hard drive will become increasingly necessary later in the console's life cycle when games become more draining on the aging console's resources. IMHO you will eventually be forced to buy a hard drive lest you wish to suffer slowdown in these games. Buying the extra accessories separately will be relatively expensive.

If your serious about gaming and want the next generation experience I'd avoid the core pack. It just isn't a good deal. The only place I see for the core pack is as a replacement for a broken main unit - so that they don't need to buy another premium 360 pack.

mukki

Fnz wrote:

The only place I see for the core pack is as a replacement for a broken main unit - so that they don't need to buy another premium 360 pack.

very good point, plenty of broken 360 threads here

mickoneill30

mukki wrote:

[*]play dvr-ms (audio looses sync)
[*]schedule the mediacenter pc to tape stuff ( and start playing it why its still taping)
[*]pause and rewind live tv
[*]add a guide to terrestial telly[/LIST]

Fair enough. It's just better for me then . I don't play dvr-ms and I don't have a mediacenter PC with TV card. I suppose if I did the 360 media center would be better for me.

What I do use it for is, streaming radio over the internet, playing divx, xvid and a pile of other formats both on DVD and from my linux server, browsing youtube videos from the console.
You can get scripts for it to control PVR systems but I haven't messed around with them (don't have a PVR).

mickoneill30

Fnz wrote:

The only place I see for the core pack is as a replacement for a broken main unit - so that they don't need to buy another premium 360 pack.

It's just found a new market last week. All those 360 owners that have modified 360s that are banned from Live. It's a cheap(ish) second machine for Live.

badlyparkedmerc

I notice Gamestop are doing a premium package for 200 euro when you trade in a PS2 + 6 games. They also give you a 100 euro voucher.

Seems a reasonable deal to me but I'm not up to date on the pricing, depends on how much use you get out of you PS2 as well - mines gathering dust.

Fnz

badlyparkedmerc wrote:

I notice Gamestop are doing a premium package for 200 euro when you trade in a PS2 + 6 games.

The games would want to be fairly new titles. They need to reach a minimum total trade-in value to avail of that offer.

mickoneill30 wrote:

It's just found a new market last week. All those 360 owners that have modified 360s that are banned from Live.

True dat!