Microsoft set to launch $99 4GB 360 + Kinect bundle next week in the US.

[NotStan]

Reasonable said:

NotStan said:
Also to those complaining about the $15 fee need to GTFO America and live in UK for few months, my phone contract in itself is 21 pounds or around $35 and i barely get anything with it, bottom line is, 15 a month is not THAT much at all, calling it a scam is blowing it out of proportion, by a good amount, as around $5 alone of that would probably account for gold membership.

Don't even get me started on the constant bitching about "gas" prices.

It's definately - as described - not a scam.  The overall extra amount paid isn't huge and given at the end of two years you would have completed the contract I imagine you then simply purchase Live ongoing in the normal manner.

Assuming this isn't false (which it might be of course) then I'm now of the view that this is both a test of a model that ties people into their exosystem (which is clearly more important to MS than straight up console sales) combined with a model designed to make the initial cost of entry less (which always appeals to a fairly broad demographic).

So long as this doesn't interfere with the traditional model - i.e unlike a phone I personally am not going to tie myself into a contract for a games console to play online - I'm fine with it in principle, although I still think people should just save for 6 months to buy up front and save themselves some money.

Add on top the subscription for some random TV services that they've also promised, provided it's ESPN or Netflix or something - which is quite big in the US, they'll save a bit of money if they already have a subscription in place, so it's effectively a loan, without any percentages.. With the Americans loving credit so much, it'll likely be a hit.