My setup:
23-inch Samsung 720p LCD - $400, bought barely used
Pioneer 5.1 speakers - $130 off of Walmart.com. (These include two built-in digital TOSLINK ports and one analog port, eliminating the need for a separate receiver, and are capable of Dolby Digital surround sound)
Xbox 360 - $350 new
X360 HDMI cable/TOSLINK adapter - $35, used off of eBay
Cheap TOSLINK cable - $5 off of eBay
Total for 720p/Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound HD gaming setup: About $920
HD gaming really isn't as expensive as people might think if you're smart about it and shop around. :)
"'Casual games' are something the 'Game Industry' invented to explain away the Wii success instead of actually listening or looking at what Nintendo did. There is no 'casual strategy' from Nintendo. 'Accessible strategy', yes, but ‘casual gamers’ is just the 'Game Industry''s polite way of saying what they feel: 'retarded gamers'."
-Sean Malstrom
