I must have mist the NOT part XP I guess that explains all the negative comments haha

Still $180 is a great price so I'd take it, but once again it still comes down to if he will like the games.

May I ask if you own either one of the HD consoles?  Because if not then you definitely need to pick it up just because there is a ton of multiplat games.  If you own a PS3 or PC then it comes down to the exclusives and Xbox Live along with XBLA

If online doesn't bother you at all then go for it. The library alone is worth the $180 investment, especially if that $180 includes Skyrim, Tomb Raider and Forza.

Vesperia is awesome by the way.

Because you could use that $180 instead to buy games for systems you already have.

I say go for it. As someone who doesn't play multiplayer, it's got loads of single player game content available.

Microsoft is evil. That one thread showed me the light... we need to rise up against Microsoft!

Think it has been answered but anyway:

You only need a Gold membership to play online or use Xbox Live apps.
Buying games, downloading demos, videos, music does not require a Gold membership.

On every new 360 you can create up to 6 different Live accounts that come with one month of free XBL Gold.
So if you don't care about your online identity or achievements, you can play online for 6 months without paying anything.

If you don't have neither a PS3 nor an XBox 360, you're missing out on some of the best titles of this generation.

Considering your tastes, I think the PS3 would suit you more (Valkyria Chronicles and Ni No Kuni, need I say more?), and like others have said, it has free online and some great downloadable games. Maybe the PS3 will get a price cut soon too.

So my recommendation, considering your tastes and your ambivalence towards 360 exclusives, is to skip this great deal but definitely consider buying a PS3, a more Japanese-centric console, in the future.

There is a big difference. GOLD was never advertised or claimed as free.

The deal is a good one, but you should decide for yourself if you want to spend the money on the system or wait. You seem to know what games you want on the system. If it is worth it to you, get it.

This thread has been an amazing read haha, but in all seriousness:

PS+ > GOLD

PS+ games have never been advertised as free, they're just one of the perks or an 'Instant game collection' as SONY calls it for a subscription which has been clearly advertised as such.

For Example Lovefilm/ Netflix are free to access on the PS3 whereas on the Xbox you have to pay a fee to access these services your already paying for. The only thing GOLD doesn't restrict you from are the services that Microsoft want everyone to have access too straight away, which funnily enough are the ones you can actually spend more money on such as the app store. Bad times.

Took me all of 2 seconds to Google "PS+ free games" and see PS blog results where Sony does in fact say the games are free.