I don't know, I'm torn really.

$199 is a nice price, but correct me if I'm wrong, but that's going to be the Arcade price right? If so, I would have to think about a hard drive and online. If this is the case, I wouldn't even bother with the arcade and just get the premium.

However, I also have my PC which I use for gaming. Thus, Mass Effect, Gears of War, and many other Xbox 360 games can also be available to me with free online. So what am I really missing?

you have to buy hard drive which is like 150

Nothing, if you payed for a gaming pc you should probably make it worth the money.

Of course, but there are some games I would like to play that remain on it. Still, I haven't had much of a problem with just playing games at a friend's house.

ill rather get the pro which has the harddrive

It depends on what you want.

A console is useful for local multiplayer with friends, games like Gears/Halo are pretty fun if you've got someone there to play along with you. IMO much more fun than going online and you get to play a lot of the console exclusive HD games as well.

The Racing genre is pretty much console dominated and so are the sports games if you like those.

If you like JRPGs like FF - Mistwalker has the main FF producer also, (Lost Odyssey) and some exclusive WRPGS like Fable 2 aren't available on PC.

If you have a wired controller you can use it on your PC if you haven't already so it can perform a double duty between the Xbox360 and PC, saving you $40

I have a gaming PC and an Xbox360 and yet the Xbox360 gets as much use for me as my PC, so I think it can definately be justified.

Money is tight right now so nope. I think the value is there especially if you pick up a retail bundle with a 20 gig, but just not going to happen right now.

No stilll a rip off, you need to upgrade the hard drive eventually and thats a wooping 100 bucks for xbox live 50 bucks more, wow more expensive than a ps3. no way only suckers buy this console sorry for the guys who got upset, but is a reallity. those things are ecentially because is now a requierement to buy a hard drive, and xbox live. andd if you need wifi well more of a rip off.

I already have one, but I would get another one for media extender for WMC.

Bolded = wrong.