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Forums - Microsoft Discussion - Free Xbox 360? What's the catch?

sinha on 09 November 2007

I was just driving home and I heard a commercial on the radio (KNBR, a northern California sports talk radio station): "Go to www.radiofreezone.com and get a free Xbox 360!"

I'm sure there's a catch or five. I hesitate to even go to the site as it'll probably install all sorts of spyware on my computer and ask for my credit card number. But for those desperate for a brand new Xbox 360, check out the site and report back to us on what the catch is:

http://www.radiofreezone.com/

Note: I'm not encouraging anyone to actually go there, but if you do, let us know what it's about.



We don't provide the 'easy to program for' console that they [developers] want, because 'easy to program for' means that anybody will be able to take advantage of pretty much what the hardware can do, so the question is what do you do for the rest of the nine and half years? It's a learning process. - SCEI president Kaz Hirai

It's a virus where you buy it and you play it with your friends and they're like, "Oh my God that's so cool, I'm gonna go buy it." So you stop playing it after two months, but they buy it and they stop playing it after two months but they've showed it to someone else who then go out and buy it and so on. Everyone I know bought one and nobody turns it on. - Epic Games president Mike Capps

We have a real culture of thrift. The goal that I had in bringing a lot of the packaged goods folks into Activision about 10 years ago was to take all the fun out of making video games. - Activision CEO Bobby Kotick

 

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Game_boy on 09 November 2007

The site requires or strongly encourages you to sign up for a few "offers" (payment programmes) from their sponsors, e.g. free DVDs for a month then pay $30 a month for continued service. These programmes have a minimum term where you are signed up for them before you get your free Xbox 360. They make it difficult to cancel a program.

100 people sign up. 20 people get their free Xbox 360 for no catch, perhaps paying $30 to sign up to some offers for the minimum term. 80 people forget to terminate their offers or can't figure out how to, and pay far, far more than they ever intended. The companies that ensnared the 80 people pay the site slightly more than the cost of an Xbox 360for each of the 100 people, because they will make far more than that off the people who are trapped.

Result:

All people get "free" Xbox 360

20 people "make" $100+

80 people "lose" $200+

Site and its sponsors profit.

Therefore, if you're very careful, it is possibly to pay a fraction of the price and recieve an Xbox 360, but you'lll be doing it with the less careful peoples' money.



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If you are interested in trying Ubuntu or Linux in general, PM me and I will answer your questions and help you install it if you wish.

sinha on 09 November 2007

Thanks for the info.

Yeah I think even if I didn't already own a 360 I wouldn't want to deal with the hassle of signing up for things and then trying to cancel them.



We don't provide the 'easy to program for' console that they [developers] want, because 'easy to program for' means that anybody will be able to take advantage of pretty much what the hardware can do, so the question is what do you do for the rest of the nine and half years? It's a learning process. - SCEI president Kaz Hirai

It's a virus where you buy it and you play it with your friends and they're like, "Oh my God that's so cool, I'm gonna go buy it." So you stop playing it after two months, but they buy it and they stop playing it after two months but they've showed it to someone else who then go out and buy it and so on. Everyone I know bought one and nobody turns it on. - Epic Games president Mike Capps

We have a real culture of thrift. The goal that I had in bringing a lot of the packaged goods folks into Activision about 10 years ago was to take all the fun out of making video games. - Activision CEO Bobby Kotick

 

mrstickball on 09 November 2007

It's just another "sign up for 5 things and get a free X360!"


It's not a bad deal *if* you try to legitimately do it, cancell the deals when needed.



Back from the dead, I'm afraid.

Fuzzmosis on 09 November 2007

Also, it's refurbished, and first run.



See Ya George.

"He did not die - He passed Away"

At least following a comedians own jokes makes his death easier.