The Big Big Dilema...well maybe not that Big

The situation? Xbox 360 is coming out in about 2.5 months. Dates aren’t official yet but I would be willing to bet that its going to be right before Thanksgiving, you know being the beginning of the holiday season and all.

The problem? It costs $399. This is considered the “premium” system, the “core” system is $299 but is honestly not worth getting. Here is what each system includes:
“Core” :
-Xbox 360 console
-Wired controller
-Regular AV cables
“Premium”:
-Xbox 360 console
-Wireless controller
-Xbox Live headset
-Detachable 20GB Hard Drive
-HD and regular AV cables
-Ethernet cable
-Remote control (limited time only)

Why would any gamer consider the core system? It doesn’t make much sense other than maybe attracting new/non-gamers to the system at a lower price point. The core system can be upgraded to use a hard drive and the wireless controllers which will also be sold separately, so presumably if you are strapped for cash initially, you could make your core system into a premium Xbox 360 at a later time. Did I mention that getting the Hard Drive separately cost $99? Ouch!!! It will hurt if you decide to buy it later on…

Also, the hard drive is needed for backward compatibility, so if you want to play Halo 2, Halo: CE, Jade Empire, GTA:SA, etc on Xbox 360 you will need it.

So based on all the information presented, for me it’s not eve a choice: the premium system is what I’ll get. This means that I’ll need $400 for the system, $40 for an extra controller and between $100 and $120 for 2 games (its not clear yet if games will be $50 or $60 yet). Grand total = $560 + tax. Shiznit…this is a pretty big size problem.

The Solution? Start saving now to avoid the “What did the five fingers say to the face?…………….SLAP!!!!!!!!!” when you get to the register at your store of choice [however instead of Rick James behind the counter it would be Bill Gates (with a dreadlock wig off course)]. I’ve been procrastinating about this part for a few months now but now that the window of time is closing I’ve decided to come up with a plan.

Method 1: I usually save whatever change I get throughout the day’s purchases ( morning coffee, lunch, etc), you see I rarely remember I have spare change in my pocket so I pay with paper and end up with probably more than $1 in change every day. So I take all that change every day and put it in an Arizona Iced Tea bottle that’s on my dresser. When the bottle is filled up I can usually get close to $100. There is only one problem with this method and that is that it takes at least 2 months to fill the bottle and even if it were filled by November, I would be way way short of the grand total needed. This method however could be used to pay for either the 2 games (if they end up being $50 each) or a game and the extra controller (wireless off course).

Method 2: I had to work “approved” overtime a few weekends ago, which basically means that I’ll get paid for the extra hours (as opposed to the “un-approved” kind which I provide for free as a way to thank the company for having a job *note sarcastic tone*, but honestly though I’d rather work overtime for free than not have a job). Anyway, I should be getting an extra $250 or so on my next paycheck, not bad huh? Which leads to method 3.

Method 3: Open a separate savings account which will basically be called “The Xbox 360 Fund”, where the overtime $$$ will be deposited earning a nice 3.5% compounded daily (which in reality will mean I’ll earn about an extra $1 by the time I purchase the system, not much but it’s a good trial for putting my actual savings on this account eventually,  if you want more info about this bank let me know). In addition I’ll setup a direct deposit of $50 per paycheck, with 5 to go that amounts to an additional $250.

After adding up each method I’ll have a grand total somewhere around $600, enough to buy all my toys!!!

Note: An additional or complimentary method would be to trade-in my current Xbox, controllers and games but I have actually spent a considerable amount of $ on it, modding it to do all sorts of things with it (from the looks to the actual functionality). So that is not an option for me since I feel I won’t get even close of my original investment. I could trade in my PS2, I barely play it anymore, but my wife is sentimentally attached to that one and will defend it with her life (damn Final Fantasy games!!!). Most people can do this though to lessen the hit, but don’t expect to get a huge amount. Check with your local videogame stores to see if they’ll have any trade-in offers like : trade your current Xbox, 2 controllers and 4 games, plus $200, for a premium Xbox 360 system…or something along those lines.

Alright, this thing got way out of hand, its too long and probably kind of boring. I hope all 4 of my readers enjoy it. I promise the next post won’t have any videogame references on it…I think *note Larry Brown style ambiguity here* Go Knicks!, yeah right…