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I hate bundle packages (warning rant inside)

Dmac77

Dmac77

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Jan 2, 2008
2,165
3
Michigan
/RANT/

So my 2007 Xbox 360 decided to konk out on me today. It turns on and it makes the booting noise, but alas I just have a black screen (yes I've check cables). Fine, ***** happens. So I go to Best Buy to pick up the 4gb 360 slim. Low and behold they don't have it, all they have is the stupid 4gb Kinect bundles or the 250gb holiday bundle. They have stacks upon stacks of these goddamn bundles, but no stand-alone 4gb systems. Next stop, Target. Same story there, Kinect and holiday bundles galore, but no stand-alone systems. Next stop Wal-Mart, same story. Next Stop Meijer, same stupid story. Finally I go to Gamestop, and guess what only Kinect and Holiday bundles.

To say that I am pissed right now is a major understatement. Why do they have to stock all of these stupid *********g bundles? No one wants the damn things. Why can't they just stock more stand-alone systems? Maybe it's not the fault of the stores, maybe this is Microsoft's falut, because they won't make enough stand-alone systems. If that is the case, why do they have to be so stupid????

/END RANT/

Basically what is with this bundle crap? What happened to buying this separately?

-Don
 
Pretty pathetic.... when that happened to us, we bought a used one.. if you buy from a store, they'll provide some kind of warranty in many cases... we've had used ones last longer than new ones.

Dmac77 said:
/RANT/

So my 2007 Xbox 360 decided to konk out on me today. It turns on and it makes the booting noise, but alas I just have a black screen (yes I've check cables). Fine, ***** happens. So I go to Best Buy to pick up the 4gb 360 slim. Low and behold they don't have it, all they have is the stupid 4gb Kinect bundles or the 250gb holiday bundle. They have stacks upon stacks of these goddamn bundles, but no stand-alone 4gb systems. Next stop, Target. Same story there, Kinect and holiday bundles galore, but no stand-alone systems. Next stop Wal-Mart, same story. Next Stop Meijer, same stupid story. Finally I go to Gamestop, and guess what only Kinect and Holiday bundles.

To say that I am pissed right now is a major understatement. Why do they have to stock all of these stupid *********g bundles? No one wants the damn things. Why can't they just stock more stand-alone systems? Maybe it's not the fault of the stores, maybe this is Microsoft's falut, because they won't make enough stand-alone systems. If that is the case, why do they have to be so stupid????

/END RANT/

Basically what is with this bundle crap? What happened to buying this separately?

-Don
Click to expand...
 
You're pretty pissed ... rather beyond pissed? And people tell me to relax!

It is the holiday season, I would expect much less than a **** ton of bundles.
 
jessica. said:
You're pretty pissed ... rather beyond pissed? And people tell me to relax!

It is the holiday season, I would expect much less than a **** ton of bundles.
Click to expand...

I just can't understand why they can't sell things separately and then give you a discount when you buy the two things together (since that's basically what they're doing with Kinect bundles and game bundles).

So now I'm going to have to wait a week for a stand-alone 4gb, or cough up another $100 for things that I don't even want so that I can have something to do over my winter break. I honestly don't remember all of this bundle crap existing when I bought my 360 ~4 years ago, you had the option of buying the system alone and that was it.

So yeah I am pissed off.

-Don
 
I find often times the store makes the bundles. Pisses me off to no end. I do not mind if MS throws the game in for free but like you I hate bundles.

I know with the Wii it was the stores making the bundles making you buy all the extra games for it. After that I have noticed that they tend to do it more and more often so people will just settle and buy the bundles.
 
Rodimus Prime said:
I check Amazon. The 4GB can really only be found with the bundle. You can get a stand alone 250 gig system.
Click to expand...

Exactly. I might just break and buy a 250gb or maybe get the Kinect bundle and flip the Kinect on eBay or something. I hate stores.

-Don
 
Dmac77 said:
I just can't understand why they can't sell things separately and then give you a discount when you buy the two things together (since that's basically what they're doing with Kinect bundles and game bundles).



-Don
Click to expand...

Because they make more money selling bundles than standalone systems, pretty much. It's just marketing. It's like fast food restaurants making you want the meal deals instead of just the sandwich. They make the most money off the soft drinks and the fries. Same thing applies here. Sucks, but what can you do...
 
It's been a while since a console release, but they do those to this day.

The GameCube I manage to find at a store that decided last minute to not sell bundles. My friend found one for their kids at Christmas from Best Buy who decided the week before Christmas to sell them by themselves.

The PS3, XB360, and Wii were all sold as bundles when they were released (I managed to go back to the store I got my GameCube from and they made me at least buy an extra controller or game - compared to other stores which made you buy extra controllers and 2 games).
 
Well I just broke down and bought the Kinect bundle and spent $100 more than I wanted to, but oh well. I'll give it a shot and if I hate it as much as I think I will I'll just sell it or something.

I still hate bundles.

-Don
 
To the uninformed consumer, which is the majority of big chain business, bundles represent the best value.

But there should be an option to buy system only...
 
I can agree with the OP. The other day at BestBuy they didn't have 4gb in stock but I managed to find one. Thinking I was the man by finding the last and hidden 4gb only to get to the register to have it rung up at $240. Turns out it was one of those bundles that came with three lego games. :(
 
My local Best Buy does store bundles, but it's a simple plastic strap holding a console together with an extra controller. Slip the controller out, discard the strap, and voila, you've got a bare console.

My GF actually wanted a PS3 with a spare controller, but not in any of the colors that were bundled. So we slipped out the black controller and inserted a pink controller. No problems.
 
At least with the Xbox bundle (250 gig model with 2 games) is only 50 bucks more than the basic 4 gig model - that was the one I got. And that is a MS bundle that is all in one box.

As far as the rest is concerned, profit margins on individual systems is so razor thin, they just make more on the bundle models. That’s why the console prices are so fixed across stores.
 
I usually get my consoles straight from independent shops, or their suppliers. They're a bit cheaper and don't come with game bundles.
'Cept for when I bought my PSP. It cost £5 more ("um sorry we can't sell the console on its own"... d**ks!) but they foolishly bundled a brand new, AAA-tier game that I sold on for £20.

They can be good. Sometimes.
 
I got the GT5 Ps3 bundle and am quite happy...except for the idiotic bundling of Grown Ups?????? WTF is that and why on earth would I need that movie on BluRay? Couldn't have done Cars, Bullit (going for 10 dollars anyways and snagged it), Gone in 60 or something car related? It just doesn't make sense.

But I did save 10 bucks on GT5.

But yeah they are annoying. All the consoles are due for a price drop but they won't do it for a while so instead they'll do bundles for probably 6 months or so to add "perceived value". Very common marketing tactic for moving old volume. Very typical to see this at this time and it's not really going to change until the end of their life cycles....in fact I imagine it'll get worse (ie Two games, value cards, etc).

Paul
 
The store does it because they know they'll make more by doing this (and this is especially true in the case of an item which might be hard to find—not that this is really the issue anymore). It is capitalism at work. Kinda sucks for the consumer who wants the non-bundled item, though.

Some states have laws against this. :)
 
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