Subscription-Based $99 Xbox 360 May Go Global

and in less than 2 years you would have spent more on it then it would have cost to just buy it new, reminds me of the people stupid enough to buy from rent to own places like easyhome, sadly i know someone who currently has 3, yes 3 computers from easy home, all of which are worth im sure no more than $500 yet cost around $1800 when you rent them.

If you cant afford to buy it, and have to rent it, you shouldnt have it, save your money for a bit and actually buy it.

This same person has 2 children as well and doesnt even have a home phone

I'd like to counter this. A 4gb Xbox360 w/ kinect and 2 years of XBL I calculate to $399.97 upfront cost ($299.99 Xbox, two $49.99 12month XBL card from gamestop). The deal here is $99 up front, $14.99 x 24 which includes the same 4gb xbox360 w/ kinect and 2 years of XBL. Over 2 years that cost is $458.76, a difference of $58.79 or 14.7% interest.

That's 7.35% APR and you still own the Xbox - satellite/cable TV providers have similar options but the equipment is leased, thus needing to be returned when service is terminated. You're out of your mind if you think this is comparable to rent to own services, where the interest can exceed the 100% range by the time you pay the product off. This is clearly worth doing if you can afford the subscription but can't pay $400 up front, it's very generous vs any other subscription based offer.

I agree with warmaster670. It's a horrible deal. It was failed to mention you have to stick with that contract for two years. If you don't, then there's fee you have to pay to end the contract. This deal isn't worth the money. Like warmaster670 said, go buy it. Do you really need a new 4 GB Xbox 360 console? 4 GB isn't that much. It would be best just to get an the Xbox 360 Arcade Edition. Buy a 250 GB HDD and two 12 Months of XBL cards. This deal completely blows, but if MS is smart for getting morons to purchase this.

I don't know how this is any different than a cell phone, internet or TV contract. You're getting an expensive product for low up front costs in return for a commitment for some sort of subscription based service or product. In the long run it's more expensive, but that's arguable in some cases for the services returned and makes the product available to a larger market.

Should I not rent an apartment and sign a lease since I can't afford to buy a house? Should I simply pay $700 up front for a new cell phone just because there is a contract associated with getting the same one for free + 2yr commitment to the phone service that I plan on keeping for 2 yrs anyway? Relative to other deals on the market, this is one of the best I've seen, especially since the equipment is owned and not leased.

If they do something similar with next gen consoles, I will def get in on it.

Xbox 360 is an entertainment console. You don't "need" to have the console. I agree, I rent an apartment, because I can't afford a house. That's a different, because you need shelter in order to survive. You don't have to have an Xbox 360 right away, you can save your money up and buy one. As you pointed out in a response to warmaster, you do save money this way. The only thing people would need is patience and the urge not to spend the money they saved on something else. That's how I able to buy my own Xbox 360 console and laptop. I saved and saved until I was able to purchase it.

There is hardly any reason this shouldn't work: buying a 600 dollar smartphone in the US would be almost unthinkable for a regular person, but for 99 dollars and a two year contract...
Also, although the premium over buying it all at once is not that much, I really think it should be eliminated to make this a compelling offer. Or at least package a bigger HDD with it: in this day and age of cheap storage, charging insane prices for the sake of proprietary storage is something that anyone will get angry over.

This deal is not geared toward the likes of us. I would buy a 250GB w/ two 12 mo live cards, use best buy financing, pay no money down and then pay 25 bucks a month for 18 months. But that's me, I know people that will take this "deal" cause that's what works for them.

Rent A box

So when you can't afford it anymore, does it become an EXbox?

Wait, so the Xbox Live comes with the bundle but you're still paying for it separately every month. Am I understanding that right? If so, how the hell can it be considered a part of the bundle to begin with?