Lower Prices
When we say lower prices, we don’t mean just strictly a price point decrease to consoles; we mean from Xbox Live, accessories, and DLC even games as well. Like previously stated, the 360 saw lack of reliability in both the hardware and accessory department, which prompted many online faithful like ourselves to keep running back for more (see Crack).
Whether Microsoft purposely made faulty consoles or not, the worst time for a console to breakdown was during the holiday season. We would have to pay for shipping and console repairing, which was almost nearly equivalent to buying a new Xbox. The $60 price for games has been the norm since the Nintendo 64 days, so that wasn’t a bad transition.
We’re expecting a price-hike for the online service for another $10 dollars which isn’t a deal breaker but XBL still has problems that need to be addressed before a price increase. DLC is also outrageous as well, including season passes equaling the same retail price as the game and controllers still in the $40 dollar range. We’re expect initial launch peripherals to be expensive but over time, we’re hopeful MS will lower prices.