Xbox 360 Arcade price drop??

[littleman00]

Everyone knows the Elite model is dropping in price, and the pro model to be phased out eventually. But where does that leave the Arcade? I heard that in the UK, the price is actually going up. Is this going to happen in the US, too? Or, are we going to see a price drop?

I only ask because my 360 pro recently died (not an RROD issue, but the games would lock up and sometimes not even run at all; I get some weird DVD error message) and I got my money back through my warranty plan. It's almost enough for the $199 arcade, so I'm considering picking one up since I already have a hard drive and wifi adapter.

[InvalidRobot]

I recommend using http://www.craigslist.com to shop around for a new 360.

I bought a pro edition for only $200 ($100 off), and it still came with a two year warranty through Wal-Mart, and I believe the three year warranty through microsoft.

You can find some amazing deals as long as you look carefully, and make sure the seller gives plenty of details on the system, and you make sure to ask all the right questions.

Also the arcade price will not drop or rise in the U.S.

[DeltaOne]

Doesn't look like the price drop is hitting the Arcade sku. Elite is going down to $299, Pro is going to $249 (while supplies last, it's being phased out), and the Arcade is staying at $199. It's funny you mention your hardware issues.... I just returned my third Pro unit to Best Buy (with the replacement plan). I'd lucked out and picked up a 120Gb drive on clearance at K-Mart for a cool $37. So when I returned my box, I just got the Arcade unit and another replacement plan. The replacement plan was the best 50 bucks I've spent in a LONG time.

[littleman00]

I've considered buying on Craigslist, but the warranty company I buy my warranties from doesn't cover anything bought on Craigslist. Not to sound like I'm spamming the forum or anything, but Square Trade is a great company to buy warranties from; they cover almost anything you can buy at retail, and some things you can buy online. I've used them for almost all the expensive electronics I've purchased in the past 2 years, and they're cheap. For $25, you can cover a new 360 arcade for 3 years; they cover all sorts of damage, even the stuff you do yourself (like water). Unfortunately, they no longer cover 360's bought from eBay, probably due to most of those people having to file a claim (like I did...twice ).

[Asad]

Not to sound like I'm spamming the forum or anything, but Square Trade is a great company to buy warranties from;

Not at all. I didn't know about Square Trade but I do now thanks to you. I'll probably use them when I buy an Xbox 360 somewhere down the line. Thanks for the tip.

[DeltaOne]

I'd stay away from used systems entirely. Now is the time to get a new system with the Pro going for $249. Better get it soon, because they're phasing it out. With the new hardware upgrades, the newer systems are supposedly far more reliable than the older models. The last thing you want to do is buy a used unit that may or may not still be covered by Microsoft's warranty, only to have it red ring 2 months after you buy it. You'd be far better off just biting the bullet and getting a new system with the 3 year warranty.

[littleman00]

Yeah, I went ahead and bought a 360 Arcade from Best Buy over the weekend. I almost bought it from Dell, since they had new systems for $160. But, I had some old BB gift certs, plus I didn't want to wait for Dell to ship me the console. Now I hear BB is doing a pretty decent 'Buy 1, Get 1 50% Off' deal with 360 games. CoD: MW2 is on the list, so I might actually pre-order it and pick up Fable 2 for $15.