Console Wars: The Clone Wars

[DrSpike]

I know you regard economists in a poor light but you should really know better than to try to bull**** one with economics. Here is the exchange rate over the last year:



It's about the same now as when I bought my Xbox. And the price has fallen around £100 (about 33%) over this period. So I hereby refute your argument.

[Asher]

Originally posted by DrSpike
I know you regard economists in a poor light but you should really know better than to try to bull**** one with economics. Here is the exchange rate over the last year:



It's about the same now as when I bought my Xbox. And the price has fallen around £100 (about 33%) over this period. So I hereby refute your argument.

The 360 launched in Nov 2005. It didn't launch last year.

I refute your argument...

http://ichart.finance.yahoo.com/2y?usdgbp=x

I also think you are mildly retarded for talking about UK sales when everyone else is talking about US NPD sales, but that's neither here nor there...

[DrSpike]

Originally posted by Asher

The 360 launched in Nov 2005. It didn't launch last year.

No, I'm not letting you get away with your usual Asher stuff this time. I said:

Originally posted by DrSpike
The 360 is nothing like at its launch price here. I bought mine a year ago (some time after launch, when it had already come down in price) and you can get one for over a £100 cheaper these days.

The context is clear that the statement I am making is about the UK (to contrast the points made about the US), and about price drops over the last year.

You responded directly, quoting my post, with:

Originally posted by Asher
That has more to do with the US dollar than anything else.

A statement that is untrue, as I have demonstrated

Now you are trying to wriggle out of your error by claiming a different time period and through making insults.

If you would just for once hold your hands up and admit you were wrong in your statement (whilst probably being right about US prices - I've no idea) you would get a whole lot more respect from me.

[Asher]

Originally posted by DrSpike
No, I'm not letting you get away with your usual Asher stuff this time. I said:

The context is clear that the statement I am making is about the UK (to contrast the points made about the US), and about price drops over the last year.

You responded directly, quoting my post, with:



A statement that is untrue, as I have demonstrated

I think you're being remarkably stupid if you make statements like this assuming that the console price is going to constantly move with that of the dollar. MS made a big pricecut, in part to spur demand but a big chunk of it is because of the lacking US dollar. They even did the same thing, and said the same thing, with Canada.

Now you are trying to wriggle out of your error by claiming a different time period and through making insults.

If you would just for once hold your hands up and admit you were wrong in your statement (whilst probably being right about US prices - I've no idea) you would get a whole lot more respect from me.

Why would I want respect from you? Jesus.

You're being retarded -- the price cut since you got it doesn't mean that the company only looked at the value of the dollar since you got it.

The reason for the price cut since you got it was largely due to depreciation of the US dollar since the launch of the console.

Whether you are incapable of understanding me as an economist, or you are intentionally engaging in douchebaggery is beyond me.

I am extremely disappointed in you, DrSpike. You looked at the depreciation of the dollar between two remarkably stupid, arbitrary points: when you bought the console and today. What any intelligent person would do is look at the value of the dollar at launch versus the value of the dollar at the time of the pricecut.

The shame.

[Asher]

As clearly illustrated in this hopefully economist-proof graph, since MS originally priced the 360 the value of the US dollar has fallen. This explains why the EU and Canada and external markets to the US have seen pricecuts despite strong sales, but no such comparable pricecuts are found in the US.

If you would like me to further explain the effect of exchange rate, DrSpike, do let me know.

The red lines indicate the times of a 360 pricecut. Look at the exchange rate at the time of the August 07 cut...

Yes, the exchange rate since you bought it may be unchanged, but that doesn't account for the massive devaluation between the original launch price and when you bought it. Looks like you bought it at the worst possible time, but your conclusions that you quoted here are off-base. You don't seem to comprehend that the devaluation before you bought the console is extremely important, and you want to just ignore it. I don't know why. I'm no economist, but I know that's stupid.

So let's revisit the chain:
DrSpike:

The 360 is nothing like at its launch price here.

Asher:

That has more to do with the US dollar than anything else.

Now, given this graph showing the exchange rate with the US dollar, how could you not agree with this statement? Are you saying that the exchange rate had nothing to do with the pricecut? And is this your expert opinion as an economist?

[Asher]

And for the final nail on the coffin: http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/51680

Confirming recent rumors of a price drop, Microsoft has announced that it will be lowering the price of all European Xbox 360 hardware by 80 euros/£40-50.

Effective this Friday, March 14, the cut drops the estimated retail price of the hard disc drive-lacking Arcade unit to 199.99 euros/£159.99, with the 20GB HDD-equipped Xbox 360 priced at 269.99 euros/£199.99. The Elite Xbox 360, which includes a 120GB HDD, will sell at 369.99 euros/£259.99.

Under the new prices, the Arcade unit is cheaper than a Nintendo Wii, which carries an ERP of 249.99 euros/£179.99.

Though the slash brings the prices of European Xbox 360 hardware much closer to those of the United States, the difference between the two, in the words of Shacknews editor Maarten Goldstein, "is still grossly unfair with the current euro/USD rate."

Going by today's euro/USD exchange rate, the new price of the Arcade unit, which has an MSRP of $279.99 in the United States, translates to $307.11. Compared to US MSRP of $349.99, the price of a European Premium unit will be $414.58, with the $449.99 Elite going for $568.14 in Euroland.

Looks like there's still room to go, but saying the exchange rate isn't playing a major part in the UK pricecuts is pure stupidity. The Feb 08 pricecuts in Canada were also due to the exchange rate -- and MS Canada even has said this explicitly. They wanted to bring the value of the console more in line across the world. Then, a few weeks later, the Euros get a pricecut too which brings the value much closer to that of the console in the US. A coincidence, I'm sure.

You can PM your apology to me or post it publicly, I have no preference.

[asleepathewheel]

Asher-

Where does Lost Odyssey fall on the 360 rpg scale, in your SO's opinion (or yours of course). Better or worse than Blue Dragon, Eternal Sonata, Enchanted Arms.

[Asher]

He says: "So far, better than them all. I found Enchanted Arms pretty linear, kind of blah. Blue Dragon was really easy, even on hard mode and you could max yourself out really quick. Eternal Sonata's combat's real time versus Lost Odyssey which has the more classical menu-driven combat. Lost Odyssey is also one of those games you play for the story, and the story is very very deep."

He is actually playing it right now on the couch next to me.

[asleepathewheel]

Yeah, I agree, though I've only played EA and BD. Not sure I'll ever get back to EA-pretty painful at times. I really need to pick up lost odyssey.

[DrSpike]

Ok, I see what's happened:

Originally posted by DrSpike
The 360 is nothing like at its launch price here. I bought mine a year ago (some time after launch, when it had already come down in price) and you can get one for over a £100 cheaper these days.

Originally posted by Asher
That has more to do with the US dollar than anything else.

When you posted this you didn't quote the part of my post you were allegedly responding to, or you reconstructed your argument afterwards to fit that - I'm not sure.

What I am sure of is that you lose respect every time you pull stunts like this (and no, I am not under any illusion that you will lose any sleep over this) - immediately responding with insults like ****** etc as soon as someone posts a dissenting view. You don't seek to clarify your arguments, or understand potential miscommunications. All you had to do in this case was clarify your point and it all goes away.

I am painfully aware of the fact that the UK gets shafted on all Xbox stuff, and that our price drops are severely lagged. Most will I'm sure remember my posts about the Wireless adaptor & the MS wheel, the price of which over here has been obscene, and still is to an extent.

Now, have the last word (with a normal dose of abuse I'm sure)

[Asher]

Originally posted by DrSpike
Ok, I see what's happened:

Yes, I responded to your assertion and not to your flaccid anecdote. Confusion on your part.

What I am sure of is that you lose respect every time you pull stunts like this (and no, I am not under any illusion that you will lose any sleep over this) - immediately responding with insults like ****** etc as soon as someone posts a dissenting view.

It's not that you post a dissenting view, it's when you fail to comprehend what is being discussed that gets you labeled appropriately.

You don't seek to clarify your arguments, or understand potential miscommunications. All you had to do in this case was clarify your point and it all goes away.

I would've done that had not not proceeded deep into twatish territory with your remark about economists. The implication was I lying, then you had the balls to ask me to admit I was wrong -- all because you ****ed up. Sorry bud, you asked for everything you got.

I'm not here to "gain respect", but frankly I respect people more who only pull out the twatish-arrogance card if they can back it up. When they can't, as has happened here, the person opens themselves up for ridicule. You should know very well I don't respond politely when people tell me I'm lying or otherwise bull****ting.

[Agathon]

Originally posted by asleepathewheel
I'm expecting a domestic pricecut prior to gtaiv, a massive pr campaign by ms, and april npd showing that all the ps3 gains for the first quarter erased in one month. The gains of the ps3 over the 360 have been rather insignificant in the US.

The US is a gaming ghetto in many ways.

I fired up mine for the first time in a couple of weeks to play a bit of Fight Night. Still love that game, although the clinches don't work properly.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Agathon
The US is a gaming ghetto in many ways.

Yes, the largest and heaviest spender and largest producer of video games is a "gaming ghetto".

[asleepathewheel]

Smash Brothers Brawl is an awesome game Much more fun for me than Melee. The single player mode is actually a decent length. I really have no clue what I'm doing with the trophies or stickers or what not, but having a blast.

Picked it up with dead rising yesterday. Highly recommend dead rising, love killing zombies with potted plants.

[DrSpike]

SSBB has made me consider again whether to buy a Wii. With the new Zelda, Galaxy, RE4 & MP3 all games I'd like to play it may tip the balance.