For what seems like a major price cut, Microsoft has considerably reduced the price of versions of its Xbox 360 console in India by as much as 19%. And for ones who don't really like crunching numbers, the base model of the console is now priced at ₹12,990.
While the latest price cut from Microsoft, as some may see, is a major act of benevolence toward its fans in India, we can't help but feel that the latest price cut is really a sort of clearing out stock. And that's obvious since they need to make more room for the new Xbox One in the market.
But whatever may the reason be, the bigger news here is that the Xbox 360 console is now as affordable as ever. And we don't think the console's price could go down any further from here (that would be surreal). This is one time the console becomes far cheaper than it previously did.
As far as the revamped tags go, the price of the 4GB standalone Xbox 360 model, which was ₹15, 990 previously, is now ₹12,990. Also, the 250 GB Xbox 360 model with Kinect, which was ₹31, 990 before, is now available for ₹29, 990. Apart from that, the 4GB Xbox 360 with Kinect, available before for ₹26, 990, is now available for ₹21, 990. All the deals are via Amazon.
But while the prices have gone down considerably, why should you be still spending on the console? Although you cannot deny the re-done price tags, shouldn't there be more to it? We take a look at reasons why you should go for the console this time.
The Xbox 360 Controller is Great for Shooters
If you haven't checked out an Xbox 360 until now, this might be as good a time as any. With the prices down, you can finally lay hands on the shiny new console you always wanted. And if you are more prone to shooters and FPS titles, you will love the controller. It's not really a hidden fact that the Xbox 360's controller fits much more comfortably, adapting to the shape of the human hand. Also add to that intuitive experience, a couple of accurately responding thumbsticks. This adds to the overall precision when, let's say, you're attempting a headshot.
Good Time to Take on the World
While the console's price cut is anyway good news, even better news is that they come with a month's membership of Xbox Live. This is your one true ticket to go multiplayer and take on all of the budding gamers battling it out in the wild. Get a hang of the multiplayer with the free membership for a month, and when you are perfect enough, renew the membership. Really, it doesn't cost that much as well.
Better First-Person Shooter Exclusives
As we mentioned before, the Xbox 360's controller is a great option if you like putting a bullet through a thick digital skull once in a while. But if you are really into the genre, know that the Xbox 360 claims better first-person shooter exclusives to date. We are not striking a comparison here with what's on offer from Sony's PlayStation 3, and simply talking from a price cut point of view. But if you are indeed to get an Xbox 360, you just can't miss out on franchises such as the Halo and Gears of War.
A Price Cut + Bundle Pack + 2 Free Games
In case you haven't heard, there's a bundle pack with a price cut as well that comes with Call of Duty: Ghosts and Call of Duty: Black Ops II inside. This is the Xbox 360 500GB Bundle that features two free games, alongside 1 Month of Xbox Live Gold membership. Chances are that you have already played both of the COD titles mentioned above, but the experience is different with the controller. Plus there's a lot of space to store games, movies, videos and demos in your console.
Xbox Live is Tad Bit Secure than PlayStation Network
Irrespective of the fact that nothing online is safe today, and that both Microsoft and Sony were subjected to major hacking outages recently (courtesy Lizard Squad), we still have a feeling that the Xbox Live is a bit more secure than the PlayStation Network. Again, this is not to put off any fanboys out there, but if going by the number of hacks in the last few years, PSN leads the race. But as we said, nothing is safe online.
2015 A Year of Major Titles
Are you even aware of what's on offer for the gaming fraternity, in terms of releases, this year? We can take a few names. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Mortal Kombat X, Battlefield Hardline, Dragon Ball XenoVerse, and more. Plus you can also check out few of last year's big hitters on a new console, such as Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, Destiny, Titanfall, Far Cry 4 and GTA 5. (Personal recommendation: Try South Park: Stick of Truth)
Other Indie Titles On Offer
Apart from the bug name titles above, the Xbox 360 also hosts few of the best indie (independent developers) titles that are out there in the market. There are names such as Max: The Curse of Brotherhood (puzzler platformer), Limbo (beautiful and gothic, for black and white horror enthusiasts), the ever-popular Minecraft, and Tales from the Borderlands.
Seamless Integration with Windows
Last, but definitely not unimportant in any sense, if you own an Xbox 360, you can easily network your console to your Windows-based PC or your Windows Phone. And although we still wish Microsoft should have made the process much easier, it still is a peach to deal with the company's SmartGlass tech and how it networks with the Windows OS. And if the integration was possible with Windows 8, rest assured it will be possible with the upcoming Windows 10.
