[QUOTE=Leo Ames]
Considering the $400 model Xbox 360 is virtually as functional as the $500 model PS3 (Gamers won't miss much going for this model instead of the $600 model), I only see it as a $100 difference. With the inflated costs of the 360 hard drive, or the minimum storage that a $40 memory card offers, I hope no one seriousily considers the $300 Xbox 360.
It's also worth noting that even though $399 is the MSRP of the premium 360, they can be easily had at what amounts to $350 now after rebates, free games, etc. I joined the 360 club about 6 weeks ago by buying a premium at Wal-Mart that included a $50 gift card, so it was basically $350.
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I'm going to have to disagree. While the extra $100 (for the 360 premium package) gives you plenty of bang for the buck, you certainly don't need it to experience the 360 to its fullest. You'd miss out on a wireless controller, and wouldn't be able to download demos, but come on. The 40MB storage card in the core package is more than enough to save tons of game data. I bought the core system at launch because that's all I could find, and I did eventually buy the hard drive, but certainly wouldn't have had to do so. So IMO, the bottom-line is, it's a $300 (360) to $500 (PS3) comparison, not $400 to $500. If the 360 were somehow crippled without the premium package, it would be a different story.