New collection will reportedly mark original Xbox's 10th birthday in region with 250GB system, Halo: Reach, Halo CE: Anniversary, Fable III, and Gears of War 2.
The original Xbox launched in Europe during March 2002, and it appears Microsoft is celebrating the 10th anniversary of that launch with a new system/software bundle in that region for the Xbox 360.
As spotted by The Examiner, Amazon France has listed a "Tenth Xbox Anniversary" bundle for release on March 9, 2012. According to the product listing, the bundle will include a 250GB Xbox 360 system, two black wireless controllers, and a three-month Xbox Live Gold card.
On top of those items, the listing indicates the bundle will include a physical copy of Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, as well as digital versions of Halo: Reach, Fable III, and Gears of War 2.
The bundle is listed at €280, or about $375. The original Xbox launched in North America during November 2001, with its 10th anniversary already passed.
No such listing is available on North American retail websites, and as of press time, Microsoft had not responded to GameSpot's request for comment regarding the authenticity of the bundle or its availability options.
Eddie Makuch (Mack-ooh) is a News Editor at GameSpot. He works out of the company's Boston office in Somerville, Mass., and loves extra chunky peanut butter.
@ashedarkthorne Nah that's fair enough, defining moments for the console I agree. But it's still pretty pointless? Can't you see it from an average customer's point of view? "Oooo sick a new 360 bundle, I was waiting until I could afford one of these.. Oh wait...." Re-mastered Halo and the 2nd Gears of War just seem like daft choices. People buy bundles for the games that come with them, and these games just aren't special enough :? Never mind.. I'm done.
@Warhawk-Geeby Serious you truly do not understand why these games were chosen?? Think carefully if it is a 10 years of Xbox bundle then the games that defined the Xbox are the 4 mentioned. Halo Anniversary of course started the success then you have Fable 3 and Gears 2 following in as first exclusives on the 360 and then finally as a bookend you have Halo Reach the last Bungie Halo produced game. Simple reasoning if you think about it.
@Vodoo Oh no yeah totally, don't get me wrong the package in itself is excellent, but for new time buyers I just think the games could have been a bit fresher. Halo Anniversary is just the original Halo remastered in HD, it's nothing special.. and certainly not worth bundling with a new console. Most HD games just get released for download - it's for that reason I think it's a bit odd. They should just wait a while an release it with the new title from 343. An Xbox bundle with Gears 3, Halo 4 and Fable 3 would sell absolutely loads. I know it would be expensive, but certainly more worthwhile for first time buyers?
@warhawk-geeby... What do you mean.... "why not include the new Halo?" They are. Halo CE Anniversary is the newest Halo game and Reach is the newest non-remake game. Fable 3 is a great game, but why they chose to include Gears 2 instead of Gears 3 puzzles me. And I think you're over-looking the fact that you're getting 4 top tier games included with an extra controller and 3 months of Live. The controller and Live is the extra cost involved so your essentially getting those 4 games for free. And if you never owned an Xbox those are 4 great games to start off with, without having to spend any extra scratch.
Reading the comments below... The vast majority of people are saying it's a good bundle? Quantity-wise maybe, but it's a pretty pointless choice. Gears 2 (the middle one) Halo: Reach and the original remake - why not just include the new one? and Fable 3 - admittedly a good choice. I'm not bashing Microsoft I'm just saying, if you're buying a 360 for the first time you'd want better games :|
I completely thought this meant 10 years of the 360 then - I was SO confused :P The bundle's alright, fairly strange choice of games though.. Should have a Gears triple-pack really, then the new Halo, and then Fable. It's a decent job, but pretty pointless if you're buying the console for new games :?
@supertom221, The original Xbox had a hell of a lot going for it besides Halo and Ninja Gaiden. I could rattle off a list of great exclusives (Mechassault, Crimson Skies, Phantom Dust, Panzer Dragoon: Orta), but I'll spare you the wall of text. The system was also more powerful than either the PS2 or Gamecube. And, unlike it's successor, the original Xbox was very reliable. The console also had the best versions of most multiplatform games (including the only decent console versions of the Tom Clancy games). Further, it had the best online integration. Back then, Microsoft seemed to actually care about catering to hardcore games. I was a PS2 guy, but I still loved my original Xbox. I was sad MS stopped supporting it after 2005. I think the thing could have lasted another couple of years. Also, the Xbox came out in 2001 in North America, which would have given it a four-year life span there. That's still a bit shorter than the five-year spand that was considered normal at the time, though.
@hahamanin Get a ps3 or build a gaming pc. 7 TIMES? Are you crazy? Hint; if you buy something and it breaks more than once, it is not worth owning. Don't know about you, but I don't have money to throw down a well.
@Darnasian Of course of course I fully understand that I just feel that maybe the technology used in creating this gen of consoles was a bit rushed and did not benefit from the amount of care and polish that was used in the development of last gens consoles.
Sweet deal if your a gamer and don't already have one after 10 years. Maybe everyone will get one included with all the bailouts.
@Marky360 Mainly as the technology progresses more complications and problems arise...so it's obvious why the last gen consoles never had system failures or anything like that...
Whoa, I think even Sony or Nintendo fanboys have to admit that's a pretty damn fine bundle on this one.
@BryanParksSuper I partially agree with u on that one. I got my 360 in 2006 and have went through 9 different ones all do to RROD each time it broke I'd send it to M$ just for them to send me another that would break later. So I totally get where your from about the 360 but with my Original Xbox I had a way better experience which prompted me to get a 360 in the first place. my Original Xbox I got way back in 2001 a few months after launch and I'm proud to say it's still fully Operational with no problems. now as far as Sony products go I love Playstation and had no problems with the PS1 or PS2 but the PS3 on the other hand is a different story. I got my 40GB PS3 in 2008 and it worked well for 2 years until that faithful day in 2010 on Nov. 24th when it yloded on me. I got a Slim PS3 a few months after that and it works great now. So I guess what I'm saying is I really don't think it's any 1 company that has shotty equipment I just feel that maybe the systems this gen just aren't as sturdy as last gen.
@BuBsay - I have similar experience. I was a launch customer and I've RMA my Xbox 360 around 5 times. In the last exchange, I was given a Opus and it works fine ever (Around 3 years ago) .
Hmm....i don't recall this coming here in the US. Why microsoft? why betray our hometown?!?!
Honestly, I had one of the first 360 elite bundles there was and it worked perfectly for almost 5 years. And admittedly now ever since about the beginning of the year I can't run it more than 5 minutes without it overheating, but honestly the fact that it worked perfectly for 4 1/2 years is something I'm astounded by. I know that this doesn't apply to everyone but for those of you saying "all xbox's are atrocious!" well I did just fine for the longest time even after the who knows how many hours I put into it.
Pretty good bundle for those getting their first Xbox 360. Pity the next Xbox will probably be coming out soon...
I have owned 5 360's - 2 replaced RRod - 1 E74 -, 4th was faulty within 24hrs out of the box so not counting it. have two consoles at moment , 1st is a X360 Slim 250gb & 2nd is a Hdmi Arcade Jasper (replaced by shop 24hrs). Both the consoles work fine. MS original 360 consoles had a serious design fault which they later admitted. I own all this gen's consoles and 360 gets more play. Remember even PS2 had DVD Laser issues. Seems most modern consoles - especially ones with internal cooling fans - have had some sort of inherent reliability issue. Slim 360 is the design they should have released in 2005 - if this had happpened then MS would probably be the undisputed No.1 seller in all markets.
My Original Xbox refused to work 7 months prior to buying it New. Went through 5 360's in 2 yrs because of RROD and E74. Now I game on Sony Playstation and will never ever buy anougher Microsoft console. Sony has the consoles that won't Fail. 4 Years and my 40GB PS3 is still goin strong. Never had any problems with it. People say they have Launch 360's that never failed are LYING!!!! Even the 4 Replacement 360's MS sent me got RROD. I took care of my 360 and they all RROD. Nobody trusts MS anymore. The only people who do are kids who refuse to switch to PS3 after suffering 3 or more RROD's. MS is trash and 360 was named the worst Electronic Equipment ever made.
@Bo Thank you! That's all I wanted to know! why must everyone have to act like 11 year olds here instead of giving a proper answer?!. Also, that's quite the name you've got there :P @RitsukoEX HALO is pretty much all it had. DOA and Ninja Gaiden were also available to PS2. But again, not about that. What I asked was simply why, and Bo answered that question for me. Also, you have no idea how to use a coma. Stop putting it after every second word you write, it's stupid.
@digi-demon I hear ya bro I got my Original Xbox back in 2001 a little after release and it works just fine as well gotta love the old systems a lot more sturdy then the stuff we got this gen.
U know what would be a good way to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Original Xbox by giving away free Xbox 360's for one day. Now that would be a promotion and I know initially Microsoft would take a loss but I'm sure it would be made up in the extra amount of 360 titles being purchased by new gamers plus all the new Xboxlive gold accounts that would be activated man Microsoft would make a killing.
Except the original XBox actually WORKED. :roll: I LOVE the original XBox. I have over 100 games for it.
Strange to use the date of the previous console as something commemorate with the current. And yes, I realize this is a marketing gimmick.
@supertom221 my mistake. on that sentence. but really! your last comment. really did show your Sony fanboy side. I had a great time with my Xbox. Halo, Halo 2, ( a game in which people who own a Xbox360 was playing it on the Xbox360 ) The Dead or Alive series, Ninja Gaiden Black, and all the others! I never felt abandoned. when MS left Xbox to go to Xbox360. I don't understand. why do YOU care?!
really good bundle 2 controllers and tons of games this is great for some brothers to have
Supertom, to answer your question as to why MS abandoned the original xbox, it's a simple matter of economics. They did not own the technology used in it, they licensed it. As a result, they couldn't drop the price because of reduction in manufacturing cost. They do own the rights to the 360's tech though. Basically, they were in a bad deal on the original. They learned from their mistakes, and moved on. Sad, but the truth isn't always a good answer. So when they did drop the price, it was a hit to them, not the hardware manufacturers.
@RitsukoEX "Sony fanboys like you. thinks that." First of all, that is not a proper sentence. Second, I am no longer a SONY fanboy. If anything, I would probably be PC, but that is not the subject. Don't turn this into a flame war, it has nothing to do with other consoles. IT'S A FACT. Microsoft completely abandoned XBOX once X360 was released, as opposed to PS2 who held out strong 'till 2007. my question is, Why? Why would Microsoft treat it's costumers like that?
It is a proper bundle if you think about considering the new people who want to own a Xbox 360. Once more it's a 250gb system with four great games under a reasonable price. Hopefully they'll bring the bundle to the states. Kudos Microsoft.
This bundle is only really for someone brand new to the xbox. Everyone else has already played most of if not all of the pack in games.
A decent Xbox 360 bundle for the Pal region with 2 controllers and 4 "pack in" games, sort of
Not such a great idea. Maybe a platinum colored 'Xbox 1 duke style' controller or an 'originals-greatest-hits-on-live' compilation of 10-20 games for $50 would have been a better fit? Reckon i'll stick to celebrating the 10th Anniversary in playing on my original still-functioning 2002 purchased Xbox 1 sometime soon :P
I guess this is a good deal if you are new to the console and want to go back and play old games. I think they should have included two newer games rather than three old games and a remake.
The only real bit of note here is that it comes with TWO controllers. Frankly, the fact that companies haven't made two controllers in the box a standard is a slap in the face of gamers. Game companies and developers need to really re-focus this whole "Online" co-op idea, to people playing on the couch together.
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