Enough! We don’t want your Damn ‘Bundles’

I’ve got to write a piece on this. The whole new ‘bundling’ tactic being used by large companies has got to stop. We remember complaining when older consoles came with only one controller, and no games, but now we look back and realize we didn’t have it all that bad. At least then, we had a choice!

Companies are now using underhanded tactics to persuade consumers to spend more money on accessories, games, and other highly-marked-up crap that we don’t want. They do this by limiting the supply of consoles available, and using the inevitable increase in demand to increase profits by offering ‘bundle’ packs.

Microsoft is offering the $299 ‘Core’ and $399 ‘Premium bundle’ packages of the Xbox 360, yet they produce only a fraction of the amount of Core bundles to Premium ones. Of course, no Xbox 360’s are readily available at this time, and we suspect ‘Core’ bundles won’t be readily available for months.

BestbuylogoBefore the Xbox 360 launch Best Buy started a false advertising campaign, and then company execs sent out memos to managers telling them, “We will be selling our units in packages. Each store should hold back three to four units of each model for those customers who put up an argument about being able to only buy the unit. Everything else will be sold in bundles. This keeps us in alignment with everyone’s expectations.”

The memo continued to state that Sales Managers would be in charge of the 360 launch and stores should use the “very best” sales people for the launch. It said that stores’ future allocations depended on attachment sales “so you need to get it right or you will pay for it in December when new allocations of product are distributed”.

Best Buy Sales people were told to sell up around the Xbox 360 using the “halo effect”. Customers wanting 360s would also need HD TVs, and surround systems. The Best Buy memo concluded, “Folks, it’s like milk and cookies”.

Sony has entered the ‘bundle’ tactic by producing it’s ‘Giga Pack’, and reducing availability of the normal (cheaper) core and value packages just in time for the holiday season. The Giga Pack requires the customer to purchase a 1 GB memory stick and two not-so-popular games.I can’t believe these guys are getting away with this and we are taking it on our backs! If I want to purchase bare-bones console, and the ability to choose which games and accessories fit my desires and budget, I should be able to do so! No, McDonald’s, I don’t want to Super Size my meal. No Sony I don’t want to Giga Size my PSP. And NO Best Buy, I don’t want to be required to spend $800 on an Xbox 360 when I bought a pre-order voucher for a $299 system!

I am not suggesting that making profit is bad, however I strongly believe gamers should make their own decisions about what they do and don’t want to buy. What Microsoft, Sony, and Best buy are doing is essentially price fixing, and forcing the consumer to pay for something they don’t want. Selling them goods they did not choose. With the ‘bundle’ epidemic, your choices in the console market are becoming less and less, They are making the decisions for you, thinly veiled under a blanket of ‘savings’. I’ll take water with my cookies.

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I’ve got to write a piece on this. The whole new ‘bundling’ tactic being used by large companies has got to stop. We remember complaining when older consoles came with only one controller, and no games, but now we look back and realize we didn’t have it all that bad. At least then, we had a choice!

Companies are now using underhanded tactics to persuade consumers to spend more money on accessories, games, and other highly-marked-up crap that we don’t want. They do this by limiting the supply of consoles available, and using the inevitable increase in demand to increase profits by offering ‘bundle’ packs.

Microsoft is offering the $299 ‘Core’ and $399 ‘Premium bundle’ packages of the Xbox 360, yet they produce only a fraction of the amount of Core bundles to Premium ones. Of course, no Xbox 360’s are readily available at this time, and we suspect ‘Core’ bundles won’t be readily available for months.

BestbuylogoBefore the Xbox 360 launch Best Buy started a false advertising campaign, and then company execs sent out memos to managers telling them, “We will be selling our units in packages. Each store should hold back three to four units of each model for those customers who put up an argument about being able to only buy the unit. Everything else will be sold in bundles. This keeps us in alignment with everyone’s expectations.”

The memo continued to state that Sales Managers would be in charge of the 360 launch and stores should use the “very best” sales people for the launch. It said that stores’ future allocations depended on attachment sales “so you need to get it right or you will pay for it in December when new allocations of product are distributed”.

Best Buy Sales people were told to sell up around the Xbox 360 using the “halo effect”. Customers wanting 360s would also need HD TVs, and surround systems. The Best Buy memo concluded, “Folks, it’s like milk and cookies”.

Sony has entered the ‘bundle’ tactic by producing it’s ‘Giga Pack’, and reducing availability of the normal (cheaper) core and value packages just in time for the holiday season. The Giga Pack requires the customer to purchase a 1 GB memory stick and two not-so-popular games.I can’t believe these guys are getting away with this and we are taking it on our backs! If I want to purchase bare-bones console, and the ability to choose which games and accessories fit my desires and budget, I should be able to do so! No, McDonald’s, I don’t want to Super Size my meal. No Sony I don’t want to Giga Size my PSP. And NO Best Buy, I don’t want to be required to spend $800 on an Xbox 360 when I bought a pre-order voucher for a $299 system!

I am not suggesting that making profit is bad, however I strongly believe gamers should make their own decisions about what they do and don’t want to buy. What Microsoft, Sony, and Best buy are doing is essentially price fixing, and forcing the consumer to pay for something they don’t want. Selling them goods they did not choose. With the ‘bundle’ epidemic, your choices in the console market are becoming less and less, They are making the decisions for you, thinly veiled under a blanket of ‘savings’. I’ll take water with my cookies.

Click [here] to Digg this article.
Comment below or discuss this in our forums [here].