Microsoft Promo: a PC and Xbox In Every Dorm Room 219
theodp writes "Can Microsoft woo students into trying Windows 7 PCs? Well, starting on May 22nd, Microsoft will try to do so by giving away free Xbox 360 4GB consoles to high-school or college students who purchase new Windows 7 PCs priced at $699 and up. A Guess Who's Coming to College? teaser video for the promotion features a Halo Spartan's HS graduation ceremony."
if you have a PC you don't need a console (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:if you have a PC you don't need a console (Score:1, Insightful)
Better yet!
Buy 700$ PC, get free XBox360, sell both, buy better PC, get free XBox360, repeat until PC is good enough, sell XBox, buy games.
Re:Desperation (Score:4, Insightful)
Well, you have to admit that an Xbox is pretty big for a marketing freebie. We are not talking about free pens and calendars here.
The chain of reasoning here could be: College freshmen buy new computers, so there is a market there > They need to choose between MS, Apple, Linux > We need to make them go with Windows, so let's throw in an Xbox there > Help spread Win7 *and* make revenue from Xbox game sales.
I don't think that this marketing campaign is targeted to the teens that play games. It is targeted to the teens that are buying a computer for college, i.e. office, work (which will also help with MS-Office sales). If it was targeted to the gaming crowd it would be the other way around: e.g. a free netbook for every Xbox sale.
Re:Desperation (Score:3, Insightful)
Because iPhones don't play games, and Portal 2, The Sim 3, The Rift, StarCraft 2, WoW, and other top-selling games aren't available on Mac.
Oh wait - they do, and they are. Welcome to 2011.
Confused... (Score:5, Insightful)
You buy a cheap PC, where Microsoft makes money from the license for Win7, they throw in a CHEAP 360 (basically the Arcade version, which I believe is is like 150-200$). After you've got a nice new free console, what do you do? Buy another controller (money to MS), buy some games (more money), buy xbox live (more money), buy a new hard drive for more space (more money), etc. This isn't desperation at all, this is just another way for Microsoft to make gobs of money. If they had given away an Elite Xbox, then there would be less money re-couped but they would still end up making a profit in the long run.
This is directed (like they say) at college kids, going to school for the first time and looking for a new computer.. AND A FREE CONSOLE?! HOLY SHIT! That sounds like a great deal to me, now I can go to school and play Xbox with all my friends and I don't have to shell out an extra 200$ for the console!
I don't understand how people aren't getting this..
Re:That was quick (Score:2, Insightful)
Mactard Fanboys: mod me down already and save your time, no need to read the rest.
God I wish some day Apple will become dominant (or relevant, at least), so you mactards start getting viruses and antitrust lawsuits and whatnot. MAYBE THEN we will see that every company becomes "evil" like Microsoft when it gets the chance.