Dark Confidant #5 – The Titanfall Bunduru Problem

Evening readers. Wow I guess nobody wants to win Toki-Tori. Oh well. This week I’m going to be looking shortly at  the new Xbox One Titanfall Edition Bundle.

Well *up* there it is.  The new thing that Microsoft thinks might save the current goals of Xbox One sales. Now I’m an Xbox and Sony fan. True I don’t own a PS4 yet, as I feel there is nothing that really jumps to me right now. I’m sure you all remember the thrashing you gave me on Dark Confidant #2. I still want to pose that question down the line though, maybe 6 months or so when the “new console fever” dies down. Anyway, let’s look at the big problems with the new bundle.

For $499.99 , we get a free game. A game that is marketed as THE new game to buy on Xbox One. Xbox has recently pushed Titanfall a decent amount (not even hard in my opinion). For all purposes, it’s their next big game or at least they think so.  So the question is, why would you bundle something FOR FREE that you think people are going to buy and crave? Shouldn’t the standard business practice be to give a game or item that isn’t selling well with the Xbox One?  Then again I’m not a marketing whiz. Maybe they think that people on the fence will pay that $500 + tax just for Titanfall (which I honestly don’t think is the system seller, that title goes to Killer Instinct).

The big problem with this new bundle is that there’s nothing special about it. For one, you don’t even get the disc to trade in when your done with Titanfall. There is also no special new Titanfall branded console, greater hard drive, or extra controller, like the Titanfall controller to boot. This really punishes the “Day One” buyers. You would’ve thought that all people who pre-order Xbox One would also get a voucher for Titanfall in March.  Instead, for those who waited not even 1/2 a year, they get a full free game with their new console. Now I don’t know when this bundle was thought up, I know that development takes time on any new product/bundle, but I still feel they missed so much with this.

Xbox is looking for something to match PS4 right now. You know what costs 100 dollars and isn’t really needed…of course you do. The worthless camera/microphone that is Kinect. I can’t believe that the first bundle wouldn’t get rid of the thing. The people want it and yet Xbox doesn’t listen. It’s not like there is anything out that needs Kinect right now.  All the guides on the dash work (sometimes quicker) with a controller. I mean honestly I feel if your going to spend 400 bucks, what’s the difference with another 100 dollars. If it’s going to break your bank so hard you shouldn’t be buying it, but I digress.

Lastly Sony , I’m going to yell at you too for that MGS 5 bundle.  It’s a sticker. I’d yell more, but again I don’t own a PS4, but maybe I can ask my brother what he thinks about it (i’ll get back to you). Anyways, what are your thoughts? Have you ever traded in a working system for a design or color change?

Next Week: Hopefully Thief comes in the mail to review, or perhaps I’ll delve into why I think “Twitch Plays Pokemon” is a complete waste of time. Maybe. I think I’d get so much heat for that.