MS refurbed phat Xbox 360 - December 2009 - Console/headset/20GB HDD/2 controllers - $149.99+ MI sales tax...so you're right, I paid $158.98 which is more than half of $300.
Not sure where I suggested I bought anything new.
For the record, I wasn't counting tax with that as it varies per state/province. And that makes sense then, though I don't typically consider buying refurbished game consoles, though it's not a bad, cost efficient idea.
Personally:
- Price
- Portability
- Ability to game/stream while someone else is computing (I can work on my cheap laptop while my wife games/streams on our cheap console, and vice-versa)
- Convenience
- No bullshit DRM
All of which I mentioned much, much earlier and was met with "you're lazy" and "consoles are inferior". Contrary to popular opinion in this thread, I never said consoles were a superior gaming platform... Someone else said consoles were "inferior" and I asked why. People could not accept the notion that there are circumstances and situations where PCs are not the most economical option or that some people just want to play a game and have no need for the best graphics, access to thousands of exclusive/indie games, multitasking, gameplay recording, etc... I might buy 2 new games a year and a handful of digital downloads/pre-owned titles. Why would I need all that stuff? Anyways, Scuba156 and McHaggis have already said everything I should have said to begin with...
Price - neither here nor there. Working retail I get to see game prices as they come out. Most interesting example I saw where you're wrong on that is Prototype 2 - retailed at $60 for consoles, but was retailing at $50 for pc... then a week later was discontinued... I guess consoles won that one.
However, then you have digital download sales, on all platforms but more prominently on PC.
Portability - unless you're toting a gaming laptop, I'll give you that one. I don't know many who would lug their PS3/360 somewhere (as I am bringing mine to my friend's tonight, go figure.)
game/stream - I mean... that
IS kind of inherent when you have more than one device...
Convenience - if anything I see PC winning out here due to the fat that it's pretty much an all-in-one device. Internet/Game/Multimedia/Emulation of most older consoles, and side-by-side processing of such tasks too.
No bullshit DRM - watch this change on next-gen consoles, I'm sure. Probably going to be just as bad as it is on PC then.
Personally, I'd say that having a decent desktop is the king platform. I know many who don't PC game though, and you ARE right in what you're saying. What goes for others doesn't go for you, and vice versa. I have all 3 game consoles from current/previous gen (Wii, 360, PS3), as well as a gaming desktop, a few Android devices, and most of the handheld game consoles currently. I use my PC the most. I also have the options of
ALL of those other consoles, so I really can't complain period.