New Xbox 360 holiday bundle announced

The new Xbox 360 Elite Holiday Bundle.

(Credit: Major Nelson/Microsoft)

Microsoft announced on Tuesday that it has launched a new Xbox 360 Elite Holiday bundle.

Microsoft's new Xbox 360 Elite bundle features the Xbox 360 console, a wireless black controller, and copies of Lego Batman: The Videogame and action sports game Pure. According to the company, the Xbox 360 Elite Holiday Bundle starts shipping to retailers Tuesday. It will be available for $299.

Microsoft also announced the Xbox 360 Wireless Controller Game Pack. That bundle features a black wireless controller and four Xbox Live Arcade titles--Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2, Lumines Live, Bomberman Live, and a downloadable token for Ms. Pac-Man. The bundle also includes a free 48-hour Xbox Live Gold trial so users can try out the console's online experience. The Wireless Controller Game Pack will be available in November for $59.99.

Whether Microsoft's new bundles will attract consumer attention is up for debate. The games included in the Xbox 360 Elite Holiday Bundle aren't killer titles. In fact, this bundle pales in comparison to a previous Xbox 360 Elite offering, featuring Fable II and Halo 3. That bundle was originally priced at $400. It's still available, but it now features the same price as Microsoft's holiday bundle: $300.

[superjay77]

I agree this is not a good bundle rather have other games. Maybe someone can buy the system as soon as it comes out sell the games and use the rebate. Then the system would be like $230. Hmm something to think about.

[xmaster_dosx]

if by that you mean m.s. FAIL on a holiday bundle then i agree.
but i really dont care cause ill get my M.W.2 xbox long before i look at this thing

[superjay77]

Maybe fail for you but I can see some mom before xmas getting this for her son.

[roachbrain]

Bad news for you superjay that means more kiddies talking racist and perverted crap on live. Merry Christmas!!!

[superjay77]

You actually think I play online without private chatting with my friends. Who do you think I am. I could care less about little kids offending me. I don't play with little kids. I play with over 30 guys on coop campaign games only.

[Chao_Sama]

kinda wanna take a swing at this but don't won't be sending it in 3 months

[superjay77]

What????

[xmaster_dosx]

wow, every one knows it takes 4 months before you send it in lol.

[superjay77]

HA HA HA......actually that wasn't even close to being funny or original for that matter

[Mergatroid Mania]

Yeah, the games are pretty bad. I haven't seen a Lego game yet that I like, and stunt bike games are...meh...

This looks like it might be aimed more at smaller kids, but I would think parents would be more interested in a less expensive system (ala Wii) than an Xbox for their smaller children.

The bundle with Halo in it sounds good though. Wonder if someone at MS goofed.

[bschmock]

Maybe they should think about offering a not lame wireless bundle. Say a 360 Elite and a wireless adapter and wireless controller, for $299.......of course there is a system you can get with all those things for 299 plus a blue ray player......not that I really dig the play-station I just think you shouldn't have to pay Microsoft for all the extras that another system comes standard with.

[superjay77]

Your right. I want to be stuck with wifi stuck at 802.11 forever. Great idea. Who needs lag free online. Oh yeah that's right the online sucks on ps3 so it's not going to barley be used anyway. I see where your coming from.

[ewgdsg]

@supergay77

calm down princess

[chrkeller]

Agreed 100%. The wifi adapter is way over priced. Having the 360 online is a must for arcade games and add-on content. As a silver member I still found the wifi adapter necessary and way overpriced. This bundle is quite lame.

[roachbrain]

LOL you keep telling yourself that superj!zz. Yet side by side the online for live and PS3 does the same thing only one is free and the other isn't.

[superjay77]

Actually one is garabage and one isn't. I have both systems so I have done many side by side comparrisons. After extensive testing I have found the lack of Private chat in games irked me and the lack of any first party games with any coop through the campain mode really makes me never want to play with PS3 online ever. I see it great if you want to be by yourself and like playing death match but other than that. My 360 will be getting all my luvin.

[roachbrain]

Only exclusive worth playing on the 360 is Halo and that gets tired quick. Yet '?m still playing Warhawk, killzone, CoD(also on xbox), LBP, RE5, MGS, and soon (not soon enough though) Uncharted 2 co-op and MAG (beast). You can have your 8 vs 8 matches I'll be piling bodies in MAG. Wile on my wifi that by no means lags. I give you that though I do wish we had private chat but with all the changes made and improvements I?m sure that's just around the corner.

[superjay77]

Great for you. Some of those games I like and others I don't care less. I'll be playing ODST, Mass Effect 2, and Shadow Complex. If you really think that Xbox just has one good game your either naive or you are just trying to hate just to hate. I'm glad you enjoy your games. I still like MGS 4. I think it's one of the best games ever made. I also like Killzone 2 but these aren't the only games out there. I'm not going to shut myself off to only one console just because I prefer one over the other. If that's how you like to live good for you.

[roachbrain]

Fine it is a bit wrong of me to just say the one game when i did enjoy some of the ones you mentioned but to say the 360 has a better selection to the PS3 in exclusives is just plan duhhhh. Also not the only one living life in a one pony race there suger. "Actually one is garabage and one isn't. I have both systems so I have done many side by side comparrisons" or did you not type that?

[superjay77]

I'm only living the one pony race of online not of system. Just because I don't like online doesn't mean that I am completely biasd like you are. I still buy games for both systems. I just don't buy ones for online only. I stand by my last statement.

[d--keller]

You're right superjay. G wireless is laggy because your internet downloads at 54mb/s. You probably don't even have an N router. Troll.

Tell me how CoD is different on 360 vs. PS3. I also have both systems and can tell you that the biggest difference is that on the PSN I've never gone into a lobby and had to listen to "N***er N***er N***er N***er N***er N***er N***er ... your mom is a dirty ho!".

[BruceLawrence]

Yet another rip off. Go ahead and buy the bundle because you're buying crap.

You know, I haven't had a 360 for about a year or so now. I'm looking at this "deal" and wondering why they're including crap games in these bundles that have been out for a while. I wonder if they're including the red ring of death along with the wireless controller.

The reason I even care is because my son has the (my old) 360 and it recently died with the ring. I can either buy him a new 360 or just get him a PS3. Thing is he has a ton of games and controllers. That has to be worth something.

Yeah, I know, I'm trolling. But I went PS3 and after years and years of xbox gaming, I'm so glad I made the change. I do like the 360 controller better though but who cares. I don't have to F around with hardware issues any longer. Haven't had one freeze up. It just works. What a novel idea !

[superjay77]

That would be funny if all this crap talking and your PS3 craps out on you. That would be hilarious.

[roachbrain]

Yet it wont because it's PS3 not loud, red lighted, paper weight. I guess this bundle comes with a MS towel too, right?

It's funny when MS fanboys say Blu-ray who needs it. I say Red-ring who needs that.

[superjay77]

I never said anything negative about blu-ray buddy. Thats a positive. The only reason why I still have a PS3.

[roachbrain]

I know you didn't i just though it was clever so i threw it in there.

[Aquillion]

Last years bundle is much better, in fact just bought one - two weeks ago my local GameStop store told me it was sold out, apparently not!

Between a lame holiday offering for the 360, and the ever-so-lame attempts to launch Win7, Microsoft's marketing department needs a serious overhaul.

[RockaTech]

will the controller pack come in white?

[trackdude17]

So do you get an extra wireless controller?

[gsmiller88]

I would have been upset as I just put a regular 360 Elite on lay-away at Kmart but those games suck.

[Ps4life]

why the hell do u want to play a lego game in HD?! u call it realistic gaming?

[saffa87]

Xbox is terrible and this should go down as the worst bundle in history. I'm 22 and I don't understand why/how a Lego game would ever make it to a bundle. That's like a direct shot at kids under 10 years old and it's not like Pure is gonna make up for that. As for online gaming, superjay77, what wifi connection do you have that creates a lag?! lol I've used my PS3's wifi for years and it works perfectly. Finally, I would NEVER pay to play games online, what a rip off.

[ddiddy415]

I totally agree with you man.

Wifi on the ps3 has been lag free for me......NO problems at all

I think these bundles would sell better if the included a year free on line to the xbox network or whatever they call it. You see I wouldn't know what its called since right when I was about to find out, my friends xbox decided to "ROD" on us......hahahahahahaha........thank you sony for making a console that does everything and that actually works when you need it too

[superjay77]

Thank you sony for making my ps3 one of the heaviest consoles ever made in modern times. I appreciate that. I also like the fact that you have made no games that are coop campain. Awesome.

[chrkeller]

Sony can make the console as heavy as they want, I don't find myself picking it that often. In fact other than when I hooked the console up for the first time I don't recall ever moving it. As for coop online, Resident Evil 5 and World at War are pretty slick. Little Big Planet is just loads of fun and quite unique. There are plenty of gaming options on the ps3, for those who wish to see them.

[Absolution2009]

Looks like we have another Xbox 360 fanboy. PS3 does not suck, we ran tests using Nokia gear (friend's a manager there) on download and internet etc. tests. I don't know what equipment you used to test but the PS3 fat models run slow but the Slim runs without any issues. We think this was because the fat model we used to test was the 60 GB original model and it was probably defected or something.

[superjay77]

@chklr They may have 3rd party games that have coop but I'm not going to buy them on a PS3. As for little Big I plan on gettig that only if it lowers to $20 because it looks nothing more like an PSN/XBLA game to me.

@ Absolution I have a fat model 40 gb so maybe they run slower than the new slim models but I don't plan on buying one unless they upgrade the wifi or If the red special edition God of War one looks hot (speculation).

I'd also like to complain about my non dual shock controller that I was cursed with just becauseSONY decided not to settle a lawsuit in time.

[roachbrain]

I'll take that over a none functional D-pad and bulk bult (batteries not included) any day.

[superjay77]

non functional d pad. Where do you get this stuff. I know some people prefer the d pad for sony's system but I hatted it all the way back from ps1 days. The saturn d pad was always 10 times better. Even after all these years of having sony consoles I still don''t enjoy the d pad. I prefer it better. If you don't great for you.

hmm. i dont think i would play these games even if they were given to me for free. The Halo 3 odst bundle is a much more interesting proposition to new gamers. you would get the console and an introduction to one of the most successful gaming franchises of all time.

[Byteme2009]

I saw the headline on this and thought ' wow, maybe they have put together a bundle that will finally sway me to purchasing a 360', and then I saw the bundle. Oh well.

[superjay77]

Nah you weren't going to get it. Tell us the truth.

[lkk84]

this bundle is disappointing. i'm sure they'll still sell a lot of these things this holiday season though.

[Nik_I]

i would have to argue that the halo 3 bundle was an excellent deal since it included the wifi adapter. Mine even came with the HDMI cable that was supposed to be removed from the bundle!

[chrkeller]

Overall a pretty weak bundle. Both of those games are ok, nothing special. The 360 still has huge failure issues, the HD isn't user upgradeable and the wifi adapter is very expensive. The 360 just isn't a very good deal, it offers a great lineup at a premium price.

[roachbrain]

This bundle is as weak as the system itself. How about a bundle with free live till RRoD, and a MS towel with 360 logo so you can wrap up your xbox in style.

How's this for a bundle choice: Gaming system with blu-ray, or gaming system with Red-ring? Both starting at $299.

[superjay77]

So basically you are commenting on a system that you wouldn't be caught dead buying and are just here to hate. Ok I understand.

[roachbrain]

No, i had a 360, or several if you consider the refurbs. I don't complain on something i would otherwise no nothing about. Can i have your address though would love to send your xbox a get well card.

[superjay77]

I just bought an elite and it totally made me completleyforget about the ps3 so after we exchange address I'll send you a wish you were here card with me Master chief, guy from Crackdown and a couple of women avatars wearing headsets. Oh yeah that reminds me. How come ps3 doesn't come with a headset. Don't they want people to go online.

[roachbrain]

No need for it to come with a headset when i just use my cells bluetooth headset, yeah PS3 can do that.

[superjay77]

I don't have a cell headset so I had to waste $22 on a wired headset that didn't even connect to the controler. That's something that SONY really needs to consider if they really want people to use the online more.

[Donniebrasco]

Lego Batman? Didn't MS learn their lesson with the Lego Indiana Jones/Kung Fu Panda bundle that I saw sitting on shelves deep into the summer? Bundle the Elite with Halo 3, Forza, or basically anything else. Even an extra controller or a wireless adapter would have more appeal than this bundle. Not to mention that you can currently get a 360 Elite for a little more than $200 on Dell right now.

The last PS3 bundle had two solid, exclusive titles with it in Killzone 2 and MSG4 and those didn't last long on Best Buy's shelves.

[guzmangm]

Holiday bundle is probably not targeted to most of the commentors but rather aimed at kids who don't have an x-box 360 yet. With game selection and name "Holiday Bundle" it is an option for parents to give as Christmas gift, hello... If you are a total Halo freak or what have you, chances are you already have an x-box 360. Microsoft has a marketing and sales division and probably already did it's research...

[superjay77]

Your comment makes to much sense buddy. You don't belong here unless you become a sony fanboy and have to hate on anything that Microsoft puts out there.

[roachbrain]

Tell me how much sense does a guy have walking to the post office every 3 months to send out his 360 for repair?

[superjay77]

You are either really exagerating or you are the most unluckiest guy in the whole world. If I had to guess I would say you are exaggerating to try to prove a point. A point that almost is non existent now with the new hardware.

[roachbrain]

Ok you got me there on the exageration but to think it doesn't happen any more is just wishful thinking. Check out gameinformer last months issue page 12. The section is titled "Epic Fail" showing stats on would be "quality" 360 compaired to Wii and PS3.

[superjay77]

I have that game informer issue and its the worst issue they ever made. Any poll about problems will always be skewed because of hate for microsoft. People that don't have problems almost never vote in those things. I know I never voted ever. You are a prime example of someone who would vote on a poll just to hate. Tell me you wouldn't.

[killa08]

I'm glad I don't play xbox. Lego Batman??? I would have thought it was a Wii bundle if I couldn't read