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Xbox 360 Spotted in the Third World

This week, me and wuffy spotted a U.S. Xbox 360 Core unit being sold at the local Toy Kingdom store. The store was also selling various other xbox 360 titles which we haven't spotted anywhere else, such as Need for Speed Most Wanted and Kameo. The biggest shocker was the price tag that the store attached to the item: They were charging an insane price of Php 57,999.75 for the CORE console. Just to put that into perspective for our international viewers, the toy store was charging over $966.66 for a CORE unit, with NO BUNDLED GAMES. NO HARD DISK DRIVE.

Since when did Department Stores consult EBAY to determine their item pricing???!?

Sure, there are problems to having such a difficult-to-acquire item and selling it here in the Philippines...but the price that Toy Kingdom is selling the console at, is mind-bogglingly ridiculous. Thats over THREE TIMES the proper suggested retail price. And it comes with no memory cards, no games, no hard disk...no other options at all. Couple that with the fact that the boxes that the 360s were in looked like they were in BAD shape, as if the console's been kicked around the back office or has already been used by the management staff, or the boss's kids.

It's a really sad sight to see those two, poor core 360s, relegated to a fate behind that glass window, unsold, already raped, and ridiculously overpriced. Every so often a person strolls by the two 360s, looks at the price, then shakes their head in disbelief. No gaming console should be priced THAT much. Even if it IS rare, and unofficially supported locally.

And don't even get me started on the prices that they're charging for games and wireless controllers. Here's a clue...the hard disk, according to their staff, will retail for Php 13,000.00. That's over $216.67 for a 20GB drive.

But, alas, that's gaming in the third world for ya. The search for the 360, continues...

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