Don't let anyone else fool you; this is the reason we do what we do - free beer, and lots of it.
Wheeled into our office this afternoon by a special ops team of beer couriers was this £146 pile of Fosters on behalf of one Microsoft Corporation. Was it because of our gushing GDC coverage? No, apparently MS has a more specific reason for its generous gift.
"What would you purchase for £146...? (The price difference between an Xbox 360 and a PlayStaion 3)", asks the included Xbox 360-headed notice. "Well, for a start we thought you might like £146 worth of beer to kick start your weekend early."
Signed, "Jump in. Xbox 360. The Leader in the next generation of gaming and entertainment."
Sony - we need £146 worth of pork scratchings and kebabs. PRONTO!
Ha the best exchange rate conversion system ever, beer! I know when I'm abroad and pricing up goods I decide if its worth it or not by how many beers its worth!
wow thats pretty nice of them. Now just ask them to send you beer based on the difference in price between their 20gig harddisk and a normal 120 gig one we can all buy in the shops. that would get you a whole can of beer im sure
Come on MS do the decent thing and replace that puny rip off
I assume they want you to get totalled on your free present so you forget to post any PS3 launch festivities, or peraps fall asleep before going to the Virgin offical launch, hahah
*sigh* how depressing and shallow of micro$ft, to try and bribe effectively a games news website just before the launch of the PS3, and try and make a price comparison to boot.... the shame... (p.s if sony had done this, this thread would have over 150 reponses to the negative) is everyone really this thick???
I assume they want you to get totalled on your free present so you forget to post any PS3 launch festivities, or peraps fall asleep before going to the Virgin offical launch, hahah
To be honest Sony would probably like that too. I went into Virgin Oxford Street about 5 and under twenty people were in the PS3 queue
*sigh* how depressing and shallow of micro$ft, to try and bribe effectively a games news website just before the launch of the PS3, and try and make a price comparison to boot.... the shame... (p.s if sony had done this, this thread would have over 150 reponses to the negative) is everyone really this thick???
Hi, has anyone got a sense of humour they could lend this bloke?
Most excellent of Microsoft to do this. One hundred and sixty eight chilled ones would go down a treat 'round my gaff. No need to bring your 360, you may play mine.
*sigh* how depressing and shallow of micro$ft, to try and bribe effectively a games news website just before the launch of the PS3, and try and make a price comparison to boot.... the shame... (p.s if sony had done this, this thread would have over 150 reponses to the negative) is everyone really this thick???
Hey Ripper it was a joke don't get worked up over it! It's just a bit of banter and it was quite cool but i agree if Sony did the same then this post would be full of insane fanboys
*sigh* how depressing and shallow of micro$ft, to try and bribe effectively a games news website just before the launch of the PS3, and try and make a price comparison to boot.... the shame... (p.s if sony had done this, this thread would have over 150 reponses to the negative) is everyone really this thick???
Cheer up Seedaripper, they all do it. I'm sure Sony will come up with something as well. How about sending CV&G 425 cans of beer with a message "425 reasons to buy a PS3"?
*sigh* how depressing and shallow of micro$ft, to try and bribe effectively a games news website just before the launch of the PS3, and try and make a price comparison to boot.... the shame... (p.s if sony had done this, this thread would have over 150 reponses to the negative) is everyone really this thick???
Yeah if Sony had done this you certainly wouldn't be moaning at them would you Sony fanboy? But anyway they wont be able to do such a comparison since its Ł146 more than the 360...oh dear
Best bribe ever! Did they send the same to the PS3 mag offices too? What about Edge and Games Master? Are you drunk enough to offer me a job yet?
Man, I would not like to be your cleaner tomorrow morning. You should totally do some sort of beer related gaming challenge and write it up as an article for next months mag... maybe some video footage on the dvd as well
How beer effects your driving in PGR3.
Or frags in Halo 2 before beer and after beer.
Or creating a level on Far Cry after too many cans of beer, then trying to convince people to play on it on Live.
Or how long you can survive without being kicked out of a Crackdown co-op game with a stranger after you finish all the beer and you can't turn your mic off.
Or Uno with your camera on and just pictures of you all rolling around the office floor with empty beer cans everywhere all wearing official staff XBW T-Shirts.
OK, I have to go and drink now, just thinking about it has made me want to make it happen.
What a waste of money on Microsoft's part- they could at least have provided a range of different types of beer. Why bother trying to get into the good books of a magazine when many people who buy magazines are already clued up enough to know what they want from a console and what they each provide in any case without giving in to any conscious or unconscious bias towards the Xbox brand.
And it does nothing for those who don't drink beer whilst reinforcing Xbox's blokey image- like it needed any more reinforcing.
An exercise in futility but no doubt welcomed by CVG.
"Cheer up Seedaripper, they all do it. I'm sure Sony will come up with something as well. How about sending CV&G 425 cans of beer with a message "425 reasons to buy a PS3"?
They were planning to, but unfortunately there was an unforseen delay manufacturing the special ring pulls. The can of beer is no use without these special ring pulls, they are modelled on Sonys special relationship with their fans (you just rip them off without any thought). Unfortunately the Sony Beer only goes out to Asia and US at the moment. The European beer is expected in around 4 months...
Still it's pretty funny though. I saw a PS3 in my local Sony Centre today. None of the customers were interested, the staff were just taking it in turns to play Resistance! They weren't very good though, they didn't last more than a few mintues each before dying...
"Cheer up Seedaripper, they all do it. I'm sure Sony will come up with something as well. How about sending CV&G 425 cans of beer with a message "425 reasons to buy a PS3"?
They were planning to, but unfortunately there was an unforseen delay manufacturing the special ring pulls. The can of beer is no use without these special ring pulls, they are modelled on Sonys special relationship with their fans (you just rip them off without any thought). Unfortunately the Sony Beer only goes out to Asia and US at the moment. The European beer is expected in around 4 months...
Fosters?! are they insulting you? thatd be like me here in the USA getting free Budweiser. thanks, but no thanks. i prefer my rain water falling from the sky, not in a bottle.
send it back to MS with a note that says "where the f**k is our Guinness?"
ok, lets work this out spec for spec. Xbox 360 Xbox 360 premium pack =Ł279.99 2 x extra 20gb hard drives =Ł129.98 wireless adaptor =Ł54.99 play+charge kit =Ł12.99 HD DVD drive =Ł129.99 Total =Ł607.94
PS3 Ps3 console+ 3 games+ 60gb hard drive+ HDMI cable+ controler charge cable+ BluRay player+ BluRay movie =Ł524.99
HHHHMMMMMMMMM!!!! Xbox 360 doesnt look so cheap now does it! so save yourself Ł82.95 (buy some more BlRay movies) and get PS3
let's drink! lol! but honestly, this is a good marketing strategy by microsoft. other than waste money on making tv ads or putting up billboards, this is very well thought.
it drives the point home and stikes near to the competition's heart.
ok, lets work this out spec for spec. Xbox 360 Xbox 360 premium pack =Ł279.99 2 x extra 20gb hard drives =Ł129.98 wireless adaptor =Ł54.99 play+charge kit =Ł12.99 HD DVD drive =Ł129.99 Total =Ł607.94
PS3 Ps3 console+ 3 games+ 60gb hard drive+ HDMI cable+ controler charge cable+ BluRay player+ BluRay movie =Ł524.99
HHHHMMMMMMMMM!!!! Xbox 360 doesnt look so cheap now does it! so save yourself Ł82.95 (buy some more BlRay movies) and get PS3
By the way all prices were taken from Play.com
Minus one hard drive. Minus the wireless connecter. Minus the play and charge kit, then compare the prices. Just because Sony try and force it on you like a rapist tries to force it on an unsuspecting teenage girl, doesn't mean you actually need it. And while you're at it, you could probably minus that hd dvd player. See the big M give you options. Sony tell you what to buy and how much you're paying for it. Tool.
And the person studying effects of beer on gaming...meet me on live in about 20 minutes and I can help you out with the halo 2 bit
I prefer Becks to Fosters, so does that make me a Sony guy...
I was going to say, for a hundred and fifty quid, you could get a LOT more beer than that - but you guys are in London, right? A sandwich down there costs Ł7!
They should of sent a high def player, wi-fi, hdmi, memory card slots, internal power supply port and 40 extra gigs. But then again you can buy all that with 146 pounds, can you????
You will make your $146 back after five years of not paying for live!
They should of sent a high def player, wi-fi, hdmi, memory card slots, internal power supply port and 40 extra gigs. But then again you can buy all that with 146 pounds, can you????
You will make your Ł146 back in five years after not having to pay for live!!!
ok, lets work this out spec for spec. Xbox 360 Xbox 360 premium pack =Ł279.99 2 x extra 20gb hard drives =Ł129.98 wireless adaptor =Ł54.99 play+charge kit =Ł12.99 HD DVD drive =Ł129.99 Total =Ł607.94
PS3 Ps3 console+ 3 games+ 60gb hard drive+ HDMI cable+ controler charge cable+ BluRay player+ BluRay movie =Ł524.99
HHHHMMMMMMMMM!!!! Xbox 360 doesnt look so cheap now does it! so save yourself Ł82.95 (buy some more BlRay movies) and get PS3
By the way all prices were taken from Play.com
That would be all well and good and all that except your forgetting one simple thing.. You don't need to buy all them extra things for the 360. By just paying for the console itself you have everything needed to play games on the 360, and download stuff from market place etc.
*sigh* how depressing and shallow of micro$ft, to try and bribe effectively a games news website just before the launch of the PS3, and try and make a price comparison to boot.... the shame... (p.s if sony had done this, this thread would have over 150 reponses to the negative) is everyone really this thick???
Hi, has anyone got a sense of humour they could lend this bloke?
Very Good
But Fosters?! For the same money you could get a PS3 and then p**s directly into your mouth for the rest of the day as that is essentially what you are drinking. They just chose cheap s**t to make a big pile, they may as well of gone the whole hog and got TESCO value beer.
*sigh* how depressing and shallow of micro$ft, to try and bribe effectively a games news website just before the launch of the PS3, and try and make a price comparison to boot.... the shame... (p.s if sony had done this, this thread would have over 150 reponses to the negative) is everyone really this thick???
Hi, has anyone got a sense of humour they could lend this bloke?
Very Good
But Fosters?! For the same money you could get a PS3 and then p**s directly into your mouth for the rest of the day as that is essentially what you are drinking. They just chose cheap s**t to make a big pile, they may as well of gone the whole hog and got TESCO value beer.
Gotta love 2% lager, you could build a castle out of Ł145 worth that.
What's with the responses in here? You're either too good for the gesture or lacking in any sense of humor. Who cares about the intentions, they don't require any deep thought and don't prove anything about anything. Petty w****rs
Regardless of the cost the Sony PS3 still has the most powerful and cost effective Blu-Ray player on the planet. You cannot even buy a stand alone Blu-Ray system let alone a complete entertainment system for what the PS3 offers! Egg on face Microsoft! Your entertainment division should have done it's research much better! Sony: 1 MS: 0
Regardless of the cost the Sony PS3 still has the most powerful and cost effective Blu-Ray player on the planet. You cannot even buy a stand alone Blu-Ray system let alone a complete entertainment system for what the PS3 offers! Egg on face Microsoft! Your entertainment division should have done it's research much better! Sony: 1 MS: 0
Which is great if you want a Blu-Ray player but not so great if you want a games machine. Also, as any movie buff will tell you that a) stand alone BR performance wipes the floor with PS3's playback and b)the format war with HD-DVD is far from over; you could wind up with another useless Sony developed format, i.e, Betamax, Minidisc, UMD - See a pattern emerging there?
Given the huge catalog of c**kups, failures and delayed start on Sonys part i think the score sits around Sony:1 MS:238
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Guess we'll see soon enough... still, had a bloody good laugh at the piccy, hic. 
