April 20th 2009 11:00 am PT

Announcing the Xbox 360 Game Of The Year Bundle

Xbox 360 Game Of The Year bundle

Starting in May, keep an eye out for the Xbox 360 Game of the Year bundle. This limited edition bundle will contain an Xbox 360 Elite and a copy of the award winning titles Halo 3 and Fable II for US $ 399. That’s the normal Elite Price plus two games at no additional cost. Check your local retailer for availability.

Update: I have confirmed that this bundle will be available in all regions that Xbox 360 is sold except those in Europe.

Xbox 360 By Larry Hryb, Xbox LIVE's Major Nelson

permalink: http://majornelson.com/2009/04/20/announcing-the-xbox-360-game-of-the-year-bundle/

ScarboroughKID

Is this US only?
KLRSKIR

Wow! That s sweet deal!
lyk13

Wow…this IS THE GotY console bundle…
SalamanderSkill

Fable II is such a buggy game! When your game crashes and you would like a patch to fix all the game breaking bugs speak to the tech support on the lionhead forums.. They will kindly reply ” We cannot help you. We are aware the game has lots of bugs but we are not making a patch” Translation: We Don’t care about out customers!
madnizz

that’s totally not true of the support at lionhead……
connor2k

Wow, I love this setup!
Anonymous

game of the year ?

i thought call of duty 4 won last years not halo and left 4 dead this years, not fable.

so how is fable 2 and halo3 included in a game of the year bundle ??

Makes no sense.
Anonymous

or should it read

xbox 360 elite microsoft game studios game of the year bundles ???????
Anonymous

@SalamanderSkill you must have been lookin for bugs in the game, because i played it start to finish with no crashes & no bugs. stop talkin out of your back side.
jg101987

This sounds like a good deal actually. I want to get fable, and my xbox just got the RRoD, so maybe I’ll pick this up instead of waiting for the repaired one to come in.
ImaginedBug

Meh, at that price a PS3 is a better option since (my guess would be) most people who read this blog already own a 360…
MACPH1ST0

Wow that’s a pretty amazing bundle… good to see a bundle with best-sellers instead of crappy movie license shovelware! But I thought the Elite was getting phased out? Just a rumor I guess? I hope it is and my Elite stays around for good!
CaptDS9E

@Big Guino

Depends on which place gave it game of the year. I’m guessing they are going with G4 as they gave Halo 3 GOTY and Fable 2 GOTY
MACPH1ST0

Hopefully ALL of these will have Jaspers in them!
Turtle502

if it weren’t for the down economy, I’d pick this up as my primary console and would demote my current console to the living room. awesome deal.
KP ScuzzyBunny

The “Elite” might be getting phased out, but only because there will be something to replace it…with Rock Band devs making public statements that their intention is to have 5k songs available, and rumors about Sony making a new PS3 hard drive that is in the vicinity of 300GB and BC, I am sure MS has a “new” Elite model that will have some insanely large HDD. 120Gb just isn’t big enough when you factor in music downloads, video purchases, and burning games to disc (avg game takes up 6-7GB). I’d say this GOTY packaging is what everyone thought the RE5 bundle was…old stock re-boxed (Red Elites were brand new…mine had a manufacture date of 2/09), and to look for whatever is new to be announced at E3, and available around the Holiday season, to coincide with Halo 3:ODST and MW2.
Quasar281

I was surprised when they released the Halo 3 special edition in 2007 without the game bundled in. They really should have bundled the two together. I can also get a RED elite with one game (RE5) for the same price…
oGFeRNie

looks good
Anonymous

That’s really cool, but doesn’t everyone already own Halo 3? XD
CarlosX360

Looks like I found the bundle I’ve been looking for!

I plan to get my Xbox 360 very soon, but this sweetens the deal.

I hope its a Jasper.
DesertBear360

Mass Effect would have been better than Fable 2. Fable 2 has to many bugs and glitches that Lionhead knew and knows about but yet has fixed. Nice bundle might as well trade in the Fable 2 from the bundle and use it as credit towards Mass Effect 2.
Freaky Priest

Again, not in Europe!
Man WTF?
MACPH1ST0

That makes sense, Killer Scuzzy J. But at this point in development, they might as well just sell ONE basic bare-bones console in either white or black with a couple starter games (and special limited-edition colors as usual, maybe bundled with different games). I can understand during the initial launch that the different consoles were available because they had different hardware, which gave you more options to consider before making your 360 purchase. But now they ALL have the SAME hardware in them – even the Arcade system has a wireless controller and HDMI now! So why not just sell the same couple basic consoles, and allow it to be bundled with the HDD of your choice, which would be available at different levels depending on your capacity needs? That way, whenever the need for capacity expansion arises, there’s no need to have to introduce a whole different model. There can just be a new bigger HDD that can added to the same existing console. Unless of course there’s some super-secret hardware upgrade that Microsoft is planning with the 360, but being this far into the developement cycle already, I seriously doubt anything significant is going to happen any more.
Lucky 13 X

SOLD!

My Xbox 360 from October 2006 is on the fritz occasionally, and I traded in my copy of Halo 3 for Gears 2(and gave my extra legendary copy to my brother) and my copy of Fable II is the collectors edition that I just can’t bring myself to open due to its rarity now.

May is gonna be a great month.
MACPH1ST0

Ouch that sucks for Europe! I can understand the complications with Marketplace content when it comes to other regions, but why for the console itself?
I also noticed that this bundle now includes two M-rated games, rather than the kid-friendly games previously being bundled with the system. Maybe this is Microsoft’s way of acknowledging the more adult consumer base for the Elite? Who knows, depending on how well this sells, it might even become the regular bundle for the Elite!
sheppy1

Awesome!! Oh wait, I love in the UK, shafted again, Oh joy and don’t even start with that BS again about the legalities of things like you do with Marketplace content, there is no reason why this shouldn’t be avalaible to people in Europe
uacostajr52

i’ll be getting it only because i have the return warranty at gs and i gonna weisel myself one of these…..
r3dreck

Nice, decent buy though I would only get $10 back for H3 and $20 maybe on Fable2.
uacostajr52

I can understand fable but why halo 3.. Doesnt the whole universe have that game lol…
uacostajr52

Update: I have confirmed that this bundle will be available in all regions that Xbox 360 is sold except those in Europe. lol
skyfire420

bah, fable 2 was such rubbish
laytoncy

My 360 that was purchased the day it was released now has the RRoD and is out of warranty. So, I’m thinking of buying a new one. Any idea if this comes with the “Xbox 360 Hard Drive Transfer Kit”? I know this can be sent to me for free from Microsoft but I have to wait to get this box to get the serial number then mail it to them and wait for the return. I talked to Microsoft and they said that some, like the Red Elite come with the kit but not in all areas. Major, any ideas if this one does or the Red Elite (Resident Evil Bundle)?
Major Rebirth

Off course Europe isn’t included because that would make sense. I mean it’s not like a lot of people would buy that…

/sarcasm

All in all, I’m already happy with my Red Xbox 360 Elite so thanks for the offer… oh wait you don’t offer it to Europe!
X Ray Hamburger

Pretty good deal, sucks for Europe, but still a great deal. Definitely better than the Holiday bundle lol.
TeknoKid

Major,

Would you do an unboxing video similar to your Resident Evil edition one that highlighted the power supply wattage and power plug configuration? I’m very interested to see what exactly is in this box..
Turtle502

@uacostajr52 — no, not everybody has Halo 3. I haven’t played a Halo game yet! And since I haven’t played Fable II either, this bundle looks great.
Computerdude103

About time you idiots do something to get people buying in this economy. Smart businesses did stuff like this months ago. But whatever better late than never, Microsoft.
AmazonianAngel

i still don’t understand everyones big obsession with halo 3, i played 1 when i bought it with my xbox, tried out 2 and hated it, 3 isn’t on my to get list, i’d consider fable 2 over Halo 3 straight away, i’m still playing oblivion more than anything which has kept me hooked all these weeks and would also like to start playing Fallout 3 when i’ve done with oblivion.
Warrengonline

Someone PLEASE tell me WHY I’m excited about this bundle more than a PS3!? Man I just got my DSi now this is such a great deal! I guess I might be getting myself an Elite come July for me. Sweet, sweet deal.

@r3dreck
I no longer sell my games to stores, I trade, swap, sell and give to friends. Sometimes a smile of a happy kid (even a stranger) is worth far more than $20 by giving them the game.
Shonk

Is that code for europe gets the old stock of non jaspers?

as usual

the same thing happened when falcon’s came out
europe was lumped with all the old xenon’s
Imallvol

I don’t understand all the complaining. This is for people who don’t have an xbox. Not people who already have one (and Halo 3). Why do so many people buy (or talk about buying) multiple 360′s? Get a PS3 to go with your 360 instead! This bundle is not aimed at you. At least I hope it isn’t, because that’s sketchy (would make it seem like RROD’s are being used to make people want to buy more consoles).
Parassassin

It’s nice to see that Microshaft are once again ignoring over one quarter of their entire Live userbase by making this US only!

Way to go Bill Gates!!
Blue Thunder28

I’m assuming that the Netflix Free Trail I see on the box isn’t included in Canadian retailers. Either way this is the best bundle I’ve seen. But I already those games and an elite so……………
Vice Destroyer

@Parassassin.

It’s not US only. Just saying. And if you are REALLY, REALLY, REALLY upset about that, I would look at what game.net have to offer. If we go for the idea that $399 = £279, you can buy an Elite with Fable 2 for a wonderful £219.
http://www.game.co.uk/lowdown.aspx?lid=5789&cm_sp=x360-_-topnav-_-bundles

And you can pick up Halo 3 for £16.99. And that is a brand-new copy
http://www.game.co.uk/search.aspx?platform=*&s=Halo+3&sort=itemOrderasc

Just to reiterate for Parassassin, or indeed any other UK gamer who loves to complain without finding things out for themselves. At current exchange rates, we can find a deal like that at the biggest high street store in the UK, at a price which is an incredible £43.01 cheaper.

Or in other word, if Microsoft were to release this deal, well, then they would not be ignoring us, only ripping us off.

(I really hate the moaning, ungrateful, uneducated half-wits that post on Major Nelson. Apart from my maan, WarrenGOnline)
padilla21 Live

my 360 with a manufacture date of October 2005 still works. and i just bought fable 2. but good deal anyways.
KP ScuzzyBunny

For anyone asking, the Transfer Kit does NOT come in any Elite package (current, RE5, or this one)…if you buy a 120GB drive, it comes with one, if you get an Elite, any of them, you have to go through the process of getting one mailed to you from MS, or hope you know someone who will let you borrow theirs!
JukeboxAddict

Hey Major,

Want to clue us in on the power consumption of these Elites?

Are they fresh off the presses ala the RE5 units, or are some of these older stock?
AriesDog

Glad to see that that Microsoft isn’t afraid of an M-rated bundle. Makes sense since the Elite is usually for an older buyer.
Warrengonline

Did someone FINALLY say “SSD” as in Solid State Drive!? 64HDD SSD since 2007 finally coming to the home market.
ezekiel 08

So are these coming to Australia? We got the Red Elite (I have one right in front of me; oh so quiet Jasper!) and we are not in Europe so I would assume that Australia and New Zealand will be getting these?

And to to whining people from Europe, us Aussies get screwed waaaaay more than you do in every other aspect regarding Xbox 360 so STOP COMPLAINING! If you want one of these or a Red Elite, import it from Australia or New Zealand! DUH!

April 20th 2009 11:00 am PT

Announcing the Xbox 360 Game Of The Year Bundle

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