Xbox Live's Major Nelson » Xbox 12 Days of Deals: Day 12 :

http://twitter.com/ncc1701p ncc1701p

same as last year..

http://twitter.com/Hunter_Hybrid Jonathan Bittar

This is a big…no a HUGE let down. No damn Black Ops maps? Well you mix two very greedy companies M$ and Activision together and you get mark downs on 2 year old games Lame.

Daryl Cronkwright

I wouldn’t paint Activision here as the bad guy for the 12 days of deals. On Steam part of their final day of sales has MW3 at 33% off. Actually Activision and many other publishes has 33-90% off their stuff. This has to be pretty much al MS. Look at Dungeon Defenders, it and the addons have been on sale atleast 4 times since October on Steam but I have never seen it drop in price on XBLA.

Anonymous

LOL no Black Ops DLC? What a damn joke this “sale” is.

CoD4 is a hacker wasteland now.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Michael-Dolcin/1523498400 Michael Dolcin

So much for Ancient of Ooga and Resident Evil 4.

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_7UBRQ7BZBSWOXXMCKQ4QDOVA5Y Alice

Hey, Larry can you give us the details to make a complaint about the deals on xbox live?
Thanks

http://twitter.com/Chunky_2336 Adrian Torres

dang i was waiting for Banjo and Kazooie…oh well time to pass onto 2012 with Banjo and Kazooie. Happy New years eve and new year

http://dorwrath.tumblr.com/ Jalil Purtow

Whoever comes up with your sales ideas needs firing. He/she has got to be the lasiest person ever. They just copy and paste the same deals from the previous years.

Put some thought into your deals, this year you plain old suck at it.

http://www.facebook.com/AllMeshedUp William Stephens

Let’s see – $30 for a digital download of MW2 on sale or $25 for a hard copy any time on Amazon?I’ve been a bit irritated by the overwhelmingly negative rants for these deals but this one just doesn’t make any sense.Aren’t these games a bit, I don’t know, old?

The Dukenator

But with Amazon, you pay shipping and handling unless you take some offer that gives you free shipping.
- Anonymous
  
  It’s actually $25.22 with FREE Shipping. Plus the $30 digital download charges tax.
  
  So far no one has digital download pricing down correctly. We’re still several years off from making this the normal thing to do for full retail releases.
  - http://www.facebook.com/AllMeshedUp William Stephens
    
    Oh, I think Steam has the whole digital download thing down pretty well by now.
    
    As much of an Xbox fan as I am, they could learn a hell of a lot from Steam.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Chris-Lanham/73201094 Chris Lanham

Regardless, The Dukenator, the fact that they are willing to even charge NEAR the hard copy is absolutely absurd, but the fact that they charge MORE is downright pathetic. Charging more for a digital copy of a game, where you don’t even get the case/booklet/packaging just the rights to play it, is shameful. It shouldn’t even be CLOSE to the hard copy price. Microsoft, that is pathetic.
- http://www.facebook.com/AllMeshedUp William Stephens
  
  Microsoft doesn’t seem to do much, if anything, to price-match and compete with other, “rival” retailers.
  
  If they’re not careful, it will end them as a viable gaming service, though not necessarily as a gaming platform.

http://twitter.com/ruben952556 Ruben

hey Larry why does the avatars can’t have guns??? if Microsoft does Halo which is a violent game and FPS they should aloud the avatars to have guns in exception of course of underage persons

http://www.facebook.com/AllMeshedUp William Stephens

They can have guns. The last deal had a Gears Lancer prop.
- http://dorwrath.tumblr.com/ Jalil Purtow
  
  Yeah but as of Jan 1st they r removing them from the marketplace.
  
  Just another example of a company going to PC.
  
  Remember the days when Wiley E Coyote rode a missile to kill a bird and nobody freaked out about it?

http://twitter.com/lightsup55 Timothy

Go figure… more games and DLC I already have.

Every deal has been something I’m NOT interested in OR something I already have.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Jan-Vaclavik/100000506187042 Jan Václavík

Maybe you should try Santa instead of Microsoft…

http://www.facebook.com/TheBenjaminEdwards Ben Edwards

I’m just gonna buy Dungeon Defenders, I waited two weeks to see if it would go on sale. I could have been playing it. Lame.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Lawrence-Lauture/1633300866 Lawrence Lauture

You’ve got to be kidding me!! This is just sad!
Who would actually want to buy DLC for hack fest Cod 4?
Should of saved this for a Activision publisher sale or something!!!
Way to end the 12 day sale with bs MS!!

http://www.facebook.com/people/Jan-Vaclavik/100000506187042 Jan Václavík

As ridiculous as it may sound, CoD4 was among the top 20 most played games on Xbox LIVE the last time major posted the list.
MW2 was number six.

Anonymous

Really glad I did not ask for 1600 Microsoft Points for chrstmas smh…Only good deal that I actually enjoyed was the Fallout New Vegas DLC. The rest were meh….

Anonymous

*Sigh* I wish there was more better deals. In my opinion Bastion was the only good one. Wish there were more XBLA games on Sale!

http://twitter.com/jgrech10 Jason Grech

I am usually the last one to complain about anything going on sale, but I also have to say that the sales this year are really poor. The daily sales have stunk and the ‘full-time’ sales were worse. I think this is the first year I can remember where the EOY sales really missed the mark.

Tracy Babb

Bastion and the Fallout New Vegas deals were great. Since then everything has been stuff I’ve already had or had no desire for. When I first saw that the sale was CoD I got real excited since I still don’t have a lot of the zombies maps, and then I realized these are useless. Oh well, at least I got Bastion and the rest of the FNV content!

Tracy Babb

I would love though to see the Castlevania DLC, the Dragon Age 2 DLC, or Deus Ex DLC on deal of the week though soon… please???

http://twitter.com/thomas_hempel Thomas Hempel

Are you serious? Interesting what MS calls a deal.
MW2 for 38€ (Euros aprox. 49USD)???? Muahahahaha

http://www.facebook.com/stefangabbert Stefan Gabbert

What a way to end the year. Sad deals.

Anonymous

Over 5 years since the 360 launched, stacks of minor and major updates, hundreds of games launched and Microsoft STILL cannot work out a way to allow me to change my country of residence from IRL to UK I know that this imposition derives from content licensing restrictions but I am left in the situation were I’ve no choice but to keep accessing content that, due to my changed location, MS should NOT be allowing me to use. This stupid restriction ENSURES that MS break their agreement with content providers.

Freedom of movement in the EU doesn’t exist in the world of XBL!

http://twitter.com/MikyK Michael Košut

DD Microsoft, this is a JOKE of the year. I hope that you will realise thaz before it’s late. I wish you a lot of new exclusive games, better kinect games and more interesting sales in 2012. I’m sad rn, bcs i’m fan and owner of xbox 360 since launch and this is just……meh. And please: xbox IS a game machine, not Netflix or youtube box ,ok? Have a wonderfull New Year everyone

http://www.facebook.com/people/Joe-Adanac/100001237455741 Joe Adanac

I sincerely wish it were possible to ban Youtube/Twitter from the Xbox. And then burn them in a bonfire of social media refuse as an offering to what games consoles USED to be good for. And which the Xbox is increasingly useless at. Playing hardcore games.

doctorcowley

Wow not only do we not get any deals on the latest Call of Duty but we dont even get discounts on the PREVIOUS Call of Duty. Offers for a 2 and a 4 year old game are considered the ‘save the best for last’ aproach for MS.

Its a shame Call of Duty dont name their games like the madden and NBA games
People would know they are getting jipped if they see offers on Cod:97 and Cod:99

http://twitter.com/PJnemesis nick

who plays this and who dsnt already have this

Anonymous

Hundreds of thousands of new 360s were sold for the holidays and went online for the first time last week.

THOSE are the people Microsoft has been targeting with these “sales.” People who got older games, have a 1600 Point Card to blow, see this on sale, and buy it because they’re stuck with the old game anyway.

Microsoft could care less about the veterans – they’ve got newbies to milk money out of now.

Anonymous

Stop messing with us M$…. most xbox live users already have this. Thought youguys wanted to make money, how can you do that by selling things that we already have. M$ is up to something…hmmmmm??????

Anonymous

http://www.facebook.com/people/Chris-Lanham/73201094 Chris Lanham

I tell you what, Microsoft, you’re really starting to head in a bad direction. This cheap, nickel-and-diming bullcrap that you’re pulling here is not going unnoticed. And your appearance is degrading accordingly. Keep heading down this road, and you’ll be losing customers. And I promise you I will be sharing this pathetic effort of deals with others.

http://twitter.com/MikyK Michael Košut

I will be honest : I have xbox and Windows phone 7 ,but now I´m really interested in PS3 and Vita. Microsoft c´mon! Xbox needs more exclusive games like Forza and GOW, Alan Wake is going to PC…wtf???? Your prices of games on WP7 marketplace are disgustingly hight, I miss good old days, I love kinect, it´s a great device but it need more games like Rise of Nightmares, etc ,etc………

http://www.facebook.com/people/Joe-Adanac/100001237455741 Joe Adanac

What a joke. Would it be too much to ask for a discount on Black Ops DLC, a game which is over a year old now and yesterday’s news?

Microsoft puts the BAH in Humbug.

http://twitter.com/metalboxfan Ryan Valz

now if only I had space on my hard drive and my ms points on my account but alas my account was hacked 2 weeks ago and is still on lockdown while its under investigation.

Anonymous

At least those deals made me laugh…

Happy New Year with old games, guys!

Anonymous

M$ you dont know your xbox users at all. You should run your company like The Beatles ran their band and maybe you will keep your audience for years to come.

Anonymous

Getting very tired of the whole gaming industry to be honest!
I already have too many games and not enough time to play them in anyway. The market is saturated these days!

The industry has turned into an entertainment behemoth cutting and slicing its way across the nations gobbling up every single penny it can grab! Now it’s getting overweight, slow and lazy from over indulgence of feasting off the masses!
I’ve never known an industry like this one that can still thrive while still pissing on its customers, amazing marketing to keep us coming back for more too…well Im almost done with it all as I’m quickly falling out if love with my first love…and I’m not that bothered either, soon time to move on.

Jason McLean

Have to agree seems like WE buy the consoles yet M$ and other companies treat the consumer like dirt, yet they expect us to buy future products
http://www.facebook.com/people/Cameron-Kerlin/1262226213 Cameron Kerlin

Ha ha, this is the dumbest comment.

“I have chosen to spend money on buying such an excessive amount games that I can’t even play them all, but I’m going to go ahead compare the industry to some sort of gluttonous, overindulgent beast.”

It’s you. You are the one feeding the beast.

First world problems.
- Anonymous
  
  They are not exactly the words I wrote so don’t try to quote me, the fact that I don’t have time to play the games Ive collected and downloaded over the YEARS! is that life gets in the way now!!!! If you had one you may understand my post!

Ali Ozan

epic fail for xbox

http://twitter.com/HayabusaF1 Fredrik Åkerström

Black Ops, over 1 Year and still nothing?… Comon..

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_J2W24DZYLBGXIWNE7KJHAQCZWE kush blizzy

1 last joke of the year from MS with this horrible deal which 70% of xbox users have for a game that is 2+ years old……. WORST DEAL EVER

Anonymous

Wow, deals on stuff so old just isn’t exciting. Big thumbs down, Microsoft.

simon.balfe1990

Again , what a failure of a sale. Insulting stuff right here.

http://twitter.com/LIQUIDFX420 Mike

i thought the last day sale would be the best. it is the worst. garbage sale.

Anonymous

The only positive comment here is from a guy whose account is unusable! Are these actually selling?

Anonymous

LOL

http://www.facebook.com/lMawds Lee Mawdsley

I’m glad I didn’t buy any points a couple of weeks back. Pathetic.

Andy

Modern Warfare 2 in “sale” – £22.49

Modern Warfare 2 at Zavvi – £9.95 (including box, disc, manual and free next day delivery)

Wow. What incredible deals.

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_KZ7NI75SAJ5SEI2FUXAJR2ABCA A B

This is pathetic. The MW2 maps have been on sale numerous times at 600msp. If you are going to force this trash down our throats again, why not make them 400msp?

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_QJSETJGC2UO4RDU7OTMH4QAEDM Hunter

Look at steam putting every game on sale and having amazing deals of the day. Yesterday Deus Ex was on sale for $16, Fallout New Vegas was on sale for $5 and the DLC was $2.50. The full time deals were decent at best and todays deals are insulting. Who would play buy these when there 2 Call of Duty games.

Mike Daksiewicz

What a big waste of time! You get people all riled with your 12 day sale, and everyday the deals grew worse. Thanks for helping me keep from spending my money and catch up on older games I never finished!

Anonymous

Wow Call of Suck. I’m not giving Activision a dime.

http://www.facebook.com/synpanda Steve Haverda

Wish more people were like you, because they aren’t, they still let Activision rape us with MODS of the GOOD CoD games and sell them to the public at full price when what they are is 1/2 price (at best) mods… And I’m talking specifically Trey Arch’s junky redo of Infinity Wards creations…

Anonymous

I wish valve would make a console so I could get in on more of their steam holiday sales. Everything on sale, a lot of older games or DLC for $2.50-$5.00, some brand new games for $30, and here I have to settle for MS acting like $30 for a game over 2 years old is a ‘deal’ because it’s usually overpriced at $40. I didn’t end up getting a single ‘deal’ on my xbox because every day I wanted to hold out for a better deal that was surely coming up…never came.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Cameron-Kerlin/1262226213 Cameron Kerlin

I think Major Nelson is a stand-up guy who does a great job within the limits he’s given by his employers.

I like Microsoft and their products – I have a Windows Phone 7, I run and enjoy Windows 7, have enjoyed Vista and XP, and generally prefer playing games on the 360 over my PS3 or $1000 gaming PC because I think it has a great overall “ecosystem” and feel.

But d-d-d-amn. These deals are weak and I can’t help but be amused by the pretty much unanimous agreement that they’ve been really bad. I’m not really sure how Steam can offer such drastically different sale prices, considering PC gaming is a smaller audience than console gaming. Also, many of the offered games are cross platform and from the same publishers, who I assume play a large part in giving the okay on offering their games at a reduced price.

I’d love to hear an explanation on why there’s such a disparity in sales.

Keith Sletten

You answered your own question. PC gamer base is smaller with more knowledgeable gamers, so the sales need to be bigger to get the sales. XBox has a much larger base with many more casual, less knowledgeable gamers that will buy a game just because its “on sale”.

I got Bastion on Day 1, but I agree, it’s been slim pickins since then.
Anonymous

Oh look what a shocker, Mr Knee Jerk reaction fanboy having a whinge about his beloved M$, no cannot be!!!!!!!
- http://www.facebook.com/people/Cameron-Kerlin/1262226213 Cameron Kerlin
  
  You’re adorable. I’m a fanboy because I said I enjoyed their products and was curious about their approach to sales.
  
  Between the two of us, I’d dare say you’re the kneejerk one here, considering you’re all upset about my reply to your earlier post and had to get all personal about it, complete with multiple exclamation points.
- Anonymous
  
  Or people just want a value out of their cash that they converted to useless MS points? If you don’t have anything to say just automate that response for everything. Complaining about complainers.
http://twitter.com/seekul Luke Es | sE ekuL

Piracy on PCs is a big part of price disparity too, and its why so many games lead with console versions and delay the PC release. I can’t even remember the last PC game I didn’t pay for, because Steam prices and sales are exactly what I want to pay for games. But I rent plenty of console games. I was at a party last night where a girl was describing how easy it is to download and crack [popular fantasy game], and she’d send people a link. I got it for $40 on boxing day, because that was my holdout price point, and I’ll have a lot more fun modding it on the PC.

Another possible explanation is the licensing agreements for XBL versus Steam. MS gets a cut of any XBL sale, Valve gets a cut of any Steam sale. Both services need to offer publishers some assurances that their games will not be stolen. They will also have clauses that determine which side can set sale prices, and how deep the cuts can be. There are also 5+ years of sales metrics that establish that console games sell well at higher prices ($60 vs $50) and that goes for DLC as well.

It’s unlikely that MS or Valve can unilaterally make a sale of 90% off a game, because there is also a marketing phenomenon of consumer perception that executives are very concerned about. Nobody wants their product to be a “bargain bin” game, except on Black Friday and Boxing Day, when it’s OK to be cheap.

Anyway I’m just a business student focusing on the entertainment industry and international licensing contracts. I’m sure any of the other opinions here are just as valid.
- Anonymous
  
  Didn’t read your essay, but yeah… you seem like a console fanboy. At least you are on the right page.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Sebastian-Jackson/100002260317500 Sebastian Jackson

Couldn’t have said it better myself.

Anonymous

Wow. I bought 2800 points hoping I would use them all during this sale. My balance remains the same. I never bought a Steam game in my life and now I bought 6 in the past two weeks. Including a four pack for friends because it was priced properly.

http://www.facebook.com/synpanda Steve Haverda

I agree, I’ve had 600 points on my MS balance FOREVER while in the past 2 months i’ve shelled out over $50 to steam for a boat-load of games for me & my kids acct!! Go ahead MS and keep your prices high and content unmoving while steam lowers their prices and has people buy like crazy! Smart marketing!
- http://www.facebook.com/people/Jan-Vaclavik/100000506187042 Jan Václavík
  
  Or maybe the content is actually moving despite the prices being high…?
Anonymous

Steam has had the best sales this year..
Anonymous

Steam has had the best sales this year..

Anonymous

Steam so does the deals right, here there’s nothing to see to buy. Move along… Go on amazon you’d get them games for less. CODMW2 25$. You get more, you’ll get a box & game disc.

http://twitter.com/SMG_823 Steven Gagnon

so glad i used all my points onn gears season pass and full house poker. i almost waited thinking the black ops maps would be part of cod day since i need the last zombie pack.

	Normal Price	Today Only	Savings
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2	Varies	By	Region
Modern Warfare 2 Stimulus Package	1200	600	50%
Modern Warfare 2 Resurgence Pack	1200	600	50%
Call of Duty 4	Varies	By	Region
Call of Duty 4 Variety Map Pack	800	400	50%

December 31st 2011 1:00 am PT

Xbox 12 Days of Deals: Day 12

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