$150 for a controller is normal these days?

[crazydean]

So, I'm tooling around on local Craigslist and some asshole is selling an Xbone Elite controller for $225. Obviously, it's sold out everywhere, so he's going to get an extra 75 bucks for it. The problem I have is a hundred and fifty fucking dollars for a goddamn controller and no-one is outraged by this. Is this what gaming is all about? How can anyone justify this kind of money on a controller. It allows button mapping....that's about it. I only have a basic understanding of electronics, but this doesn't seem like crazy new and expensive technology to me. Also, there's a rubberized coating. Again, who gives a fuck? Neither of these two options warrants an extra $20, let alone $90.

Anyway,
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[Psycho Punch]

I'm thankful that I do not follow the "current gen" of videogames.

[PukeSter]

It's for "pro gamers". Hell, my friend is buying one just for button mapping of course

The normal controller is $50. Which is dumb, but only a third of the price.

[Nazi NecroPhile]

It's not meant to be 'normal', as it's intended to be a premium product for serious gamers.... whatever that means.  The regular $60 pad will continue to be the normal pad.

Whether or not it's worth the price is open for debate; personally, I think even $60 for the normal pad is a rip off, but there's people that are willing to pay $100 for better stuff (pads and/or sticks).  It's more than just programmable, too, as it has better quality sticks, d-pads, triggers, etc. which can all be customized to better fit your hands.

[sn0zc0r3]

Completely agree. I understand there could be some pricey components in these fancy shmancy controllers, but I feel like 50-60 bucks these days is asinine. It's pretty ridiculous that if I actually want to do some 4 player co-op on a PS4, I'd have to drop ~$250 on controllers if I can't find a deal. 

Not to mention that, for how much you pay for these controllers, the battery life is for shit (or at least that's what I've come across with PS4 controllers).

[CrackTiger]

If you don't want a 100lb arcade stick set for a console, just continue to use the fully playable stock pad. If you are among the few who can make use of and fully appreciate a 100lb joystick set, then by all means go ahead and do what you want.

I bought the transformable 360 pad when it came out and was finally able to play 2D game properly and it was noticeably better as a 3D game contoller. I might by this Xbox One controller if I could be bothered with this generation and it was useful enough.

I'd gladly pay $150 for a SuperGrafx Power Console or even just tgat X68k analog set with PCE adaptor.

[SignOfZeta]

"Outrage"? Dang. You guys would SHIT if you knew guitars cost.

I think $60 pads are a ripoff, but something that's suposed to be a premium...the sky's the limit, honestly. Who cares?

As for $60 stock pads, MS actually did an interview where they happily proclaim that the XBone pad cost $100 million to develop despite being %99 identical to the last pad they made. This is funny because most consoles in history didn't even cost $100M to make and this was just a dumb pad...not something crazy like a Wiimote or Eyetoy, just the pad. If they are going to spend money like that on basically nothing, the customers have to pay for it. If you don't want to, don't buy it. I certainly didn't. The console arms race got stupid some time ago. The systems just become more and more of a PITA to use, the core gameplay rarely improves, and the variety of games straight up sucks shit compared to PS2 or whatever.

[Nazi NecroPhile]

I think that $100m number was pulled out of his ass.  His department probably did spend that much money over five years, but that included development of Kinect and nobody wants to admit what a waste of money that was.

[BlueBMW]

I will admit I picked up a SCUF PS4 controller for FPS games.  Not really worth the extra premium price but the mods are useful to a certain group.

[sirhcman]

I will admit I picked up a SCUF PS4 controller for FPS games.  Not really worth the extra premium price but the mods are useful to a certain group.

They make good stuff, if you compared their mods to what the Xbox Elite controller is offering then I think most people will agree that $150 is a very good price point!

[jlued686]

No it's not "normal". The Elite Controller is obviously a specialized product for a niche group of people who are into that sort of thing. Not really up my alley, but hey...to each their own. I don't see much difference between this and the people who shell out cash for custom arcade parts for their fight sticks.

Also, considering the tech, I don't think $50-$60 is too outrageous for the standard PS4/X1 controller. It's not like the old days where it was a d-pad and a couple digital buttons slapped inside some cheap plastic. I'd love it if they were cheaper, yeah. But I don't find it to be an "outrage".

[SignOfZeta]

I think that $100m number was pulled out of his ass.  His department probably did spend that much money over five years, but that included development of Kinect and nobody wants to admit what a waste of money that was.

That is a pretty believable theory. If true, this means that $60 isn't your share of a massively over engineered pad, it's your share of a dumb webcam that nobody wanted and everyone knew would flop. If anything, that's a little worse. Your $60 might have been used to pick up the slack for the recently (!?) killed Zune as well, I suppose.

And people thought Neo Geo carts were a hosing...

[crazydean]

"Outrage"? Dang. You guys would SHIT if you knew guitars cost.

I have been heavily into guitars for years. I bought a Music Man last year for over $2500. Have you seen how much work goes into building something like that?

The market will set the price, and clearly, it has. I am surprised that so many people have bought this that it's sold out. I guess it's time to start raising the prices of games since everyone has that kind of money to drop.

[sirhcman]

I guess it's time to start raising the prices of games since everyone has that kind of money to drop.

More than likely its a one time purchase, if MS was going to charge the market going rate they would have priced this around $250 - $300 as that is what Scuf gets for their controllers with similar mods.

[Nazi NecroPhile]

Also, considering the tech, I don't think $50-$60 is too outrageous for the standard PS4/X1 controller. It's not like the old days where it was a d-pad and a couple digital buttons slapped inside some cheap plastic.

That's true.  A TurboPad in '90 was $20 ($40 if adjusted for inflation), and that was for half as many buttons and no analog nubs and triggers, wireless, motion sensing, or feedback.

[CrackTiger]

Genesis pads were $50 in my hometown, which was likely $40 U.S. at the time. They might have been cheaper in large cities, but that's just how it was back then.

[SignOfZeta]

I don't remember buying a Genesis pad but I'm pretty sure I would have noticed if they cost as much as a game.

I bought a number of pads for Saturn, Dreamcast, Cube, and other systems, never paid $50. I remember buying a PSOne pad (the PSOne colored DS specifically, to match the pack-in) for $30-40, can't remember exactly. The first $60 controller I ever bought was the Wii, which was only really $60 if you bought the nunchaku as well. Those controllers work with my WiiU so, relatively speaking, they ended up being half priced because I'm able to use them on two systems.

[synbiosfan]

The Saturn 3D pad was $60 when it first came out in my area.

[SignOfZeta]

Yes, because it came with brand new 1st party software called NiGHTS.

[synbiosfan]

Yes, because it came with brand new 1st party software called NiGHTS.

That was $79.

I bought the controller only.

I worked at a mall at the time and bought Saturn stuff as soon as available.

[SignOfZeta]

Was this from an Amway catalog or are we talking Canadian dollars?

[Nazi NecroPhile]

From a FEKA press release shortly after Nights launched: "NiGHTS" can be purchased bundled with the new Sega Saturn 3D Control Pad, for a suggested retail price of $69.99; the products can also be purchased separately with "NiGHTS" priced at $49.99 and the controller priced at $39.99.

[synbiosfan]

From a FEKA press release shortly after Nights launched: "NiGHTS" can be purchased bundled with the new Sega Saturn 3D Control Pad, for a suggested retail price of $69.99; the products can also be purchased separately with "NiGHTS" priced at $49.99 and the controller priced at $39.99.

Well I'm mistaken I see.

Thanks for the correction Necro!

[xcrement5x]

From a FEKA press release shortly after Nights launched: "NiGHTS" can be purchased bundled with the new Sega Saturn 3D Control Pad, for a suggested retail price of $69.99; the products can also be purchased separately with "NiGHTS" priced at $49.99 and the controller priced at $39.99.

Heh, that press release is a fun read.  I wonder if Angela Edwards still works at Sega

I honestly remember the Nights bundles being more too, but I am probably mis-remembering.  I bought mine later in about 2001 I think as new old stock.  I actually recently bought another one earlier this year that was a Toys R Us release and it seems to be going for about the original price or more now!

[SignOfZeta]

Man, those bundles were all over the place back in the day. The Meijer chain of grocery/department stores had them for $15 for *years* after release.

[LostFlunky]

Man, those bundles were all over the place back in the day. The Meijer chain of grocery/department stores had them for $15 for *years* after release.

I bought one at Meijer in the 2000's for ~$9.99.  I remember the GCN was already out, I was looking at Metroid Prime and saw the leftover SS packages....

[EvilEvoIX]

What makes this controller so elite?  Why is it better?

[Nazi NecroPhile]

What makes this controller so elite?  Why is it better?

As has already been mentioned: it's programmable, uses better quality components, and is customizable to better fit the user's hands and preferences.

[Alt-Nintega]

controller should never cost more than a game  imo

it's like saying Jessica Alba panties cost more than Jessica Alba 

[Jason_dicarlo85]

225 holly shit... So this elite xbone controller is in same ballpark of steel battalion for og Xbox??