I am primarily reviewing the merits of the package rather than those of the membership itself, and you can read reviews of the individual components in their respective listings. However, I'll touch on the usefulness of getting the bundle, even if it's only the membership that you are shopping for.
Buying a membership on line through the XBOX 360 itself is normally sold at list price. Amazon sells membership cards at a discount, and prices fluctuate. The discounted price of this package might be anywhere from a few dollars more than the base membership cost, but chances are that even if you found the membership card at a good discount, the extra cost of this package would be worth it.
The chat pad is very useful even if you don't chat. If you decide to buy the membership on line instead of buying this package, you can do so with a credit card, but entering your information is very awkward without the chat pad. Anything you do where you need to enter information such as a shipping address or even configuration information becomes easier with it. Since the chat pad offers an elegant solution for entering anything that needs typing, you will probably find yourself ahead even if you use nothing else in this bundle but the membership card.
The headset is a basic wired one. Even if you have a headset, this one is essentially "free" compared to buying the chat pad and membership separately. The package would still be a good deal even without it and it can't hurt to have a spare.
You can read the reviews of the video game in its listing and decide if you want it. If you don't, you could always sell it or give it away, but with the glut of them on the market due to people buying this package, you should not expect to be able to sell it for more than a few dollars. Likewise if the game is a big draw, you could buy it cheaply without this package. If you want both the game and the membership, you might end up with a "free" chat pad and headset by buying the package instead.
In summary, there's a good chance that if you need even one of the items in the package in addition to the membership, you will come out ahead and find the rest useful. Although it's unlikely that Microsoft will offer discounts for the base membership on line, that may not be the case when it comes closer to renewal. If they offer you a renewal at a 40% discount, you should consider buying the pack if you had absolute plans to buy another chat pad or wanted both the game and headset.
If you do end up renewing on line instead, make sure to cancel automatic renewal once your purchase takes effect. This package might end up being your best bet the next time.
Customer reviews
awesome package,i want this so bad,i hear it's really awesome,buying all this stuff seperatly would be $100,this package comes with everything you need,PG4,txt messenging kit,the new headset set (not the chip set headset),and a full year of xbox live
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