Questions for you Xbox 360 owners??

[doc_mccoy]

Guys and gals in the gaming world,

I have a PS2 but it is time for a change. I have decided on an Xbox 360 but know nothing about the system. My goal for the system is just self-play with no online stuff and to have it blasting sound through a surround sound system projecting the game play to a new 32 inch LCD hidef TV.

My biggest question is this: can I get by with just the arcade version with no hard drive or do I need to buy the middle of the road system with hard drive capacity?

What accessories to I need to buy to maximize game play?

Thanks to all,

Doc

[georox]

Well, no harddrive will lead to problems, as more and more games are struggling to run without installing. I know Fable 2 and Resident Evil 5 crash a lot more often when not installed. Main things you need for offline is a console, a controller, and a harddrive. If your using wireless controllers, get a play and charge kit.

Edit - and offline-only, your really going to miss a lot of great content, from Xbox Live Arcade games, to just being able to play games online. Most games anymore are built more around online play than offline.

[kneroh]

You'll miss out on a lot the great features of your xbox without a hard drive. It is so much more than just a game machine.

[rob0213]

Agreed. A hard drive is a must.

[Vangto]

go with a PS3, most of my firends who have an X-Box have had to return them for repairs and on their third or second return they had to give them new ones cause it was unfixable. X-Box has alot of problems and PS3 has a Blue Ray player included in it, which is not included in the X-Box. There are som many more benefits with a PS3 than an X-Box. Oh and the Sound is better too.

[Agoga]

go with a PS3, most of my firends who have an X-Box have had to return them for repairs and on their third or second return they had to give them new ones cause it was unfixable. X-Box has alot of problems and PS3 has a Blue Ray player included in it, which is not included in the X-Box. There are som many more benefits with a PS3 than an X-Box. Oh and the Sound is better too.

I have both and I can only tell slight differences, IMHO the 360 is better the exclusive to console games are on both systems so no problem there. Get a HDD and even if you dont game online get the live membership so you can update the system and get the codec update. Just my 2c

[dsrader]

Agreed. A hard drive is a must.

I agree.But my opinion if your going to spend the money get a PS3. Ive got a 360 aswell but then went with ps3 and of course my wife had to get a Wii.

[Griff]

i gotta disagree...ps3 doesnt have much in the way of decent games and their "exclusive games" are not much to sneeze at. Despite the problems with X-box 360 i still find it to be the better system. I personalyl dont care for blu-ray and feel no need to drop 600 bucks on a system that isnt even backwards compatible anymore. the way i see it screw sony.

[ntfrceshockwave]

Dude you need to go live. Cod anybody ???

[Lt. Faceless]

My brother had a 360 and it got the red ring.When then got a PS3 and thinks its much better.He had to have 2 fans on his 360 at all times,cuz it just got to damn hot.

[camper]

I got a 360 at Christmas time. I am in no way a big gamer. Not online. Got the 2yr warranty from WM just in case. Got the 60G hard drive. Love it. All I play is soccer, MK vs DC, Guitar Hero, and Crash, so you may want to listen to others if you are going to play shooters or all the time. I have had no problems at all.
All I can recommend it wireless controllers, standard rca cables for sound -- do not have to go all out on everything, you know -- and the hard drive.

[CallMeRotten]

I own both a 360 and a PS3, I'm on my fourth 360 right now due to the inevitable (and dreaded) Red Ring of Death that has already been mentioned.

Both systems have their pros and cons but I'll echo what others have said and recommend the 360 with Hard Drive, you don't wanna bother with memory cards unless you find yourself going over to play on other people's systems (plus some games require you to have a HDD) With the 360 being older it has a larger game library and you can find a lot of great games for cheap.

Regarding the hardware problems, Microsoft claims to have finally fixed the issue with the latest series of systems. I can't confirm or deny this because I'm still using the old hardware. Another plus is should you run into any problems Microsoft has developed an alright system repair service (as long as your system is under warranty).

[wildfire083]

Don't go getting the impression PS3's are bulletproof either. I bought mine Feb 20 and it dies March 28. Covered under warranty, but still an annoyance. That being said, I'm on my 4th Xbox 360, so yeah. I have both, I like both. Get the one that has more games you want to play, you will miss out on a few good titles either way. Oh, and I echo the sentiment of the HDD for the 360. An absolute MUST!!

[Gamble]

I can't stand the ps3 controller. It doesn't give you any "control" in first person shooters.

I hear alot of tankers going for the Blue-ray con, Blue-ray was a worthless idea this time around. Games just don't need all that space yet and all it does is add cost to the unit.

When we start seeing dual dvd games, It will be time to switch.

I'm on my first 360 (elite model). I bought the dual fan add on the day I bought the unit.

It's a great system, just keep her cool.

[topnotch97]

i recently got rid of my old xbox unit. i just wish the 360 was more like the old xbox. simple, yet full good stuff. :D

the x360 will now take over. and i still have my old ps2.

[miscreant]

The 360s relative disadvantage on reliability is by far outweighed by it's advantage on games... and the PS3 isn't bulletproof either.

...and feel no need to drop 600 bucks on a system....
Not sure where the $600 is coming from?


Games just don't need all that space yet


Depends on the game. I'm looking forward to seeing MGS4 squeezed onto a DVD.

[bram1216]

I am on my 3rd 360.The other 2 were fixed for free,due to the red ring of death.No hassle,system were out about a week.They still come with a 3 year warranty if you get the red ring.I have a ps3,wii,and about every other system made,down to atari 2600.I also have a super pac-man arcade machine,converted into a multi-game.So I do have some experience with game consoles.I would buy an xbox 360 over a ps3 any day,even with the hardware problems.Yes you will need a hard drive,but it seems like there was a dealwere you could get the arcade version and they would sell you a 20gb hard drive for $50.

[iowajedi]

I'd go with the 360 and the hard drive. The 360 has a stronger game catalog overall. It's frustrating that it doesn't include blu-ray, but I really got it for gaming so it isn't that big of a deal to me.

[Kalibus]

If you buy a 360 now it will most likely have the new Jasper motherboard with the new 65nm GPU and CPU. These units run a lot cooler so the odds of you getting the RROD are pretty slim now. It also comes with built in 256mb of memory to save your games. So you can buy a Jasper Arcade Xbox 360 try it without the HDD, if you find that you need it you can buy a 20gb HDD online for cheap later on. I got mine for 30 bucks. I definitely recomend the LIVE experience though. Its awesome playing online games with your buddies and being able to talk to them while doing so.

[dsrader]

I agree.But my opinion if your going to spend the money get a PS3. Ive got a 360 aswell but then went with ps3 and of course my wife had to get a Wii.

I will add that ive had the 360 for about a year and the PS3 for about 6 months.I havnt had any problems out of either one.They are both great but i prefer PS3 and i dont have xboxlive.

[doc_mccoy]

Holy shit this helps out a ton! I'm getting tons of good info and from my own research on game titles, 360 is superior than PS3. As far as the 'red ring of death'...I have no idea what you guys are talking about. Something that goes wrong with the system due to overheating??? Do I need another fan for it if I buy the elite??

As far as shooters...let me know of some new and older titles that are a must to buy or try out. I love blood, guts, war, and 'splosions! Dont forget swearing!

Thanks guys, I am totally goin out this week and buying an Elite with a warranty, possible potional extra fan, and a few games. Do I need a remote charger too?

Thanks again for all the help...spit out some titles that blowing the hell out of stuff or others is the main feature!

Doc

[280-CUSTOMS]

i have never had any prob with my 360 had it for 2 years went from a ps2 owned nothing but sony for years i had a buddy that had a 360 that got hot ,stand the thing up buy an intercooler no problem most of these people probably have so much crap crammed around their box that it can't cool down keep it by itself keep it on it's end no problem i have a ps3 also and it's alright but i also have like 400+ dvds and not about to buy them all again the ps3 is fast but so is the xbox either way if you get a 360 buy the harddrive at least the 80 gig one ihave nothing but sony tv's but i like the 360 better it is a tough choice .

[silence368]

My 360 has never needed to be fixed at all. I have no prob with it. Good games and good online. ps3s are great too, in my opinion. Blue-ray plus online plus variety of games is a good combo. Wii's are fun too. I own all 3 and my personal favorite is 360. Online is so much better for it, although now I can watch 300 on a blue-ray.

[dsrader]

Holy shit this helps out a ton! I'm getting tons of good info and from my own research on game titles, 360 is superior than PS3. As far as the 'red ring of death'...I have no idea what you guys are talking about. Something that goes wrong with the system due to overheating??? Do I need another fan for it if I buy the elite??

As far as shooters...let me know of some new and older titles that are a must to buy or try out. I love blood, guts, war, and 'splosions! Dont forget swearing!

Thanks guys, I am totally goin out this week and buying an Elite with a warranty, possible potional extra fan, and a few games. Do I need a remote charger too?

Thanks again for all the help...spit out some titles that blowing the hell out of stuff or others is the main feature!

Doc


If you get a fan you mite want to get the one that plugs into the wall because there have been reports that the fans that just plug in to the 360 draw so much more power and cause overheating aswell. but i havnt had any problems.

[nerdsgetchicks]

Save the cash and build a gaming PC. You can get a combo on Ebay pretty cheap these days.

[Gamble]

Save the cash and build a gaming PC. You can get a combo on Ebay pretty cheap these days.

PC gaming is dead.

It died in 2004, It is survived by it's two son's Xbox 360 and PS3.

The only thing consoles can not do is strategy.

[The Commander]

If you can still find one, the best deal out there was the limited-edition Resident Evil 5 Red Xbox 360 Elite. You got an elite Xbox 360 system with the newest chipset (greatly reduces the chance of RROD), with a play-n-charge controller, and RE 5 for $500.

Online is a must for most games; CoD, GoW, Halo, etc. Plus, I use Netflix on mine and love it, as well as download classic games.

[JoeCollector85]

I've had my 360 for a year now and I've had no problems out of mine yet *knocks on wood*. The ONLY one reason why I would ever consider buying a PS3 is for Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots since I am a huge Metal Gear Solid fan. However, I don't see paying that much for a system that I would only play one game on, so that is why I went with the 360. Plus, if you own a 360, and you like to play the wrestling games such as Smackdown vs Raw and Legends of Wrestlemania, you get twice the layers for CAWs to work with than the PS3 game.

[firefly069]

I just bought a Wii and love it. This is a fun system and its geared towards women, kids, and casual gamers who want simple yet fun games. The key with the wii is the controller! It makes for a much more interactive experience. Was playing boxing today and you are actually moving and punching like a boxer. Wii unfortunately is not a DVD player and does not go past 480P. It does have bluetooth wireless so you can surf the net. if you like the mario games, punch out, legend of zelda, or want to entertain with a system that everyone can play than you will like this system.

I also have an Xbox 360. The harddrive the superior chips allowing HD is huge. Xbox 360 graphics are the best. This machine also has a DVD player which is quite useful. If you like sport games, or games like resident evil 5 thats the way to go.
Call of duty world at war is awesome on this system.
the 360 also has xbox live where you can download more contents for the games that you buy which make it quite cool as well.

As far as the ring of death, I am unsure about this, what exactly is this, and how is this caused?

As for PS3 I don't know much about it. If you like Blue ray movies than it does come with a free player. I don't know where else it really trumps xbox 360, anyone else have any ideas.

Whereas the Wii caters to a certain demographic and gamer the Xbox and PS3 are competing for the hardcore gamers and it looks like xbox 360 is doing much better....except in Japan.

[Crimson Rage]

I hear alot of tankers going for the Blue-ray con, Blue-ray was a worthless idea this time around. Games just don't need all that space yet and all it does is add cost to the unit.



John Carmack of ID software said they had to make compromises to 360 RAGE to get it to fit on the DVD.

To the OP: Guess you're mind's been made up with the Microsoft system, but I'd prefer the PS3 any day. The exclusives coming this year alone make it a console worth having in my opinion but to each his own.

Hope your purchase lasts. My sister's 360 made a noise like a jet engine and bricked twice. She eventually gave up and went for the PS3 (after sampling mine) and loves it. I certainly don't consider the 360 "superior" to Sony's console either. It had a year head start, is supposedly easier to code for yet I still haven't seen a game that looks as good as KILLZONE 2, MGS4 or GT5P.

[Akunin]

This isn't a "Which is better...PS3 or 360"... the guy just wants to play a 360 offline!
Sure, I can say "I've had 3 PS3's and 2 360's that have had to be repaired" and I have. But does my personal experience with their repair or servicing help his question? Nope, didn't think so.

I'm writing this in a way that assumes you don't have any memory unit at all.
Do you NEED a hard drive (HDD) for offline play? No, the arcade works fine for this, did you buy your system recently (or at all yet)? The newer Arcades' come with a free 512mb memory card but if you have a older model you could very well qualify for a free 512 memory card or a 20gb HDD for $20 (a refurbed HDD). I believe that promotion is still running. Here is a link for some more info:

Xbox 360 hard drive upgrade discount - The Prophecy Forums (http://forums.prophecy.co.za/f65/xbox-360-hard-drive-upgrade-discount-54748/)

So yes a memory source does benefit save games, music, profiles and store additional add-ons like downloadable content and the like.

Online services have benefits like multiplayer, voice chat access other services like Netflix (just an example) and allow you to download content directly and get system updates and game patches.

Console specific magazines (like Official Xbox Magazine or OXM) have demo/content disc's that carry various updates (like backwards compatibility) and demo's that you can access without a online connection.

Yes there are more benefits not given just to show that they compliment each other well. But are not required to play just a offline game. Yeah, you can play Call of Duty 4 offline without a HDD, or Oblivion but hope you at least have a memory card to save any game progress!

A few pointers on system maintenance, regardless of system type make sure it is in a well ventilated flat surface!!! Believe it or not this is the cause of many system failures (regardless of system thank you very much). Do not play your system on a carpeted/overly dirty (dusty) surface. Many users admit to pulling the system out on the floor to play, or having them crammed into a overly stuffed and non ventilated entertainment center. Just like a PC, these systems need plenty of air. Hope this helps! Any other questions feel free to PM me.

[Gamble]

John Carmack of ID software said they had to make compromises to 360 RAGE to get it to fit on the DVD.

There will always be one game every few years that pushes the envelope. The games end up being nothing more then showcases for technology.

Nocturne, Jurassic Park Trespasser, Doom 3, Fear and so on.

In other words, when they push tech limits, it means everybody else is 2 years off.

[boff123]

go with a PS3, most of my firends who have an X-Box have had to return them for repairs and on their third or second return they had to give them new ones cause it was unfixable. X-Box has alot of problems and PS3 has a Blue Ray player included in it, which is not included in the X-Box. There are som many more benefits with a PS3 than an X-Box. Oh and the Sound is better too.

true, my friends ps3 shit out on her. warranty was over and they want 150 to fix it.

[OSOK]

better off with a hardrive no matter what

[MachineGunEtiquette]

go with a PS3, most of my firends who have an X-Box have had to return them for repairs and on their third or second return they had to give them new ones cause it was unfixable. X-Box has alot of problems and PS3 has a Blue Ray player included in it, which is not included in the X-Box. There are som many more benefits with a PS3 than an X-Box. Oh and the Sound is better too.

Ps3 is only good if you like to spend a lot of money on a substandard Blu ray player.

Go with the Xbox, get a hard drive, go online and forget about having a life.

the benefits of having an online account are not only to play multiplayer, but to add content to the games you already have, netflix, patches, updates etc.

having a hard drive, even offline, rocks as you can download your games off the disc to the harddrive and save some wear and tear on your system. Not only that but you can store arcade games, music, video etc.

I could write an entire post on the benefits of going with a Sexbox thrixty Vs. a Peethree.
(btw, I work in a video game store, this is what I discuss all day long)

[flip wilson]

xbox live is possibly one of the greatest inventions ever.

You can also get a netflix subscription and stream video to your xbox and watch it on the tv. It's amazing stuff.

Plus, the games. There are so many good games on xbox that I don't even know where to begin.

[tkprime]

XBOX & XBOX 360, I have 2 wards that will forever change your life.....Soft Modding!!! (Google those systems with the word softmod, my friends) Those words changed my life! That and XBMC!!!! AWESOME!!!!! (and if you softmod, common sense tells you not to log onto xbox live, but you really won't need to with it, like I said).

[Fierce Krypton]

an xbox is not an xbox without xbox live..... it is essential.

[MachineGunEtiquette]

XBOX & XBOX 360, I have 2 wards that will forever change your life.....Soft Modding!!! (Google those systems with the word softmod, my friends) Those words changed my life! That and XBMC!!!! AWESOME!!!!!

thats cool and all until microsoft does another sweep looking for that stuff and boots your xbox live account, freezes all transactions with microsoft using your file info and voids the warranty on your xbox.
then its super fun.

P.S. word round the campfire is that they are gonna start doing regular sweeps every 3 months.

[miscreant]

Do I need another fan for it if I buy the elite??



Popular opinion seems to be that the add on fans make no difference, and may even make things worse. Keep the console somewhere that air can circulate around the back of it, and don't push it hard for extended periods. No console is absolutely immune to failure, but if you take these steps, you'll reduce the odds of that failure somewhat.

[CallMeRotten]

Popular opinion seems to be that the add on fans make no difference, and may even make things worse. Keep the console somewhere that air can circulate around the back of it, and don't push it hard for extended periods. No console is absolutely immune to failure, but if you take these steps, you'll reduce the odds of that failure somewhat.

Ditto to the above.

As for recommending games, if you dig shooters then you have quite a good selection of quality games to check out.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (A must have FPS)
Gears of War (Chainsaw Bayonets!)

Those two are a great start, but if you find yourself wanting more..

Battlefield: Bad Company ('splosions! by the barrel full)
Call of Duty: World at War (If you fancy yourself some WWII mayhem)
Gears of War 2 (If you liked the first)

Theres still a few more games I could mention but I think the above list is solid enough. Oh and I recommend getting a Quick Charger Kit later on, it's better than buying batteries.

[miscreant]

. Oh and I recommend getting a Quick Charger Kit later on, it's better than buying batteries.

Maybe i was just unlucky, but i'm not a heavy 360 user, and the rechargeable battery for mine lasted about a year before it seemed to hold less charge.

On closer inspection, it turned out to be a NiMH batter, which (IIRC) are infamous for memory effect. Other people's mileage may vary, but that's my two cents.

The borrom line (as i see it) MS cut quite a few corners on the 360.... but it's still the clear winner this generation.

[jaxscorpio]

My nephews have had a 360 for a couple of years now. They play it all the time and have never had an issue with it. So not all 360's suffer from the red ring provlem. As far as I am concerned, if you want a system for gaming then buy a 360. If you just want to watch a movie, however, go buy a regular (Toshiba/RCA/Sanyo/Magnavox/offbrand) DVD player. I'm not saying the PS3 doesn't have some nice games. They just don't have as many as the 360 and, since I hate Sony, I will never buy or promote one of their products.

[theprocess]

If you wan to save money get the 360 with HDD. Also I noticed that when I watch a DVD on my 360 like "Wall-E" for example it looks much better than it does on my regular DVD player.

Both systems are great and serve the basic purpose of good ol' fashion gaming...

Online is Highly recommended, you can download demos at the push of a button. nuff' said

[Darren]

"As far as the 'red ring of death'...I have no idea what you guys are talking about. Something that goes wrong with the system due to overheating???"

I love my Xbox 360 but it has died four or five times in less than three years. When your having a hard wear issue the green circle on the front of the Xbox will change to three red bars. Each time this happens your have to call the Microsoft's support staff in India and send your 360 to Texas to be fixed. It can take up to three weeks to get your 360 back. One nice thing is that you do get a free month of Xbox live for your trouble. The bad is that after your three year hard wear warranty runs out your out of luck.... I've heard that 8 out of 10 Xbox owners have had this problem at some point.

[doc_mccoy]

Guys,

I thank you all who shot out opinions, gonna go with a 360 Elite and found the Res Evil 5 version at my local Wally World today on my lunch hour. Seems like a good deal! I'm turning a spare bed room into my 'Man Cave Of Destruction'...Xbox with a nice new crisp flat screen (which is better than the TV I watch nightly), surround sound and a kick ass lazy boy. Throw in some Joes, Sports memorabellia, real guns and bows, a few stuffed dead things and BANG!!!! MAN CAVE!!! Thanks again!

Doc

[coola784]

you need a hard drive bro, its a must. 360 has better games in my opinion too.

[(GI)Joe]

if you get the xbox you will need the hard drive , i would suggest getting a package that comes with a month free of xbox live gold and see if you like .. you might not be into and you save your self the montly fee / subscription. if you have a connection xbox live silver is free , basically all the perks of demo's , game content and all that but you cant play online with multiplayer. also check what xbox you are getting , i dont know much about it anymore but some of them didnt come with the surround sound hook up , i got the elite and it does but im not sure what others do ..

i have both xbox and ps3 , i prefer my ps3 becuase im more of a movie / audio person so i got it for the blu ray , optical surround sound and wireless connection.. and you can change the hard drive whenever you want

[Xsoldier]

I didn't read the whole thread to see if the poster actaully picked up the X-box 360 yet.

I myself waited until I could get an X-box 360 elite that was made with the jasper chip. This is supposed to be the fix all from Microsoft for the Red ring of death issue. Most systems made after January 10th this year are going to have the jasper chip.

I waited until I could get the elite system as well. The word on the street is that Elite's with the 120 GB hard drive are going to no longer be mass produced because they don't sell enough. They still have systems that sit on the shelf with the Christmas bundles with Kung fu Panda and Lego Indiana Jones. They are going to only release them as special bundles in the future. Bundles like the resedent evil 5 blood red one that I got.

I love my 360, it runs smooth. I was upset when I found out that my $400 system didn't have build in wi-fi. But I'm getting an adapter from a friend for free. I say that anything worth doing is worth doing right in the long run.

That is why I never bothered with a PS3. PS3=Fail.
Blue-Ray will also = fail soon. Digital format is the way of the future and the movie companies know it.

[cobrabat]

I have played with my friends 360 for a long time, and I don't think you really need any accessories, just don't play games that require them. I think they are a waste of money.

[starscream-99]

If you get the Arcade you don't get HDMI Cables.