FB-Gollum
01-11-2006, 04:42 PM
...IN MY LIVING ROOM YO! Ok, that was really stupid of me I admit, but I fnally got my 360. After hearing people ***** and moan, after hearing conflicting opinons on graphics, the games the interface etc. I have only one thing to say: If you don't think this is hands down the best console ever you are a fool.
Where do I begin? Let's start with the weakest link in the chain...the games. Many of tem are just slightly prettied up rehashes of previous titles. We all know this. However, what I think a lot of people are overlooking is that these are all first gen rushed out titles that could've easily used a few more months of dev time. It's not like these are the only games that will ever be available. May I say a few of them are incredible? COD II is completely immersive. Condemned had me soiling myself at the visuals alone, nevermind the ultra-tense gameplay. I'll rework a previous point: if you don't think Condemned is a good example of where the next gen can go graphically, you are a fool.
Let's move on to hardware. Mine works. All the people I know who have one? Theirs all work too. Moving on, The ability to stand it upright is a great space saver and the overall design is sleek and feels sturdy. It complements my living room, it looks sophisticated, unlike the hulking black box that would incite snickers from non-gamers who visited. This thing elicits complements and quesions rather than "aren't you too old for games?". The wireless controller owns everything. I was worried about it, but now that I'm using it, I'm getting all my controllers wireless. It's worth the price of batteries or a play and charge kit.
Finally, I just wanted to drop a word on the most important feature. The service infrastructure that Xbox live has become. It's beyond description. Ok maybe not beyond it but you really have to try it out in practice to understand how it affects you. For example, I wasn't sure what game to buy, so I went on marketplace and downloaded demos of all the games I was thinking about. I even got demos for games I wouldn't usually try. Why? Because it's free and I can. For my yearly subscription to live, the access to demos and special features alone is almost worth the price. There is not, has never been and will likely not be for sometime another service like this. Combine that with the media, messaging the DVD controller (which also can control your 360's other functions just like a controller) and you have a package that is a true centerpiece to a home entertainment system. Whether you want to play games, watch movies, listen to music, look at photos, home movies it's all there for you with a few clicks of a button. It's like they thought of almost everything this time around.
I know the people who own one already know all this, so please, we know you know, I'm aiming this at people who don't have one and are wondering if they should get one.
Some people have wondered if it's worth it without an HDTV. I would say certainly. Condemned looks head and shoulders better than anything I've seen on Xbox on my crappy SDTV.
To all my XBA bretheren who have gotten theirs already, please feel free to drop a FR to clockwerk or Druscilla. We're currently playing PD0 and NFSMW.
As a final note, if PS3 is not planning on offering any type of service comparable to what MS is doing, then the PS3 better have graphics on a level like Xbox was to PS2, or it's going to lose some serious ground to MS in this round.
Where do I begin? Let's start with the weakest link in the chain...the games. Many of tem are just slightly prettied up rehashes of previous titles. We all know this. However, what I think a lot of people are overlooking is that these are all first gen rushed out titles that could've easily used a few more months of dev time. It's not like these are the only games that will ever be available. May I say a few of them are incredible? COD II is completely immersive. Condemned had me soiling myself at the visuals alone, nevermind the ultra-tense gameplay. I'll rework a previous point: if you don't think Condemned is a good example of where the next gen can go graphically, you are a fool.
Let's move on to hardware. Mine works. All the people I know who have one? Theirs all work too. Moving on, The ability to stand it upright is a great space saver and the overall design is sleek and feels sturdy. It complements my living room, it looks sophisticated, unlike the hulking black box that would incite snickers from non-gamers who visited. This thing elicits complements and quesions rather than "aren't you too old for games?". The wireless controller owns everything. I was worried about it, but now that I'm using it, I'm getting all my controllers wireless. It's worth the price of batteries or a play and charge kit.
Finally, I just wanted to drop a word on the most important feature. The service infrastructure that Xbox live has become. It's beyond description. Ok maybe not beyond it but you really have to try it out in practice to understand how it affects you. For example, I wasn't sure what game to buy, so I went on marketplace and downloaded demos of all the games I was thinking about. I even got demos for games I wouldn't usually try. Why? Because it's free and I can. For my yearly subscription to live, the access to demos and special features alone is almost worth the price. There is not, has never been and will likely not be for sometime another service like this. Combine that with the media, messaging the DVD controller (which also can control your 360's other functions just like a controller) and you have a package that is a true centerpiece to a home entertainment system. Whether you want to play games, watch movies, listen to music, look at photos, home movies it's all there for you with a few clicks of a button. It's like they thought of almost everything this time around.
I know the people who own one already know all this, so please, we know you know, I'm aiming this at people who don't have one and are wondering if they should get one.
Some people have wondered if it's worth it without an HDTV. I would say certainly. Condemned looks head and shoulders better than anything I've seen on Xbox on my crappy SDTV.
To all my XBA bretheren who have gotten theirs already, please feel free to drop a FR to clockwerk or Druscilla. We're currently playing PD0 and NFSMW.
As a final note, if PS3 is not planning on offering any type of service comparable to what MS is doing, then the PS3 better have graphics on a level like Xbox was to PS2, or it's going to lose some serious ground to MS in this round.