Microsoft unveiled its console juggernaut last November to an uneasy reception. There were some problems with some systems and of course not enough were around for everyone, but it has been smooth sailing for a while now and with an estimated 7 million plus consoles sold, the others have an uphill battle to climb if they want to catch up (especially if Sony only releases 188,000 at a time). You can go into a store right now and purchase a system without much chance of being denied one.
Why you want an Xbox 360:
The system still hasn’t hit its potential stride. We are now starting to see glimpses of what the 360 can do. Games like Gears of War is the best looking game ever made for a console and Xbox live just released an option to start renting movies in HD through its Live service. There is a ton of free and cheap games to purchase for download and online players are benefitting from this second incarnation of what online gaming should be. Your friends can see what games you have played and how many of the achievements you have unlocked in each game, this is just another way to compete against others that makes online gaming great. The other two wish they had the online thing down as well as Microsoft.
There’s over 100 games to play already. A year makes all the difference in the world, while the best looking games have just come out for the system, there is still more top tier titles available on the 360 than the Wii and PS3 combined. With bonafide hits like Kameo, Prey, Dead Rising, Burnout Revenge, NBA 2K7 and Oblivion, you have pretty much every genre covered with a title that is sure to please. And even though the other two systems have certain titles exclusive to them, the 360 has some mega titles of its own coming out as well (if you think HALO 3 is gonna be a dud, then think again).
The system comes standard with both AV and high-def component cables. Only the Xbox can boast that it will play on pretty much any tv and get the best picture out of it no matter what. A set of HD cables is a godsend in an era where nobody wants to give an inch when it comes to cables. I keep bringing this up on all systems, because it is important to know that all these expensive TVs that are being made will connect up easily and look good to boot.
The play and charge kit does it right. You can buy a play and charge kit which will replace standard batteries in the wireless controller and give you a nice long charge for gaming. You can charge your controllers even when the system is shut off and the long nine-foot cord makes it so you can continue to play in comfort even while charging. Plus, for this kind of value, it’s only twenty bucks.
Again, another system with a hard drive built in. Buying the premium system gives you a built in 20 hard drive, again, no memeory cards needed to save all those games. It too can download movie previews, game demos and other stuff, I’ve been putting stuff on and taking it off for almost a year now, I’ve still got plenty of room.
Why you may not want an Xbox 360:
While Sony has the Blu-ray, Microsoft recently released a High Def DVD add on that you can buy and plug in for $200. No one knows if either Blu-ray or HD DVD will catch on, and buying movies for yet another format is just gonna tick people off. When the dust settles my thought is everyone will still only be playing regular DVDs.
The core gaming system really scrapes the bottom of the barrel. At least the Sony core system has a small hard drive, the Xbox core system either forces you to buy the memory cards or shell out the $100 you should have spent in the first place on the hard drive. At this point there is no alternative. I had thought that Microsoft may have produced a small 5 gig hard drive for those who may need a small one, but they have not. In fact, they haven’t even produced another hard drive either bigger or smaller.
Backward compatability is a pain in the butt. Unless the game is a Microsoft produced title (HALO, Amped) playing involves going online and trying to find an update that will allow you to play it. By the time you get it all done and ready you are so ticked off and frustrated you probably won’t want to play anymore.
