kjell1979's Full Review: Microsoft Xbox 360 Premium (20 GB) White Console
Well, I finally took the leap into the next generation of game consoles. Last month Microcenter was offering a $100 rebate on Xbox 360 consoles. So I booked it to Cambridge and picked one up just a few weeks before Christmas. It's now the end of January and my impressions of the console are finally rounding out. No longer am I star struck by the console, but I also see it for the advantages and disadvantages it has.
Specs
CPU: 3.2 GHz PPC Tri-Core Xenon
512 MiB of RAM running at 700MHz
Graphics: 500 MHz ATI Xenos
32-bit audio with 256 channel support
20 GB Hard Drive
3 x USB 2.0
12x DVD drive
Media: 7GB dual layer DVDs
The Xbox 360 is clearly a powerful machine. Its hardware can deliver some great graphical experiences, especially on HDTVs. One concern I have is a 3 core CPU is a little dangerous in my mind as it requires game developers to be well versed in resource sharing and locking. For instance, if two processes running on different CPUs try to write to a specific resource (i.e. block of memory), it can cause a deadlock situation, which would freeze a game in its tracks. So quality control and programming dicipline is a huge issue with the gaming library to avoid these situations. A game that freezes is much more annoying than one that has poor level design or balancing issues. You can always handicap yourself to balance the gameplay, but it's much harder to avoid resource deadlocks.
The only other issue I see with the hardware is the media capacity. A 7 GB DVD is a lot to hold content, but it's much smaller than a Blu-ray disc. While this probably hasn't come into play yet, it could in the future. There is a HD-DVD expansion drive, but many developers will likely shy away from putting their games on such a disc if few Xbox 360 owners own the expansion. I would think they'd opt for the multiple disc route instead. It'll likely be as small an issue as it was for the PS2; and it really didn't matter much in the GameCube.
Features
In many senses the Xbox 360 serves as a pretty decent media center. In addition to being able to play games, you can import pictures to your hard drive and view them through the dashboard. You can plug in your MP3 player via the USB port and import MP3s to play through your TV's sound system. You can even play WMA files as well. If you don't want to import your media through the USB slot, the Xbox 360 can read a variety of different disc formats. It can read audio and data CDs, CD-Rs, CD-RWs, audio and video DVDs, DVD-Rs, DVD+Rs, DVD-RWs, and DVD+RWs for both single and dual layer DVDs. The Xbox 360 also supports DVD playback, which means you can watch DVDs on your Xbox 360. One piece that's missing is the Xbox 360 doesn't have an option for a web browser. I find this interesting because the Dreamcast had one, and now the PSP, Wii and PS3 have one as well and the Nintendo DS has a browser in the works. This is also interesting considering Microsoft develops Windows Explorer. I find it odd that they didn't integrate one in given its close integration with the web.
If you have an HDTV, the Xbox 360 supports 480p, 720p, 1080i, and 1080p (no plug yet). Unfortunately you have to use component cables because there's no HDMI support. On 1080i resolution, the picture looks great. You can definitely tell there's a huge graphical jump. Unfortunately, the jump isn't as pronounced between the Playstation/N64 generation and the last one. It also makes matters worse that many 3rd party games still have previous generation graphics and resolutions (I'm looking your way EA).
The big feature that the Xbox 360 has is complete integration with Xbox Live. All Xbox 360 owners are outfitted with free lifetime Silver memberships. This allows you to have a friends list with voice and text messaging, access to Xbox Live Marketplace, Live Arcade, and Video. The Xbox Live Gold membership costs $50 for 12 months or $20 for 3 months, however it allows you to play your Xbox 360 games online. This is critical if you wish to play Gears of War or Halo 3 with friends or strangers via Xbox Live. Most Xbox 360 games are online and it's also the big feature of the console. It's almost a forgone conclusion that this will be a feature most Xbox 360 owners will want to take advantage of. Despite the cost, Xbox Live is still the best online service because it's integrated for all online games. Once you find a friend on Xbox Live, you don't have to find them for each game that they play. You can always find out whether a player is online or not and it allows for better matchmaking in games. Another feature new to Xbox Live is the gamerscore. Most games have achievements or milestones which count for points in your Xbox Live profile. Many gamers strive for unlocking all the points for a specific game, but for me I'm not so much into it. Many games have rediculous goals for such meager points. If anything I prefer to play a game the way I normally would and gather whatever points I happen to acquire.
Accessories
The most important accessory for the Xbox 360 is the controller. Depending on whether you purchased the Premium or Core Xbox 360 package, either a corded or cordless controller was included. Since I bought the Premium, I only have experience with the wireless controller. The wireless Xbox 360 controller is probably the best controller I have seen for a console to date. It takes the great design of the Sony Dual Shock 2 and the wireless capability of the Wavebird and improves upon it even further. Like the Sony Dual Shock 2, there are two sets of trigger buttons. The difference is that the RT and LT buttons have much more "give" to them like the triggers on the original Xbox controller. The left analog stick is placed up high on the left side of the controller with the dpad placed directly underneath. The four face buttons on the right are placed above the right analog stick, which sits horizontally parallel to the dpad. The face buttons retain their color and letter designations from the previous Xbox. Gone are the black and white buttons. Instead they are replaced by the upper level triggers: LB and RB respectively. The start and back buttons are placed in the center of the controller surrounding a new Xbox Dashboard button. This button allows you to access your Xbox dashboard to view your Xbox Live friends, other dashboard features, or by holding down the button you can shutdown the controller or the console itself. As a lazy American, I wholeheartedly endorse this feature because I don't like to get up to shut off my game consoles. The wireless signal operates on a 2.4 GHz signal and has a usable range of 30 feet. When I tested it, I could go about 25 feet before I ran out of room and it worked fine. It takes two AA batteries and it doesn't suck up the battery power that much. I've seen the batteries last upwards of 20-30 hours depending on use and battery quality. Finally, the wireless Xbox 360 controller can be used with Windows XP and Vista with the help of a USB wireless receiver. This is a huge plus for those who like to use gamepads on certain computer games.
As far as controllers go, there's also a wired controller, and a wireless racing wheel with force feedback. Given the amount of quality racing titles, it's good to have a decent 1st party racing wheel. There's also a media remote for DVD playback and other functionality. Finally, there's also a webcam accessory, which functions more like a traditional webcam and not like the Eyetoy for the Playstation 2. I couldn't imagine getting one because plastering my mug across Xbox Live might be a federal offense.
For the console itself, if you want to access your wireless router, you'll need a wireless adapter. Microsoft makes a first party one, but I use my Linksys Gaming Adapter. There's also additional faceplates you can buy. They'll run you about $20 and seem like a waste of money. If I'm going to put on a faceplate, I don't want to pay more than $5 for one. Besides, console customizing is a lot more respectable when you do it yourself, even if you're voiding the warranty in the process. There's also a 3rd party cooling fan you can mount to remove a lot of the heat the Xbox 360 generates after long periods of play. Finally, the HD DVD drive is an expansion that'll run you about $200. It allows you to play HD DVD movies on your Xbox 360. It's nice if that's what you're looking for, but I'd rather let the next generation DVD format wars play out before I commit to one or the other. Besides, it seems a little too expensive for me.
Overall, the Xbox 360 has a lot of useful accessories and many not so useful ones. However, the main theme here is the expensive price. Wireless controllers cost $50 retail, which is really bad. Still, there are sales where they can be as low as $30. The hard drive if you don't have one will cost you $100 for a 20 GB drive. That's a ripoff given the current price of hard drives. Still, you have to buy a drive properly formatted for the Xbox 360, so if you have a Core system and want a hard drive, you're stuck. Overall, the standard controller is good, and there aren't too many gimmicky controllers which will end up getting tossed aside like the eyetoy or Bongo Drums.
Game Library
Having a head start by a year has given the Xbox 360 the most impressive library of current generation games. However, despite the great collection of games, the Xbox 360 still suffers from the same library deficiencies it had during the original Xbox era.
The Xbox 360 has quite a collection of great titles. Gears of War is the best selling title of this current generation. A 3rd person shooter with decent online support and that looks gorgeous is not a title to scoff at. Saint's Row, is proving to be worthy of the title "Poor Man's Grand Theft Auto". Still, the quality titles for the Xbox 360 seem to be limited to the Action or Shooter genres. Beyond Elder Scrolls IV and Kameo titles, there isn't much depth in the RPG genre. Viva Pinata is the only kid oriented game worthy of appearing on a Nintendo console. And while the sports genre is strong on the Xbox 360, the quality of titles have suffered in transition to this generation. The only spectacular traditional sports game is NBA 2K7, and many sports gamers aren't big into traditional basketball games. Fight Night Round 3 is by far the best sports title for the console, but like Basketball it doesn't have the same appeal as Football or Baseball. Most genres have sparse support at the moment. For instance, the fighting genre only has Dead or Alive 4. Whereas the puzzle, simulation, and strategy genres have very few if any quality titles at all. However the driving genre, like the original Xbox, is pretty well supported. With Burnout 4, Project Gotham Racing 3, Need for Speed, and the Test Drive franchises all submitting worthy titles, makes for a rich selection. Also, upcoming sequels to the aforementioned titles as well as Forza Motorsport for the original Xbox should only enrich this genre even more.
While Gears of War might be the title to own now, Halo 3 will likely cause Gears of War to become an afterthought. Bungie has a great track record of providing quality first person shooters which are fun and accessible to many gamers. Gamers should expect no different from this title even though it's likely 10 months away. If there isn't a game that compels you to buy an Xbox 360 right now, this one game could be the reason why you might want to start saving.
The Xbox 360 also allows you to purchase games off of Xbox Live Arcade and play them locally on your hard drive. While many of these games aren't as complex or graphically pleasing as the regular titles, they can prove to be a good value. For instance, Geometry Wars is a very basic game which is accessible to a variety of different gamers. Xbox Live Arcade also offers quality titles like Street Fighter II and Uno. Still, the number of great Xbox Live Arcade games hasn't really flourished over the past year. I see these three games as the only ones really worth owning, which is a small percentage compared to the games offered on Wii's Virtual Console right now.
The Xbox 360 also offers backwards compatibility with many original Xbox games. These titles cannot be played online via Xbox Live, but can be played multiplayer split screen. Most first and second party titles are available especially popular ones like Halo 1 and 2, Forza Motorsport, all Grand Theft Auto games, both Ninja Gaiden games, Fable, both Knights of the Old Republic games, and Jade Empire. What's disappointing is that many great sports titles are absent from the list like any of the NFL 2K games, any of the MVP Baseball games, and there's only one traditional NHL title (NHL 2004), one traditional basketball title (NBA Live 2004), ESPN Major League Baseball, and two All-Star Baseball games (2003, and 2005). Given the state of sports licensing, it's a shame older sports games like ESPN NFL 2K5, MVP Baseball 2005, and some older now defunct franchises could not have been emulated. Playing backwards compatible titles requires a hard drive. Listed here are the backwards compatible titles:
Overall the library is very stable and strong in many areas, but what caused the Playstation and Playstation 2 to succeed was its ability to churn decent titles for all genres. I'm not seeing this right now with the Xbox 360. Part of the problem is the lack of support from Japanese development houses, which dominate the RPG, puzzle and family-friendly genres. Another issue is the cost of games. The $60 price tag is a little steep for some gamers. It's caused the rental industry to become even more popular, but doesn't translate to good sales numbers for Microsoft or 3rd party developers. Sony is in the same boat with the Playstation 3, and word is development costs for Blu-ray games will cut the profit margins for game developers more than the Xbox 360 format DVDs. However, the Xbox 360 will lose business to the less expensive Wii in this area because their games are still at $50 and the price of the console is still low. This is yet one more reason why gamers who are on a strict budget might want not want to get on board the Xbox 360 just yet.
Impressions
My first impression of the Xbox 360 is not a good one. I am very concerned whether this console will hold up over time. First, the machine runs very loud, and that isn't a good sign, but it isn't hard evidence that the console will break. However, the stories of launch Xbox 360 consoles dying and the timing of the warranty extension from 90 days to 1 year, makes me think that this console will not hold up too well. People who have bought early versions of the Playstation 2 and Xbox certainly know the feeling all too well. I have my same reservations about the expensive PS3. Still, this console generates a lot of heat and a very popular accessory is a cooling kit. That should make you wonder too.
One positive impression I have of the Xbox 360 is the look of some of the games. I mean Gears of War looks incredible, especially for a game created by Epic. That really stands out in my mind. What this should tell you is if you have an HDTV that's capable of 1080i, the Xbox 360 is capable of producing some wonderful looking graphics. Once developers start to catch onto the capabilities of this machine, there should be some impressive looking games.
As for the future, it looks good, with some reservations. The Xbox 360 has the superior online service for yet another generation and that should go a long way towards attracting gamers. Yes it's a money grab, but it's worth the money if you can afford it. The graphics are very comparable to the PS3 with a better set of games, the Xbox 360 is sitting pretty when matched up with Sony's PS3 console. My reservation comes for those looking to jump in later in the game. The treatment of the original Xbox with regards to support has me questioning the future support of the Xbox 360 once the generation after this one arrives. The Xbox games dropped off dramatically after the Xbox 360 was released and only partial backwards compatibility really made owning an Xbox the past year less than worthwhile. Original Xbox games are selling cheaper than many PS1 games as a result, while the only other bone is that at least Xbox Live still supports the original Xbox. That's not to say that this doesn't happen elsewhere. Nintendo wanted to put the N64 era behind them even before the GameCube was released, so that happens. However, Sony and Nintendo have a stronger track record of support for prior generational consoles than Microsoft has proven thus far.
Overall, the Xbox 360 console is very solid. It's impossible to say whether this will be a great console yet. It's sold very well, which should all but guarantee some decent 3rd party title support and thus should have some very good games in the future. The 500 pound gorilla looming is Halo 3. If Halo 3 delivers as expected, and the Playstation 3 and Wii cannot match such a hot title, then the Xbox 360 will be the console to have. However, at the moment I think there's legitimate reasoning why someone shouldn't fork over $400 for an Xbox 360 and go with a Wii or stick with an older console. To that end, the Xbox 360 still isn't there yet.
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