Microsoft Xbox 360 (20GB)

May 13, 2005 06:49
Excellent
2.0/5
Well gamers, I don't know about you, but this seems like a desperate attempt to slash at Sony before the curtain goes up on the PS3. I honestly can't see myself buying this machine yet, and Microsoft has not given a good argument.

Firstly, my current Xbox is hooked up to a home theater providing 7 channel surround sound and a crisp HD picture. Microsoft boasts this capability with the 360, but we have that already don't we? I also have 4 wireless controller hooked up to it to deduce the bird nest of cables that spew out from all the equiptment in the front. While Microsoft has "predicted" that it's new 360 will have this feature bundled, how much will it cost us? Again I already have this, why would I plunk down more cash for something I already have?

The unanswered questions: Will it work with the Apple Airport? Will it read the next generation of DVD (Bluelight) that Sony has already promised, and will it be backwards compatable?

I bought a PS2 based on the thought that I love the PS1 games, and will be able to play new games as they are released. That's important to me, and it should be important to Microsoft. Respect the gamer's wallet.

As far as the home entertainment PC ideas are concerned, spare me the clunky extras I won't use. I have a laptop for pictures, music, and internet. Surfing the web in my hometheater is a dead last on my gaming priority list. So Microsoft here's waht we want:

Slim Build (Check)
Plenty of Memory & Speed (Speed - Check, Memory? Detachable HD?)
Good Graphics (Check)
Fast Load times (Dunno)
Plays Old Games (Dunno)
Surround Sound (Had That)
Online Gaming (Had That)
Built for future innovation (Not yet)

So, with that being said, Microsoft has only delivered a pretty white Xbox.

- Bassoonjedi

December 26, 2005 11:56

4.5/5
Welcome to the console market Microsoft! You've done an outstanding job creating this product. It truely is next-gen and will give Sony some true competition. Great work on the headstart. I own the PS2, Xbox, and 360 and believe this console will corner the market.

The online functionality of this console will set this apart. The Connect button on the controller puts you a button away from connecting with friends over your box. The downloadable classic games are a bonus as well. Not to mention, downloadable game demos, hi-def movie trailers, etc.

The games will get better, but my brother and I have been blown away with Call of Duty 2. The graphics of the system are amazing!

A couple downsides: the flimsy DVD tray. Be sure not to accidently hit the tray with any force with it open. It doesn't inspire any confidence with its strength. #2 The heat. Be sure to install your console with adequate ventilation out of the back. There are two fans on the back that require that air move through the system openly. Also, the power supply is cooled by a fan, ensure it has ventilation. Keep it off of plush carpet. Remember, high power computing requires adequate heat dissipation. It is a very powerful console, expect that out of the PS3 as well.

Overall, if you're waiting for next-gen console gaming, this is the one! Don't let the negative posts discourage your purchases. Remember, all of us that are having fun are too busy playing!

- voloftn

November 11, 2005 06:59

5.0/5
Ah Microsoft, you dominate the computer industry, and now you're dominating our games. I'm not going to bore you all with the specs of the new monster dubbed the 360 but in short the only thing you need to know is that this beast is well worth the money. Want to know why? Of course you do!
This sleek design new machine is the most powerful gaming machine ever released to homes around the world; in short, this is the best there is for home gaming.
The new Xbox 360 console has crystal clear graphics, supports high definition TV (although this is a bit of a downer for those in Britain as these TVs are kind of expensive, Basically, every games console ends up updating the speed and power of the machine: old news huh? Well Microsoft is going all out with this one. The Xbox 360 features a graphics card which does not yet exist on PCs, and won't until the end of 2006 at the very earliest. But those who have an Xbox, will already know what the special thing about it is, thats right Xbox live.

Xbox live is the next step for gaming. It allows us to meet and of course defeat other players in real time from any where in the world! I never fully experienced of Xbox live myself but i will with this machine. Basically you can have two different kinds of Xbox live services, gold or silver. The silver is pre installed on the machine right out of the box, just plug in to your broadband connection and you're off, but you are restricted, you can only use the voice and text features you cant actually play online, to do this you will have to upgrade to a gold service. This should cost around £39.99 for the brits. Im not sure what the conversion into dollars is. And this is a yearly subscription. So its well worth the cost. The Xbox communicator is the bets part, you can play others and cuss them as they kill you, or gloat as you beat them to a pulp in dead or alive.

The Xbox 360 can also act as a media centre; basically it allows you to stream music or videos and pictures from your PC or laptop onto your Xbox and watch or play them there.
The Xbox features security measures which should appeal to those who have kids, (quite a smart move by Microsoft I think) and using the player profile feature you can design a profile and let others visiting your page see who you are, how good you are, how much people like you and you can even put a picture of yourself there using the Xbox 360 camera (not released till early 2006). The game play itself of the Xbox offline is undoubtedly the same as today but with the added graphics power and sound quality.

The Controller.
Many people seem to think that the controller is very important to the console, I dont, and like look at the hype surrounding the Nintendo Revolution's controller.......Ill say no more. But for those of you who think like that here are the controller specs.
The noticeable thing about it is the big green button in the centre, basically this will pause the game you are playing, and bring you to your dashboard so you can change music or sign in to live. Press it again to resume play. It can also turn on and off the console for those lazy gamers out there. The next thing is that the black and white buttons are gone! Instead we have to shoulder buttons just above the triggers. The controller features no wires and a battery pack, which can be charged if the battery runs low (charger sold separately). So now we have the worry of losing a controller down the back of the couch due to the lack of wires. But a wired controller is available.

It features a standard DVD player with NO playback kit required this time. The consoles face plate is detachable and can be replaced with custom ones due for sale shortly after the consoles release.
The console can be upgraded with wireless features such as wireless access to the internet etc.

There will be two packs released. A core pack and a premium pack.
The core pack features the console (obviously) a wired controller standard faceplate and a standard Scart cable.
The premium pack consists of, the console (phew) and a wireless controller (no charge pack) an Ethernet cable for instant access to live silver and a high definition TV Scart cable. And of course, the faceplate.
The Core pack is £199.99 and the premium is £279.99.
Both packages come with the silver live service installed so its basically plug-and-play if you get the Ethernet cable.

Summary.
The new Microsoft beast is definitely the most advanced games system ever. Great games, the best currently unchallenged online service and many other media features to appeal to people of all ages. This is definitely the way forward. Can Sony beta Microsoft? Well see. According to most developers the Sony PS3 and the Xbox 360 are quite evenly matched in power. Xbox has better graphics; Sony has faster processing speed by 50 Hz, yes thats not that much but to die hard fans this could be the main argument point between Xbox fans and Sony fans. However the Xbox consists of a unified pipeline, (I believe there are three different pipes) for those of you who dont know, a pipeline helps to process data such as loading. This means the Xbox can loads three times faster and will cut down or maybe even eliminate loading screens from games. The new Ghost Recon game is a fine example, it has no loading whatsoever.
Is this enough to remove the lead Sony has had on other consoles for many years now? Only time will tell. But as for online gaming, you die hard Xbox fans will be able to rest easy that Microsoft are the dominant force in that department and have not yet been challenged there.
All in all, the new 360 is definitely worth the (somewhat hefty) price tag. But do remember, the Xbox is being sold at a lower price that what it cost to make it. It will make a great Christmas present this year. Those of you who havent already ordered yours and are intending to do so better do it quick, as there has been a massive sell out all around the world so its getting difficult to pre order one now.

The Xbox 360s accessories.

Wired/wireless controller: They do the same thing, ones wired ones not, one uses batteries one doesnt, both cost around the same price. You decide.

Ethernet Cable: kind of needed for online gaming, shouldnt cost more than £10.

Hard drive: Used for storing data without the need of a memory card. Can be detached for moving data between consoles. Required for online gaming. Costs around £60/£70. (Yeah we know we are being ripped off there.)

Memory card: Same as the hard drive, but smaller and holds less data, and should cost around £15-£20 maybe less.

Headset: essential for online gaming, not required but this is the fun part. Cuss your rivals online. Cost around £25-£30 maybe more maybe less.

Camera: (not released till 2006) can be used to store images on your Xbox and personalise your Xbox live account. Price-TBC

AV/HD cables: dont have a Scart input? Youll need an AV cable. The HD cable works with normal Scart/RGB inputs. Shouldnt cost more than £15.

HDTV: not essentially an Xbox accessory but more of an aid, to experience your games to their fullest then get one of these. Price (A LOT!)

Note: Xbox 360 features sound of a higher quality than Dolby surround 5.1, so investing in subwoofers and speakers is worth the money (if you have it). Also note, by buying everything here for Christmas you may wish to send your friends and families an IOU 1 Christmas present.


Look for me on Halo 2.




Donut Monster

- Donut Monster

May 13, 2005 08:03

4.0/5
this review didnt tell the entire story on the xbox. firstly, the processor is a custom power pc processor (mac processor for n00bs), its also a multicored processor. it has 3 3.2 ghz cores. the processing power is there, and definitely alongside the socalled "cell processor". the issue i foresee with this next gen of consoles is that developers might start crying out about the difficulty to program for these systems (a la sega saturn, playstation ). so it might come down to which is easier and that would put the revolution right back in the fight. software-wise, the xbox 360 should have no issues. esp considering they have all of their 3rd party support again and then some (ie: square enix, capcom, konami). the media center crap inside it does have me apprehensive, but if it works as well as they say, itll make the 360 that much more valuable (dont forget ms isnt the only one trying to incorporate their system into everything else, sony has said they will introduce the cell processor into more of their products so that you can basically network your entire living room). from the screens ive seen so far though, the games look amazing. 2 days to vegas is putting half life 2 to shame. crystal clear. HD era is going to be fun. backwards compatability is no issue. itll be a simple emulation ran inside the 360. they say DVD is aging in this review. thats a sad argument considering how many games that are out there right now span more than one dvd on the xbox? any? nope. the first party support is also awesome for the xbox. rare, bungie, just to name a few.

- slimtdx

December 2, 2005 08:28
Spectacular
2.5/5
First off, let me just say that yes, I do have one. And 2nd, the games are great. BUT, the launch games are completely flops. And the fact that this thing doesn't have wi-fi compatibility built in and that you'd have to sacrifice another $100 just for another peripheral is ridiculous. Trust me, just use your computer's wireless b/g USB adapter and it'll work. An extra $100 for a 20 gb harddrive? That's just BS. This system will definitely be owned by the PS3 just like the PS2 owned the XBOX. Don't get me wrong though, it's a good system for a timekiller, but it was released WAY TOO SOON. I mean, it's not like Mr. Gates is losing some money and released this "BOX" ASAP in hopes of gaining the money he lost versus the PS2. This could've been better if more patience and time was put into it. Nuff said.

- celph_titled

November 24, 2005 02:15
Spectacular
2.5/5
First off -- yes I do have one -- and yes I am using a HD TV. I have Dark Zero and NFS most wanted-- the only real difference so far -- turning it on and off with remote (wireless controller-- I use my logitech remote which also works) other than that not much (it sounds great for $400) -- dont waste your money yet-- it will go down in price and the demand is pretty crazy right now ... this may change when more games come out -- plus the "built in wi-fi" requires an adapter of course

- doctorvik

November 20, 2005 04:29
Terrible
0.5/5
Dont buy this product. get a Christmas vocher from your family/or santa and wait till febuary TRUST ME

- Cox0924

April 3, 2008 07:06

4.5/5
The 360 is by far the best console if you are looking for a console to encapsulate the total gaming experience. I have tried them all, the Wii, the PS3 and the 360. The all are very good products and have their niche. The Wii does great with the sports games that you can actively participate in (motion controllers), the PS3 has the built in Blu-Ray player, but where the 360 blows the other two away is the online game experience through Xbox Live.

If you have never played Madden, Call of Duty 4 or Halo 3 online against other players or on a team of 8 players playing against another team of 8 players, you MUST try it. It seems a little intimidating at first, there are alot of really good players out there, but it is a hell of alot of fun. Especially with the headset that is included with the mid-level 360 and the Elite system. With the headset you can talk to the other players and talk "smack" as well. It is a blast and Xbox Live tracks your wins and other game information.

The other area where the 360 has the other systems beat is the number of game titles. There is simply more games available on the 360 and you can play most of the old Xbox games on it as well.

The 360 is the best all around system that will keep you at the top of your game!

- vadman51

January 1, 2008 07:42
Terrible
0.5/5
HERE IS THE REAL DEAL!!!! DO NOT BUY ONE!!!

Nearly one in every three Xbox 360 consoles fail, according to retailer reports


By several metrics, the Xbox 360 is the most successful console so far of this generation. Despite the startling pace of the Wii, the Xbox 360 still has the most consoles sold worldwide and the longest list of games and exclusives. For a gamer looking for online-enabled high-definition gaming today, the Xbox 360 appears to satisfy those needs.

One often overlooked factor when considering a console purchase is reliability, an area that is apparently where the Xbox 360 falls short. Anecdotal evidence is heavily pointing to Microsofts latest console as being significantly more prone to failure than what consumers are accustomed to.

Microsoft has said before that its Xbox 360 failure rate falls within three to five percent, what it believes to be well within industry standards. Internet reports from Xbox 360 owners, however, suggest that the failure rate is much higher than that.

In an effort to gain a more accurate picture of Xbox 360 failure rate, DailyTech decided to poll retail outlets that sell the Xbox 360 and with it the option to purchase an in-store extended warranty. Out of all Xbox 360 extended warranties sold, we wanted to know how many were claimed by consumers with defective consoles, thus giving us a more accurate failures percentage.

After contacting several retailers from various regions in North America, the responses were unanimous: the Xbox 360 is the least reliable gaming console in recent history. Current EB Games or GameStop employees who offered information did so under strict anonymity, as it is against company policy to reveal such information to the public. Furthermore, our sources confirmed that EB Games revised its Canadian warranty policies during early 2007 for consoles solely due to the failure rate of the Xbox 360.

EB Games held conference calls for its Canadian stores informing them of the new policy changes and revealing alarming failure rates of the Xbox 360. The real numbers were between 30 to 33 percent, said former EB Games employee Matthieu G., adding that failure rate was even greater for launch consoles. We had 35 Xbox 360s at launch I know more than half of them broke within the first six months (red lights or making circles under the game discs). Two of them were dead on arrival.

Interestingly, Microsoft has acknowledged that the initial batch of Xbox 360 consoles made during the launch window suffer from below average reliability. In response to an overwhelming defect rate of launch consoles, Microsoft agreed to repair all machines manufactured in 2005 free of charge, and issue a refund for those who already paid for repairs of launch units up until January 1, 2006.

The three flashing red lights  commonly referred to in gaming communities as the Red Ring of Death  is a sign of an Xbox 360 hardware failure. The sign is apparently common enough that Microsoft has added an option to its 1-800-4MY-XBOX support line that names three flashing red lights specifically.

As a result of the high failure rate of the Xbox 360, EB Games corporate nearly doubled the prices of its one-year, over-the-counter warranty. While the previous warranty would give a customer a brand new console in exchange for the broken one, the new policy now states that the customer will receive a refurbished console instead. The move was made because it was becoming too costly for the retailer to give the customer a brand-new machine, which still carries a store cost close to the MSRP. The price increase and policy change wasnt exclusive to only the Xbox 360, however, as it also applies to all other Sony and Nintendo consoles sold.

The failure rate nearing a third of all Xbox 360 consoles was found at other retailers too. A Best Buy customer service department manager, who wished to remain unnamed, said that failure rates for the console were between a quarter to a third of all units sold.

We see a ton of [Xbox 360s] come back all the time. We strongly push our customers to buy our service plans no matter what they buy, but it is especially important for them with the Xbox 360, said the manager. Its a lucky thing for us that Microsoft extended the factory warranty to one year, because we were having a hell of a time dealing with the launch units. Now we dont have to deal with those broken [Xbox 360s] until their second year, for those who have purchased the two year plans.

In late 2006, Microsoft boosted the warranty of all Xbox 360 consoles to one year, up from 90-days previously. For gamers who are out of warranty, however, a replacement or repair will cost Xbox 360 customers $140.

When compared against other systems, the Xbox 360 is failing at higher rates than its current competitors and predecessors. Former EB Games worker Matthieu G. said that the failure rates for all other consoles were not high enough for the retailer to consider revising its policies, and guesses that most other console systems have a failure rate of less than one percent, including the PlayStation 3. Another EB Games manager, when asked if the store warranty was worth it, conceded that in the hundreds of Wii units sold at that location thus far, zero have come back as defective.

Despite the overwhelming evidence that the Xbox 360 is a relatively unreliable games machine, Microsoft officials refuse to comment on its failure rate. Peter Moore, VP of Microsofts entertainment division, said to the Mercury News, I cant comment on failure rates, because its just not something  its a moving target. What this consumer should worry about is the way that weve treated him. Yknow, things break, and if weve treated him well and fixed his problem, thats something that were focused on right now. Im not going to comment on individual failure rates because Im shipping in 36 countries and its a complex business.

Similar questions regarding the Xbox 360 hardware met with the man responsible for the design of the console, Todd Holmdahl. He too sidestepped the issue with the Mercury News, saying, I would say we dont have a high defect rate. The vast majority of people are really excited about their product, and that we are targeting profitability for next year.

Asked differently about whether or not the Xbox 360 falls into the normal three to five percent return rate, Holmdahl said, We dont disclose the actual number, and We dont comment on that.

No piece of technology, no matter how well designed, should be expected to completely free of failure. The key metric is whether or not a product falls within industry standards of acceptable failure rates  and from findings based off retailer-supported warranty returns, the actual rate of failures could be six to ten times greater than what Microsoft is letting on.

Regardless of what the actual failure rate is, there is consumer perception that the Xbox 360 is a less reliable machine than its competitors. That fact alone should encourage Microsoft to do more than just avoid all comments on failures and only preach on the wonderful experience of its consumer base.


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- deadfred75

September 20, 2007 09:17

3.0/5
Microsoft were the first to step up and make the jump to the next generation of gaming with their second iteration of the Xbox. While many thought lowly of the early release, the system has gone on to selling rather well, while managing to get the largest gaming library between the 360, PS3 and Wii. The 360 is a great system, however its very prone to technical issues and as a result, the system is a very questionable purchase.

I guess the first place to start would be the console's appearance, which strikes a mix between cool and just average. Since Microsoft are the way they are, the system looks very computer-like, but also has somewhat of an Apple-like touch to it. There haven't been many great-looking home console systems, but the 360 isn't half-bad, at least it looks better than its bulky predecessor.

Next let's talk about the Xbox 360 Dashboard and its interface. The Dashboard is used as the 360's own selection of menus, which are divided by slides that you access by pressing left or right on the controller or remote (provided you have one). There are five slides that make up the Dashboard: System, Media, Games, Xbox Live and the update added Marketplace slide. There's plenty to access from the Dashboard and its several menus, but it's very easy to find what you want to. Plugging in your MP3 player and listening to the music off of it while you play games is easy as one, two, three and the Xbox Live selection of downloads is also very organized. It's a creative idea and the Dashboard turns out to be one of the 360's strongest attributes (and it's more creative than the rehashed PSP menu interface on the Playstation 3).

Now for the games and accessories, which are probably what make the 360 a stand-out console. There are several games, and the release of Halo 3 is nearly upon us, which puts the 360 in a great position as far as games are concerned. The game selection is both large and great, with titles like Gears of War, Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter, BioShock, and The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion already making a big splash in the water along with Halo 3, Mass Effect, Lost Odyssey, Too Human and Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare looking to make the experience even better, the 360's definitely got the goods to make it last. With the accessories, there's a few good options, although they're nearly as good or robust as the games. The main attraction for accessories would have to be the $150 steering wheel (which comes with Project Gotham Racing 3) and the Guitar Hero II controllers, which are both great products respectively. While there are other accessories like the HD-DVD drive (King Kong HD-DVD movie included) and larger hard drives, it's a bit of a shame there aren't a few more reliable and necessary add-ons.

Speaking of the HD-DVD player, it's only an add-on, none of the four 360 SKU's come with it. If you're interested in purchasing it, the player costs an extra $200. This may make the 360 seem like a less-than advanced console than the PS3 (which it is in a sense), it's nice to have the choice in whether you want to buy an HD player with it or not (unlike the PS3 which you have to buy it as it is with the Blu-ray player included). However, for you HD junkies out there, the 360 does fall short of what you might expect. The main reason behind this is that the games aren't available in HD. While you can hook your 360 up to an HDTV to get the optimal experience (and in a few cases the only way to get a great experience, like Dead Rising's text issue), the games are played in DVD-9 rather than HD-DVD. So, when considering the HD-DVD player add-on, you'll want to reconsider and ask yourself if the $200 is worth it if you can only watch movies in HD but not movies. Whatever route you go I leave as a choice for your taking.

So with all this in mind, the 360 sounds like a system with only minor faults and one that you should rush out and purchase ASAP. However, the 360 has several issues that ultimately amount to one huge Achilles Heel: the factor of reliability. As far as unreliable consoles, the 360 could quite possibly be the worst in history; this IS including the PS2. Just to give you a realistic idea of how "reliable" this console is, have a look at the list of issues I alone have encountered:

-Three Flashing Red Lights "Red Rings of Death" (system failure)
-Prompted updates from Xbox Live causing the system to freeze up frequently and possibly cause the Red Rings issue.
-Consistent freezing only on certain games (works for Guitar Hero and Oblivion, but freezes on Saints Row, BioShock, Forza Motorsport 2 and DiRT).
-Having to download a single demo as many as three or four times to actually be able to play it without the system freezing.
-Downloaded videos from Xbox Live Marketplace randomly freezing at certain points.
-Screen goes black, Dashboard slide sound can be heard but nothing shows on screen, hitting the eject button brings you back to the Dashboard (essentially, the game technically freezes but the system doesn't).

And that's not even naming most of the issues that you'll read about in several other areas. Where the PS2 primarily had the "Disc Read Error" issue, the 360 has so many awkward and unforgivable issues that it maks a purchase of one rather scary. While you might hear that the failure rate of 360's is about 33%, the amount of people you'll encounter who say they've had no issues and have owned theirs for over six months is going to be exceedingly slim. For me, the longest one of my 360's has lasted was just under a full year, the other two I've had lasted six months (the first) and six weeks (the second). And no, there have been no adjustments made to the hardware to make the system work. Instead, Microsoft has treated us to extended warranties that basically replace broken systems with systems that'll eventually break. Oh, and they took the time to add HDMI outputs to the 360's but not any means to make the hardware more reliable.

There's a great system, an excellent one in the 360 and really, it's a great system through and through. However, until the technical issues are finally resolved, it's simply a purchase that may want to be reconsidered, even if the system has Halo 3. If you think luck is on your side to get a 360 that won't eventually break, go ahead and spend a few hundred dollars on this bad boy, just do so with caution.

- Hellrazr360