Spending money: Xbox360

[Reb]

So, after a good month at work I've now got about € 4.000,- to spend.
Obviously I'm not going to spend it all, but I decided that I would spend about € 500,- on something useless like a Xbox360 or a PS3.

First I wanted to buy a PS3, mostly for the Blu-Ray, because it has no games.
Then I figured I would buy a Blu-Ray player when the format really takes off.

That leaves me with the Xbox360, there's a € 100,- difference between the Pro and the Elite version. For that amount I get 120GB and HDMI(+cable) extra.

My questions:
- Do I need the extra 120GB?
- Will HDMI do me any good, with my Samsung HD-ready TV, or could I stick to component?
- Is there anything else I should know?

[BlueTsunami]

The bigger HDD will come in handy and its cheaper to get it with the system than standalone. I guess the HDMI is outputt is cool but its not really needed, you should get the same fidelity out of the component. Good to be future proof though.

You may want to look into rechargeable batteries for the S-Pad, unless your good just switching out the batteries with newer ones whenever they die.

[Herr Mafflard]

Don't forget to buy some games.

[The Sceneman]

get Lost Odyssey, Dead Rising and Stranglehold

[Reb]

Ok, so the HDMI is not that special...

What about wireless internet? Does that work OK, or should I start running wires through my house?

Buy list:
- Games
- Rechargeable batteries

- Wireless internet thingie?

[Pharmacy]

just get a ps3

[The Sceneman]

from what I hear the wireless thingy works well (I think demi has one), I gave it a miss personally as its quite expensive. I just plug my 360 straight into the router

I use rechargables for all my controllers (got Wiimotes and wavebirds to worry about too), theyre great and much cheaper than forking out for AAs all the time.

As for games: (seriously this time)

I really like:

Call of Duty 2 & 4
Blue Dragon
Lost Odyssey
Devil May Cry 4
Enchanted Arms
Bioshock
Dead Rising
Pro Evolution Soccer 08 (if football is your thing)
Eternal Sonata (I am some sort of jfag though, this game gets a lot of deserved hate)
Gears of War

I hear Saints Row, R6 Vegas 1 and Crackdown are all solid too but I havent played them

On XBLA:

Rez
Ikaruga
N+
Castlevania: SotN
Geo Wars
Omega V

are all worth checking out also

[chronovore]

Don't discount the Xbox Video Marketplace, if such a thing exists in the EU/UK. Who needs to buy expensive Blu-Ray discs if you're able to rent hi-def content immediately, without leaving home?

The North American Video Marketplace would be making my day, regularly, with hi-def downloads of movies and TV shows... if it weren't IP blocked from being access from Japan. Brief rant:

spoiler (click to show/hide)

I bought the US version of the box, got a US account, and bought US Microsoft Points for purchasing content, and I was able to enjoy this stuff for about a month before last year's Spring Dashboard Update enabled IP address-based location blocking. It makes me wish I'd bought the Japanese 360 which was nearly half price at that time from all the dumping. 

[close]

Anyway...

I also enjoy the uprezzing the 360 manages of standard def DVDs over VGA/HDMI; the stuff in it is apparently similar to HTPC stuff that ATI was putting in their cards. Anyway, if you have a lot of DVDs that you plan to watch.

[Kyle]

I recommend you buy Nyko Charge Base 

cheap + comes with 2 rechargeable batteries.

as for games: (additional to Scenester awesome list)

Project Gotham Racing 4
Forza Motorsport 2
GRID
Ninja Gaiden II (if you're into NG).
HALO 3 
Rainbow Six Vegas 1 & 2 
Assassin's Creed (awesome game, the graphix will blow your mind) 
Splinter Cell Double Agent
Ace Combat 6 
Crackdown
Viva Pinata
The Orange Box™ ( 5 games on a disc for 49.99 *amazon*, greatest deal in the history of vg )
Mass Effect (demi hates it  , but it's good)
Obilivion GOTY edition (OMG OMG this game is EPIC)
LOST PLANET (Megaman 3D lulz)
Kameo (one of the nicest games I played this gen)
PDZ ( if you find it cheap )
Overlord ( nice game but buggy as hell, don't know if it's patched or not, but hey, I beat the game!)

[BlueTsunami]

As far as the Wireless Adapter goes, it works fine for me. It is pricey but you can either get that nice little adapter or deal with a Bridge or cable.

[Mupepe]

The bigger HDD will come in handy and its cheaper to get it with the system than standalone. I guess the HDMI is outputt is cool but its not really needed, you should get the same fidelity out of the component. Good to be future proof though.

You may want to look into rechargeable batteries for the S-Pad, unless your good just switching out the batteries with newer ones whenever they die.

what what what???

That's the only part of your post I disagree with.  I noticed a pretty big difference between component and HDMI.  Not to mention, 1080p upscaling of video content

[archie4208]

Buy Pacman CE.  It's the first new version of Pacman in ages and is the best game on XBLA.

[BlueTsunami]

The bigger HDD will come in handy and its cheaper to get it with the system than standalone. I guess the HDMI is outputt is cool but its not really needed, you should get the same fidelity out of the component. Good to be future proof though.

You may want to look into rechargeable batteries for the S-Pad, unless your good just switching out the batteries with newer ones whenever they die.

what what what???

That's the only part of your post I disagree with.  I noticed a pretty big difference between component and HDMI.  Not to mention, 1080p upscaling of video content

Maybe I'm so used to it since I've only used my PS3 with HDMI. But the upscaling to 1080p is actually a good point (totally forgot about that).

[Mupepe]

The bigger HDD will come in handy and its cheaper to get it with the system than standalone. I guess the HDMI is outputt is cool but its not really needed, you should get the same fidelity out of the component. Good to be future proof though.

You may want to look into rechargeable batteries for the S-Pad, unless your good just switching out the batteries with newer ones whenever they die.

what what what???

That's the only part of your post I disagree with.  I noticed a pretty big difference between component and HDMI.  Not to mention, 1080p upscaling of video content

Maybe I'm so used to it since I've only used my PS3 with HDMI. But the upscaling to 1080p is actually a good point (totally forgot about that).

It's all good.  I think the point is moot anyways since I think all units have HDMI including Arcade.

[Reb]

When I read all this, the big question is if 20GB will be enough, or will I regret having so little space?
How big are save games and XBLA games?
How much good will HDMI do, when I don't have a full HD tv set?

What are your feelings on wireless controllers vs. wired controllers?

I guess I'll get some rechargeable batteries since I already have the charger for my Wii batteries.
The Wireless adapter is also a must have, as long as I hear no negative experiences.

Games I'm considering:
- Orange Box
- Dead Rising
- Gears of War
- Ninja Gaiden II (does it have a pussy mode?)
- Some race game: PGR4 or FM2?

I'm not big on the RPG's, so I guess I'll skip those. Maybe a cool action RPG?

[archie4208]

You will run out of room with the 20GB if you DL alot of Xbox 1 games, movies or a ton of DLC for something like Rock Band.  Also, with the 20GB HDD, you only have about 13GB usable since part of it is partitioned off.

XBLA save games are in the kilobytes.  The full games are usually between 50 and 150 megs (but the cap is now 350 megs).

I haven't used the wired controller, but I prefer the wireless controller.  It seems to have a good battery life.

[Mupepe]

When I read all this, the big question is if 20GB will be enough, or will I regret having so little space?
How big are save games and XBLA games?
How much good will HDMI do, when I don't have a full HD tv set?

What are your feelings on wireless controllers vs. wired controllers?

I guess I'll get some rechargeable batteries since I already have the charger for my Wii batteries.
The Wireless adapter is also a must have, as long as I hear no negative experiences.

Games I'm considering:
- Orange Box
- Dead Rising
- Gears of War
- Ninja Gaiden II (does it have a pussy mode?)
- Some race game: PGR4 or FM2?

I'm not big on the RPG's, so I guess I'll skip those. Maybe a cool action RPG?

I'd say get the 120gb hardrive.  Better to be ready for the future, you don't want to pay 180 for it later if you need it. 

wireless controller all the way.  my batteries last like 50 hours.

HDMI will make colors and IQ better even if you don't have a 1080p set. 

All those games rock (or in ng2's case, will rock)

[Reb]

Screw it, so I'm going to get:

- Xbox360 Elite
- Wireless Controller
- Wireless Adapter
- Rechargeable Batteries (Nyko Charge Base if i can find it in Holland)
- Orange Box
- Dead Rising
- Gears of War
- Rez

All I need is some advice on what the best racing game is!

[Pharmacy]

All I need is some advice on what the best racing game is!

its on the ps3

[Herr Mafflard]

[Reb]

Is it really? Is it?!

[Beezy]

Is it really? Is it?!

What type of racing games do you like?

[Reb]

Last game I liked was Burnout 3.

And Mario Kart, but everybody loves Mario kart.

[siamesedreamer]

Screw it, so I'm going to get:

- Xbox360 Elite
- Wireless Controller
- Wireless Adapter
- Rechargeable Batteries (Nyko Charge Base if i can find it in Holland)
- Orange Box
- Dead Rising
- Gears of War
- Rez

All I need is some advice on what the best racing game is!

Good picks. I was going to add that the 20Gb hard drive is actually only 13.3Gb for some reason. I imagine the 120Gb hard drive is similarly missing Gbs.

[Beezy]

Last game I liked was Burnout 3.

And Mario Kart, but everybody loves Mario kart.

So you like arcade racers? You should get Burnout Paradise then. It's really different from the previous games, but if you give it chance you'll love it. If not, then you can always get the older Burnout game, Burnout Revenge for cheap. I plan on getting it when I'm done with Paradise.

There's also Ridge Racer 6. It's my first Ridge Racer game ever and I really like it from what I've played so far.

Grid is weird. It's like in between a sim racer and arcade racer. I can't get used to the controls. It is hte best looking racing game this gen so far though. Download the demo when you get your 360 and see if you like it.

[Darunia]

you have some good picks there, but you really need

- Crackdown
- BioShock (if not yet played on pc)
- Condemned 1 & 2
- N+

too

[Reb]

I hate sandbox, so I'm not too sure about Burnout Paradise or Crackdown...
I don't like horror games, so Condemned is out too.
And I played N+ via a website and did not like it that much...

Which leaves me with Bioshock (another shooter?) and GRID (first I'll try the demo).

[Beezy]

No Burnout Revenge?

[Reb]

No Burnout Revenge?

What's the gimmick, all the Burnout games have their own gimmick, right?

[Beezy]

I'm not sure. I just know that it's more similar to the older games.

[AdmiralViscen]

If you aren't downloading XBox games or TV shows/movies 20GB is beyond fine on 360. Not so much on PS3.

Honestly unless you're specifically hyped for 360 exclusives I don't see why you wouldn't just get the PS3.

[muckson]

i only read part of the thread but here's my opinion:

i have a 20 gb hdmi 360.  i don't need the hdmi.  i saved a lot of games, a few expansions, and lots of arcade games, and i still have 10 gb left.  so a large hd isn't necessary until you need to load games in the system or if you like watching movies from xboxlive.  truth be told the resolution will be the same with hdmi or component so do whichever one of those.

for games:

lost odyssey
blue dragon
gears of war
crackdown
musou orochi
oblivion game of the year edition

edit:
get a recharchable battery pack for the controller too.

[Kyle]

Screw it, so I'm going to get:

- Xbox360 Elite
- Wireless Controller
- Wireless Adapter
- Rechargeable Batteries (Nyko Charge Base if i can find it in Holland)
- Orange Box
- Dead Rising
- Gears of War
- Rez

All I need is some advice on what the best racing game is!

If you want a sim racer, go for FM2, it's really awesome and worth the money.
If you want an arcade racer, PGR4 is amazing, I've enjoyed it a lot. and GRID will be awesome but has less vehicles, I'm so hyped for this game .

[Rman]

You'll have fun.  The 360 is my favorite console by far, and I own all three. 

Protip.  If you have an entertainment center try to keep your 360 out of any of the cubby holes.  Keep it outside of the center and well ventilated.  I have a pre falcon 360 and haven't had problems at all following those guidelines.

[Reb]

I think I'll look around for the racers that are already somewhat cheaper. FM2, PGR3.

Honestly unless you're specifically hyped for 360 exclusives I don't see why you wouldn't just get the PS3.

Really, what's better about the PS3?

i have a 20 gb hdmi 360.  i don't need the hdmi.  i saved a lot of games, a few expansions, and lots of arcade games, and i still have 10 gb left.  so a large hd isn't necessary until you need to load games in the system or if you like watching movies from xboxlive.  truth be told the resolution will be the same with hdmi or component so do whichever one of those.

This sounds like me, I think 20GB should be enough. But I do want the HDMI, if only because the component input is already taken in my tv. I understand that some Pro's do, and some don't have HDMI, what should I look for on the box?

As far as batteries go, I think I will buy one of those charge and play kits.

No worries about ventilations, my consoles have plenty of room to breathe and are pretty much always in the shade.

[AdmiralViscen]

It just seems that if you weren't hyped enough about 360 exclusives to get one already, you could probably go either way on which console you buy. If you're going for an Elite + wireless it seems like the PS3 is the better value plus Blu Ray.

[demi]

Screw it, so I'm going to get:

- Xbox360 Elite
- Wireless Controller
- Wireless Adapter
- Rechargeable Batteries (Nyko Charge Base if i can find it in Holland)
- Orange Box
- Dead Rising
- Gears of War
- Rez

All I need is some advice on what the best racing game is!

Burnout Revenge

Good start-out list as well. Elite already comes with a Wireless controller, unless you are buying it as an extra

Also, if you can't find the Nyko Charge Base, just get a plain Play & Charge Kit

[Pharmacy]

just go for the ps3, if you're going to buy an elite 360 you may aswell go all the way

you can still buy Grid and the Orange Box, plus some exclusives like RR7, Ratchet & Clank, Godfather Dons Edition (best GTA clone ever) or Uncharted

dualshock 3's are out now, multi platform titles arent horrendous like the internet makes them out to be etc

[drew]

(Image removed from quote.)

These things make the controller noticeably heavier. 

[AdmiralViscen]

just go for the ps3, if you're going to buy an elite 360 you may aswell go all the way

you can still buy Grid and the Orange Box, plus some exclusives like RR7, Ratchet & Clank, Godfather Dons Edition (best GTA clone ever) or Uncharted

dualshock 3's are out now, multi platform titles arent horrendous like the internet makes them out to be etc

lol, you picked the worst possible examples of "exclusives."

(Image removed from quote.)

These things make the controller noticeably heavier. 

All it is is two rechargeable batteries wrapped up in plastic and jammed into that housing, I don't see how it'd be much heavier than AAs.

[Beezy]

Rebiak, they don't have 20GB hdmi 360s where you live? I got my 20GB 360 in December 07 and it has a hdmi port.

[Tieno]

I hate sandbox, so I'm not too sure about Burnout Paradise or Crackdown...
I don't like horror games, so Condemned is out too.
And I played N+ via a website and did not like it that much...

Which leaves me with Bioshock (another shooter?) and GRID (first I'll try the demo).

Crackdown is a sandbox game that also appeals to people who weren't previously fond of sandbox games. At least try the demo, you must try the demo. It doesn't have a lot of the (superfluous) bullshit other sandbox games tend to have.

Try Halo 3 too, it's an awesome shooter. Mass Effect is a must if you get like sci-fi, it's sci-fi sex.

Also, don't buy too many games at once, you might have too much choice at once and dabble in everything and play nothing. Just go one or two at a time.

What were your previous consoles?

[Reb]

Rebiak, they don't have 20GB hdmi 360s where you live? I got my 20GB 360 in December 07 and it has a hdmi port.

I don't know man, I'll look into it.

I hate sandbox, so I'm not too sure about Burnout Paradise or Crackdown...
I don't like horror games, so Condemned is out too.
And I played N+ via a website and did not like it that much...

Which leaves me with Bioshock (another shooter?) and GRID (first I'll try the demo).

Crackdown is a sandbox game that also appeals to people who weren't previously fond of sandbox games. At least try the demo, you must try the demo. It doesn't have a lot of the (superfluous) bullshit other sandbox games tend to have.

Try Halo 3 too, it's an awesome shooter. Mass Effect is a must if you get like sci-fi, it's sci-fi sex.

Also, don't buy too many games at once, you might have too much choice at once and dabble in everything and play nothing. Just go one or two at a time.

What were your previous consoles?

I think I'll skip the Halo's... Part 1 didn't really appeal to me.
I own a PS2, GameCube and a Wii. Also a PSP, DS and GBA.

[Darunia]

hey kaiber, I thought I didn't like sandbox games either... until I played Crackdown. It's one of my favorite games of this gen. impulse buying it for €20 was the best thing i've ever done

[Tieno]

hey kaiber, I thought I didn't like sandbox games either... until I played Crackdown. It's one of my favorite games of this gen. impulse buying it for €20 was the best thing i've ever done

Oh yeah, it's probably dirt cheap by now. Might find some used copies from all the people returning it after the Halo 3 beta. I didn't. I recently put it back in and found my last 2 green orbs after half an hour!

[demi]

There are a ton of demos already available for you to try... I am sure that will weed out the ones that dont interest you

[Reb]

I'm already looking forward to the discounted games! 
The demo's will also come in handy.

I guess I will add Crackdown to the list... Lost Planet also sounds good. So many games!

[The Sceneman]

Screw it, so I'm going to get:

- Xbox360 Elite
- Wireless Controller
- Wireless Adapter
- Rechargeable Batteries (Nyko Charge Base if i can find it in Holland)
- Orange Box
- Dead Rising
- Gears of War
- Rez

All I need is some advice on what the best racing game is!

great picks for games. Dead Rising is one of the best, if not the best game for 360. Had such a blast with it, many peeps here will agree

not sure about racers though. I hear DiRT is quite good if youre into the rally thing. I cant really stand 'simmy' racers really. I much prefer high speed arcade types such as Wipeout, F-Zero GX and Outrun 2006. That being said Burnout Paradise is popular here...

[Bildi]

Just to throw a spanner in the works, I don't like sandbox game either and I thought Crackdown might be different because of the superhuman aspect, but I wasn't really thrilled with it.  It is a good game, but once I finished levelling up my character and did the main missions which all involve a similar tactic of running in and shooting/kicking the crap out of everyone, I was tired of it. 

Collecting the orbs doesn't really interest me although I grabbed any that I came across.  As with any sandbox game, you have to be interested in making your own entertainment, but I got bored with creative destruction by the time the main missions were over.  I think I put about 20 hours in all up.

That said, I paid full price for it.  I would have been quite satisfied had it been half price.  Maybe try the demo?

The wireless adaptor is fucking expensive, but it does work perfectly.

As for racers my favourites are DiRT & PGR, and most likely GRID.  I liked Forza 1, but somehow Forza 2 is very dull - I've only played about an hour.  PGR and GRID benefit from a wheel, without it I probably wouldn't find them as much fun.

Again, make use of some demos if possible.

[muckson]

(Image removed from quote.)

These things make the controller noticeably heavier. 

heavier?  what the hell?  only if you're a tiny guy.

[brawndolicious]

^maybe he means wireless controllers are heavier?  the weight isn't really a problem but it is more comfortable having the empty space on the bottom of a wired controller.

You really have to go and get a game rental pass or subscription cause there's a lot of great games you can finish in a couple days.  Lost Planet, Condemned, Crackdown, etc.  It's the cheapest way to get to play a lot of great games and you can find most older games for cheap if you want to go ahead and buy them.

oh and most major releases got a demo so you may want to give it a try before taking the plunge on the full game.

[Reb]

When I read the replies, it's obvious I should download a ton of demo's before buying the games I'm not certain about.

Also, 20 hours of Crackdown will be plenty for me!

But if I start with the listed games, I should be good for a while.
I also have plenty of friends to mooch off of.