- Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 1197 reviews Back to product review
- My rating: 0 stars
Full user review
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77 out of 89 people found this review helpful
4.5 stars
"Microsoft 2.0"
Pros: Developer friendly, 3 core processor, customizable face plate, free "live" network access, wireless controllers
Cons: Backwards compatiblity questionable
Summary: Where the Xbox was amazing but rough around the edges, the Xbox 360 fixes a lot of shortcomings of the original unit.
Out with the old, in with the new. Where the original was based on off the shelf middle of the road PC technology with cool graphics, the new one is based on unrelesed 3 core PowerPC technology (Interesting IBM is now manufactoring processors for all game consoles) with cutting edge graphics.
Gone are the wired controllers, although they'll still be available as an option.
The front is now customizable, which is pretty cool when you think about it.
It's the only console that will ship with a hard drive. C'mon any Xbox owner knows that hard drive is a killer feature. Not only for games, but for also ripping your own music to play in games. That Sony isn't going to include one with their basic package is HUGE mistake-- but ya gotta cut costs somewhere I guess.
Anyway, Microsoft has improved Live network support. Everyone recieves it free, and you only pay if you want to play with others. Think about it, this will be the largest FREE voice over IP network. That's pretty amazing. You're also going to be able to sell content over the network, which could be huge. And you can watch others play.
Don't even get me started on third party support. Microsoft is pulling out all stops. They've signed up so many partners that have never developed for the Xbox before, it's simply going to exciting to see what comes out of all of it.
And Microsoft is going to be first to market, which should give them a better chance against Sony.
Sony's offering looks technically superior, but when you really think about it, developers make games based on the lowest common denominator. Look at EA. How many games from EA are developed with Xbox in mind? Uh none. They'll also PS/2 based. I'm thinking all games will now be 360 based, even if they're on the PS3.
The one misstep from Microsoft is backward compatibility. They're saying the most popular games will work, but that's going to be a problem. Sony has always been backwards compatible. Nintendo, uh, not so much, but they're making up for it now I guess with the Revolution. Microsoft needs to address this.
The one area where Microsoft may make up ground is being developer friendly. Microsoft excels at operating systems and tools.
I think the 360 will be the right console at the right time, and may give Sony some serious competition
- 9 replies to this review
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I bought all 3 systems (PS3, XBOX 360 and Wii) and the 360 is the best one, the on line expirience is the only one that is worth using and the games way better in the 360 than in the other 2 consoles.
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Good review but here's some info to correct your review:
Live is only free for the Silver membership which includes online stuff like trailers, demos etc. You must pay for the Gold membership to be able to play the multiplayer games against people online.
For backward compatibility, MS is working on a lot of emulators to work with the games and the list has grown a lot since launch. But not all games are compatible with it yet.
And for PS3 compatibility, Sony has stated that PS1 and PS2 games will not be compatible with it. It'll be the first time Sony won't put 100% compatibility with their older games. The main reason is the Blu-Ray drive and cutting costs for the hardware parts.
Like I said, good review and ignore the negative comments. I always enjoy fanboys calling others fanboys just because they like something. *sarcasm* -
I am sorry for you CNET members whom got offended by my brutal comment. I recommend everyone stop this console wars argument. Let's stop this hateful conservation and respect each gaming system. Well, forgive my horrible grammar, I am still a normal teenage student. I see myself as a gaming geek and I really don't care. I am close to becoming an adult but I still consider myself as having a playful mind of a destiny-ignorant kid. I have always wanted to be a gaming engineer or designer. I have a vision that games are enjoyable for ALL audiences. Playing and reviewing video games has always been my favorite hobby. I REALLY REALLY enjoy electronic gaming. And those of you who think video games are targeted for an older audience... I strongly disagree. Why? Wow, there is a long and correct reason for it. Well, I rarely see old highly mature men and women play video games with the exception of game designers,etc. The majority of video gamers are children, teenagers, and possibly young adults(18~25 years old). The video game industry going on today is slightly going to the wrong path. Games don't have to contain violence just to be simply fun with the exception of Nintendo. Well a stereotype of Nintendo is kiddish games like Mario. Mario is a grown man, kids. He is very very old. Nintendo has revolutionized the gaming world more fun and successful for more than 20 years all the way from 1985? or so. Mario was born at the climax of the rapidly developing gaming industry. I see video gaming devices as more like a formal high-tech play-controlling toy machine to be exact. People need to enjoy playing games, not criticize them? Basically by saying, video games are just high-tech games, not reality. If you think I am childish fanboy or fangirl, then go ahead.
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the faceplates are $20! who would spend 20 buck on a piece of plastic?! and what about the overheating and crashing problem? didnt include those
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the faceplates are $20! who would spend 20 buck on a piece of plastic?! and what about the overheating and crashing problem? didnt include those
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Pfffffft.....Who cares.
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Sony's PS3 is the console for me. XBOX 360 is just an attempt to grab money off impatient gamers. My advice, wait for all 3 and get the best on for you.
XBOX 360? Have Microsoft been going round in circles? -
"Everyone recieves it free, and you only pay if you want to play with others. "
So you PAY for it...... Why would you use "Live" if not to play with other people.....what a clown.
"Sony's offering looks technically superior, but when you really think about it, developers make games based on the lowest common denominator"
If a game is designed for 2 or all three platforms, they don't just make a version that will run on a GameCube and port it to the other two! The games features, visuals and audio are all tailored to each system in most cases. The systems have many of the same basic features, it's the little extras that set them apart. For instance surround is supported by both PS2 and Xbox, however the Xbox clearly has a visual advantage.
There is a difference between a game that is designed for all three systems and something that is designed for one and "ported" to the others.
Take Spiderman 2 for instance, the visuals on the Xbox are much much more detailed than they are for the PS2, the game looks totally different. It was clearly tailored for both systems and not just a port.
If the PS3 is technically superior to the Xbox360 then any games that are supported by both systems will clearly look and perform differently, just as they are now with PS2 and Xbox cross platform titles.
I'm not a biased supporter of any of the 3 systems, I think they all fill a niche, but this "fanboy" system bashing garbage is asinine and really shows how ludicrous some arguements are simply because of blind devotion to a brand name. -
The first Xbox graphics were better than the PS2, but the 360(1.5) one won't be as strong as the PS3. Also, the Xbox has the weakest third party support and a small library of bad games. It could be the most expensive system and online play is not free. One more thing, it has the worst design,etc... DO NOT BUY THIS SYSTEM!!!
Where to buy
Microsoft Xbox 360 (20GB):
$167.99 - $499.95
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Amazon.com Marketplace
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$499.95 | Yes |
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360Pros
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$167.99 | No |
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