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General discussion

XBOX 360 Hype

Nov 14, 2005 10:40PM PST

Hey,

So - who here is going to buy a XBOX 360 on Launch day?

I got to play one for the first time in HMV Oxford Street (London). I was impressed! Though the games I wanted to see where not on demo, Fable looks AMAZING. Better than FMV quality animation.

HOWEVER: Nothing COMPELLING seems to be bringing me to the console. Sure, I'll get one, but there's no one single reason to own it yet.

Perhaps Perfect dark 0 is a sleeper hit? Nobody has reveiwed it yet from what I can tell....

The thing is, the XBOX didnt look all that good until Halo was 'discovered'.

What do you all think??

Discussion is locked

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indeed

I personally was going to buy a PS3, but now I'm not so sure (my heart tells me PS3, but my brain says "NO! SONY EVIL! NOOOOOOOO!")

So, I'm trying to convince myself that an XBOX 360 is the way to go. But I'm not sure... I'm not even that into Halo. What do you guys think?

V

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This is so ironic!
Nov 15, 2005 5:22AM PST

Early 2000s people were saying much the same about Microsoft (nee Micro$oft).

Nevertheless, Microsoft seems to GENUINELY be trying to make a decent experience and I for one am looking forward to a number of launch games.

What floats your boat gamewise Veronica? Personally Im very much hoping Kameo is going to be great stuff as it's been in development for sooooo long. (But then, when has a long gestating game ever been any good?)

PGR3 is a dead cert Must Have though!!

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XBOX 360/PS3
Nov 16, 2005 9:18AM PST

I would wait for the Nintendo Revolution. As thanks for your persistence, you'll be awarded with archaic game licensing resulting in 5 games total over the life of the system (4 of which will be Mario-based and the other will be a rehash of a 5 year old game), inability to unlock game content unless you connect six external Nintendo devices all at once (and the moon has to be full), and, of course, an extremely useful one-button controller.

Just keep in mind:
a) Sony is the devil, and
b) You'll likely be able to mod the XBOX 360.

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Just remember...
Nov 16, 2005 9:46AM PST

...that some people don't care about modding consoles, think Sony is becoming very evil/stupid (and hate the onset of new DVD tech!), and want to praise innovative approaches to the gaming industry instead of increasing the raw power and calling it enough.

I probably won't even consider a new console until the end of 2006 or even into 2007, mainly because I'm a broke college student, but also because I want to see how things shape up once all three players are on the field.

[/rant]

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Agreed
Nov 16, 2005 11:45AM PST

I totally agree. My post was tongue-in-cheek because I've owned all four Nintendo consoles and only the GameCube was a disappointment. I won't buy anything until I at least give the Revolution a chance. That said, my kill Sony stance stands!

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I'm not sure either
Nov 15, 2005 1:28AM PST

Whatever I get (XBOX 360 or PS3), I'm going to get a Revolution too.

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Apple 720?
Nov 15, 2005 2:05AM PST

Do ya think Apple will get into this game as well!!!

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HDTV
Nov 15, 2005 4:40AM PST

The Xbox 360 and Sony PS3 both have HD technology, which is one of the major reasons they are different than previous models. However, not everyone has an HDTV, so this doesn't apply to those people. Microsoft and Sony have to come up with more than amazing graphics to sell consoles, especially at the three and four hundred dollar price range.

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Yeah - but outside the US and Japan...
Nov 15, 2005 5:50AM PST

...HDTV is virtually non-existant. In Europe we only start getting HDTV services next year on our mainstream channels, and right now only on a hardly-available Sattelite channel. Other than that, it's just Plasma and LCD TVs with VGA/DIgital inputs.

It'll be a long while before HDTV penetrates into the mainstream here. FOr now it'll be a small number of people with high end TVs and PCs with big screens that'll take advantage of it.

You can bet Sony will leverage their TV range when the PS3 launches!

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Well....
Nov 15, 2005 11:46AM PST

I?m glad you bring this up, and you used the word "Hype", which is a good. I think that there is a huge barrage hype, and misleading. I was looking very forward to the release, and I probably still will buy the console but not on launch. The system only renders in 720p and up scales. That?s just misleading to call it 1080 most people don?t realize that. And another big suspicion I have is the triple 3.2 GHz core? now this I cant find much info on.

?Three symmetrical cores running at 3.2 GHz each?

Now is this a play on words? I believe it means there?s just three channels running out of a 3.2 GHz processor. Given that they up scale 720 to 1080 and call it 1080, I wonder if they are really 1.something GHz processors? I do recall reading (months and months ago, and I don?t have a link or anything) that the total GHz was 3.2? if the total was 9.6 GHz they would MOST CERTAINLY exploit that phrase.

Sorry for less info and facts, and poorly written rant, I am just out looking for some realistic and grounded info that isn?t somehow tainted by a ?sponsored by Microsoft? logo hidden somewhere. I?m sure it?s a powerful console that displays some awesome graphics, but I just keep running into a lot of over hyping and good press that isn?t realistic.

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1080 is unrealistic
Nov 15, 2005 5:17PM PST

I think if your looking for any games to run at 1080, or even 1080i you are going to be waiting for a very long time. Even broadcasters generally dont use that as so few HDTVs have the capability to display it.

Most that I see advertised are 720p or slightly above - and frankly the quality of those images does not warrant an 'only' beside it. Sure, we'd all love to see everything running in eye bleeding sharp 1080p but it's not going to happen for 2 simplre reasons:

1. Lack of avaialble display hardware
2. THe kick on resources.

Why render at close to 3 times the reoslution when you cant get that seen outside a $20,000 projector or Plasma?

As for the CPU speeds, - remember Ghz mean nothing these days. A 1ghz Pentium Centrino does just as well as a 2.5ghz P4, but then a 2.5ghz G5 PowerPC does better than the equivalent Pentium. And that's only if you measure them fairly. Some CPUs do things better than others in certain areas.

What you need to judge on is the final output. If that is what you like, then buy it.

The PS3 is VERY cloudy as it has a CPU technology that's new - and it remains to be seen how good or bad that will make things for that console. Right now we only know that they can render pretty good realtime cutscences with it, but we have no clue what games will look like.

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Not on launch day but...
Nov 16, 2005 3:48AM PST

Thinking about getting one from Costco later. We have a GameCube and PS2 and don't use them much anymore. I need to hurry and trade in before the PS3 and Revolution come out.

I have this unfortunate attachment to Zelda too though so a Revolution could be in my future.

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The two versions
Nov 17, 2005 9:30AM PST

Microsoft of all people should realize that if the cheaper Xbox 360 version winds up being the major part - or even a god sized chunk - of total sales, then developers are going to write games to target it as the lowest common denominator rather than the enhanced system. One of the key things for console systems is the large numbers of a single configuration. Has Microsoft shot themselves in the foot here?

If the developers start targeting the lesser system, then customers start to not buy the more capable system since it would not be worth it. Then there are fewer games that take advantage of the extra capabilities, so there are fewer effective advantages over rival systems.

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XBox Core vs.
Nov 18, 2005 12:11AM PST

Well given that the regular system includes so much more for just a $100 it's insane to purchase the core system from my point of view. You get a wireless controller, the hard drive, I think you get HD cables too right? It's pretty cheap. My biggest concern though, is that since there will be a large number of core systems around -- this has dried up the amount of regular systems that will be sold. Sigh, so I bet I'll find myself going somewhere to buy it and all that's left are the handicapped versions.

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Xbox 360 Purchase
Nov 18, 2005 12:08AM PST

I probably (read HOPE) that I won't convince myself to be waiting in line somewhere on opening day.

I do want the 360 though. It certainly looks like a good console for the developers to get into -- Kameo looks AMAZING, I haven't had a chance to see perfect dark yet though. When I do purchase though I'll be getting the regular (non handicapped version) instead of the core.

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i might it on launch day
Nov 18, 2005 12:42AM PST

i was gonna wait until halo3 but after seeing call of duty 2 run on that thing, i might get it early. the game looked absolutely gorgeous and was moving smmoth as silk. i don't have a hdtv yet but i'm itching to play that game!

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Core version sound pretty good to me
Nov 18, 2005 3:50AM PST

Hi,

If I buy an Xbox it will be a core version. Not having Xbox system currently, there is little advantages to me of having a hard drive if it's not necessary. Unless you can't save game? And Contrary to most people I hate online games. It's from a past hate/love relationship with evercrack and other mmorpg. It's too dangerous to get a massively online game because it then becomes so tempting to just play your life away. But if you have a solo system, you will spend oftenly less time playing. So I think there are different appeal to both system, and not everyone cares about retro-compatibility.

Cheers

P.S. Veronica
MMORPG can waste a life, if you look at everquest past phenomena and current life habbit of MMO gamers, they spend incredulous amount of time playing these games...

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On launch day
Nov 18, 2005 5:12AM PST

I think I'll go out and get a DS and mariokart. Because other than updated graphics, I haven't seen anything interesting on the x360 yet.

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Amen to that
Nov 18, 2005 7:15AM PST

If I had the money, I'd join you.