XBOX 360 - It Pays to be First

The successor to Microsoft’s XBOX had a year of lead time over their competitor, the PS3.  This made the Xbox 360 a very successful console, all the while, the Xbox Live service was getting better and better.  With this lead time, there were simply more games released on the console compared to the PS3, and those that appeared on both systems, the Xbox version is usually preferred due to Xbox Live.

The XBOX 360
The console itself is a nice design compared to the Sony Playstation 3.  It’s relatively small, and has an attractive and simple profile.  The 20 GB hard drive that came with the system was pretty small, but it was the only choice we had at the time.  We’ve since upgraded to the 120 GB drive, and gave the 20 GB to our friend who owns the Arcade version.

There are two USB ports on the front, which is concealed by a self-closing spring-loaded door.  There is also another one accessible in the rear.  Microsoft was anticipating on the HD-DVD format to prevail, and have their external USB HD-DVD drive be a hot seller, and this is where the drive would hook up to.  The rear USB port is also what you will need to upgrade your smaller HDD to a larger one.

There are also two memory slots to allow for you to copy your profile or some saved games to take with you to a friend's place.  Some games do not allow you to copy or move the saves, but those that do require you to move the data and not copy, since it can be used to cheat.  Same goes for your XBOX Live profile, since they do not want your friend to be able to play for free under your login while you do the same at home.

The controllers are pretty nice for box standard controls.  It’s ergonomically designed for the analog sticks.  The digital pads feel more analog than anything, so it isn’t great for fighting games (such as Street Fighter IV and SSFII HD Remix).  It seems to connect to the console easier than the PS3 and the Wii.  If it’s the first time you are pairing the controllers to the system, just hit the Connect button on the console while the controller is searching.

Despite not being the best for fighting games, I found myself preferring the analog sticks over the D-pad for them.  That said, the digital directional pad is very poorly designed, and feels very numb and ambiguous.  Overall, though, the controllers are very ergonomic, and feels very good for dual-analog joystick games.  The buttons and right-stick are placed perfectly for your thumb to reach.

So far, we have no issues with the red ring of death, but we do have issues with occasional disc errors.  It can get annoying when that happens.

The Dashboard
The Dashboard has changed since the original debut.  I liked the old one since it was simpler, but with more and more features being added, I can see why the old Dashboard was thrown out.  The new interface of the Dashboard suits the multiple options you can have with your XBOX.  With more and more things you can do with your XBOX, the old Dashboard's blades started to get cramped.  They've expanded the menus, allowing you to move up/down and sideways.

One of the most exciting new feature is the ability to watch streamed NetFlix movies and TV Shows as long as you have an account with them.  I have yet to try this, since I do not have an account with NetFlix, but it's a very exciting prospect.

Dealing with friends, messages, and parties have gotten a bit easier, though it still confuses me sometimes.  There is a bit of lag when in some of the gray background areas.

All in all, it's functional, and is more useful than the old Dashboard.

The Installation
This particular version of the XBOX 360 is the early model, which does not have HDMI.  This is a con in of itself, but we must say the picture is clear and crisp even using the analog component cable.

You need a seperate optical audio cable to hook up to your reciever for surround sound, which connects to the connector on the XBOX 360, not on the console itself.  I find the connection not to be very reliable, as it falls out if you move the console even an inch!

If  you don't mind plain old stereo, you can just use the red/white RCA plugs and connect it directly to your TV or reciever.

The power brick is HUGE!  There is an orange light that stays on when pluged in, which can be annoying if it's within eyeshot, but if you can hide it somewhere, it's fine.  It also gets pretty hot to the touch after a few hours of play.  The cable snaps into place fine on the console, and the power cable that goes from the outlet to the power brick is almost like the one found on your PC, but a bit modified.  This annoys me since you can't just use a standard PC power cord if you ever loose the original.  There's really no reason to do this except for Microsoft to make more money if you need a replacement.

The Games
The games are what make a console successful.  So far, our library for the XBOX 360 is much larger than the PS3, and includes Halo 3, Left 4 Dead, Rock Band, Guitar Heroes 2, 3, and World Tour, Army of two, Forza, Gears of War 1 & 2, Fight Night Round 3, NBA Live 07, Call of Duty 5, and more.  Not to mention the already large library we have for the original Xbox which all seem to work on the Xbox 360.  This also doesn’t include downloaded games such as Street Fighter II HD Remix, Uno, and Duke Nukem 3D.

The downside to the Xbox 360 is the DRM.  The games and downloaded content you purchase on the 360 requires you to be on the same system if you wish to play the content offline.  If you replace the system or move it to your friend’s Xbox, you’re required to sign in your Xbox Live account while playing.  This is not ideal especially for those with failing systems.

The downloadable content for the disc-based games can add game play value as well.  We've been trying to keep up with all the new music that came out for Rock Band 2 and Guitar Hero 3, but have since stopped.  We've spent over $100 just in new DLC music!  Microsoft must be happy about that.

Media Center
While you can use the XBOX 360 to extend your Windows Media Center, I don't really do this since my Media Center is already connected to the same TV as my XBOX.  However, you don't need to do this to stream video and audio to the XBOX.  As long as you have your music and video library shared in Windows Media Player, your XBOX can see it, and can play them off the PC.

Currently, you can play MP3s, WMAs, WMVs, AAC, and MP4 files.  With MP4, the XBOX does support 5.1 surround sound, while the PS3 still lacks this feature.

It's a feature I don't really use, since I have a Windows Media Center PC already, but it's a plus for those who don't.

The Problems
I've already mentioned some of the problems I've experienced, but I can aggregate them all here in this section.  For example, the DRM, which doesn't allow you to move to a new XBOX 360 console if your old one breaks.  Sure you can move your profile, but if you do, you will need to sign on to play any downloaded games, even if it is a single-player game.

For example, if I want to play a campaign in Duke Nukem 3D, Microsoft will need me to sign it to prove I own the game, just because the XBOX 360 console is a different from the original one I bought the game in.

While I didn't get the red ring of death (and we have the original model that everyone seem to have this problem), we do occasionally get the Disc Read error.  This is frustrating when you're in a middle of a game, especially a long campaign and you didn't save the game.

Also, because of Microsoft's crazy DRMs, we are held hostage as to what 3rd party controllers that are available.  Basically, there is protection against people making controllers for the XBOX 360.  To sell a controller that works on the XBOX 360, you'd have to pay Microsoft's royalty fee or license to put in their protection chip.  This is why the SF4 joysticks from Madcatz are more expensive for the XBOX 360 compared to the PS3 version, even though they are basically the same.

This means we are forced to modify authorized controllers to suit our needs (I am currently using a MadCatz wired controller to modify into an arcade joystick for Street Fighter IV and HD Remix).

The Upshot
Overall, though, the XBOX 360 experience is an excellent one, with many compelling games and an updated Xbox Live experience.  Also, if you own a Windows Media Center PC, you can use the console as an extender.  I would not hesitate to recommend it over the PS3 (if you can only buy one next-gen console).