thinking of getting an xbox 360.. is it worth it?

[Dustin2128]

I've been interested in real 7th gen consoles for a while, namely the PS3 and the xbox 360. I'm kind of pissed that the PS3 removed linux support, so I'm kinda in vendetta-mode against them. I don't care if its made by microsoft, if the xbox 360 is a good product, I'll buy it (and its been out for five years, old models=50$ on ebay). That and a couple of games I've been wanting to play are available only for the 360 and windows computers, of the two I'd rather get a 360 because I know I'll get excellent graphics. Basically what I want is a solid console (seeing as I'm buying used) with no gameplay (mostly graphics) distinctions between newer and older models.

EDIT: And HD support.

[razorboy5]

USED smells like RROD to me
but yes it is a great console, bought a few over the years and u should make some modifications to the xbox when u get it (these are legal as far as i know) adding a 2nd fan, new clamp and cooling tape inside the xbox really helps against RROD.

look more into modifications too u mite find some info u mite like (info that i am not allowed to share with u on these forums :P)

[TheNerdAL]

USED smells like RROD to me


I agree. :P Don't buy a used Xbox 360, especially if they say that it has red LED's instead of green ones like the one I saw on Gizmodo I think. :P

I say get the new one. I think Xbox 360 is the best video game console out so far. ;)

[pipemartinm]

Yeah they're not bad. You get more games come out for them than PS3 anyway. I use mine for games and streaming TV episodes from my NAS (which runs twonky), no complaints other than the fact they only support Divx and Xvid. It's got HDMI output so it's technically HD but it uses DVD's rather than Bluray so you're limited by that.

[ubunterooster]

Get a used PS3 (non-slim) Linux can be re-enabled

[Dustin2128]

I agree. :P Don't buy a used Xbox 360, especially if they say that it has red LED's instead of green ones like the one I saw on Gizmodo I think. :P

I say get the new one. I think Xbox 360 is the best video game console out so far. ;)
It was an old 20GB pro model used for game showcasing at best buy (and also being sold by best buy) it says it's been tested and is in good working order, just without the box or manual (and who can't figure out a gaming console?), plus a return policy. and I think the excuse 'has red instead of green LEDs' deserves a big :lolflag:

Get a used PS3 (non-slim) Linux can be re-enabled
I was going to get the 360 mostly because there are some games I want to try (oblivion, fallout) that I don't trust to my computer, and oblivion is only available for windows (gold wine rating) and the 360. You know a game you buy for your console will work for your console. Plus I'll have better graphics.

[mamamia88]

i just recently traded up for the new slim model and it's a lot quieter and has the largest harddrive as well as only model with wifi in it. if you decide to get one i would go with that version.

[ubunterooster]

i just recently traded up for the new slim model and it's a lot quieter and has the largest harddrive as well as only model with wifi in it. if you decide to get one i would go with that version.
You can swap drives out, you know.

[Dustin2128]

i just recently traded up for the new slim model and it's a lot quieter and has the largest harddrive as well as only model with wifi in it. if you decide to get one i would go with that version.
I'm cheap. That's why I buy used.
Besides, I'll probably just upgrade the drive to my old 80GB that I don't use anymore. If ubunturooster's not just screwing with me.

[NightwishFan]

Oblivion is available for the ps3..

[ubunterooster]

I'm cheap. That's why I buy used.
Besides, I'll probably just upgrade the drive to my old 80GB that I don't use anymore. If ubunturooster's not just screwing with me.
http://asia.cnet.com/digitalliving/tips/0,3800004921,62032875,00.htm


eerily similar to: http://www.gamespot.com/features/6176090/index.html

[mamamia88]

I'm cheap. That's why I buy used.
Besides, I'll probably just upgrade the drive to my old 80GB that I don't use anymore. If ubunturooster's not just screwing with me.

if you get a used one there is a really good chance it will break. but if you are ok with that i've seen guides online on how to fix most common problem rrod and it looks easy enough to fix. if you have an 80gb usb drive you can only use up to 16gb of that storage so be warned. and you will want to install games on the hd because the dvd drive sounds like a jet engine. you can build your own 250gb drive if you have enough tech knowlege it's really easy. just letting you know what you are getting into.

[cascade9]

It was an old 20GB pro model used for game showcasing at best buy (and also being sold by best buy) it says it's been tested and is in good working order, just without the box or manual (and who can't figure out a gaming console?), plus a return policy. and I think the excuse 'has red instead of green LEDs' deserves a big :lolflag:

IIRC, the green LED version had a minor redesign, and hasnt got as many problems as the older versions.


I was going to get the 360 mostly because there are some games I want to try (oblivion, fallout) that I don't trust to my computer, and oblivion is only available for windows (gold wine rating) and the 360. You know a game you buy for your console will work for your console. Plus I'll have better graphics.

Better graphics on the Xbox360 version? On release, yeah, but not anymore-

http://www.yougamers.com/articles/10966_cross-platform_gaming_from_simple_ports_to_the_gates_of_ oblivion-page5/

[Legendary_Bibo]

Honestly, the RRODs alone turned me away from the 360. Yeah they removed linux from the PS3, but at least I can play it for hours without having to worry about it breaking. I paid for six repairs between two 360s and now we have a third one in the house. Our PS3 hasn't broken once, and it's a launch console.

[amitabhishek]

I had Linux on my 80GB fat PS3 for a while but trust me the experience was not so great. It was nothing more than a technology showcase.

I don't play games so often on my PS3. Mostly I turn it on watch movies on Blu-ray. The experience is something that a DVD can never match! Esp. movies like Avatar, Black Hawk Down etc. Images and sounds will just transform you room. In a nutshell don't fret over the disabled Linux support. Monetarily buying PS3 makes more sense.

[user1397]

I think that if you want to be successful both in general social circles and with girls, stopping playing video games is a good start.

Video games are never cool, especially trying to show off your rock band skills to a girl who's been flirting with you at your party.

I'm just gonna say I've learned my lesson :popcorn:

Plus, there are so many more interesting and productive things you could be doing...learning how to play an instrument, or reading timeless books and stories, playing outside or exercising, hanging out with friends, etc

[themarker0]

Whats wrong with used? I buy used ones fix and resell.

[Legendary_Bibo]

I think that if you want to be successful both in general social circles and with girls, stopping playing video games is a good start.

Video games are never cool, especially trying to show off your rock band skills to a girl who's been flirting with you at your party.

I'm just gonna say I've learned my lesson :popcorn:

Plus, there are so many more interesting and productive things you could be doing...learning how to read an instrument, or reading timeless books and stories, playing outside or exercising, hanging out with friends, etc

Reading instruments is definitely a remarkable skill, albeit not very useful.

[pipemartinm]

Reading instruments is definitely a remarkable skill, albeit not very useful.
I'm currently reading a tuba. It's a ripping good yarn.

[user1397]

Reading instruments is definitely a remarkable skill, albeit not very useful.


I'm currently reading a tuba. It's a ripping good yarn.
Well ain't yall just the funniest of gals?

Yippie!

[Dustin2128]

I think that if you want to be successful both in general social circles and with girls, stopping playing video games is a good start.

Video games are never cool, especially trying to show off your rock band skills to a girl who's been flirting with you at your party.

I'm just gonna say I've learned my lesson :popcorn:

Plus, there are so many more interesting and productive things you could be doing...learning how to play an instrument, or reading timeless books and stories, playing outside or exercising, hanging out with friends, etc
Burn the heretic!

[Nick_Jinn]

I've been interested in real 7th gen consoles for a while, namely the PS3 and the xbox 360. I'm kind of pissed that the PS3 removed linux support, so I'm kinda in vendetta-mode against them. I don't care if its made by microsoft, if the xbox 360 is a good product, I'll buy it (and its been out for five years, old models=50$ on ebay). That and a couple of games I've been wanting to play are available only for the 360 and windows computers, of the two I'd rather get a 360 because I know I'll get excellent graphics. Basically what I want is a solid console (seeing as I'm buying used) with no gameplay (mostly graphics) distinctions between newer and older models.

EDIT: And HD support.


I dont know if you are interested or not, but I can get you fully modded 360 consoles ready for you to play legal backups of the games you paid for. It sucks when you spend $60 on a game only to see it ruined by a scratch.

Personally, I would trade my modded 360 for one of those Pandora consoles. The fact that they can run emulators for Nintendo DS, and every other system that linux has emulators for is pretty awesome. I like that it uses dual SDHC cards and has S-video out.

[Nick_Jinn]

Ive always been successful with women. I didnt become (slight) geek until I had some serious health conditions that prevented me from partying all the time. I figured that if I was going to be at home I might as well get a new hobby.

Ive always loved my video games though. Some girls like games too.

[3rdalbum]

PS3 had official Linux support, now it doesn't. 360 has never had official Linux support. As far as I can see, that still makes the Playstation 3 a friendlier console for a Linux user.

I have a PS3 Slim and it's a pretty good console overall, but with a few flaws. Playstation Network is sometimes a bit flaky. There are quite frequent system updates, and these are mandatory for online play and it can be annoying to want to play some online Red Dead and not be able to because you have to do a system update, but the download keeps cutting out.

A friend of mine who has a 360 doesn't have these issues, which leads me to believe that it could be a case of "You get what you pay for" - you pay for Xbox Live access, and probably get a better service than Playstation Network.

My PS3's wireless connection stops working from time to time as well, and you have to fiddle around to get it to work again (fixed this through hardwiring to my Ubuntu machine). Oh, and not all Blu-ray discs work.

On the up-side, the PS3 is graphically very capable, possibly better than the 360, and you can at least play most Blu-rays. It seems to have all the features of the Xbox 360 except for Party Chat, which doesn't really concern me. I'd also be scared off the 360 because of the overheating problems that seemingly all 360 owners have encountered.

Sony is an open-source adopter and does not compete against Linux, unlike Microsoft. The latest PS3 update also adds video editing support, not sure if the 360 has this too; it's quite interesting and I must try it some day!

EDIT: My girlfriend doesn't like video games in general, but she likes Band Hero and Wii Sports Bowling; and she doesn't really object to me playing Red Dead Redemption. I've explained to her my philosophy about video games being very cost-effective entertainment (movie at cinema: 2 hours for $16; video game: 30 hours for $80). She still loves me even though I play video games and I love her even though she's very tardy.

[ubunterooster]

Burn the heretic!
LOL, good one

[Nick_Jinn]

She still loves me even though I play video games and I love her even though she's very tardy.


Hahaha. Tardy? Is that some kinky schoolgirl roleplaying talk? Are you the young handsome professor and you have to punish her for being late?

I dont often hear people use that word like that to describe their peers.



But yeah, the offer is open.....I will trade a modded 360 for either a Pandora or a PS3.....only older generation PS3 with backward support for PS2. I also have tons of games. My friend has more modded systems for sale too.

[Jesus_Valdez]

Buy a Xbox 360, get Xbox on line, have a blast.

[DTHCND]

I've been interested in real 7th gen consoles for a while, namely the PS3 and the xbox 360. I'm kind of pissed that the PS3 removed linux support, so I'm kinda in vendetta-mode against them. I don't care if its made by microsoft, if the xbox 360 is a good product, I'll buy it (and its been out for five years, old models=50$ on ebay). That and a couple of games I've been wanting to play are available only for the 360 and windows computers, of the two I'd rather get a 360 because I know I'll get excellent graphics. Basically what I want is a solid console (seeing as I'm buying used) with no gameplay (mostly graphics) distinctions between newer and older models.

EDIT: And HD support.
Wait... What... Better graphics??? PS3 has better graphics, just that most game makers tend to not use the PS3's full potential... Same goes with the PS3's cell processor... But ya it is sort of dumb that they got rid of the 'Other OS' option... Also in terms of reliability PS3 is much better... PS3 breakdown percentage is 3% while 360's is 33%... Also I don't recommend buying a used PS3 cause my friend bought one from EBgames, and when he tried to sign in it turned out the whole system was banned from accessing PSN... (Would of thought they would of tested it first)

[_h_]

I think that if you want to be successful both in general social circles and with girls, stopping playing video games is a good start.

Video games are never cool, especially trying to show off your rock band skills to a girl who's been flirting with you at your party.

Excuse me, but your arguement is flawed.

[user1397]

Excuse me, but your arguement is flawed.

how so?

[Brent0]

Buy a PS3 for the games and the reliability. PS3 has Fallout and Oblivion plus hundreds of amazing exclusives. It may seem childish at first, but the game Little Big Planet is one of the greatest games I have ever played. (And it has a sequel on the way) There are other great exclusives like Uncharted 2. These games alone are enough to buy a PS3.

I don't know why people got upset over Sony removing Linux. It was slow and clunky and had no real use. And as said before, Sony supports OSS far more than Microsoft.

[KiwiNZ]

I have both a 360 and a PS3 and I would strongly recommend the Xbox 360 over the PS3.Why?

PS3 annoyances

Forced updates
uncomfortable controller if you have big hands
Updates that damage machines on a regular cycle
Insane illogical Menus
Media streaming that is just plain inept, example, A file that will play now , will tell you it is 'unsupported' an hour later.
Painfully slow development cycle
Inept network interaction with other devices
Price

It does have one plus, it is one of the best Blu Ray players on the market.

[mamamia88]

I love my ps3. Controller is better at somethings than 360 and worse at others. I agree about media streaming it sucks use my 360 for that. I signed up for psn+ and haven't seen an update since it released. Harddrive is upgradeable without hacking. It's great at upscaling dvds and blu rays. If you just want to play games and use your media I highly suggest the ps3. I much prefer the xmb to the nxe

[Legendary_Bibo]

I tried Yellow Dog Linux on my PS3, I wouldn't say it was slow, it was slow to bootup, but using it wasn't slow, but it was just bland. There was a lack of software for it, so you could only do basic computer stuff like write documents, use a better internet browser, watch videos. Not much really.

Oh PS+ is definitely worth the money, you basically pay $50 a year and you get a free PS1, PSN, and PS Mini game a month. You can't use them anymore if you stop paying, but I don't even play the games I bought a year ago.

[Dustin2128]

I have both a 360 and a PS3 and I would strongly recommend the Xbox 360 over the PS3.Why?

PS3 annoyances

Forced updates
uncomfortable controller if you have big hands
Updates that damage machines on a regular cycle
Insane illogical Menus
Media streaming that is just plain inept, example, A file that will play now , will tell you it is 'unsupported' an hour later.
Painfully slow development cycle
Inept network interaction with other devices
Price

It does have one plus, it is one of the best Blu Ray players on the market.
I agree on the controller, I have a PS2 and see they haven't changed the form at all. And forced updates are a huge turn-off from a game console. For instance if I bought an older PS3 model with linux support (as some have suggested) I'd have to get rid of it to access PSN, a must for me. Plus used ones in working condition on ebay are almost never below 75$.

[Legendary_Bibo]

I agree on the controller, I have a PS2 and see they haven't changed the form at all. And forced updates are a huge turn-off from a game console. For instance if I bought an older PS3 model with linux support (as some have suggested) I'd have to get rid of it to access PSN, a must for me. Plus used ones in working condition on ebay are almost never below 75$.

Also good luck finding a 60gb console for a decent price that's actually working. That was the only version that had everything on it. Full PS2 backwards compatibility, four USB ports, card readers. The new consoles have been stripped down, and is why they're so much cheaper.

[Dustin2128]

Also good luck finding a 60gb console for a decent price that's actually working. That was the only version that had everything on it. Full PS2 backwards compatibility, four USB ports, card readers. The new consoles have been stripped down, and is why they're so much cheaper.
yes, but full PS2 backwards compatability is why I have a PS2. most PS3 games are also available on the xbox anyway; there aren't that many playstation exclusive titles anymore. Its a shame, the PS3 could've been so much more.

[Legendary_Bibo]

yes, but full PS2 backwards compatability is why I have a PS2. most PS3 games are also available on the xbox anyway; there aren't that many playstation exclusive titles anymore. Its a shame, the PS3 could've been so much more.

Yeah, FFXIII went to 360 (IMO the worst Final Fantasy though), there's the Uncharted series, and God of War III (I honestly never cared for the GOW series until I saw GOW III and then I bought the GOW collection just to catch up by the time I got the GOW III ultimate edition) which are good. I usually get the multiplatform games on my PS3, and I don't really notice a difference between most of the games between the systems. I just don't see much more exclusives coming out for either system, just sequels.

My PS2 has messed up controllers, so it's great to just have one system out in the living room. Also it upscales PS2 games which is great.

[Nick_Jinn]

If anyone is sick of their PS3 and wants a modded 360, I am open to trades.

[Legendary_Bibo]

If anyone is sick of their PS3 and wants a modded 360, I am open to trades.

I have 3 working 360s, one of which doesn't get used. Why would I trade my PS3 if I could just mod my other 360?

[Nick_Jinn]

I have 3 working 360s, one of which doesn't get used. Why would I trade my PS3 if I could just mod my other 360?

lol.
You probably shouldnt, but I am sure there is someone out there who prefers 360 to PS3, and doesnt already have 3 of them.

[Legendary_Bibo]

lol.
You probably shouldnt, but I am sure there is someone out there who prefers 360 to PS3, and doesnt already have 3 of them.

Do you softmod, hardmod or use a modchip? I want to know which way will let me get some better use out of this thing.

[Nick_Jinn]

I personally softmod, but there are advantages to hard moding. You can get some additional functionality, play different video formats, even play games from MicroSD cards, saving you the hassle of burning dual layered and hacked games.....its not as simple as just copying like it was for PS2. There are some additional hacks you have to perform on the data before burning it, but its less headache using a modchip and microSD cards.

Soft moding is cool because if you are careful it wont void your warranty....mine still has the sticker intact. If I get the red ring of death I wont fear sending it in for repair/replacement. Not everyone is careful enough to get to the inner hardware without messing up the warranty sticker or making it obvious that it was hacked.

You just have to update the firmware before they update the security, but they just came out with an upgrade so it should be good for a long time.

[Legendary_Bibo]

I personally softmod, but there are advantages to hard moding. You can get some additional functionality, play different video formats, even play games from MicroSD cards, saving you the hassle of burning dual layered and hacked games.....its not as simple as just copying like it was for PS2. There are some additional hacks you have to perform on the data before burning it, but its less headache using a modchip and microSD cards.

Soft moding is cool because if you are careful it wont void your warranty....mine still has the sticker intact. If I get the red ring of death I wont fear sending it in for repair/replacement. Not everyone is careful enough to get to the inner hardware without messing up the warranty sticker or making it obvious that it was hacked.

You just have to update the firmware before they update the security, but they just came out with an upgrade so it should be good for a long time.

Hmmmm...what's easier to softmod? The original xbox or the 360? I want to mod one of them to put some emulators on them.

[Nick_Jinn]

The hardest part is gaining physical access without voiding your warranty. Its easy to get in there, but its not always easy to do it yourself without voiding the warranty. Sometimes its worth a small fee to have it done professionally....if thats the word for it.

There are different techniques for modding. Some people use a mod chip, but instead of installing they remove it. Other people use different tools and their computer and just update the firmware.

With the mod chip its easier to update the firmware to keep ahead of security releases. Without it you have to do more work, but its less obvious if you have to send it in for repairs.

[Legendary_Bibo]

The hardest part is gaining physical access without voiding your warranty. Its easy to get in there, but its not always easy to do it yourself without voiding the warranty. Sometimes its worth a small fee to have it done professionally....if thats the word for it.

There are different techniques for modding. Some people use a mod chip, but instead of installing they remove it. Other people use different tools and their computer and just update the firmware.

With the mod chip its easier to update the firmware to keep ahead of security releases. Without it you have to do more work, but its less obvious if you have to send it in for repairs.

heh, that's why I've want to mod my original xbox, I don't use that thing anymore, and I only owned like 4 games for it. I can still get some use out of it.

[handy]

I haven't read this thread at all. I'm just here to say that I bought a thin PS3 a while back (motivated by the price drop) I had wanted one for years but they were too expensive for me to justify the expense.

Anyway, now I don't have Linux gaming stress, I just play when I want to (through my dual video input -SVGA & HDMI) - 24" Samsung SyncMaster 2443 computer monitor) & I'm satisfied.

Thus far I've not used online games on the PS3, (though free auto updates happen to one of my few games & of course the firmware :-|) or much of anything else at all that it offers. I just bought it to play games when I want to & not have to battle with the Linux &/or Wine system(s) to do it.

I own an iMac on which I play Guild Wars (rarely these days) which displays better than via the Linux graphics drivers (which is naturally why I access the game via OS X) & a few others. Though if I think about playing a game these days, the PS3 is where my thoughts focus automatically.

So, in answer to the OPs question I reckon that an XBox (or PS3 for that matter) is well worth it, providing that there are enough games, or just the right games available on it to justify the expense.

You don't need to use a TV, & with a capable monitor you can have both your computer & the PS3 plugged into it simultaneously (you can't run them both simultaneously though :)) & it will handle the situation fine. Meaning it switches to the right video settings automatically when whichever machine boots up. As previously stated I use a Samsung SyncMaster 2443, & one input goes to HDMI & the other to SVGA. (Cheap adapters/cables can get around that if need be.)

My sound goes straight out to a hi-fi amp, no problems there either, I may or may not have had to supply my own cables for that I don't remember (inconsequential). :D

If you can afford it, these consoles are specialised for playing games as is well known, so you can expect the sound to be great, the graphics are great & the efficiency of the system's simplicity to be great (at least from my experience with the PS3, I'm sure the XBox is the similar).

I found that the PS3 actually increased my enjoyment of Linux, because it removed a limitation that plagues ALL of the Linux distros, at least from my personal experience.

[Legendary_Bibo]

I haven't read this thread at all. I'm just here to say that I bought a thin PS3 a while back (motivated by the price drop) I had wanted one for years but they were too expensive for me to justify the expense.

Anyway, now I don't have Linux gaming stress, I just play when I want to (through my dual video input -SVGA & HDMI) - 24" Samsung SyncMaster 2443 computer monitor) & I'm satisfied.

Thus far I've not used online games on the PS3, (though free auto updates happen to one of my few games & of course the firmware :-|) or much of anything else at all that it offers. I just bought it to play games when I want to & not have to battle with the Linux &/or Wine system(s) to do it.

I own an iMac on which I play Guild Wars (rarely these days) which displays better than via the Linux graphics drivers (which is naturally why I access the game via OS X) & a few others. Though if I think about playing a game these days, the PS3 is where my thoughts focus automatically.

So, in answer to the OPs question I reckon that an XBox (or PS3 for that matter) is well worth it, providing that there are enough games, or just the right games available on it to justify the expense.

You don't need to use a TV, & with a capable monitor you can have both your computer & the PS3 plugged into it simultaneously (you can't run them both simultaneously though :)) & it will handle the situation fine. Meaning it switches to the right video settings automatically when whichever machine boots up. As previously stated I use a Samsung SyncMaster 2443, & one input goes to HDMI & the other to SVGA. (Cheap adapters/cables can get around that if need be.)

My sound goes straight out to a hi-fi amp, no problems there either, I may or may not have had to supply my own cables for that I don't remember (inconsequential). :D

If you can afford it, these consoles are specialised for playing games as is well known, so you can expect the sound to be great, the graphics are great & the efficiency of the system's simplicity to be great (at least from my experience with the PS3, I'm sure the XBox is the similar).

I found that the PS3 actually increased my enjoyment of Linux, because it removed a limitation that plagues ALL of the Linux distros, at least from my personal experience.

I've seen little hubs that you hook up to your monitor that can take several different cables and there's switches on them so you can switch between inputs.

I have to agree, a monitor is superior to a TV. I secretly plugged my PS3 into my dad's 1080p monitor, and the picture was better than my 1080p TV. I always sit close to my TV, but playing games on a monitor that's just as close, and the same resolution (it's a 25" monitor as well) with faster refresh rates, and better color, and contrast levels make it look great.