Guess who got an X-Box?

[Jason Dunn]

And now for something completely off topic! You've been warned. :-)<br /><br />My birthday is in a couple of weeks, so I thought I'd go get myself a present early: I bought an X-Box (ok, ok, it's for my wife too!). Now for those of you that think I'm a Microsoft fanboy, the X-Box wasn't an automatic choice. I looked at the PS2 and Nintendo Gamecube. I dismissed the Gamecube fairly quickly because I personally didn't find the graphics all that impressive when compared to the PS2 or X-Box. The size and price were great, but I wanted something that was at least on par with the graphics engine in my computer, not something that looked "old school".<br /><br />So now it was down to the PS2 and X-Box. I haven't owned a console for quite some time (the last one I purchased was a Super Nintendo - yikes!) so I didn't have any huge preferences for games that were out for one platform or another. I looked at the games, and there are some impressive titles for both. The PS2 has many more games, and a wider variety, so I was leaning a little in that direction. The physical size is smaller, and it was also $449 CND (same price as the X-Box). My brother has a PS2, and a few games for it, so there's the old "loaner" factor there. Decisions, decisions.<br /><br />Ultimately, I chose the X-Box for two reasons since price wasn't a factor:<br /><br />1) I happened to have a $60 in store credit at the Microsoft company store from the MVP Summit in November 2001. Guess how much games are? $10! So I was able to get six games for $60 US. That's roughly $95 CND. Games are around $75 CND each, so I was able to get $450 CND in games for $95 CND. Not bad at all! I bought some games that look great: HALO, Amped, Project Gotham Racing, and three others.<br /><br />2) The X-Box is really a PC at heart, and that's something that appeals to me. It's HDTV ready, has built-in Ethernet, and has a real hard drive, RAM, powerful NVidia GPU, etc. I know Microsoft is gunning for the home electronics market, so I think they'll be coming up with some very cool X-Box "stuff" in the coming year. They're the underdog in this market, and when Microsoft is the underdog, they innovate HARD.<br /><br />It was a tough decision, and while I wish the X-Box was a little smaller, so far I'm really impressed with it. I like the OS shell you can access - you can copy music from CDs to the hard drive for custom game sound tracks (I think - I haven't quite figured it out yet). Of course, part of me wanted to wait for the <a href="http://news.com.com/2100-1040-814653.html">HomeStation</a>, but I had to have SOMETHING cool for the house warming party next month. ;-)<br /><br />Any of you X-Box owners have any tips to share with me?

[pocketmon]

You are such a fanboy! PS2 rox da howse!

(thats your welcoming into the gaming world. darn those kids....) ;)

You made the right choice. PS2 has better games now but give it a year and Xbox will impress. Plus with cheap games then its a natural choice.

[michael]

Not all games support the custom soundtracks, Gotham and Amped do I think, but can't remember about the rest, it's not a feature I've used.

[DualShock]

Well, as you can tell from my avatar and user name, I disagree with your choice... :wink: I have seen and played the XBOX though, and it's pretty cool. My only complaint about it is the lack of games (so far anyway). Of course, PS2 had more than a year head start. Given some time though, there will be some quality XBOX games. Enjoy your XBOX Jason. :)

[Perry Reed]

Homestation sounds pretty cool!

I've currently got a TiVo/DirecTV combo box and a PS2. We've also got a broadband connection to our PCs in our office. I've got a WebTV on my desk at work (for testing purposes), but the dialup speed is horribly slow (worse than most modems) and the picture looks terrible.

But... if you could combine the Xbox with the TV recording (preferably integrated with the DirecTV box for better quality, like my TiVo or the Ultimate TV), and add to it DVD playing, MP3 storage, and broadband speedy internet access... then you'd have a pretty powerful box. One that I'd probably buy.

Of course, I'd also want the new Freestyle interface running on it. And I wish there were some way to help make the internet pages look better on a regular TV. Maybe making the whole thing HDTV would solve that. (Then the DVD would need to be a Blue-Ray DVD...)

[mgd]

I love the XBox "Life is short...Play more" commercial they've been bombarding us with lately here in Spain. Makes me want one even though I'm not a gamer.

[akur]

You should play halo online, if you can connect your xbox to a pc!
http://www.gamespyarcade.com/support/tunnel_xbox.shtml

[Thomas E.]

Welcome to the DarkSide :D , Just joking I love my Xbox, but my brothers kids love the Cube I bought them.

You have got to get DOA 3 - That Rocks I just got Obi-Wan and love it.

I have Halo but the controls P**S me off so much I only play it for about 10 minutes at a time, before I chuck the controller away.

Might want to get another controller, I have one of the Mad Catz and its response and button placement are so much better.

[Jason Dunn]

You should play halo online, if you can connect your xbox to a pc!


Hmm...very interesting! Thanks for pointing that out to me.

[Ivan]

I bought myself one for my birthday back in December and let me tell you I was also debating whether to get a PS2 or XBox. I do not regret for a minute going with the XBox...

I do not consider myself much of a gamer (you know, your ocasional PC game here and there and stuff) and my last console was 8O an Atari 2600 when I was about 11 or 12...

I was ADDICTED to Halo... I just finished it last week. It is by far THE best game I've ever played on a PC or game console ever.

Also Dead or Alive 3 is pretty awesome (she kicks high! :) - if you've seen the commercial)

Well, I hope you enjoy your new Box as much (or more) than I do.

BTW... what's your secret? (I haven't been able to get my wife to play the damn thing... she's not really into electronics at all).

[innersky]

Well, lets hope it doesn't scratch your cd's dvd's ..... :roll:

[Jason Dunn]

BTW... what's your secret? (I haven't been able to get my wife to play the damn thing... she's not really into electronics at all).


My secret? Hmm. I guess my secret is that I married a wonderful woman who's interested in my life as well as her own - she likes computers, Pocket PCs, and enjoys most of the same hobbies I do. Plus she's a total hottie (http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/hottie.jpg). What more could I ask for? ;-)

[mgd]

Plus she's a total hottie


Darn tootin' :wink:

[KnightShade]

Good choice. Be sure to check out the FAQ (http://www.xboxfaq.info)

[snayar]

Nice Choice Jason! :D

FYI: You can play AMPED and Project Gotham while listening to your ripped music cds, just go to the game's option menu and select your ripped cds from there.

I also just finnished HALO and MAX PAYNE and they where AWSOME!!!

If HALO where a movie, it would have won several Oscars!!! :lol:

and as somebody said... "All work and no play, makes for a dull life"

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JASON!

[JonnoB]

Did you try the new software that lets you connect your PocketPC to your XBOX?




Just kidding. But I am sure it is coming.

[pocketmon]

wolverine icon, xbox, showing off his lady... i think its pretty interesting to watch jason regress back into childhood. ;) Proof that the best part of growing up is making enough money that you can afford to be a kid again but with style. :D

Tell me when you're ready for your "Linkin Park" tattoo and tongue ring and I'll 'hook you up". :twisted: :D

[Jason Dunn]

i think its pretty interesting to watch jason regress back into childhood


What makes you think I ever left it? :lol: :lol:

[Rob Borek]

What makes you think I ever left it? :lol: :lol:


I can vouch for that one! In fact, I wonder if any of us Mobile Devices MVPs ever left! (you've never seen anyone more giddy and child-like than Ed H. when he gets a new toy) :wink: :lol:

[Elad Yakobowicz]

I used to be into videogame consoles a lot. The reason I myself bought XBox was because not because of the graphics. I didn't see an ENORMOUS difference in graphics between XBox and Gamecube. However, what I did hear and notice was that Gamecube's games are more or less "family-type" games. Even though I'm sure Gamecube will have it's share, XBox is where all the mature games are going to go (or at least that's what I think).

Also, I remember there being some controversy about XBox. Like Jason said, it's basically a "computer at heart" - but doesn't that defy the point of it being a videogame console? :P

As for the games Jason mentioned. I don't see anything extraordinary in Halo's gameplay (sure, the graphics might look ok, but the game itself seems to be just another first-person-shooter). Amped takes LOTS of mastering before it gets fun :cry: I recommend Dave Mirra's BMX Biking 2.

... Of course don't get me wrong. Despite my opinions, I DID buy XBox for a reason - it is a good system.

[wiredguy]

I agree with everyone that's been recommending DOA3. Best fighter game I've played. It's a must have, but I'm not sure that your wife will be impressed with the polygon women :D.

[st63z]

I wonder how big a HDD Homestation will have, and if MS will enforce the same 8 gig limit that Xbox games can access?

I sure hope those ex-UltimateTV guys are already hard at work with the Xbox team on developing Homestation, and that those TiVo hackers are hard at work trying to scoop prototypes to get a jump on the mods. And thus the cycle of life continues...

[klinux]

Happy B-Day and Happy Housewarming!

[Mike Wagstaff]

What? There are devices out there aside from Pocket PC's that can play games? Sacrilege! ;)

[Kre]

Yeah, Happy Birthday JD :)

Now what Id like to see, is a system that is essentially an Xbox with DVD movie capability, Ultimate TV, a Sony Dream System with its five disc carousel, and a Microsoft TV Photo viewer *but a CD version*, all combined into one unit. Then add a pc card slot to accept WiFi pc cards *I dont like it built in because I want to make the choice between b, a, or g band WiFi*, a satellite radio receiver, Bluetooth with BT enabled speakers, Firewire, a wireless backlit keyboard, and a really nice remote, or software and hardware to run on a pocket pc to make it the remote. They could give it enough connectivity on the back like you find on the back of the Sony Dream Systems, and then package it into a really nice silver casing with a big glowing green X on the top and its name in a glowing green on the front. Now thats a system. One box that does it all... gaming, satellite radio and TV, home theatre, progressive scan DVD movies, CDx, mp3, and SACD music, photo CDs, web, email, IM, chat, DVR, wireless broadband, and HDTV. Whew! They could call it the X-treme Box.

[JoeThielen]

Even though I'm mostly anti-Microsoft biased, I did give the XBox some thought.

But my criteria for buying a console was simple:

1. Does it play Grand Theft Auto 3?
2. Can I get one used?

:oops:

I can't help it, GTA3 is like the GREATEST STRESS RELIEF DEVICE EVER BUILT.

Sorry to go off-topic on an off-topic post :twisted:

[icatar]

My wife got me an XBOX for Christmas and now complains that I play it too often. I have Halo and PGR.

I hope that we don't see fewer articles because a certain person is too busy playing XBOX! :wink:

[HR]

But... if you could combine the Xbox with the TV recording (preferably integrated with the DirecTV box for better quality, like my TiVo or the Ultimate TV), and add to it DVD playing, MP3 storage, and broadband speedy internet access... then you'd have a pretty powerful box. One that I'd probably buy.
I read couple of weeks ago that someone pre-empted MS and wrote software that turns your xbox into a TiVo-like machine. I don't know the site's name, but if this is the case, the thing is a bargain.

[Kemas]

I own a PS2 and a growing library of games... but my next door neighbor has an X-Box and I must say pretty cool. So i have gone from one system to the other. The graphics can be much better on X-Box, but really only to the point they you look real close and have a game that spent the millions to make it happen. Microsoft games look increadible, others are about the same as PS2, just a little clearer.

By the way, Grand Theft Auto III is coming to an X-Box near you.

What I am waiting to hear about is PS3.... Once I know what it will do I will decide if i want to jump ship to X-Box. I too would love the homestation and would go that route... but from readin the article, it is a pipe dream at best for the next 12 months. Besides, if it were real, MS would be talking about it. I will also hazzard to guess it will be a $1000 system. Basically it will just be a PC probably running on Windows CE for instant on and off or basically always on.

I may not be crazy about MS, but when they want to innovate, they can do it. If only the Windows team would do it.

[Jason Dunn]

I agree with everyone that's been recommending DOA3. Best fighter game I've played. It's a must have, but I'm not sure that your wife will be impressed with the polygon women :D.


Actually, my wife was kicking my butt at it tonight. ;-) I bought it today ($75! ouch!) and while the graphics are amazing, it's VERY different than the Street Fighter-type games I grew up on. There's something wrong with a game when you can keep pressing one button over and over and kill the opponent no matter what they do. The timing is strange - I couldn't seem to get a punch out even when my opponent was doing a big spin kick or something. I'll see how I do with more practice. :-)

[John Cody]

The Xbox is a great machine, I just wish Microsoft had confidence in its' reliability and offered more then a 90-day warranty :(

[Jason Dunn]

The Xbox is a great machine, I just wish Microsoft had confidence in its' reliability and offered more then a 90-day warranty :(


I was shocked by that too - until the salespeople told me that PS2 and Gamecube had the same warranty. :-( I bought an extended 2 year warranty anyway...

[st63z]

They're nervous about all the children playing video games and throwing tantrums when they lose :) Have you ever seen a console taking a beating from an out-of-control youngster?

[KnightShade]

I had to send my Xbox in twice to fix the same problem. They did get it back to me in 3-4 days both times and they of course paid shipping. I did get the feeling though that their customer support people did not have a clue.

[marconelly]

Jason, that is why the DOA serial is called a 'button masher' among people that actually know the fighting genre, and games like Street fighter series and Virtua Fighter series are not.

VF or SF are the games where strategy, practice and experience is everything and there is no chace that button masher can win a seasoned player.

Btw, XBox == very good machine, but PS2 is just better choice right now IMO. I have both because that's the only logical solution if you want to have every good game on the market :))