Although the hardware is impressive the launch titles I have played don't really push the hardware. In other words, I'm still waiting for a next-gen game that really shows off what the Xbox 360 can do.
PGR3 and Call of Duty 2 look great on HDTV. New York City streets in PGR3 look real and Call of Duty 2 makes you feel like you are in a movie at times. Both games look good on a standard TV but really shine on HDTV. HDTV support is one area that makes the Xbox 360 a better console than the others on the market today. But if you don't have HDTV, games look about the same as you would expect on Xbox 1 or PS2.
One thing I do like is the new Xbox Live. The new Xbox Live combines a market place with gaming. I also like the gamer card and score. I find myself consistently comparing my score to other gamers and I'm consistently working on gaining more Xbox Live achievements.
Another impressive new feature of Xbox 360 is the media capabilities. You can play music, watch videos, view digital photos and more. The console does a good job of being a complete entertainment console. The Xbox 360 can connect to a Windows PC running Media Connection software or Media Center. Once connected you can listen to music streaming from the PC or watch a movie or even browse digital photos.
I'm excited about streaming music since I have a server of 40+ GB of MP3 that I prefer listening to. Since my Xbox 360 is connected to my sound system and it can connect to a Windows PC over my home network, I am now able to listen to my music from the server through my sound system. This of course is nothing new but the Xbox 360 makes it easy to setup.
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
So you have just read the good. Now time for the bad and the ugly. The bad was my first experience with the Xbox 360. As I previously mentioned in a different post I had hardware failures when I first setup the Xbox 360. The hardware failures were caused by the video card not receiving enough power to operate properly. I was on hold for what seemed like forever with Microsoft Support but eventually gave up. I searched the forums and found I was not the only one experiencing problems. In fact a lot of people were having problems.
The solution that worked for me was to wipe down the mental connectors on the power brick. Apparently there was residue on the mental pieces that prevented the console from receiving full power. There are some individuals in the forums who say this is ridiculous and that wiping down the mental connectors will not fix anything. All I can say is I have not had a hardware failure since so the solution appears to have worked for my case.
Speaking of the power brick, it's the one part of the hardware that is a real let down. Sure the console is slimmer than its predecessor but the power brick for the Xbox 360 is huge making it a pain to carry the console to a friend's house. The power brick even has its own built-in fan, which adds to its size. Speaking of which, the combination of the console and the power brick make for a noisy experience. Yep, the fans are loud.
The Xbox 360 is louder than all my laptops and Dell servers, firewall device, network hubs and switches, wireless access points, printer, and external USB hard drivers combined. You will not notice the fan noise during game play since the game will have its own sound and music but when the Xbox 360 is powered on and there is no music or game play in progress you can definitely here the roar of the fans. Over Thanksgiving weekend I was asked a couple of times "What was that noise?" Of course I had to say it was the Xbox 360.
And lastly the travel bag. Those who know me know I am a bag junkie. I believe having the right bag is key to travel and transporting goods. I'm not talking about a purse. I'm talking about big bags and small bags with a specific purpose. And I have a lot of them so it was only natural for me to buy the Planet 21 Xbox 360 Sling Bag.
This bag looks nice but it does have some design flaws. First of all, there should be a handle at the top of the bag. This would make it easier to carry the bag when you need to walk through say the turnstile at the subway station or throwing (not literally) the console into the car. Also the shoulder strap sucks. There is no padded shoulder rest and believe me if you are carrying the console with the heavy power brick to a friend's house and you have a 30 minute walk you want a padded shoulder strap.
But the number one disappointment I have with the Sling Bag really isn't the bag itself but the power brick. Yes, again with the power brick. While the Sling Bag supposedly was designed for the Xbox 360 there is not good place to store the power brick. The bag has lots of pockets and compartments which I really like. Unfortunately many of them become useless once you put the power brick in the bag. I really hope a 3rd party or Microsoft comes out with a replacement power brick in the near future.
Anyway, back to the bag. It's a nice bag and it's okay for carrying your Xbox 360, a couple of controllers, the power brick, and a game or two especially given the price, $50 USD. But a more expensive laptop bag might make packing away the hardware and accessories easier.
And Finally
I'm really enjoying my new Xbox 360. Games like Amped 3 and Call of Duty 2 are great launch titles, but I haven't found a launch title that really shows off the hardware. I expect this will change in 6 to 12 months after game developers have had more time to explore the potentials of the console. The new Xbox Live is great and is the one saving grace (for the moment) for the Xbox 360 in my opinion. While I don't think the new Xbox Live is a reason to buy a new Xbox 360 it is nice to have if you already have the console. And lastly, given the initial problems reported by many Xbox 360 owners and the lack of a kill launch title that shows off the potential of the new hardware, I believe Sony has a chance to trump the Xbox 360 with its upcoming PlayStation3. posted by Kirby | 30-Nov-2005 2:08 PM | comments (12)
Kirby, great review thanks.
You have convinved me to wait a bit -- I'm hoping for a redesign of the power brick and/or fans in a Rev2 or Rev3 of the 360. I stopped at BestBuy yesterday, and they of course did not have any 360's in stock (perhaps a good thing).
I do hope some great games come out for the platform and push the envelope. I was always disappointed with the lack of really great games for the original XBOX. And, I have a feeling that the "next gen" of games (presumably for the 360) COULD have been made for the original XBOX if developers really would have put an effort into it. Games like Halo I/II and PGR I/II were quite awesome, but so many others just lacked the overall quality imho. I hope that changes with 360 games, but my gut feel is that there will be a glut of crappy games for it (where developers just PORT as quickly as possible there existing games, change a few little things, and call it "NEW"). And, I'd bet money on this being the case. That's what most orig XBOX games appeared to be.
Well, I did get to "play" on a 360 at BestBuy for a few minutes, and it did look quite cool running Call of Duty 2. I'll be looking forward to a 360 for next year instead though .
yeah i bought the bag on the 18th, the same day i got my 360. i noticed all of those problems and was looking for a manual on how to cram all that stuff in there. i guess there isnt one. thanx for your help
posted by Devon | December 23 05:07 PMi got my xbox 360 2 weeks ago i give it a 10/10 i play many games like amped 3 and call of duty two. One thing i dont like the games so far are way to sort i beat the game in 7 hours like perfect dark was way to easy. i agree that the game are not next gen graphics . i play on hd tv it looks great.I have not tryed xbox live is it worth paying for.
posted by brian | December 26 10:28 PMI think Xbox Live is worth it. You can get a Silver account for free which gets you to things like the leader boards and gamer score cards. You'll need a Gold account to play head to head with other gamers.
posted by Kirby Turner | December 27 02:42 PMthanks for the info on the bag. I found this review by searching "xbox 360 sling bag review" on google. I think I'm going to see if I have an extra laptop bag at work for my 360! shoot me an email if you ever find the perfect bag!
posted by Rocky | January 2 09:52 PMWill do.
posted by Kirby Turner | January 3 03:56 PMThanks for the info. I love my 360, and if you haven't played Quake 4, I recommend it. The graphics rival any PC I've seen. I have been looking at getting a bag for mine and I found an Xbox brand carrying case at Rhino Video Games for $50 and it looks like it will work nicely.
posted by Wes | January 13 02:20 PMI purchased the ALS INDUSTRIES XBOX 360 Messenger Bag XB-3, from Rhino this weekend and It works great. It has a pocket in the very bottom of the bag for the Power Supply and A/V Cables. It also is very padded and fits 4 controllers and the remote.
Here is a link to it:
http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.process?Product_Id=4073754&JRSource=google.datafeed.ALA+XB3-XB36006
Hope this helps.
That looks like a sweet bag. I may try to pop down to J&R this week to check it out.
Thanks for the bag reference, Wes.
yer, dont bother with the Planet 21 xbox bag as the strap broke on mine and the bag fell to the ground and broke my console!! Not a great bag and suprised at the lack of quality from the official license holders! try an alternative - i have a standard laptop rucksack now that is sturdy, cheaper and doesnt advertise the fact that i have expensive xbox on my back!
posted by peter Bodrum | May 25 01:46 PMDamn! That just ain't right. Sorry to hear about the console. Damn crap bag.
posted by Kirby Turner | May 25 02:13 PMi'm gonna buy the bag and carry my kentucky fried chichen dinner in it. I can tell it will keep the extra crispy recipe nice and fresh and crunch. delicious.
posted by adam | June 1 02:18 AMAdd Your Comment
