Anyone know much about Xbox consoles?

08 Dec 2011, 10:25

I'm thinking of getting the 4gb Xbox as a way of dipping my toe in the water of gaming.

I have a Wii and handful of games (Zelda, M Kart etc), but I don't play them that often anymore as they don't engage me.

I might dabble with Xbox live, but can't see myself doing any co-op or online gaming as I'm nowhere near that hardcore

So, I was thinking of getting an Xbox - specifically the 4gb version rather than the 250gb version (coz its fractionally cheaper)

From what I've seen, games I fancy are the Halo series, Assassin's Creed 2 or 3, Skyrim, and maybe a decent racing game like the Forza or Need For Speed series. Also one of my friends is a big fan of the Fallout series and has been trying to convince me I need to try Fallout 3...

So, would the 4gb version be enough for that?

As I understand it, it's got 4gb flash memory rather than a hard drive. I gather the absence of an actual hard drive has caused issues with some games in the past - is this still an issue?

08 Dec 2011, 12:11

Kerry and I were thinking of getting a console of some kind for each other for chrimbo, so any advice would be gratefully received here too. The last console we had (still have actually) is a PS2 but we've not touched it for ages; it's in the attic gathering dust.

I'm a bit ambivalent about the X-Box simply because of the Microshaft connection.

08 Dec 2011, 12:28

yeah i was similar re: m$ and xbox v ps3, but 1) they're a f**k-tonne cheaper than ps3s; 2) i already have a blu-ray player; 3) they seem to have all the same games available; and 4) they seem to be more or less on a par capability-wise (near enough for me anyway)

08 Dec 2011, 12:46

Ah, well, we don't have a BR player. I wasn't aware the X-Box didn't!

As the PS3 and X-Box360 (and Wii) are all ~5 years old, is it worth waiting for the (presumed) next generation to come out?

limur · 08 Dec 2011, 14:43

I have an X-Box.

The games are sometimes slightly more expensive than PS3 games.

I originally bought a 360 without any memory except a 256MB (IIRC) flash card, which was fine, except the CD runs hot when playing the games which (has been known to) cause(s) the Xbox to overheat and fail.

I've now bought a 250GB hard drive to go in the machine and save the CD games that I play the most to the hard drive.

I think you need the hard drive to use the Xbox for Sky Player, iPlayer and other Xbox Live services.

I have Halo but don't play it (not very good at shooting games). Forza 3 is great, but would have been better with a steering wheel...

Having said that I don't use it much. I mainly play FIFA online and stream pictures to it of the little one to show the family on the big TV.

My gamertag (or whatever it's called) is Limurev if you want a game...

Hope that lot helps. Enjoy...

Jim · 08 Dec 2011, 14:54

I've got one, and though I don't play it much any more, the Fallout games are all amazing, and super addictive. Gears of War series is pretty good too.

GTA games are always fun, but a bit too time consuming for my schedule.

If you like 'the sport' then I'm told fifa is good, but I wouldn't be able to tell a good football game from a hole in the ground.

08 Dec 2011, 15:22

someone at work has pointed out to me that with the 4gb version there is nowhere to store any game add-ons, mods, level packs etc that you might download

seems like the few quid i'd save on a 4gb might actually be a false economy and the 250 would be a better option...

he also mentioned that the units run hot when accessing discs constantly was a problem in older versions, but apparently that's fixed in the new 'slim' versions...?

while i was out at lunch i had a look in the CEX near work and they have fallout 3, mass effect 1 and 2, and forza 3 for somewhere between 4 and 6 quid each

snowey · 08 Dec 2011, 17:12

Baz, what about farmville on Facebook if your board....

08 Dec 2011, 17:20

snowey wrote:Baz, what about farmville on Facebook if your board....

bored, but not THAT bored

timsinister · 08 Dec 2011, 23:02

Fallout Three will be cheap as chips right now, reckon you could get New Veags (the next installment) for around Â£15 at the right places.

I'm more inclined to the X-Box, it's got a wider selection of games overall. Luck in choosing!

weebleswobble · 09 Dec 2011, 17:47

New Xbox consoles don't overheat with the three rings of death like the old ones.

I have a 250 gig and doubt I'll ever use it all.

Start with Assassins Creed 2

Saint Row The Third is mental

all the GTA are brill

Batman Lego is the only game I've ever reached 100%

The Red Dead Redemption games are good and both come in a special edition now.

abridged · 09 Dec 2011, 18:28

Things went downhill after Cannon Fodder and Lemmings on the Amiga 1200...

10 Dec 2011, 11:58

Jetpac on the ZX Spectrum was the pinnacle IMO

damagedone · 10 Dec 2011, 12:33

Fallout is a masterpiece

there isn't much difference between PS3 and XBox,although you get PS3,you get BluRay as well. PS3 Move also works better then Kinect(both are still pretty dodgy),if you intend to go for some of these features.

ribbons69 · 10 Dec 2011, 12:36

Quiff Boy wrote:
I might dabble with Xbox live, but can't see myself doing any co-op or online gaming as I'm nowhere near that hardcore

I have a ps3,but the idea of playing online with other people has never appealed to me. I am sitting on my own on the ps3 for a reason after all! My nephew (who's twelve) will happily sit for hours playing Modern Warfare (or COD SEVEN) with his headset on talking to his friends as he shoots them in the head from distance,but if I did it I would feel preety self concious and daft. The same with the wii or playsattion move,if my girlfriend walked in and I was standing in the middle of the room using that nunchuck thing as a lightsaber or a gun it would feel to me like my Mum had caught me masturbating! But maybe that's just me

ribbons69 · 10 Dec 2011, 12:39

damagedone wrote:Fallout is a masterpiece

Agreed,I've clocked up well over a hundred hours on Fallout 3,not so much on New Vegas,but they are still uber value for money compared to a shooter like Resistance 3 that I can complete in about ten hours.
The only downside to thwm is the same as games like Oblivion and Skyrim,when you begin the game your character is pretty weak and rubbish and it takes patience to build them up,but it's more than worth it in the end.

damagedone · 10 Dec 2011, 12:52

ribbons69 wrote:
damagedone wrote:Fallout is a masterpiece

Agreed,I've clocked up well over a hundred hours on Fallout 3,not so much on New Vegas,but they are still uber value for money compared to a shooter like Resistance 3 that I can complete in about ten hours.
The only downside to thwm is the same as games like Oblivion and Skyrim,when you begin the game your character is pretty weak and rubbish and it takes patience to build them up,but it's more than worth it in the end.

Agreed,about the online gameplay i do it only because of Mortal Kombat 9 since i'm a fan of this game since it came out in 1992 i think.I was on 131 place out of 60K people before I came to Australia.The PS3 takes much space in the suitcase and MK9 is banned in here

timsinister · 11 Dec 2011, 15:54

ribbons69 wrote:
damagedone wrote:Fallout is a masterpiece

Agreed,I've clocked up well over a hundred hours on Fallout 3,not so much on New Vegas,but they are still uber value for money compared to a shooter like Resistance 3 that I can complete in about ten hours.
The only downside to thwm is the same as games like Oblivion and Skyrim,when you begin the game your character is pretty weak and rubbish and it takes patience to build them up,but it's more than worth it in the end.

Agreed also, although I didn't know it had the same starting issues in Skyrim as in Oblivion. Vegas was brilliant at throwing you into stuff you could just about survive, and give you a kick out of beating.

Why not the same in Skyrim?

Jim · 12 Dec 2011, 14:51

RE: Fallout.

Story and plotting is better in 3, combat and lastability better in New Vegas.

timsinister · 12 Dec 2011, 21:10

Really? I preferred Vegas' plot myself, digging the faction War, and Caeser's Legion was a nifty idea. Nice to see the NCR back as well.

DocSommer · 12 Dec 2011, 21:21

There are a few things to consider:

1. Gameplay

Well I think it's the lames thing to play any kind of 1st/3rd person shooter/tactics/rpg via gamepad. There was a trial phase where PC users could access to XBOX live but this has been cancelled after Microsoft must have realized that console gamers didn't have much of a chance to stand against PC gamers in certain genres.

Of course a gamepad can be useful. I own a Xbox 360 gamepad for my PC as well, but I use it only for racing games.

2. Graphics/Performance

Xbox360 and PS3 are both outdated hardware and can't handle top notch graphics game very well. The developers have to reduce the resolution below HD, disable features like anti aliasing and screw around with other tricks to make graphic intense games running more or less playable.

3. Game Experience

Consoles are probably the better choice if you like to play some stuff via splitscreen with some friends in your living room. At least I'd say it's a bit nerdy to gather your folks in front of a PC^^

Conclusion:

If you already have a half-way decent computer (fast dual core or quad core, >4GB Ram) you can upgrade it with a new graphics card. I think the costs would be something around 200â‚¬ to make any game run with very high graphics settings. I bought a "MSI GTX 560 TI" as "like new" condition with 12 Month warranty for 141â‚¬ bucks a week ago and retired my old 8800GT I've bought in 2008. Having a fast graphics card installed gives you also some other advantages since many programs including GPU acceleration (e.g. for video rendering).

If I had to choose a console I'd go with the Xbox. Not that I'm a M$ lover but it turned out that the 256MB Ram is a very bad bottleneck for the PS3 compared to 512MB Ram in the Xbox. Of course both values seems ridiculous in 2011

@Fallout 3/New Vegas:

I like both games but I think the main story was better @Fallout 3. Still you get many, many hours gameplay for the price.

PS: Do we have anyone from US using Steam?

I'm looking for somebody to gift me a game every now and then (of course I pay in advance). Some games aren't available in germany, other are somewhot "violence reduced" and last but not least steam seems to think that "1EURO = 1USD" so I have to pay effectively more

13 Dec 2011, 10:21

@ DocSommer: wow

i'm nowhere near that hardcore a gamer

thanks for the head's up guys. i think maybe an xbox 360 250gb is in order, along with a quick trip to CEX for a few cheap pre-owned games

DocSommer · 13 Dec 2011, 14:00

i'm nowhere near that hardcore a gamer Wink

Me neither - at least not compared to many years ago where I spent way more time gaming and doing "old schoon LAN sessions with friends". But today I don't really play any online games (too many hardcore gamers there) or very time consuming stuff like these MMORPG. So it's basicly just a singleplayer game every now and then but I still prefer the PC because of better graphics and control options for my favourite game genres.

As for the XBox: You might know a guy who knows a guy who can do something with the console so it can run backup copies of original games

13 Dec 2011, 15:26

DocSommer wrote:As for the XBox: You might know a guy who knows a guy who can do something with the console so it can run backup copies of original games

really?

from germany? and without invalidating a warranty?

weebleswobble · 13 Dec 2011, 15:39

Games can be dangerous, there's a challenge on Saints Row The Third to destroy a number of Emu (smart) cars. On my way to work the other day I saw a smart car parked down the street.
My first thought was "Need to blow that up later".