My 11 Y.O. son wants an Xbox 360...

[deadken]

My son is 11, he will be 12 tomorrow. He wants an Xbox 360 (he wasn't sure until just yesterday, but that is the gift that he says he wants now). We have a Wii, Gamecube, PS2 and N64 as well as a Panasonic HD 36" tube TV (no DVI type port, just components, s-videos, and composites).

What should I know about the Xbox 360s? I still think that he is foolish for wanting one (I'd rather see him get more games for the other platforms), I think he might be caught up in the Halo 3 hype (from what I have read, Halo 3 isn't a big improvement over 1 + 2). To make things worse, I just read a thread (a few down the line) that says on Oct. 9th there will be a Xbox bundle and then by the end of the month a Xbox with a HDMI plug. My son doesn't care to wait.

Sooo... What should I know? Do they still Overheat? Any must have games? Any recommended add-ons (externals fans, etc...)? What local retailer has the best prices this week? Should I consider a used one from EB games or Game Stop?

Thanks for any help you can give me. Sorry for being so last-minute. I figure I'd just put it out there and see what happens (I might be running out when my Wife gets back from 'meet-the-teacher night).

EDIT: Ok, now I am seeing that there is a Basic system ('core', I think) that seems to not have a Hard Drive for about $280. A Premium system that adds a 20 GB HD for $349, and a Elite system that ups the HD size to 120 GB for $450.

 

[ric1287]

new ones are fine, make sure it has HDMI
halo 3 is amazing
HD games are amazing
get the premium

 

[DaveSimmons]

Right now there are 2 Permium versions in stores, plus the Elite.

The "old stock" Premium has no HDMI port, and has a 30+% failure rate.

Premium with HDMI port. The box says so, so Read The Friendly Box . These have the same "Zephyr" motherboard as the Elite, with epoxy and an extra heatsink to reduce the failure rate. No one knows by how much yet, but initial results seem promising.

The bundle will probably just be that Premium with packed-in games (Forza, Marvel UA).

The 360 I'm waiting for is the redesigned "Falcon" motherboard with 65nm processor, hopefully better cooling and allegedly a smaller power brick. You can't buy this yet.


Buy the Microsoft extended warranty or maybe an in-store warranty. If you buy it now warn your son that he -might- have it go away for a month in the future if it breaks.

 

[Dumac]

Get the Premium with HDMI *check the box* or the Elite
Halo 3 is awesome
GoW is awesome, but perhaps not for his age
Bioshock is awesome, but again, make sure the game is appropriate
Also, don't buy him a damn mic. And take his away if he gets one for free.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
Right now there are 2 Permium versions in stores, plus the Elite.

The "old stock" Premium has no HDMI port, and has an unknown but unacceptably high failure rate.

Premium with HDMI port. The box says so, so Read The Friendly Box . These have the same "Zephyr" motherboard as the Elite, with epoxy and an extra heatsink to reduce the failure rate. No one knows by how much yet, but initial results seem promising.

The bundle will probably just be that Premium with packed-in games (Forza, Marvel UA).

The 360 I'm waiting for is the redesigned "Falcon" motherboard with 65nm processor, hopefully better cooling and allegedly a smaller power brick. You can't buy this yet.

Buy from Costco if you have a membership; they stand behind the products they sell, and they make their suppliers do the same. They'll eliminate the hassle of having to deal with a warranty return. No waiting a month, just take it back and get a new one

Fixed

 

[DaveSimmons]

^ unless you're such a pain that they cancel your membership

Yes, if you have a Costco membership that's a good idea. Some employers offer membership as a perk so you might be able to get it free.

 

[Idontcare]

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
Right now there are 2 Permium versions in stores, plus the Elite.

The "old stock" Premium has no HDMI port, and has an unknown but unacceptably high failure rate.

Premium with HDMI port. The box says so, so Read The Friendly Box . These have the same "Zephyr" motherboard as the Elite, with epoxy and an extra heatsink to reduce the failure rate. No one knows by how much yet, but initial results seem promising.

The bundle will probably just be that Premium with packed-in games (Forza, Marvel UA).

The 360 I'm waiting for is the redesigned "Falcon" motherboard with 65nm processor, hopefully better cooling and allegedly a smaller power brick. You can't buy this yet.

Buy from Costco if you have a membership; they stand behind the products they sell, and they make their suppliers do the same. They'll eliminate the hassle of having to deal with a warranty return. No waiting a month, just take it back and get a new one

Fixed

I'm pretty sure that Microsoft knows exactly what the failure rate is. Why would you claim it to be unknown?

 

[intogamer]

Don't forget xbox live :evil:

 

[DaveSimmons]

Originally posted by: Idontcare

I'm pretty sure that Microsoft knows exactly what the failure rate is. Why would you claim it to be unknown?

He meant "unknown to us" of course.

Microsoft has only said "a majority" (at least 50.000...01%) "of owners are happy." That vagueness only limits the failure rate to less than 49.999...9%.

30+% is a fairly conservative guess based on reports from EBGames/Gamestop, online polls, and MS spending $1 billion on top of 5 quarters of high warranty costs (as noted in their financial reports).

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
He meant "unknown to us" of course.

But of course

Microsoft has only said "a majority" (at least 50.000...01%) "of owners are happy." That vagueness only limits the failure rate to less than 49.999...9%.

Tsk tsk Dave, are you trying to turn this into a .999... == 1 thread?

 

[DaveSimmons]

Sadly, the plane full of Falcon 360s did not take off.

 

[BD2003]

In addition to what everyone else has said, you should know that the typical vocabulary of the average xbox live player is quite umm....colorful.

Then again, for all we know, once the door is closed, the Halo is on, and you're not in the room, he's just another one of those little monsters.

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: BD2003
In addition to what everyone else has said, you should know that the typical vocabulary of the average xbox live player is quite umm....colorful.

Then again, for all we know, once the door is closed, the Halo is on, and you're not in the room, he's just another one of those little monsters.

That's easy enough to fix with parental controls. You can set it as strict as preventing him from playing multi-player games to only being able to talk and communicate with friends that you approve of to not being able to talk at all while playing multiplayer gamer.

 

[deadken]

Thanks for all of the information. I will get the premium, and I will look for it to say HDMI on the box.

I am not entirely clear on one point: How is this console if it is not connected to the internet? Is an Xbox 360 without internet connection a waste? Is there a Halo singleplayer?

I should ask how the online part works. Do I just plug in my cat 5 cable and go? Or isn't there some kind of fee for monthly use?

Thanks, Ken

 

[hans030390]

Originally posted by: deadken
Thanks for all of the information. I will get the premium, and I will look for it to say HDMI on the box.

I am not entirely clear on one point: How is this console if it is not connected to the internet? Is an Xbox 360 without internet connection a waste? Is there a Halo singleplayer?

I should ask how the online part works. Do I just plug in my cat 5 cable and go? Or isn't there some kind of fee for monthly use?

Thanks, Ken

It's a $5ish monthly fee. Hardly worth in, IMO, though I'd definitely buy it if I had a 360. I grew up online with the PC, so I'm used to free online gaming.

I think you can get good deals on a yearly subscription, such as $30-40...I think. That's pretty good.

Just let your son know that there is a decent chance the system will get the red-ring error, and that there is a few weeks turnaround time to get one back (or so I hear).

And yes, there is Halo singleplayer.

 

[deadken]

Ok, I will have a talk with him about the odds/likelyhood of this thing needing repair at some point.

Might I ask if this Halo version is worth the extra $50? I am not sure exactly what you get for the 'extra' money. I think a rechargable controller and a headset (which, as we said, he won't be using for a while) are the only differences. Well, the 'paint job' is also included. Since it has the HDMI capability I assume it is one of the newer revisions with the better motherboard/chipset/cooling additions.

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: deadken
Thanks for all of the information. I will get the premium, and I will look for it to say HDMI on the box.

I am not entirely clear on one point: How is this console if it is not connected to the internet? Is an Xbox 360 without internet connection a waste? Is there a Halo singleplayer?

I should ask how the online part works. Do I just plug in my cat 5 cable and go? Or isn't there some kind of fee for monthly use?

Thanks, Ken

The console is alright if it isn't plugged in but the experience is much better if you are plugged in.

In order to get online you'll need to sign up for an Xbox Live Silver account at the minimum. It is FREE and will give you access to all the online functionality EXCEPT for multiplayer. You'll be able to download demos, XBL Arcade games, updates, etc.

If you want online multiplayer you'll have to pay for an Xbox Live Gold account. Base rate is $50/year but you can get it for $30-$40 for 13 months at Buy.com with Google Checkout.

Again, you'll have parental controls to grant or deny access to various parts of Xbox Live for your son. You'll have to create a Silver account for yourself to do so.

I suggest heading over to Xbox.comXbox.com . They have a ton of information there.

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: deadken
Ok, I will have a talk with him about the odds/likelyhood of this thing needing repair at some point.

Might I ask if this Halo version is worth the extra $50? I am not sure exactly what you get for the 'extra' money. I think a rechargable controller and a headset (which, as we said, he won't be using for a while) are the only differences. Well, the 'paint job' is also included. Since it has the HDMI capability I assume it is one of the newer revisions with the better motherboard/chipset/cooling additions.

The paint job is the only difference between the Halo 3 Special edition and the Pro version. The Pro comes with a wireless controller and headset and HDMI as well.

 

[JackBurton]

Originally posted by: deadken
What should I know about the Xbox 360s? I still think that he is foolish for wanting one (I'd rather see him get more games for the other platforms), I think he might be caught up in the Halo 3 hype (from what I have read, Halo 3 isn't a big improvement over 1 + 2). To make things worse, I just read a thread (a few down the line) that says on Oct. 9th there will be a Xbox bundle and then by the end of the month a Xbox with a HDMI plug. My son doesn't care to wait.

Ok, those people are just Sony b!tches spewing crap out of their mouths or they just got through smoking some BAD crack rock. One or the other. Halo was good, Halo 2 sucked IMO (single player), but I'm lovin' Halo 3. Definitely a must have for the 360.

 

[deadken]

Originally posted by: Queasy

Originally posted by: deadken
Ok, I will have a talk with him about the odds/likelyhood of this thing needing repair at some point.

Might I ask if this Halo version is worth the extra $50? I am not sure exactly what you get for the 'extra' money. I think a rechargable controller and a headset (which, as we said, he won't be using for a while) are the only differences. Well, the 'paint job' is also included. Since it has the HDMI capability I assume it is one of the newer revisions with the better motherboard/chipset/cooling additions.

The paint job is the only difference between the Halo 3 Special edition and the Pro version. The Pro comes with a wireless controller and headset and HDMI as well.

I think that the Halo version has a Wireless headset compared to the Wired on on the Pro. Also it has some kind of chager for the wireless controller that lets you charge up a battery while playing (I don't know if it is a separate battery, or you would have to connect a cord to the Wireless controller). It also seems to come with a Xbox Live Gold 30-day trial (which, along with the wireless headset, I wouldn't need for a while).

I think that the $350 Pro, with an extended warranty (sorry, I don't have a Costco membership, I do have a BJ's Wholesale membership though) and a game (I'd guess Halo 3 or Halo 2) would pretty much max out how much I have to spend for this Birthday Gift.

 

[hans030390]

Originally posted by: JackBurton

Originally posted by: deadken
What should I know about the Xbox 360s? I still think that he is foolish for wanting one (I'd rather see him get more games for the other platforms), I think he might be caught up in the Halo 3 hype (from what I have read, Halo 3 isn't a big improvement over 1 + 2). To make things worse, I just read a thread (a few down the line) that says on Oct. 9th there will be a Xbox bundle and then by the end of the month a Xbox with a HDMI plug. My son doesn't care to wait.

Ok, those people are just Sony b!tches spewing crap out of their mouths or they just got through smoking some BAD crack rock. One or the other. Halo was good, Halo 2 sucked IMO (single player), but I'm lovin' Halo 3. Definitely a must have for the 360.

Not true. I talked to multiple people today that bought Halo 3. These people are fans of the Halo series, and they generally don't play on anything but the Xbox/360. They basically said, "It's not as great as I thought it would be. It just feels like playing a slightly improved Halo 2."

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: deadken

Originally posted by: Queasy

Originally posted by: deadken
Ok, I will have a talk with him about the odds/likelyhood of this thing needing repair at some point.

Might I ask if this Halo version is worth the extra $50? I am not sure exactly what you get for the 'extra' money. I think a rechargable controller and a headset (which, as we said, he won't be using for a while) are the only differences. Well, the 'paint job' is also included. Since it has the HDMI capability I assume it is one of the newer revisions with the better motherboard/chipset/cooling additions.

The paint job is the only difference between the Halo 3 Special edition and the Pro version. The Pro comes with a wireless controller and headset and HDMI as well.

I think that the Halo version has a Wireless headset compared to the Wired on on the Pro. Also it has some kind of chager for the wireless controller that lets you charge up a battery while playing (I don't know if it is a separate battery, or you would have to connect a cord to the Wireless controller). It also seems to come with a Xbox Live Gold 30-day trial (which, along with the wireless headset, I wouldn't need for a while).

I think that the $350 Pro, with an extended warranty (sorry, I don't have a Costco membership, I do have a BJ's Wholesale membership though) and a game (I'd guess Halo 3 or Halo 2) would pretty much max out how much I have to spend for this Birthday Gift.

No, the headset for the Halo 3 edition is wired too. Look at the picture in your link.

Forgot about the rechargeable battery pack though. That is an addition over the Pro but it is only $20 sold separately.

Getting an extended warranty is a good idea. Especially if it is only ~$30.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: hans030390

It's a $5ish monthly fee. Hardly worth in, IMO, though I'd definitely buy it if I had a 360.

The last time I tried to explain to someone the incongruity of those two statements, I ended up with my roommate flipping out and attacking me. So I'll just say that it's well worth it.

 

[JackBurton]

Originally posted by: hans030390

Originally posted by: JackBurton

Originally posted by: deadken
What should I know about the Xbox 360s? I still think that he is foolish for wanting one (I'd rather see him get more games for the other platforms), I think he might be caught up in the Halo 3 hype (from what I have read, Halo 3 isn't a big improvement over 1 + 2). To make things worse, I just read a thread (a few down the line) that says on Oct. 9th there will be a Xbox bundle and then by the end of the month a Xbox with a HDMI plug. My son doesn't care to wait.

Ok, those people are just Sony b!tches spewing crap out of their mouths or they just got through smoking some BAD crack rock. One or the other. Halo was good, Halo 2 sucked IMO (single player), but I'm lovin' Halo 3. Definitely a must have for the 360.

Not true. I talked to multiple people today that bought Halo 3. These people are fans of the Halo series, and they generally don't play on anything but the Xbox/360. They basically said, "It's not as great as I thought it would be. It just feels like playing a slightly improved Halo 2."

No, true. The controls are similar and it has the feel of how Halo is supposed to feel like. What, did they expect them to totally redo the game? That would've pissed me off. I'm used to playing Halo, don't fvck up the controls for me just to be different. Halo 3 plays like Halo should play. As for the graphics, they are night and day. I heard one guy say the graphics look slightly better than Halo 2. Sure, if you're playing both on a 1980 black and white TV, and then MAYBE. Again, you've got to be smoking crack if you think Halo 3 has SLIGHTLY better graphics. Night and day.

 

[JackBurton]

Originally posted by: hans030390

Originally posted by: deadken
Thanks for all of the information. I will get the premium, and I will look for it to say HDMI on the box.

I am not entirely clear on one point: How is this console if it is not connected to the internet? Is an Xbox 360 without internet connection a waste? Is there a Halo singleplayer?

I should ask how the online part works. Do I just plug in my cat 5 cable and go? Or isn't there some kind of fee for monthly use?

Thanks, Ken

It's a $5ish monthly fee. Hardly worth in, IMO, though I'd definitely buy it if I had a 360. I grew up online with the PC, so I'm used to free online gaming.

That only comes out of the mouths of people that don't have XBox Live.