Xbox 360, Bundles, and Delayed Releases.

[Jain Zar]

Well I am now not an idiot.  Was 52nd in line with 48 systems in stock, 32 of which were the good version, all of which were confirmed to be bought.
Not wanting to stand in line for an hour for the shitty system with which to play games I honestly don't give a damn about, I left.

The highlights?  2 middle aged people buying the systems SOLEY to sell on ebay since they saw them going for 2000 dollars today.  Only one of them was gonna get one, with the other person missing out.  Some asshole that had been there since 10 AM who was 16th in line was willing to selll his spot in line for 350 bucks. 
A surprising number of people with younger kids there buying them as well.  Nice to know some kids are spoiled rotten.  And that people are loser enough to stand in line for 10 HOURS or more.

Will I end up getting a 360 this year now?  Even if available probably not.  Maybe not even at the first price drop.

However Apple is having a sale friday so I might just be ordering an Imac or Mac Mini depending on what sort of deal is going on.

I almost picked up a PSP Gig Pack today, but then realized its a 300 dollar system with games I don't really want except for 1 EA game.
Saving me money yet again.

So Microsoft's hype has turned from making me enthusiastic about the 360 to making me bitter and hostile towards it, which is even less
respect I had for the system than before.

The mere existence of the Core System, the absolute stupidity of a worldwide launch (im sorry but Japan doesn't really care so why even
bother there so soon?) causing even less systems, and the launch list which is full of games I wouldn't ever normally buy for the X Box
or PS2 in the first place doesn't exactly make me jump for joy.  Sadly Sony will almost certainly pull this same sort of crap when they
release the PS3, cept with hardware that breaks down more.  Nintendo's utter lack of popularity should guarantee me a Revolution at
launch should I want one.

I went to the store knowing I was stupid for going.  I was rewarded with a waste of my time.

[Azazel]

GO GO WORLDWIDE RELEASE~!

Just checked out the local site.. http://www.xbox.com.au

Hm.. lots of hype.. a link to the US site to tell us how AWESOME the thing is.. no details on price or release date or anything..


So I ring a local EB, just for gits and shiggles.. the servitor was nice enough, they have no definate info on it yet, but they're hoping for a March or April release, and "don't quote me on this" the price they think will be around the AU$600-$700 mark. A direct currency conversion to US$ is $440-514. No clue as to whetherthats the barebones system or the fully loaded one..

But the good news is that I can play all of my XBox games on it! Obviously someone's not fully informed.. and I can play all my XBox games on my XBox, too. Of course, it's only $10 to preorder it, and I can trade in any number of games for $10 credit each towards it (New games here cost $80-90)

Yeah.. XBox 360 might be something for me to look at in 2007, I think...

[Azazel]

It's new and shiney.

I may be a weak man.

Here's to hoping nobody nearby has stock.

And a big fuck you to pa.com.

Penny-Arcade?

While I'm not as critical of them as some people are, I'm sure their special relationships in the industry would help them to get a pair of release core packs as well as whatever all the release software is. Screeners cost nothing after all...

Not that they can neccessarily be bought, per se, but I'm sure that if I had a free 360 with bucket of free games delivered to my door, that my honest opinion of the exciting new toy would be that much more positive than if I paid, you know, $1000 that I can't afford on it.


 

[Morfiend]

So myself and a friend where planning on going to try and get some at a wal*mart near me. But in a last ditch attempt to stop myself, I turn to my trusted* gamespy.

There isnt a single launch title that I want. I am not about to rush out and grab this thing just to not have any games I want. Also, I have a WOW guildie who works at best buy, and he said they are getting a LARGE shipment in two weeks. This small release is just to drive the consumer in to a buying frenzy when the next batch hits stores.

I do want to see it on my new TV soon though. Hey Hat... nener nener nener.

[schild]

I like mine.

[Nazrat]

Since I haven't owned a console since the NES, when will the 2nd gen systems drop in price?  I might be able to justify a PS2 for the children if Sony decides to lower prices for Christmas.

[Tebonas]

I felt like a marketing whore when I bought that Powerbook earlier this year, but you Xbox fellators redeemed me and showed me you can do worse. Thank you!

[Brolan]

I was there too at Walmart, like a fool.  They had only 14 units at their superstore, with only 6 of them being the good units.  They had 14 chairs lined up (4 empty) at 5:30 PM and briefly considered being an ebay whore before going home. 

Since the first people in line were getting the good units I actually talked some of the later people out of line.  A lot of people don't realize the core system will not allow you to play the old x-box games.  I'm guessing this will turn around and bite Microsoft in the ass.

[Merusk]

Since I haven't owned a console since the NES, when will the 2nd gen systems drop in price?  I might be able to justify a PS2 for the children if Sony decides to lower prices for Christmas.

I don't think Sony's going to be loweirng the PS2 price from it's $150 zone for a few months yet.  If you're buying for the "kids" get a Gamecube, it's only $99 and you can usually get a bundle with a game for that price.  Despite the hate here, it's a far better system than the PS2 or the X-box IMO, since there's plenty of games for my kids and myself on it. Plus they're all pretty damn fun.  Too many people stuck in the 'worrying about what other people think' part of their lives give the cube a hard time because the games are 'cute.'

Don't get me wrong, I don't regret my PS2, because I bought it for the PS backwards compat and FFX, but I've enjoyed the Cube more.

[Nazrat]

The Cube certainly fits the price range.  What are the best games for 5 and 3 year old boys?  I see Lego Star Wars which would seem right up their alley.  Paper Mario? 

I know RE4 will have to be Daddy's game but I don't follow many of the "cute" games for some reason.

[Merusk]

Oh: Something else I really like about the Cube.. you can have 4 players on it straight out of the box, and most kids games support that many players.  A big plus when you have to occupy the kids, or you want to play with them and not leave anyone out.

Super Smash Brothers Melee is a must unless you disagree with 2d fighting games.  Lots of unlockables and you get to beat on each other with the iconic Nintento characters of past and present.

Mario Kart is supposed to be really good, but my daughter wanted Kirby's Air Ride instead. (she's 7) I think it's pretty fun, and also has lots of unlockables in terms of cars and tracks.

My wife bought Lego Star Wars for the Gameboy, and it was damn fun.  I imagine the Cube version is just a bigger world, so yeah, I'd put that on the list.

They'd probably like Viewtiful Joe, though it might be a little frustrating for kids that young.  Depends on how their skills are and how into video games they get.

 I have a few games just for myself, Soul Caliber 2, Zelda, Metroid, and the rest I rent before buying.  Custom Robo's on my rental list, but I don't think I'd buy it because there didn't seem to be a lot to it.  Shrek 2, Mario Party (version whatever), Pokemon Colosseum, and Super Monkey Ball round-out our library.

[Nazrat]

Best Buy has a bundle with both Metroid Prime and Zelda:Wind Walkers.  However, it is sold out online and the nearest store with the bundle is a 45 minute trip one way.  The local store has the Smash Bros. bundle. 

I may need to convince the wife that the kid's need a console for Christmas.

Does anyone play Animal Crossing or Harvest Moon?  Those seem like games that would interest both the kids and the adults.

[HaemishM]

I will agree that the Cube is a better system than the PS2, except for the ginormous library of games the PS2 has. But the X-Box? No. It just isn't. It has no online play, and the X-Box's online play is luv with the right games (and there are a ton of those games).

But for younger kids, yes the Cube is the best option especially when you consider the price. Hell, buy a used Cube for $79 at EB. That's what I did. Also, if you buy a Cube and don't buy either Eternal Darkness or Resident Evil 4, you are a fool who deserves to buy a 360 at release in the part of the country where every game is sold out. They are just that good.

[Shockeye]

My 5 year-old son plays his Gamecube quite a bit. He enjoys any Star Wars game he can get his hands on, especially Lego Star Wars. He also has been playing Mario Superstar Baseball and Sonic the Hedgehog games. As for 3 year-olds, the Gamecube does have some Winnie the Pooh games.

[Shockeye]

Shockeye is just upset cuz he isn't getting one. Everyone send him a teddybear. And a tiny violin. MUAH. 

I don't need one. I don't need any game machine, really. So what if I miss out on the latest shiny? Most of the games out there are poor ports of games for existing systems. Sure the graphics are nicer, but to rush the games out the door they dropped modes and gameplay elements found in other versions of the same game.

The lack of a hard drive being standard is also a very big negative to me. Very big.

[voodoolily]

The Cube certainly fits the price range.  What are the best games for 5 and 3 year old boys?  I see Lego Star Wars which would seem right up their alley.  Paper Mario? 

I know RE4 will have to be Daddy's game but I don't follow many of the "cute" games for some reason.

Paper Mario is fabulous. It should've been called "My First RPG".

I wrote a review for LEgo Star Wars (that didn't get posted) that specifically said it was a great game to play with your kids. It's easy enough for lil' tykes and fun enough to play with them.

[voodoolily]

Does anyone play Animal Crossing or Harvest Moon?  Those seem like games that would interest both the kids and the adults.

Played 'em both, loved 'em both, but they both get grindy after awhile, as there are no real events. Might be good teething rings for future MMOG players, though. ANimal Crossing is in real time, however, so if it's it your birthday irl, the critters give you a present (usually a playable NES game that you can actually play in your little house). And if it's the middle of the night irl, the animals in your town are mostly asleep.

[AOFanboi]

Mario Kart: Double Dash!! is love on the 'Cube for any age, IMHO. And there are a host of other titles as well, but despite the "quality over quantity" premise, there are some clunkers (DDR Mario and Universal Theme Park come to mind).

I'll skip on the X360 and instead get a GameBoy Micro to weld my favorite GBA game - Pinball Deluxe - into. What I wouldn't give for a version of that game with actual hiscore saving!

[Shockeye]

I'll skip on the X360 and instead get a GameBoy Micro to weld my favorite GBA game - Pinball Deluxe - into. What I wouldn't give for a version of that game with actual hiscore saving!

Only video pinball game I ever cared for was Pinball Illusions. I'd rather play a real table.

[AOFanboi]

Only video pinball game I ever cared for was Pinball Illusions.

Well, that's one half of Pinball Deluxe, the other being (of course) Pinball Dreams.

Then again, some people have been saying nice things about Metroid Pinball on the DS.

Real pinball machines decay: In Gothenburg there is an arcade with 5 or so Addams Family machines - one of the best pinball machines of its generation. But all of them have defects from wear and use. Pinball sims don't have that issue.

*installs Pro Pinball: Big Race USA on the PC*

[schild]

The lack of a hard drive being standard is also a very big negative to me. Very big.

The only way the hard drive isn't standard is if you think of the core system as a viable option. I think of it as ghetto subsidization and pretend it doesn't exist. Then there's only the "regular" bundle. Where things like "Can the PS3 be $400 too? I'd pay it again." pop into my head. But seriously, there's only one bundle. Ignore the low end. If you can form the words 'hard drive" and "standard"  without stuttering, it's not for you.[/b]

[Shockeye]

Only video pinball game I ever cared for was Pinball Illusions.

Well, that's one half of Pinball Deluxe, the other being (of course) Pinball Dreams.

Then again, some people have been saying nice things about Metroid Pinball on the DS.

Real pinball machines decay: In Gothenburg there is an arcade with 5 or so Addams Family machines - one of the best pinball machines of its generation. But all of them have defects from wear and use. Pinball sims don't have that issue.

*installs Pro Pinball: Big Race USA on the PC*

Ok, you're telling me Pinball Illusions is on the GBA?

And second, I completely agree with Addams Family being a great machine. The local second-run movie theatre here has an Addams Family machine in great condition.

[Shockeye]

The lack of a hard drive being standard is also a very big negative to me. Very big.

The only way the hard drive isn't standard is if you think of the core system as a viable option. I think of it as ghetto subsidization and pretend it doesn't exist. Then there's only the "regular" bundle. Where things like "Can the PS3 be $400 too? I'd pay it again." pop into my head. But seriously, there's only one bundle. Ignore the low end. If you can form the words 'hard drive" and "standard"  without stuttering, it's not for you.[/b]

The hard drive is not assumed by developers and therefore not standard. Games will be developed with the harddrive as an "maybe" instead of a "definitely".

[Furiously]

I'm gonna pass for at least the next 6 months.

[Jain Zar]

Oh yeah.  Don't forget the Gamecube has the Gameboy Player attachment.  Run all Gb-GbA games on your Cube.

Ill ditto the love for Eternal Darkness, and add in Beach Spikers, Phantasy Star Online (With offline Coop play!  Just have
a strategy guide handy for weapon stats.), Super Monkey Ball, and Skies of Arcadia as games that are quite good.

[AOFanboi]

Ok, you're telling me Pinball Illusions is on the GBA?

I goofed: Binary Nine took the "prequels" Pinbal Dreams and Pinball Fantasies (not Pinball Illusions) from the Amiga, made picture- and physics-perfect (including the odd ball movements at times) copies of them and put them into a GBA cartridge, and had Ubisoft publish it as Pinball Challenge Deluxe (forgot the middle part, just had a look at the cart though).

Sans any battery save, the cheapskates.

Digital Illusions' pinball games: The two on the cart are the two earliest ones, then.

Edit: Since Digital Illusions, better known as DICE were bought by EA if memory serves, the chance we'll get to see Pinball Illusion on e.g. the DS is slim I'd say. A pity.

[MrHat]

Dammit Morph.

As I was playing it at BB today, I wanted to take it and hook it up to the SXRD on display.

[Azazel]

The Cube certainly fits the price range.  What are the best games for 5 and 3 year old boys?  I see Lego Star Wars which would seem right up their alley.  Paper Mario? 

I know RE4 will have to be Daddy's game but I don't follow many of the "cute" games for some reason.

If you get a cube for the kids, the Mario Party series is actually very good, particularly the latest one. Essentially it's a consolised boardgame, with cute little mini-games that aren't too hard for younger kinds/wives/girlfriends etc and other non-gamers. Lego Star Wars is also a very good buy (though I have it on PS2).

IMO the only people playing the "console love/hate" game should be 16 year old little pimply morons, certainly not posters to this site..

[Azazel]

The hard drive is not assumed by developers and therefore not standard. Games will be developed with the harddrive as an "maybe" instead of a "definitely".

And splitting the userbase by harddrive worked really well for that PS2 hard drive, didn't it?

Yeah, splitting the userbase from the get-go was a smaaaart idea... I'm sure the initial launch will be very successful, but then again, so was the Saturn's.

[schild]

Comparing the Xbox to a machine doomed from the start isn't fair. It's not going anywhere and Microsoft has enough Japanese/American developer support to sell a slew of consoles. Deal with it.

[Azazel]

I'll try to deal with it, but it'll be hard, you know? I'm close to tears on the topic as it is.

I know MS has a fuckton of money behind them, and they certainly have brandname recognition amongst the kids these days, I just think it's a severely fucked move to release the unit without the HDD, and that even if it doesn't bite MS in the ass, it'll definately bite people like yourself in the ass when 75% of games don't support the HDD much beyond using it as a giant memory card, when it could be so much more.

Then again, probably 60% of those games will be cross-platform ports, and so will be programmed to the lowest common denominator of all three. Maybe with some extra bump-mapping or ani-aliasing on the side for localisation..

I'm not filled with love for Sony (go go rootkit, go go one colcole per-disc technology) or Nintendo (nunchaku controller) either, but I'll call a retarded move a retarded move, when I see one.

[Righ]

Seems to be a frighteningly large failure rate out there (obviously not a scientific poll):

http://forum.teamxbox.com/showthread.php?t=392599

With this being the common crash:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/80491849@N00/

[AOFanboi]

Well, if the units are returned, perhaps they'll recoup the $126 loss per machine. How many games per box does that translate to?

[HaemishM]

Am I just imagining things, or did I hear that the 360 controllers will work with the original X-Box machines? If so, I might have to get one, as I like the feel of the new controllers.

[Nija]

Those crashes look an awful lot like overheating related video card lockups to me.

Not that my 64meg GF2 ever tossed out a screen full of artifacts and locked up or anything. Never.