I might buy a 360 but....

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gorgonzola238

gorgonzola238

CAGiversary!
I have read lots of threads on various gaming sites and forums and have heard lots of praise and displeasure with the 360. I was planning on getting a PS3 but have decided to wait for MGS4.

Having said that, I think i'm going to get a 360. I know this has the potential for flaming, but I hope that it will not go there. I would mainly like responses from 360 owners. Are all the problems the 360's are having ie: red lights of death a big deal? Or is it because a few people with blogs on the internet blowing out of proportion. I *knock on wood* have had zero problems with any gaming system I've owned, having said that I only have a playstation 2 at the moment, but it will 6 years old in February.

Should I be worried that if I get a 360 that it will crap out on me? I plan on getting one in maybe March or April. I have Final Fantasy VII, X and XII to beat first then i'm going to maybe pick up one.

Like I said, this is not to start a flame war. There are some great looking games on the 360 and I don't want to be left out anymore. I just don't want the system to die on me before I get to fully enjoy it. Thanks.
 
I just received a 360 for christmas and I decided the reason to go with the 360 was the large number of games already available and games at a lower cost. The Wii and PS3 only has games at full price. I'm cheap so games for $19.99 or $29.99 seemed like the best deal for the next gen.

I just mailed in the warranty too. I figure 3 years of warranty for $60 is pretty cheap.
 
The only problems I have ever heard about with 360 (on a regular basis that is) are issues that are caused by overheating. Many consumers don't follow the instructions that tell you to keep the 360 out of an enclosed enviroment. I have been using my 360 as a dvd player as well lately and probably getting 6-8 hours at a time out of it in total on the weekends. No problems
 
If you really worry that much, when you go to the stores, flip the serial number pad open (it's where the cashiers scan it for purchase). You can see the date of manufacture. Getting one that is 6 months or younger will give you that "I can sleep at night" feeling. Just don't overdo it otherwise you could have a loss prevention personnel come ask you what you are doing. Also, the BB product replacement plan is a steal because you don't have to deal with mailing it out to MS repair centers and waiting or risk being sent a refurb unit. Keep it well ventilated (the unit and the power supply) and if you like to keep the console horizontal, don't always put it on carpet, especially thick carpet. Try to put it on a TV stand or just a block of wood (poor conductor of heat).
 
the 360 now comes with an included one year warranty from microsoft. you are correct that many problems get overblown on the web. ive had nothing but smooth sailing since launch.
 
I have a launch console and I've yet to have a problem.
 
Yeah, buy a warranty. A warranty can help assure you that you never end up paying another 300-400 dollars for a new Xbox 360. You can choose to take those precautions, but a warranty will be your best bet.

When i say warranty, I mean a warranty from places at retail who are known to replace on the spot , rather than having them sent out. You don't exactly have to buy a warranty, but i'd get one to be safe. Specifically not from Microsoft.
 
[quote name='gorgonzola238']I have read lots of threads on various gaming sites and forums and have heard lots of praise and displeasure with the 360. I was planning on getting a PS3 but have decided to wait for MGS4.

Having said that, I think i'm going to get a 360. I know this has the potential for flaming, but I hope that it will not go there. I would mainly like responses from 360 owners. Are all the problems the 360's are having ie: red lights of death a big deal? Or is it because a few people with blogs on the internet blowing out of proportion. I *knock on wood* have had zero problems with any gaming system I've owned, having said that I only have a playstation 2 at the moment, but it will 6 years old in February.

Should I be worried that if I get a 360 that it will crap out on me? I plan on getting one in maybe March or April. I have Final Fantasy VII, X and XII to beat first then i'm going to maybe pick up one.

Like I said, this is not to start a flame war. There are some great looking games on the 360 and I don't want to be left out anymore. I just don't want the system to die on me before I get to fully enjoy it. Thanks.[/quote]


One thing to remember, Microsoft hasn't been known for their rpgs. I haven't heard anything about Final Fantasy XIII being on released for 360 too. Only for PS3. Take into account the genre of games you want to play.
 
If you buy one, waiting until the summer for the new CPU may be your best bet if you're worried about shoddy hardware. While the current 360 is solidly built, despite what the internet would have you believe, the problems that were encountered came from overheating, which should be less of a problem when a smaller, cooler CPU is on board.
 
I dove in with a helpful nudge from Wombat. The sad fact of the matter is that if you're serious about gaming, you'll end up with at least two of the three home consoles. Last gen, I went 'Cube and PS2. This gen, PS3 just doesn't look so hot out of the gates, so I'm going Wii60.

Being a happy Wii owner, the biggest selling points for the 360 for me were "traditional" games like Dead Rising and Tony Hawk Project 8, BC with Xbox stuff I missed like KOTOR, Jade Empire, and Fable, and the promise of some pretty incredible stuff coming down the line. Oh, and Oblivion! I really wanna play Oblivion. All told, I'd say I'm reasonably satisfied with my purchase.

Having said that, the 360 has proven to be a moderately glitchy experience for me so far. I kinda blame imperfect emulation on a couple BC hang-ups, but there have been some other little snags that have worried me and made me shake my head (problems with Wi-Fi hook-up, controller wireless signal "dropping" one night, etc.).

From my modest understanding of the 360 and its problems, I'm kinda sure I've got a "good one" (doesn't sound like a lawn mower, doesn't get overly hot after playing for a couple of hours), but I resent having to buy an extended warranty for fear of the thing crapping out.
 
Yeah, it really does suck that that's how things are with that console. We shouldn't have to not move it while it has a disk in it. We shouldn't have to have it heavily ventilated, we shouldn't have to take all of the precautions just to play games. They REALLY need to work on this.
 
Thanks for all the info, and yes I know these threads are dime a dozen, but at least here no body is bad mouthing the system.

As far as games go, I do like RPGs, but I want to get the 360 for some action games. I was thinking of snagging Gears of War, Dead Rising and Lost Planet.

Another question, does anyone know for sure when Microsoft will announce when the newer, cooler chipped 360's will hit the stores? That's why I want to delay purchasing one right now for a coupla months. I know there is lots of speculation about it but no firm info.
 
Some time this year, but no one knows. The 360 does have reliability issues (as you can see by the new round of dead/dying system that are less than 6 months old), but it does have a great library, and obviously more work than not.

If I didn't already have one (my third BTW, and it's slightly flaky) at this point I'd probably wait for a redesign (hoping for a quieter, more reliable system) and a price drop. All the free game deals point towards the later at the least.

Regarding RPGs, Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey are two of the big reasons I bought one. Obvlion and BioShock, while not exclusive, are/will be awesome too. Stuff like Alan Wake might appeal to you too.

Do NOT waste money on a warranty 1 year or less, since Microsoft finally matched what Sony/Nintendo give you. It might make sense for a longer warranty from Best Buy...but on the other hand by the time your warranty's out, the system will have gone through a price drop or redesign or something (plus you can always buy a Core rather than a regular if you've already got the hard drive).
 
[quote name='sendmesomegames']I loved my 360 but it died a year and a half to the day of when I bought it. I will not buy another until the system is made more reliable.[/QUOTE]

So you bought the system before it was available to the public? Interesting.
 
I bought a 360 recently, and my brother bought one on launch. His ended up giving out almost a year to the day he bought it. The console is awesome, but expect problems somewhere down the line, and hope for otherwise. The MS warranty is a year now, which is nice, but if its really a concern, buy an extended one.

The only real complaint I have about the system is the lack of variety in games. As far as quality games go, it seems like every single one falls into the category of shooter or sports/racing. All I need is a MGS or some non MMO style RPGs, and I will be set. :)

The system is awesome and I dont regret buying it in the least. And I don't even like a lot of the best games for it either. Still well worth the money I paid for it.
 
Long storry short (I didn't mean too) but when the Xmas season was all done and gone I had a wii, 360, and PS3 in the house so I think I can adequately judge all 3.

I got an extended warranty on all of them except for the Wii as I too had read of alot of issues with both 360's and PS3's and wanted the extra added peace of mind.

I didn't feel it was necessary for the Wii as 1) there was the full year waranty and 2) It's a damn Nintendo - they're allways built like rocks. Personally I've owned every US Nintendo system ever made and never had a problem with one of them.

I have not had an issue with either the 360 or the PS3 either - well I have had some issues with the wi-fi on the PS3 - it seams a common problem. If you ask me it has a rather poor wi-fi adapter in it (doesn't pull in as strong a signal as other wi-fi devices and is prone to disconnections, etc.) You can alleviate this by boosting the signal, changing router settings, etc - in other words I had to make some changes to my wireless network to get it happier and there are still days when it is finicky (I think Sony has kinks in their Playstation Network if you ask me).

Anyways, I digress. I haven't had an issue at all with the 360. My family consists of myself, my wife, and two sons (12 and 5) we are all gamers.

My youngest loves both the Wii and the 360. My oldest plays all of the systems - with probably the most playtime being on the 360. My wife favors the Wii.

Personally I thought the Wii was kinda cool for awhile, then sort of got tired of the controller scheme. I haven't really been playing it but picking up either the 360 or PS3 controller whenever I can pull myself away from PC online gaming (and more importantly one of the other 3 isn't hogging the TV/game consoles!).

TexTuna
 
[quote name='Indiana']I just received a 360 for christmas and I decided the reason to go with the 360 was the large number of games already available and games at a lower cost. The Wii and PS3 only has games at full price. I'm cheap so games for $19.99 or $29.99 seemed like the best deal for the next gen.

I just mailed in the warranty too. I figure 3 years of warranty for $60 is pretty cheap.[/QUOTE]

Wow, for whatever reason, this just rubbed me the wrong way. I'm a happy 360 owner, and as a rule, I rarely buy extended warrenties on anything (my thought is, 90% of the time you never use them, I'll eat the replacement costs on the few things that do break).

But, you are buying a system for $400, then your willing to spend $60 for some insurance that it'll work for 3 years. Sorry, when I drop $400 on anything, I expect it to be there in working condition in 3 years.

If it gives you peace of mind, do it. But, I think it's the wrong thought process to call $60 on getting very little as "cheap". (plus, how much will 360's go for in 3 years? Will they cost $200? So, your saving a whopping $140 if the worst happens?

There are reasons why stores push these hard, they are cash cows.
 
[quote name='lordxixor101']Wow, for whatever reason, this just rubbed me the wrong way. I'm a happy 360 owner, and as a rule, I rarely buy extended warrenties on anything (my thought is, 90% of the time you never use them, I'll eat the replacement costs on the few things that do break).

But, you are buying a system for $400, then your willing to spend $60 for some insurance that it'll work for 3 years. Sorry, when I drop $400 on anything, I expect it to be there in working condition in 3 years.

If it gives you peace of mind, do it. But, I think it's the wrong thought process to call $60 on getting very little as "cheap". (plus, how much will 360's go for in 3 years? Will they cost $200? So, your saving a whopping $140 if the worst happens?

There are reasons why stores push these hard, they are cash cows.[/QUOTE]

It's all relative. If $60 saves you 3 years of anxiety while playing your console than, in my opinion, it's worth every penny. If you aren't that worried about the system breaking down early in it's life cycle or you understand the risks of not getting the extended warranty and you think $60 is too expensive, than an extended warranty is not for you. To assume, if you pay $400 for a piece of electronics (especially a game console), it will automatically last longer than 3 years seems like a mistake to me.

As for the Xbox 360, the console is great, many of the games are great, Xbox Live is great, the reliability issues seem to be improving. If you are truly that concerned that your system will die an early death, buy the extended warranty. The console will have several RPGs but just not an abundance of Japanese RPGs. They will have several Western style RPGs like Mass Effect and Oblivion, which I prefer, but don't expect a lot of support from Square-Enix.
 
Bloodbooger Costco just changed their policy, I think it's just 3 months now. I have a 360 and PS3. I think they both have pluses and minuses, but don't all consoles? I've had problems with disc read errors with the 360, and I still hate that I can't play most of my original xbox games. I also think it is extremely loud, I've never heard a console that loud before. That being said, I still think the 360 has some great features. I love the ability to stream my music and videos from my computer. I think they have some great games, though they could give us a little more variety. I play more games on 360 than PS3, I use the PS3 more for the Blu-ray player right now. Gears of War is probably worth buying a 360 alone. I agree that if your a serious gamer your going to end up with both a 360 and a PS3. Even though less and less games are becoming exclusives, there are still those that will make you want to have both systems.
 
[quote name='lordxixor101']If it gives you peace of mind, do it. But, I think it's the wrong thought process to call $60 on getting very little as "cheap". (plus, how much will 360's go for in 3 years? Will they cost $200? So, your saving a whopping $140 if the worst happens?

There are reasons why stores push these hard, they are cash cows.[/quote]

That is actually the wrong thought process. If ten X360s broke down and were sent in, one may have circuitry failure, another may have audio/video output error, and a few other ones might have CPU or GPU burnout.

But it is hard to tell which system has a bad a/v, CPU, GPU, etc., because the testing process only tests to make sure it works once you press the power button, not if it can run 3 years in a simulation environment without breaking down (and who would want to buy a system that has been tested for 3 years). THAT IS WHY THEY OFFER WARRANTY.

Take the time to read the retail warranty. MS has a one-year automatic warranty and a 2 year extended but they do not cover electric surge. BB's $60 protection plan does not change or nullify MS's warranty BUT ADDS TO IT! Things like nation-wide in-store coverage, electric surge, along with a product replacement option. No more whacky lobby waiting music "Please wait for the next available associate", UPS/Fed Ex waiting times, possibility of getting a refurb (which means it already broke down once to begin with, hence "refurbished"). BB also promise a gift card. What if it broke down and you no longer feel like getting another one? Get anything else you want in the store! How convenient is that.

Heck, if you got yourself a good paying job, why not go for the CC protection plan plus? It covers spills, drops, accidents, anything other than you kicking it or slamming it intentionally. Your dog shit on it? Here's a new one. You dropped it in the sewer? Here's a new one. You thought you could break dance without hitting anything? Here you go.

Cash cows? Have fun dealing with that guy on the phone: "Say XBOX, or 360." "360, gotcha. Say things like three flashing red lights..."
 
Get a warranty. The included one is a year, you make the call if you'll think you need it longer than that.

I received mine for Xmas with an additional MC one year warranty. I have no fears about it breaking. If it does, then I get another one. No biggie. I also have mine standing vertical with plenty of room around it. It gets warm, but I've never felt it extremely hot. It also does not scratch my discs.

Get it. You'll love the crap out of it.
 
I haven't ever had a single problem. Until one day I downloaded an update that bricked my system.

I was still under warranty so it wasn't a big deal.

Before then I had absolutely no problems.


And the games are simply amazing. It's definitely the best system out there right now.
 
everyone has been talking about the 360 having a one year warranty. I got one yesterday and the warranty packet only talked about a 90 day warranty.
 
360 has changed my life, and thats not a joke.
I have heard bad things about the PS3.
 
as for reliability, it's true that the 360 seems to be all over the map. i got a 360 second week of decemeber and i was getting a few DRE and freezes during the 3 weeks i had this particular 360. i managed to exchange it and my new 360 has been smooth sailing so far. my new one was made in october while the other was in august of 2006.
 
[quote name='videogamejunkie']already saw that. As mine has a manufacture date on sept of 06 I should just disregard that 90 day paperwork as outdated?[/quote]

Yes. ALL 360's are a year now.
 
My system has frozen at least five times since I got it on New Year's. It's not very loud, but the HD-DVD add on is.
 
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