New York Post: "Don't Buy The Xbox 360"

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shipwreck

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Wow, the NY Post certainly harped on games that weren't backwards compatible and the fact that the system looks better on an HDTV. While some of their points are perfectly valid reasons why you should consider not buying an Xbox 360, the title and the tone of the article make the reader seem like they should feel bad for wanting one.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,175860,00.html (The direct NYPost link doesn't have the full article if your not a member, so I posted the link to it on foxnews.)

Don't Buy the Xbox 360
Thursday, November 17, 2005
By Maxine Shen

NEW YORK — The buzz started six months ago.

There's Bill Gates on the cover of Time magazine in May, with a glowing green-and-white machine. "Inside Bill's New Xbox" it screamed.

Since then, the Xbox 360 — a sequel to Microsoft's Xbox video-game unit — has been the subject of breathless profiles, splashy television ads and Internet gossip.

The first shipments, due Tuesday, are already sold out. Analysts are calling it this year's hot holiday gift.

Don't believe the hype — and don't buy the Xbox 360.

Oh, it's an amazing console, don't get us wrong. Plugged into a high-definition television set with a booming sound system, it's amazing, a wonderland of sights and music.

But that's the part of the problem. To get the full Xbox 360 experience, you need to spend hundreds — perhaps thousands — of dollars. All that for a machine that won't play the hot games this season, like "Star Wars: Battlefront II" and "50 Cent: Bulletproof."

Save your cash, and skip the frenzy. Here are five reasons you should say "game over" to the Xbox 360:

Price — The Xbox 360 comes in two versions: the hard drive-less "core" system for $299 and the premium package for $399. But those who buy the lower-cost version are in for a surprise — they won't be able to play any of the Xbox games they already own.

"A lot of parents who go out and buy the $300 system, because they can't afford the $400 system, will have kids who aren't going to able to play 'Halo' or 'Halo 2' because backwards compatibility is going to be on the hard drive," says Brian D. Crecente, editor of kotaku.com, a gaming news blog.

Lack of games — Microsoft has announced there will be 200 backwards-compatible games (including "Forza Motorsport" and "Halo 2"), but only 19 launch titles for the 360. Only a handful are exclusives.

And popular new games, like "50 Cent: Bulletproof" and "The Warriors," won't play on the 360 at all.

Douglass Perry, editor in chief of the Xbox channel on IGN, says, "If you can wait, the second wave of games [due next year] are going to give developers the chance to really show us next-generation gaming in the truest sense."

No competition — Sure, you could rush out and drop hundreds on the 360, but we have no idea what the next-gen PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Revolution are going to be capable of doing. Both of those systems are due next year, and will surely spark a mini-price war with the Xbox 360.

Hidden costs — Right now, the Xbox 360's stunning graphics ability is its biggest selling point, but to take advantage of it, you'll need to invest in a high-definition TV — tacking on an extra couple hundred bucks, at least.

"We've all heard Microsoft basically saying that if you want to get an HDTV, the 360 is going to be the thing that makes you go out and get one," Crecente says. "Most of us dismissed that, but I swear, it's like they designed the 360 to make your TV look bad if you don't have HDTV."

And if you add peripherals, such as the ability to play games over the Internet, the Xbox 360 costs nearly $600!

Older consoles are not dead yet — Both the original Xbox and the PS2 are selling for $149, with the GameCube coming in at a mere $99 — in all cases, a complete steal compared to the Xbox 360.

You could take the money you saved and put it towards buying all the systems, plus a whole bunch of great games like "The Warriors."

Although he's a firm believer in the Xbox 360, Perry says, "If you buy a PS2 or an Xbox now, you're buying a system at the end of its lifespan, when some of the best games are showing up."
Click to expand...
 
LOL, is New York Post owned by Sony?

Whats up with 50 cent game being "popular" its not even out yet. Damn that guy knows nothing about gaming.
 
Wait, backwards compatibility isn't being extended to recent Xbox releases?

I'm going to be amazingly pissed off if I can't play Farcry or any of the other recent releases.

And does Xbox 360 really look THAT bad on a non HDTV set?
 
[quote name='Roufuss']Wait, backwards compatibility isn't being extended to recent Xbox releases?

I'm going to be amazingly pissed off if I can't play Farcry or any of the other recent releases.

And does Xbox 360 really look THAT bad on a non HDTV set?[/QUOTE]

They are continually adding games to the backwards compatible list. The NY Post article "forgot" to mention this.
 
I find it funny that a newspaper owned by Fox calls Star Wars Battlefront 2 one of the "the hot games this season". Does anyone know if Nescorp has any intrest in Paramount "the Warrioirs" or Universal "Bulletproof".

Not that all the points are bad, I do agree that if you dont havean HDTV that the 360 is wasted, but HDTV's are just awesome in general
 
[quote name='shipwreck']They are continually adding games to the backwards compatible list. The NY Post article "forgot" to mention this.[/QUOTE]

Just seems weird that new releases and games coming out soon wouldn't get some sort of priority, or at least be configured to work early on.

Worried about getting a 360 now, since all I have are composite cables, and I really can't afford to buy an HDTV and a 360.
 
[quote name='Roufuss']Just seems weird that new releases and games coming out soon wouldn't get some sort of priority, or at least be configured to work early on.

Worried about getting a 360 now, since all I have are composite cables, and I really can't afford to buy an HDTV and a 360.[/QUOTE]

It will still look good on a normal TV, but it's just going to look a whole lot better on an HDTV. And I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of these "hot holiday releases" are backwards compatible shortly.
 
Well that was a pretty uninformed writer, although it was coming from the Post. I don't think the issue is that the games look bad on a regular TV, it is that the games look that much better on HDTV. I'm sure people are going to have a knee-jerk reaction to the Post insulting the Xbox 360, but really all that is being conveyed is a CAG concept; save your money and enjoy the current wealth of games. Keep in mind that the majority of readers of the article who are thinking about getting the Xbox 360 are probably parents of kids who are begging for the latest and greatest. $400 for a system + $50-$60games + $X accessories is a huge amount of money for games. Parents want to make their kids happy and I'm sure a lot of parents are worried about squeaking by with bills and paying for Christmas gifts. All the Post is saying is to step back from the hype and consider waiting.
 
[quote name='shipwreck']It will still look good on a normal TV, but it's just going to look a whole lot better on an HDTV. And I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of these "hot holiday releases" are backwards compatible shortly.[/QUOTE]

True... should still look good on component, and then it'll be that much better when I get an HDTV after the holidays.
 
[quote name='shipwreck']They are continually adding games to the backwards compatible list. The NY Post article "forgot" to mention this.[/QUOTE]

Does M$ have a continually updated list for BC posted somewhere?
 
Does anyone remember people complaining how bad the games looked on incorrectly set up walmart displays? It'll look even worse on a SDTV
 
The article does draw some valid conclusions, but it won't and shouldn't change the minds of anyone who really wants one.

Obviously the writer isn't targeting CAGs, but rather the casual, less informed consumer who might be considering the system as a gift. In that context, I think it makes the right points to that particular audience.
 
wow. I didn't know you could post fanboy rants in a news publication.

A number of things stunned me in the article. That people would be "surprised" that the core system doesn't have backwards compatability? Nobody should be surprised, MS and retailers have been saying this for months!

Also it's retarded how they say there's "only 19" launch titles.. I can't remember any other system than dreamcast that has had that many launch titles..

Well maybe this will keep more kids off xbox live and xbox can remain the console for gamers, not 50 cent and rockstar fans.
 
[quote name='jer7583']wow. I didn't know you could post fanboy rants in a news publication.[/QUOTE]

I wasn't aware that the Post was a news publication.
 
[quote name='jer7583']That people would be "surprised" that the core system doesn't have backwards compatability? Nobody should be surprised, MS and retailers have been saying this for months![/QUOTE]

Random parent will remember that thier kids PS2 could play the old games, pick up the cheaper bundle (because its cheaper...) and THEN be surprised that it isnt backwards compatible when the kid starts bitching.
 
"All that for a machine that won't play the hot games this season, like "Star Wars: Battlefront II" and "50 Cent: Bulletproof.""

I literally stopped reading right there. Not being able to play a 50 Cent game should have NO bearing on whether someone buys a console or not, I don't care if you're 50 himself.
 
[quote name='javeryh']I wasn't aware that the Post was a news publication.[/QUOTE]


lol. QFT.
 
[quote name='lionheart4life']"All that for a machine that won't play the hot games this season, like "Star Wars: Battlefront II" and "50 Cent: Bulletproof.""

I literally stopped reading right there. Not being able to play a 50 Cent game should have NO bearing on whether someone buys a console or not, I don't care if you're 50 himself.[/QUOTE]


Well, maybe they thought Rise to Honor was a hot game too?
 
eh, the whole article is about saving money i guess. more for families who want to seek an alternative. of course things will be cheaper in 1-2 years. of course there will be better games later in the console's lifespan. nothing new for gamers.
 
[quote name='javeryh']I wasn't aware that the Post was a news publication.[/QUOTE]

Like I tell my friends from outside NY, there's a reason it costs a quarter. That and it makes excellent toilet fodder in the case of an emergency and you run out of paper!
 
[quote name='Kapwanil']Like I tell my friends from outside NY, there's a reason it costs a quarter. That and it makes excellent toilet fodder in the case of an emergency and you run out of paper![/QUOTE]

Both the Post and the Daily News are psuedo-newspapers. They do report the news (kind of) but most everything is horribly written and completely sensationalized. I do enjoy the celebrity gossip and Su Duku in the back though... If we were talking about the NY Times that would be different...
 
similar Article from CNN

http://money.cnn.com/2005/11/17/commentary/game_over/column_gaming/index.htm

In the end we all know buying a console at launch is an illogical thing. Hell most of the things we buy are illogical. But we buy them because it appeals to us. I really want to play pgr3 and I figure a price drop won't happen until at least 6 months. There are games between now and then that I would not mind getting. So getting a 360 is not that difficult decision for me. Yes I have lots of old games to play. Yes I am probably wasting my money. But it's my damn money and for the first week it'll be frickin #@# awesome. But we all know it just becomes a regaular console. It's our obsession with the best.

Of course as long as people are happy, who cares ;)
 
[quote name='sononkyo']eh, the whole article is about saving money i guess. more for families who want to seek an alternative. of course things will be cheaper in 1-2 years. of course there will be better games later in the console's lifespan. nothing new for gamers.[/QUOTE]

Yep, I got that same impression.
 
[quote name='Zoglog']similar Article from CNN

http://money.cnn.com/2005/11/17/commentary/game_over/column_gaming/index.htm

In the end we all know buying a console at launch is an illogical thing. Hell most of the things we buy are illogical. But we buy them because it appeals to us. I really want to play pgr3 and I figure a price drop won't happen until at least 6 months. There are games between now and then that I would not mind getting. So getting a 360 is not that difficult decision for me. Yes I have lots of old games to play. Yes I am probably wasting my money. But it's my damn money and for the first week it'll be frickin #@# awesome. But we all know it just becomes a regaular console. It's our obsession with the best.

Of course as long as people are happy, who cares ;)[/QUOTE]

Nah, you're not wasting money. It's all intrinsic in my opinion.

I just don't have the scratch for one right now, so I have to wait. But if you can afford one and want one, there's no reason that should stop you from getting it.
 
[quote name='Zoglog']similar Article from CNN

http://money.cnn.com/2005/11/17/commentary/game_over/column_gaming/index.htm

In the end we all know buying a console at launch is an illogical thing. Hell most of the things we buy are illogical. But we buy them because it appeals to us. I really want to play pgr3 and I figure a price drop won't happen until at least 6 months. There are games between now and then that I would not mind getting. So getting a 360 is not that difficult decision for me. Yes I have lots of old games to play. Yes I am probably wasting my money. But it's my damn money and for the first week it'll be frickin #@# awesome. But we all know it just becomes a regaular console. It's our obsession with the best.

Of course as long as people are happy, who cares ;)[/QUOTE]

Well, it was similar subject matter, but the CNN article was actually pretty positive on the X360. That, and it was actually pretty well written.
 
Seemed like an OK article to me. People without HDTV's probably won't notice the difference.

When people do buy an HDTV, they're going to want devices that look good on it.. and if X360 becomes the "HDTV game system" in people's minds, they'll come around (I always say you don't know how truly crappy the current generation is until you hook it up to an HDTV).

Also, for budget gamers, staying 1/2 a generation behind the bleeding edge is good advice. You save a ton of money.
 
Sounds like NY Post didn't get their shit straight when they wrote that article. I wonder when MS will sue them for posting that pile of crap.

Reasons I'm waiting:
1) BC is still being worked out, so I'd like to wait a while and see how far they take it.
2) I'd rather spend my money on other things right now, plus the HW I want to buy will get cheaper when I'm looking to make my purchase, around the time of the first price drop.
3) I don't have an HDTV and I've seen the demo with an 360 attached to an HDTV, so I'm planning on buying a 360 + HDTV at the same time.
 
How many times did he mention "The Warriors?" I'm sure that game is cool for fans of the movie, but no one else gives a shit about it. I would hardly call it a hot holiday title.
 
I don't see why people should have such strong negative reactions to the article, particularly when you consider the audience - parents whose child(ren) may already be on their second draft of their Christmas list with Xbox 360 right at the top. I think there are two entirely valid points made for holding off on purchasing the system this Christmas:

The relative lack of EXCLUSIVE games that are genuine must-haves and the lack of information surrounding the PS3 and Revolution.

It's true that there is absolutely nothing wrong with getting the 360 at launch, but it's also true that current PS2 owners have more than enough AAA titles to tide them over until next Christmas when all three next-generation consoles will be available for customers to choose from. Personally, I decided that I'm happier playing Dragon Quest VIII, The Warriors, Burnout Revenge and Resident Evil 4 this year and I'll worry about upgrading to the new generation of consoles next year. For those getting a 360 next week - enjoy!
 
This will be the same guy who next year is praising Sony's PS3 because ...

- it ONLY costs $800.00
- plays the hottest new titles like Bible Game 3
- looks outstanding on his new $20,000 SuperHD 80" Set
 
Aside from having 50 cent and warriors as the must have games, the article make some good points. It is probably better to wait a few month for MS to get a price drop and more Xbox games working before shelling any moeny.
 
I don't see the big deal either... assuming this guy knows a little bit about video games the smart thing to say is to wait. There's really nothing available worth $500 right now. That's not to say the 360 won't be awesome or anything, it just means that buyers would be getting more value for their dollar down the road when there are more AAA games available and the library is bigger in general. I see a disturbing trend with most of the games in that they are just adding higher resolutions and smoother textures to PS2 caliber games. I'm betting the true next generation won't arrive until the PS3 does so developers can put their all into next-gen design.
 
[quote name='Mr Unoriginal']People tend to get defensive when someone else calls their $400+ investment a bad one.[/QUOTE]


No kidding.
 
Look, as bad as the NY Post is in terms of writing, this isn't a Microsoft railroad job conspiracy. Just like I and others have stated, this article is targeted at parents who are most likely being hounded by their kids for the Xbox 360. The current trend with holiday seasons is rising credit card costs as consumers for the most part are spending more and more. This article is simply trying to throw some reasoning in by suggesting people let the hype diminish, supply increase, and prices stabilize.

Sure, the way article is expressed could use a lot of work. And clearly, the writer is ignorant of video gaming. But that doesn't change the fact that the author is conveying a legitimate argument for waiting. It might not work for those of us who can't wait and want the Xbox 360 yesterday. But for the parent struggling with bills and the pressure of their child's wants, I think it does.
 
Well he is right, it's stupid to buy a launch console.

The only launch consoles that I would say are a good idea are Nintendo's regular (non portable) ones.

Xbox 360 is an example of all the things I dislike about current games... High price, no games (aside from Kameo) that interest me and pushing graphics over gameplay.

I was playing Radiata Stories last night, and couldn't believe how beautiful the game looked. Why don't Sony, MS and Nintendo just make a console with slightly improved technology and be sure it is STABLE. They make more money off of software sales anyway.
 
[quote name='dental_regurgitation']Well he is right, it's stupid to buy a launch console.

The only launch consoles that I would say are a good idea are Nintendo's regular (non portable) ones.

Xbox 360 is an example of all the things I dislike about current games... High price, no games (aside from Kameo) that interest me and pushing graphics over gameplay.

I was playing Radiata Stories last night, and couldn't believe how beautiful the game looked. Why don't Sony, MS and Nintendo just make a console with slightly improved technology and be sure it is STABLE. They make more money off of software sales anyway.[/QUOTE]

Why are you even in this area of the forum if you have no interest in a 360 and don't plan on buying one?
 
[quote name='mmn']Why are you even in this area of the forum if you have no interest in a 360 and don't plan on buying one?[/QUOTE]

Well it was on the front page, plus I like keeping up to date on console launches. I am not going to bury my head in the sand and ignore a console launch just because I dislike its opening software lineup.
 
[quote name='mmn']Why are you even in this area of the forum if you have no interest in a 360 and don't plan on buying one?[/QUOTE]

"Don't plan on buying one" and "don't plan on buying one at launch" are two seperate things.
 
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