The Xbox 360 Thread Pro Edition

[Uxi]

I was thinking a "fool and his money" but that wasn't Barnum either (Tusser).

As far as David's issue, it's not RROD so it's not covered. I would personally wait for it to RROD and wait for the replacement unit. You know it will happen eventually, since you almost certainly don't have a jasper. The one you get will be new, at least to you, and fully covered for x-period of time and you might get lucky with a Falcon or something. Unless you think you can get actually sell it for a $100, in which case it becomes the hapless purchaser's issue...

[yellowlightman]

Right, that's exactly what I'm talking about. Even if they get the first fixed in warranty, they now have another flawed system. I've seen this on at least 3 boards... When both of those die, buy another one? Microsoft now has at least two sales to one guy simply because their rushed and flawed hardware design is being rewarded. I'm not saying one should necessarily go to the competition (though the consideration couldn't hurt), but definitely not encourage shoddy engineering & management. Just suck it up and wait out the repair process instead of giving them MORE money to do the same. Doesn't anyone see the message going out? Be first out to the market, even if your poo sucks, and fix it on the back end since your customers won't care if you have a decent online experience replete with advertising. Maybe PT Barnum was right...

And again, it comes down to games. The 360 has the best selection and the same cross-platform titles, so it's worth it to people to go through the hassle of the RROD. Really, it just comes down to the games. I used to be a rabid MS hater, but the original Xbox delivered the goods with multiplayer and online so I sucked it up and bought one. Same thing happened to me with Sega and the Dreamcast (later I went back and discovered how awesome the Saturn was). It has the games I want to play so I'll deal with it, since it doesn't actually cost me much.

As for trying to teach MS a lesson about releasing terrible products... I sure hope you aren't writing on a Windows machine.

EDIT: And by the same token, why should I reward Nintendo for releasing a slightly upgraded Gamecube or Sony for refusing to come up with a new controller design to replace the archaic one they're using on a system that still doesn't have many games to show for it?

Edited December 22, 2008 by yellowlightman

[Alpha OTS]

Anyone know the current trade-in value for a 360 (console/cables only, I want to keep my HD and controller) at Gamestop, EB etc?

Mine's disc drive is really acting up lately, and I'd rather sell it and get a new one than to spend 2 hours on the phone to India just to have them say "it's normal".

Or if anyone wants to buy a "working, but I'm not happy with the noises its making" 360 let me know...

My 360's been doing that for some time, but over the last few weeks it's gotten worse to the point that I'm getting dirty disc errors now which is always preceded by the drive making some kind of death rattle. I've not RROD'd yet either. I figure I'm extremely lucky to have not had that happen to the early model that I have, but I know I'm due. They sell replacement drives online, but what's the point if it's due for a RROD?

I'm really happy that the latest dashboard upgrade included an "install to hd", but I only have enough space to install one game at a time, so I really need a new 360. How much do those transfer kits cost and how much of a headache is it to transfer your 360 hd's info to a new system? Anyone else do this? They do sell them, right?

[eugimon]

my unit's drive was also traveling a lot, I just used a DVD cleaner on it and it's settled down again. then again, the guy lubricating the drive went a little crazy and I still get a fine film of lubricant all over my game discs after an hour or so of play.

[Excillon]

Only a couple months until RE5!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Apollo Leader]

Last night I managed to beat Gears of War 2 all by myself on Insane. Like with the first game, persistance pays off and it also helps that I've been playing this series for 2 years now. The only spots that really got tough for me was where you find Maria and in Jacinto where there's a spot in the one courtyard where you take on a number of Locust Drones, Boomers (the ones with the exploding maces), and 2 Bloodmounts.

Speaking of game achievements or accomplishments, Activision released these stats about Call of Duty 4 (these are the 360's stats):

http://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/08/cod-4-ov...ane-on-veteran/

71.1%, or 7,111,508 people have completed F.N.G.

68.8%, or 6,886,509 people have completed Cargo Ship.

46.5%, or 5,654,643 people have beaten the game on any difficulty.

2.8%, or 283,632 people have completed Airplane on Veteran difficulty.

So I'm among the less then 3 percent that have beaten the final stage on Veteran? Cool. The stage is pretty rough and it took me about 4 hours of straight through play to do it.

Edited January 10, 2009 by Apollo Leader

[Mechwarrior]

I do not know the protocol for adding people to the xbox friends list but im gonna everyone on the list, my gamer tag is usmcwarmaster. Im new to xbox anything since i am an avid PC game player, i would like to give xbox 360 a go go : ) I just bought some games online and Gta4, but i mostly got the Xbox cuz it was on sale and i am looking forward to playing Streetfighter 4 in Febuary.

[Hikuro]

Well I just found something interesting. I'm currently downloading the RE5 demo that came out in Japan, and I also managed to score Gundam: Mobile Ops in Japanese for a demo. Pretty simple stuff when you figure out how it works.

Mobile Ops isn't bad at all, just it's purely online based and it's very much like a Gundam style of Battlefield. It'll be nice if this game does hit the US cause I can see the fanbase really going for it.

[protostar8]

Last night I managed to beat Gears of War 2 all by myself on Insane. Like with the first game, persistance pays off and it also helps that I've been playing this series for 2 years now. The only spots that really got tough for me was where you find Maria and in Jacinto where there's a spot in the one courtyard where you take on a number of Locust Drones, Boomers (the ones with the exploding maces), and 2 Bloodmounts.

Speaking of game achievements or accomplishments, Activision released these stats about Call of Duty 4 (these are the 360's stats):

http://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/08/cod-4-ov...ane-on-veteran/

71.1%, or 7,111,508 people have completed F.N.G.

68.8%, or 6,886,509 people have completed Cargo Ship.

46.5%, or 5,654,643 people have beaten the game on any difficulty.

2.8%, or 283,632 people have completed Airplane on Veteran difficulty.

So I'm among the less then 3 percent that have beaten the final stage on Veteran? Cool. The stage is pretty rough and it took me about 4 hours of straight through play to do it.

After playing Call of Duty: World at War for 2.5 days (of game time since Christmas), it really makes me appreciate Call of Duty 4. Sure, CoD4 has some minor problems, but World at War is amazingly bad. Headquaters is VERY bad. Spawn points in the game are horrible at the best of times (people you just killed spawning right behind you or your team spawning across the map from the capture point while the other team spawns 50 feet away). The game often seems to "choose a side" to win and gives them lots of advantages with spawns. The weapon balance is non-existant. About 33% of the people I play use one specific gun and the perk that gives you extra health and the other perk that makes you drop a live grenade when you die. The Helicopter from CoD4 that was obnoxious has NOTHING on the dogs. They literally are unkillable until they are about 10 feet away, at which point it takes MORE BULLETS to kill them than a player. Add to that the fact that they continuously spawn for a set amount of time and it's ridiculous. Plus there are at least 3 of the 15 maps with SERIOUS glitches that let people under the maps where they are more or less invincible but can shoot you from underneath. Tanks in the game are another obnoxious addition, taking way too much to take one out unless you have a very specific class set up. As of tonight, I got so fed up with the game's horrible execution that I am considering never playing it again and just going back to CoD4, which is still fun even after I've been playing it for a year. I can't wait for Infinity Ward to release Modern Warfare 2 (CoD 6 I think).

[anime52k8]

After playing Call of Duty: World at War for 2.5 days (of game time since Christmas), it really makes me appreciate Call of Duty 4. Sure, CoD4 has some minor problems, but World at War is amazingly bad. Headquaters is VERY bad. Spawn points in the game are horrible at the best of times (people you just killed spawning right behind you or your team spawning across the map from the capture point while the other team spawns 50 feet away). The game often seems to "choose a side" to win and gives them lots of advantages with spawns. The weapon balance is non-existant. About 33% of the people I play use one specific gun and the perk that gives you extra health and the other perk that makes you drop a live grenade when you die. The Helicopter from CoD4 that was obnoxious has NOTHING on the dogs. They literally are unkillable until they are about 10 feet away, at which point it takes MORE BULLETS to kill them than a player. Add to that the fact that they continuously spawn for a set amount of time and it's ridiculous. Plus there are at least 3 of the 15 maps with SERIOUS glitches that let people under the maps where they are more or less invincible but can shoot you from underneath. Tanks in the game are another obnoxious addition, taking way too much to take one out unless you have a very specific class set up. As of tonight, I got so fed up with the game's horrible execution that I am considering never playing it again and just going back to CoD4, which is still fun even after I've been playing it for a year. I can't wait for Infinity Ward to release Modern Warfare 2 (CoD 6 I think).

are you sure you don't just suck? admittedly the number of exploitable glitches is pretty bad, but other than that it's no worse than CoD4. the use of Juggernaut and martyrdom is just a prevalent in CoD4 as it is in WaW and the spawn points aren't any worse (not that that's saying much).

And I like the presence of tanks and dogs. the tanks are fun to use and make the game more interesting, and if you use a bit of planing and strategy there easy enough to work around. also dogs are way better that the helicopter. killing a helicopter is at least twice as hard as taking out a tank now and you don't even get anything for all the work. the dogs are easy kills and you get 3 points a piece for killing them (I've been on the elevated catwalk in roundhouse and killed dogs running around on the ground with a hand gun, I've also killed 3 dogs in a row with a knife and no damage, they're easy to kill)

the only thing that really bothers me about WaW is artillery. I've never been in a situation where an artillery strike has been more helpful than harmful. all it manages to do is skrew up my movement while guys on the other team shoot me from outside the blast area.

[protostar8]

are you sure you don't just suck? admittedly the number of exploitable glitches is pretty bad, but other than that it's no worse than CoD4. the use of Juggernaut and martyrdom is just a prevalent in CoD4 as it is in WaW and the spawn points aren't any worse (not that that's saying much).

And I like the presence of tanks and dogs. the tanks are fun to use and make the game more interesting, and if you use a bit of planing and strategy there easy enough to work around. also dogs are way better that the helicopter. killing a helicopter is at least twice as hard as taking out a tank now and you don't even get anything for all the work. the dogs are easy kills and you get 3 points a piece for killing them (I've been on the elevated catwalk in roundhouse and killed dogs running around on the ground with a hand gun, I've also killed 3 dogs in a row with a knife and no damage, they're easy to kill)

the only thing that really bothers me about WaW is artillery. I've never been in a situation where an artillery strike has been more helpful than harmful. all it manages to do is skrew up my movement while guys on the other team shoot me from outside the blast area.

I'm actually really good at objective games. I'm already in the top 7000 players in Headquaters (and there are well over 100k people playing it). Honestly, are you sure you don't suck? I could take down a helicopter with one clip of my heavy machine gun in CoD4. If all the players on a team took 5-10 seconds to shoot the helicopter all at once, it's down in no time flat. Dogs just respawn when you kill them it seems. You must be on a really good internet connection or just are really lucky. Dogs are messed up. Again, the fact that it takes more bullets to bring down one dog than one person is just ridiculous considering that there are around 10-15 dogs that spawn if not more. Often times the knife "misses" the dog, especially if you have a bayonet on the weapon.

I'll agree that artillery is really screwed up. It always seems that people on the other team somehow walk right through the strike (I've seen it happen several times) while a shell 50 feet from me miraculously kills me. Hit detection in this game is MUCH worse than CoD4. In CoD4, it was hard to get head shots, in this game, it's hard to get head or chest shots. Even when I snipe (which I do much less of b/c of the slow rifles and hit detection issues), it usually takes at least 2 shots to the chest to bring someone down when I have stopping power on the rifle. Maybe it's just me and the ten or so people I play with regularly, but when we use automatic guns, the first few bullets NEVER connect. Even if I walk up on an enemy not paying attention and put the gun to their head, the bullets just don't hit.

World at War is garbage compared to CoD4. In CoD4, I never had enemy players spawn as badly as I do in WaW. Martyrdom is used a lot in both games, but Juggernaut is used far more in WaW than CoD4 simply b/c the MP40 is a beastly, overpowered gun and that's an excellent perk to choose with it. I can't stand to lose to a group of crappy players simply b/c the game gives them good spawns or they have "host" advantages. If a team beats me fair and square, no big deal, but when that's not the case, I don't like it and that happens about every 3-4 games (would be every other game except me and the guys I play with usually are good enough to overcome the game being sh*tty towards us).

Edited January 13, 2009 by protostar8

[anime52k8]

I don't think I've ever had a problem with hit detection, and if anything I get more headshots in WaW than I did in CoD4. I don't even try for head shots (without skins for the gun's there's not enough motivation to do the expert challenges, so I always go center of mass) and I'm still getting nearly double the headshots.

as for the helicopter, it takes about a belt and a quarter to kill it (that's using an M60 with Double tap) if no ones helping and assuming it doesn't kill you first (of course that first condition makes the second condition a little difficult) to me dogs are easy because they don't shoot back.

WaW has it's foibles, but CoD4 has them in equal amounts. the only thing I like better in CoD4 is the presence of more dedicated sniping maps (like Bloc and Creek) and the awesomeness of the R700 (I love the R700 in red tiger)

and another thing, It's nice that WaW has motivation do to prestige, (though the placement of perk and weapon unlocks amongst the upper levels suck)

[Excillon]

Well, I got RROD'd for the second time...the falcon is better my ass. I'm not pissing with a jasper either. I'm going to mail it in again, then get it back, and sell it off to pay for some PS3 games. It's sad, I loved 360, the games are great, but I just can't take it anymore. This is actually my third 360 now, as I bought an elite back in Sept. and sold the refurb one from my first RROD. I'm done, the whole thing just pissed me off too much. At least I can get Fallout 3, and at least SOME of the games I enjoyed on it.

[Vostok 7]

I'm going to have a RROD'd first-run Xbox 360 for sale soon. It was a "regular" one I bought on the day of release, and I'll be throwing in a hard drive and some accessories. It's perfect, just doesn't run, and I've been too lazy to make Microsoft fix it. Just waiting for my migration kit to come to transfer everything to my Elite's hard drive. Figured it was about time to do it considering I've had my Elite for close to a year now

Anyone interested?

Vostok 7

[Keith]

..why for not send it in for repairs before selling?

[Vostok 7]

..why for not send it in for repairs before selling?

I'm lazy? What's the easiest way to do it? Are they still doing RROD repairs for free?

Vostok 7

[Apollo Leader]

I think with the launch systems or those bought within the first year or so of the 360 launch it was something like 3 years. I think you also had to have turned your warranty slip in, too. Call them if you got any questions.

So far my refurbished system has lasted me about two-and-a-half years, and I have probably put several times the use into it then any other system I've had (except for maybe the SNES).

[David Hingtgen]

I figure my PS2 surpassed my SNES, and presume nothing will top the PS2 for "hours played".

[David Hingtgen]

That sucks--the new avatar clothing is 2 dozen variations of the same T-shirt. (European soccer)

I saw an avatar which had what I thought were new green tights (perfect for both my avatar and what I plan to make someday if I get the right parts) but it turns out they're actually "skinny jeans" for guys from the last batch---but they look EXACTLY like tights for a girl.

The choices just really suck, you know? Can't go 5 mins without seeing an avatar which shares clothing, because 90% of it sucks and everyone just uses the same 5 pieces.

[eugimon]

all part of their evil plan to push their micro transactions on us later.

[Vostok 7]

That sucks--the new avatar clothing is 2 dozen variations of the same T-shirt. (European soccer)

I saw an avatar which had what I thought were new green tights (perfect for both my avatar and what I plan to make someday if I get the right parts) but it turns out they're actually "skinny jeans" for guys from the last batch---but they look EXACTLY like tights for a girl.

The choices just really suck, you know? Can't go 5 mins without seeing an avatar which shares clothing, because 90% of it sucks and everyone just uses the same 5 pieces.

In some ways, even the Wii's Miis had better choices Being able to buy new outfits will be nice, but it needs to get implemented.

I still wonder what genius at Microsoft came up with the avatars for the NXE, especially since it's so painfully obvious they are a direct ripoff of the Miis. Just gotta wonder exactly what was going through his brain

Vostok 7

[JB0]

In some ways, even the Wii's Miis had better choices Being able to buy new outfits will be nice, but it needs to get implemented.

I still wonder what genius at Microsoft came up with the avatars for the NXE, especially since it's so painfully obvious they are a direct ripoff of the Miis. Just gotta wonder exactly what was going through his brain

Vostok 7

If I recall, that was one of the things they got out of Rare.

And Rare claims they created it while they were working for Nintendo.

Regardless, it's pretty obvious that they only added them to the 360 to get a VS Wii bullet-point.

[anime52k8]

That sucks--the new avatar clothing is 2 dozen variations of the same T-shirt. (European soccer)

I saw an avatar which had what I thought were new green tights (perfect for both my avatar and what I plan to make someday if I get the right parts) but it turns out they're actually "skinny jeans" for guys from the last batch---but they look EXACTLY like tights for a girl.

The choices just really suck, you know? Can't go 5 mins without seeing an avatar which shares clothing, because 90% of it sucks and everyone just uses the same 5 pieces.

when did they get green skinny jeans? I kind of like the new clothing for the girls, though I'm still using a guy with all rave clothing (I'm also still using the Christmas premium theme)

[Apollo Leader]

I was at the Toys R Us over in Council Bluffs, IA last night. They had a copy of Mass Effect and several copies of The Orange Box (360 and PS3 versions) on clearance for $9.98 each. Wow...

(Goes into the corner and starts hitting head on wall for buying Mass Effect for $39.95 in September and I still haven't even opened it)

A few weeks ago I took advantage of that awesome 360 sale at Best Buy and got Ninja Gaiden II and Turok for $9.95 each and Unreal Tournament III for $19.95.

[BoBe-Patt]

I was at the Toys R Us over in Council Bluffs, IA last night. They had a copy of Mass Effect and several copies of The Orange Box (360 and PS3 versions) on clearance for $9.98 each. Wow...

(Goes into the corner and starts hitting head on wall for buying Mass Effect for $39.95 in September and I still haven't even opened it)

A few weeks ago I took advantage of that awesome 360 sale at Best Buy and got Ninja Gaiden II and Turok for $9.95 each and Unreal Tournament III for $19.95.

ahhh dang it, i should've waited then for orange box to go down in price even more. I bought mine with bioshock for 20 each on black friday and I still haven't opened it up to either to play yet. Gotta find some time!

[CoryHolmes]

(Goes into the corner and starts hitting head on wall for buying Mass Effect for $39.95 in September and I still haven't even opened it)

Yes. Yes you should be beaten for that travesty!

[Vostok 7]

So I applied online for a RROD repair. It told me, obviously, that my warranty expired 3 years ago. (wait, it said my warranty expired in 2006? But the build date was 2005? Now I'm confused.) Anyway, I went through the online repair application and every repair option came up with a $94 fee, except when you said it was an RROD, then it was $0 and you had to accept a terms thing. Does this mean they'll fix it for free? Or that they look at it, determine what it will take to repair it, and then tell me a cost?

Vostok 7

[JB0]

The 3-light red-ring is a free repair. They extended teh warranty, but ONLY for the ring of death.

[anime52k8]

Well I just found something interesting. I'm currently downloading the RE5 demo that came out in Japan, and I also managed to score Gundam: Mobile Ops in Japanese for a demo. Pretty simple stuff when you figure out how it works.

Mobile Ops isn't bad at all, just it's purely online based and it's very much like a Gundam style of Battlefield. It'll be nice if this game does hit the US cause I can see the fanbase really going for it.

how did you find the RE5 Demo. I just downloaded it and gave it a try tonight.

I was sadly not impressed.

the movement and weapons felt really clunky and slow, nothing like RE4 (especially the fact that you have to hold A continuously to run, blegh ). the new inventory set up sucks, instead of a scalable attache case, you get a series of slots that hold 1 item, (1 herb takes as much space as a sniper rifle ?!?) and you have to do inventory management in real time, and even though you've got 4 slots tied to the D pad it's still a pain in the ass during combat.

it's nice that an enemy with a chainsaw does not equal instant death, although the chainsaw wielding guys take more damage now. I really wan't to bust out my PS2 and play RE4 again now.

[JB0]

I was playing RE4 on me 'Cube just last night.

'S aged rather well.

'S also the only RE I've spent a significant amount of time with. Hell of a lot more fun than that loaner copy of Code Veronica I played, though.

[Apollo Leader]

Yes. Yes you should be beaten for that travesty!

I know, I'm a horrible person. When I snatched a copy of it, I was really engrossed with EDF 2017 and Call of Duty 4. Right now I'm obsessed with completing Gears of War 2 in its entirety. I'm almost to 50,000 kills and I should have the remaining multiplayer achievements done in the next few weeks.

[CoryHolmes]

I know, I'm a horrible person. When I snatched a copy of it, I was really engrossed with EDF 2017 and Call of Duty 4. Right now I'm obsessed with completing Gears of War 2 in its entirety. I'm almost to 50,000 kills and I should have the remaining multiplayer achievements done in the next few weeks.

Tsk tsk tsk. As far as excuses go, that is weak.

[Max Jenius]

I say companies should impose a 3 sequel limit before they move on.

[Vostok 7]

I say companies should impose a 3 sequel limit before they move on.

What, the idea of 'Call of Duty 25: We Cover WWII From Every Angle... Again!' doesn't excite you?

Vostok 7

[JB0]

*sigh*

Loading a game, and my 360 crashed. Reach and double-tap the power button while thinking. Went something like ... "Huh. *clickclick* Never crashed loading a game beF-WORD!"

The Crimson PacMan has finally shown it's unsightly visage in my house.

Edited February 1, 2009 by JB0