Austin360 blogs > Digital Savant > Archives > 2006 > March > 02 > Entry
All the way Live
On my list for future updates: my cell phone search ends (…or does it?) with the Razr, satellite radio update, another zombie game that looks promising, the death and possible rebirth of diary-x.com, and anything else I can think of now that my head has cleared from an awful sinus infection.
For now, I wanted to go back and give my first impressions (three months after the launch) of the Xbox 360.
I can’t say I disagree with what’s been written about the 360 since its launch, including Seth Schiesel’s good analysis of what makes the system more than just a game machine.
The best thing I can say about the Xbox 360 is that it took me hours of playing with the system before I even had the urge to open up one of the four $60 games stacked next to the console. By that I mean that the Xbox Live service, which has undergone an incredible metamorphosis since the original Xbox games, has enough to keep you entertained for days before you’ve even spent a dime beyond the initial console price. Playabale demos of everything from Quake 4 to Madden 2006 are available for free download (each takes anywhere from a few minutes to a half hour to grab depending on your broadband connection speed). There are movie and game trailers available in both standard and high-definition quality. You can chat with other 360 players or send text/voice messages at no additional cost.
Plugging in an iPod allows you access to all of your music (except “Protected” files you bought from the iTunes stores) and it’s not hard to get a networked PC to stream music or photos to the Xbox 360.
And best of all are the demos and full versions of Xbox Live Arcade games, which even at this early stage are already a strong and varied set of titles. While the demos are free, the full versions aren’t pricey at all. You can get 1,000 xbox points for about $12 and most games only cost about 400 to 600 points. For about $5, you get the full version of “Geometry Wars,” an addictive “Robotron”-like shooter that I’ve spent more time with than any of the full-blown retail Sega sports titles. Coming soon for retro game fans: Xbox Live versions of “Street Fighter 2 Hyper Fighting” and “Cyberball.”
The retail games themselves are hit-or-miss, which is not unusual for launch and early titles for a new console. I find myself playing “Fight Night 3” and “Project Gotham Racing” most, but I’m intrigued by the gorgeous and cartoony “Kameo” and I’ve heard good things about “Condemned.” I don’t own the fighting game “Dead or Alive 4” yet, but it’s on my shopping list.
But there’s the conundrum and an unexpected challenge for Microsoft and 3rd-party game publishers: How do you get customers to shell out $60 per game when they can get entertaining demos and downloads from Xbox Live for free or for under $10? Many gamers will be content to use the 360 to view high-definition content, play Xbox Live games with their friends online as well as original Xbox titles that are backward compatible and stick to buying just one or two must-own 360 retail games.
The 360’s interface is nicely designed and functions nicely, a welcome change from Microsoft. The wireless controller handles well and you can turn on and off the console with it, which is a godsend for any gamer who hates getting up from the couch any more than is necessary.
Is it worth $400 for the premium system? If you’re a serious videogamer and you have a high-definition TV, that’s an easy yes. I’ve mostly abandoned all the other consoles in favor of the great games on Xbox Live and I’ve been using the console as my default DVD player — it outputs a crisp, sharp image and great sound. If you’re scared off by stories of lackluster games for the system, be aware that there’s plenty available online to play, from card games and puzzlers like “Bejewled 2” to “Joust,” “Gauntlet” and more. And if you’re holding out for Sony’s PlayStation3, you might have a long wait. I don’t think it’ll be available this year and based on Sony’s lack of a decent online service for the PS2, it’s unlikely they’ll have anything approaching the stability or usability of Xbox Live when that console launches.
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