In case you missed it, the Xbox 360 Elite is officially on the market for $479.99. Not only does the system ditch the fluffy white color in favor of a simple and sleek black, it packs a 120GB hard drive and HDMI compatibility. This means more room for music, downloads, and the sharpest image possible for that new HDTV sitting on your entertainment center. Let's not forget that it simply looks badass.
I like the idea behind the 360 Elite, but I'm sure that a lot of people who bought a regular 360 package a few months ago aren't so happy. Now they have to decide whether or not their system is good enough, or if they should sell and throw down the extra cash for an upgrade. At best, they could purchase the 120GB hard drive for an additional $179.99, but even that's not exactly an optimal situation.
With three different 360 packages sitting on store shelves, Microsoft likes to claim that it's all in the name of providing gamers with options. I'm more inclined to believe that "options" is just a spin-doctored way of saying, "We're indecisive." Just about every gamer out there realized what a joke the Core was. Then the complaints flew around regarding the small hard drive and lack of HDMI outputs. Microsoft responded.
Console games are supposed to be the simple solution to PC gaming. You don't need to worry about compatibility or upgrades. Just plug and play. I don't think anyone wants to see a rerun of the Turbo Grafx-16. The system had some great games, but the add-ons were out of control. Figuring out how to get a complete system literally requires a guide.
I don't forsee the Xbox 360 getting to that point, but still, offering three different packages seems excessive. As a gamer, I feel that everyone should be able to walk into a store, pick up a box, and go home feeling confident in the fact that they have a full-fledged gaming system. We have enough choices to make when it comes to determining which brand to buy. Do we really need to add "which version" to the list of considerations, or are we actually getting just what we wanted?
Halon Apr 29, 2007
carcinogen_crush Apr 29, 2007
120GB drive plus HDMI? For $479.99?
At this point in the game, you'd be a fool to give Sony $600 for a worse package, that's lost most of its early, front-runner exclusives.
MGS4 won't be a justification, either.
Genj Apr 29, 2007
Oh, so you saw the new trailer with Snake being pooped on by a bird too?
carcinogen_crush Apr 29, 2007
I dunno. The charm in my eyes for Metal Gear has died.
I just can't get over how frickin boring the games are.
honestgamer Staff Apr 29, 2007
Really, though, from strictly a hardware standpoint, I'd at this point buy a PS3 over an Xbox 360 elite. For an extra $100, you get BluRay. And BluRay is cool. Microsoft really should have included a built-in HD-DVD drive and charged $499.99. Then the Xbox 360 Elite would've been a great deal. Right now, it's just Microsoft pulling a Sony.
Of course, the above paragraph is talking strictly about hardware. From a games perspective, the Xbox 360 Elite trumps the PS3 in all ways that count and probably will for another year at the very least.
carcinogen_crush Apr 29, 2007
I almost forgot about the lack of HD-DVD.
Kind of bogus.
I don't really have the setup that you'd need to take full advantage of either that or BluRay, though.
Genj Apr 30, 2007
Felix_Arabia Apr 30, 2007
Genj Apr 30, 2007
Sorry, it doesn't happen until the very end of the trailer. Along the way you can see how the animation (specifically for running) looks awkward and too fast. I don't see why Kojima just doesn't put this on 360. Maybe then he could use more than shades of brown.
pup Blogger Apr 30, 2007
MGS4 will sell a few PS3s, but it probably won't have the replayability to make a permanent impression in the same manner as Gears of War or Halo 3. These are two 360 games that are perfect for multiple play-throughs, and keep people coming back for multiplayer. Metal Gear Solid appeared on the PS2 with critical acclaim, but look at how the Halo series was able to sell an entire system. Multiplayer draws people in and keeps them coming back for more.
Genj Apr 30, 2007
honestgamer Staff Apr 30, 2007
$30 comedy movies won't stay at that price point forever. As more people jump on the BluRay bandwagon, prices will start to go down and in a few years, BluRay discs will probably be hitting at $20 the way DVDs are right now. In fact, right now DVDs by comparison are every bit as overpriced as BluRay. Expect the price of both to continue to drop as more BluRay discs flood the market.
Felix_Arabia Apr 30, 2007
Genj Apr 30, 2007
carcinogen_crush Apr 30, 2007
Substance on the Xbox sucked. Lag and whatnot, plus the more than awkward controls.
joseph_valencia Apr 30, 2007
Genj Apr 30, 2007
Halon Apr 30, 2007
Felix_Arabia Apr 30, 2007
:D
BTW, I think this may be the most popular blog post of all time, excluding EmP's brief retirement blog entry.
carcinogen_crush Apr 30, 2007
The first, though, had something special about it.
Felix_Arabia Apr 30, 2007
bluberry May 1, 2007
pup Blogger May 1, 2007
As for MGS, I think I'll just tap out of this one.
Halon May 1, 2007
The first MGS wasn't too retarded but the game was unplayable. Definitely the most overrated game of all time. 2 was playable but still not that great and had the worst story I think I've ever seen in any game, ever. I haven't played the third one yet but I here it's better than the first two.
EmP Staff May 2, 2007
VM's anti-Eragon picked up a large numbers of posts, too.