***Official X-Box 360 Impressions - Week 2***

Spooky · Post by **Spooky** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 2:48 pm

Okay guys, it's been a week now and I would love to hear the overall impressions from eveyone that has had a chance to play the system and some games. I know we have bits and peices of impressions in random threads but I would like to consolidate into one now and hear updates since it's been a week since release.

I think some of the folks who have not been able to get one or are not interested until later would like to know what they are in for as well.

I need to run now but will definitely contribute with my 1st week impressions soon...

Danimal · Post by **Danimal** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 2:53 pm

When I saw this thread I just had pepsi come out of my nose.

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 2:53 pm

I really only have a few words for the system.

Completely friggin' badass. Easily the greatest console system ever made and it will be better than the PS3. The reason I say that is because I know that PS3 will not come up with a better online interface...and that is the key to the beauty of the 360. They did a wonderful job incorporating an already badass Xbox Live system into every single game...and went above and beyond my expectations.

Spooky · Post by **Spooky** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 2:54 pm

Danimal wrote:When I saw this thread I just had pepsi come out of my nose.

What???

Danimal · Post by **Danimal** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 2:56 pm

Spooky wrote:
Danimal wrote:When I saw this thread I just had pepsi come out of my nose.

What???

sorry man, with the heated deabte over thread policing in another thread today and te fact there is alreay a thread with the same title, I just thought you were joking around...my bad.

Please continue so I can be jealous of not having a system.

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 3:03 pm

It was pretty funny...but I understand why he did it. Kinda like a recap of the last week.

RobVarak · Post by **RobVarak** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 3:14 pm

Pure elegance. The hardware, XBL and Xbox Dashboard are so beautfiully integrated that it really changes the experience of playing a console for me. The media center functions were a breeze to set up and integrate the box into my network seamlessly. The games themselves look good and play well, but really only hint at the eventual briliance of the system.

When you have a full library of games, with downloadable content the beefed up XBL system and the media center functions all going full-steam it's going to be even better.

I can't even imagine how badass the Ghost Recon game is going to be!!

Post by **ScoopBrady** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 3:33 pm

RobVarak wrote:Pure elegance. The hardware, XBL and Xbox Dashboard are so beautfiully integrated that it really changes the experience of playing a console for me. The media center functions were a breeze to set up and integrate the box into my network seamlessly. The games themselves look good and play well, but really only hint at the eventual briliance of the system.

When you have a full library of games, with downloadable content the beefed up XBL system and the media center functions all going full-steam it's going to be even better.

I can't even imagine how badass the Ghost Recon game is going to be!!

I totally agree. The only thing I would add would be the marketplace. I think it's really well done and very cool. I've already bought a Bears gamer picture, Geometry Wars, Smash TV, and downloaded demos for NBA Live, Kameo, and Need For Speed:Most Wanted and various trailers.

Here's a little known tip for those with wireless controllers:
Click on the center button of your controller at any point and a menu will pop up on the lefthand side. Up at the top left of the screen you can see how much juice your controller still has.

Spooky · Post by **Spooky** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 3:42 pm

OMG!?!?! Okay, I am a total idiot. Sorry. I have been reading so many dis-jointed 360 impressions all over this site that I did not realize there was another thread. Too funny!

And to see it was started by 'Red'. Whoops.

But anyway...

I guess I just wanted to recap and see some freash impressions for week 2, manybe...I guess!?!?!

So let's hear it...Worth the $$$? Graphically impressive? Surprises?

What are everyone’s top 3 games?

In reading the other impressions thread it did seem to veer a tad off topic anyway so this one may not be as redundant than I thought.

anchester · Post by **anchester** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 3:54 pm

agreed w/ all comments thus far. fantastic live interface and integration. Great 1st gen games. If PGR3 is a first gen game, I shun to see what awaits down the pike.

jondiehl · Post by **jondiehl** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 3:58 pm

1. The controller feels awesome, I love the new design. However, the headset sound quality sucks. Voice chatting doesn't sound as good as the Xbox (even using the old headset, which leads me to believe that they're using a different codec with this console) and my d-pad kinda sticks/jumps around when I try and use it. Other than those minor quibbles, the controller gets a huge thumbs up.

2. The console itself looks to be well built. I love that you can turn it off/on with your controller now. Only negative on the hardware side here is that the dual fans make it sound like a friggin chainsaw. The thing is loud, very loud (louder than my PC's). Of course, I have my speakers blasting anyway, but for DVD watching, forget about it (use a dedicated DVD player). One minor complaint is that alot of people are having issues with their optical audio cables not fully "clicking in" to the jack on the 360's audio out port, mine included. I've tried 3 different toslink cables and not one of the 3 would fully seat into the jack. No biggy, it only falls out if I move the console around (which is rare).

3. Games look great in 720p, some better than others. Gameplay has been stellar offline. Online is another story. I guess we can chalk it up to them being "launch titles" but you would have assumed that the developers could have gotten it right for the launch. XBL isn't new this time around, they've had more than 3yrs with the online service to know what people are looking for. No custom rooms in COD2 is unforgivable, hopefully they'll patch that. Madden has been a tad laggy at times. I haven't played anything else, I'm waiting for rentals.... I'm hoping that the 2 games I purchased were on the low end of online features and other games will be more robust online.

4. The dashboard is truely next-gen. The look, feel, how they set everything up. Truely awesome. Streaming music and then loading up a slideshow of photos from my PC's kept my wife busy for an hour, and she's not even a gamer. I like how you can download demos of some games (I hope this really catches on, although it would kinda kill OXM demo disks, wouldn't it?). You can even download 720p movie trailers. Very cool.

Badgun · Post by **Badgun** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 3:58 pm

dbdynsty25 wrote:I really only have a few words for the system.

Completely friggin' badass. Easily the greatest console system ever made and it will be better than the PS3. The reason I say that is because I know that PS3 will not come up with a better online interface...and that is the key to the beauty of the 360. They did a wonderful job incorporating an already badass Xbox Live system into every single game...and went above and beyond my expectations.

what he said

jLp vAkEr0 · Post by **jLp vAkEr0** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 3:59 pm

I will love to get more opinions on thos eusing it on normal non-hdtvs.

You know, after the new-console-hype-mode is gone.

Sport73 · Post by **Sport73** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 4:00 pm

The honeymoon isn't over for me!

I love this thing. As already mentioned, the Dashboard/XBL design is a stroke of genius, and would make even the iPod design team jealous. The system is aesthetically pleasing, and I FAR prefer the way it looks sitting under my TV as opposed to the older XBox.

The controller is near perfect. Right size, weight, button layout and sensitivity - and wireless is awesome to have! I have only one problem - the D-Pad on both my controllers just doesn't feel right. It's a little 'loose' in the circle that confines it, and I often have difficulty using it to navigate menus (Madden playcalling screens on on-screen keyboards) accurately.

I've already given multiple thoughts on the games - the 5 I have are all keepers. While there isn't a HALO, this launch line-up isn't getting the credit it deserves for being the best in history. Every genre covered, and covered well.

The Marketplace is really cool, I've downloaded several videos/demos for free, and paid around $.50 for a Patriots logo to use as my gamerpic. My only wish is that (even if it had to be for a fee) they let you upload your own. It would be nice if the gamerpics matched our DSP icons.

I'm going to start another thread (ON A DIFFERENT TOPIC) related to another much-hyped hardware platform that launched not too long ago. While early, it's clear the 360 is the better of the 2!

jondiehl · Post by **jondiehl** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 4:05 pm

Sport73 wrote: I have only one problem - the D-Pad on both my controllers just doesn't feel right. It's a little 'loose' in the circle that confines it, and I often have difficulty using it to navigate menus (Madden playcalling screens on on-screen keyboards) accurately.

Glad to hear I'm not the only one having that problem. I have two wireless controllers and both are a real pain to try and navigate with. Often, you'll skip past something you want to highlight. It's kinda "loose" as you say, and I'm using the analog stick for almost everything now.

Post by **ScoopBrady** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 4:07 pm

jLp vAkEr0 wrote:I will love to get more opinions on thos eusing it on normal non-hdtvs.

Are you channeling JRod in your posts now Javi?

Spooky · Post by **Spooky** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 4:10 pm

jondiehl wrote:1. The controller feels awesome, I love the new design. However, the headset sound quality sucks. Voice chatting doesn't sound as good as the Xbox (even using the old headset, which leads me to believe that they're using a different codec with this console) and my d-pad kinda sticks/jumps around when I try and use it. Other than those minor quibbles, the controller gets a huge thumbs up.

2. The console itself looks to be well built. I love that you can turn it off/on with your controller now. Only negative on the hardware side here is that the dual fans make it sound like a friggin chainsaw. The thing is loud, very loud (louder than my PC's). Of course, I have my speakers blasting anyway, but for DVD watching, forget about it (use a dedicated DVD player). One minor complaint is that alot of people are having issues with their optical audio cables not fully "clicking in" to the jack on the 360's audio out port, mine included. I've tried 3 different toslink cables and not one of the 3 would fully seat into the jack. No biggy, it only falls out if I move the console around (which is rare).

3. Games look great in 720p, some better than others. Gameplay has been stellar offline. Online is another story. I guess we can chalk it up to them being "launch titles" but you would have assumed that the developers could have gotten it right for the launch. XBL isn't new this time around, they've had more than 3yrs with the online service to know what people are looking for. No custom rooms in COD2 is unforgivable, hopefully they'll patch that. Madden has been a tad laggy at times. I haven't played anything else, I'm waiting for rentals.... I'm hoping that the 2 games I purchased were on the low end of online features and other games will be more robust online.

4. The dashboard is truely next-gen. The look, feel, how they set everything up. Truely awesome. Streaming music and then loading up a slideshow of photos from my PC's kept my wife busy for an hour, and she's not even a gamer. I like how you can download demos of some games (I hope this really catches on, although it would kinda kill OXM demo disks, wouldn't it?). You can even download 720p movie trailers. Very cool.

Agree 100% with EVERYTHING you said (except the optical cable issue, have not seen that).

The thing is loud. And it is the DVD drive that makes it so. When I am in the dashboard the thing is what I would consider 'normal' volume. Sometimes the freakin' thing sounds like it is chewing up my discs.

The controller is brilliant. Just feels right but, yes, the d-pad is a bit clunky and can be a tad unresponsive.

Can't say enough about the interface of the dashboard. It is revolutionary and way overdue. I cannot wait to see how that continues to evolve too.

My top 3 games so far have got to be Perfect Dark, COD2 and Kameo, in that order (I think). It is really a toss up between PDZ and COD2. Each are so different but have such great elements. The Co-Op in PDZ might make it edge out COD2 though.

PGR3 is simply awesome but not in my top 3 as it is nothing too new feeling. Just your typical PGR game with some nice new features adn sweet graphics and the best, most drivable in car camera ever!

I also have NFS: Most Wanted and Amped 3. Those are actually both VERY fun but are not leaps and bounds above any current gen games so they are getting the least attention right now. I am enjoying them both very much though and are quality games. NFS actually looks phenomenal too. A HUGE difference between the look of the 360 version over the current X-Box.

So far I’d say it’s been worth every penny. I can’t think of anything they realistically could have done better at this point in time.

Kissrox · Post by **Kissrox** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 4:10 pm

Damn! I hate all of you that have it. I'm waiting for EB to call me so I can jump in and play!!!!! I preordered and prepaid. I have my games though....what a joke. When I went to EB last week, they said, "No we don't have your 360 but you can pick up your games and your plug and play kit." I stared at the lady

..................I picked them up and left.

Gurantsu · Post by **Gurantsu** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 4:11 pm

Well, other than the issue I have with stereo sound (which is minor, but annoying nonetheless), I think it's the bee's knee's. The way all the different parts of the system are integrated together really raise it above all the other consoles. Add in all the next-gen goodness (which of course the other new consoles will have also) and you have one heck of a nice system. And the wireless controllers are awesome, never again shall I be shackled to a console!!! (OK, until I play Flashpoint again...!)

While MS is quick to point out that the Xbox is not, and will never be, a PC; all the little things they integrated into it really turn it into more than just a console gaming system. When you look at the beginning of the Xbox's and PS2's lives, then see where they are now, I cannot imagine what the developers will be able to do with this baby in a couple of years. I would expect some pretty amazing stuff. Not only with the graphics, but with things such as AI and game content.

Game wise, I'm happy with my 3 purchases. Gun is a fun little game with lots of cowboy shoot 'em up goodness. I've only gotten as far as the shootout in the burning saloon, but man it's a fun gunfight. Call of Duty is everything everyone else has said, while not being as open ended as Brothers in Arms, with the amount of things going on around you it can't be beat on the immersion factor. And PGR3 is a great version of the old standby, with some neat additions and knock-dead gorgeous graphics. And I actually do watch the Gotham TV stuff!

Diablo25 · Post by **Diablo25** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 4:15 pm

I'm totally impressed with the 360. The launch lineup is very good IMO and the overall feel of the console is superb. The 360 feels like a strong piece of equiptment and the best is yet to come. Xbox Live was integrated near perfectly. Chatting with friends while they are in one game and you are in another is cool stuff. Can't wait to see what the future holds for game. Man, I wish/hope there is a great baseball game coming out.

Here's a little known tip for those with wireless controllers:
Click on the center button of your controller at any point and a menu will pop up on the lefthand side. Up at the top left of the screen you can see how much juice your controller still has. Wink

Sweet! Great find.

jLp vAkEr0 · Post by **jLp vAkEr0** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 4:16 pm

ScoopBrady wrote:
jLp vAkEr0 wrote:I will love to get more opinions on thos eusing it on normal non-hdtvs.
Are you channeling JRod in your posts now Javi?

Hmmm... Are you referring to my typo?

Anyways, I'm very interested in those opinions since the best tv in my house is a 27" Panasonic with component inputs. No hdtv for me right now.

Inuyasha · Post by **Inuyasha** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 4:36 pm

System is excellent and far exceeds expectations. If I were to give it a ranking, I would give it 9/10. Only reason I don't give it a 10/10 is that it should have been backwards compatible out of the box.

That's my only gripe but I haven't been this excited by a system since the dreamcast.

rayray00 · Post by **rayray00** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 4:40 pm

I'd have to agree with everyone about how great the interface is and the Live integration. I think the marketplace is the coolest feature so far.

One complaint - and if I'm missing something somewhere, please let me know - You can't see how people on your friends list are performing in online games. Now, I only have one other person on my friends list who has a 360, but I can't see how other friends with XBox's are doing in Halo 2or Madden when they're playing online. I can't imagine that they'd take that out, as you can see that info on the XBox.com website...

-Ray!!!

Theo · Post by **Theo** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 5:48 pm

I love the new controller, however, I think mine is defective. I rarely feel it vibrate. I know not every game supports this, but I have heard that some don't vibrate at all. Also, NBA 2K6 has frozen on me 5 times since launch. All of my other games are working fine. Otherwise, I couldn't be happier. The design and interface make the original X-Box look archaic.

JackB1 · Post by **JackB1** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 5:48 pm

he's got db paid off $$$$$$$

dbdynsty25 wrote:It was pretty funny...but I understand why he did it. Kinda like a recap of the last week.