Xbox, Playstation or Wii?

[ForeverAutumn]

I'm definately buying one of them, but how do I decide which one? :confused5:

[bobsticks]

What are your objectives, Fall Girl? Are you looking for a music storage/server unit? Playing games? Video reproduction including one of the hi-def formats? Also, your associated equipment might be an issue. Are you using a monitor with multiple HDMIs or a receiver with HDMI passthrough?

[Rich-n-Texas]

What are your objectives, Fall Girl? Are you looking for a music storage/server unit? Playing games? Video reproduction including one of the hi-def formats? Also, your associated equipment might be an issue. Are you using a monitor with multiple HDMIs or a receiver with HDMI passthrough?
Nice. Ya think you can confuse her any more Bobby? :confused5:

BANG! Red chicklett!

[ForeverAutumn]

What are your objectives, Fall Girl? Are you looking for a music storage/server unit? Playing games? Video reproduction including one of the hi-def formats? Also, your associated equipment might be an issue. Are you using a monitor with multiple HDMIs or a receiver with HDMI passthrough?

:confused5:

Um, I wanna play some games including Guitar Hero and the one with the dance pad.

[bobsticks]

Nice. Ya think you can confuse her any more Bobby? :confused5:

BANG! Red chicklett!

Kickass, a reddie!!!

Yeah, just buy the PS3.

[basite]

I'd go for the PS3 too...

Happy newyear,
Bert.

[Rich-n-Texas]

Guitar Hero and the dance pad would be Wii.

[kexodusc]

Guitar Hero and the dance pad would be Wii.
I have Guitar Hero and that Dance Revolution, the rock band one is next. Except I have it on the Xbox 360, not the Wii. The Wii is kind of fun, but after having it in my home for a week, the novelty of the controllers wore off on me.

FA, you're probably not a serious gamer, nor a big multimedia user as I recall, I'm guessing either the Wii or XBOX 360 are your best bets. Something tells me a lot of the free game downloads on XBOX Live might appeal to you though? My wife finds a bunch of cool stuff on there all the time, and likes being able to use it listen to music or watch movies in the home theater room that are saved on her laptop.

I don't like recommending Microsoft anything, but the 360 is pretty cool. And if you get Guitar Hero you can add me as a friend on Live and we can duel... :cornut:

[GMichael]

You really can't go wrong with any of these three.
The Wii is a lot of fun, but not HD. (Xbox and PS3 are both HD) Not sure how much you care about that. Kids love this machine. (So does my wife) The interaction makes it a great party gamer.
The Xbox has the most games available right now. The early models had some QC issues but the newer models are not having the same issue.
The PS3 is behind in games but gaining ground fast. It also has a built in BR player and a SACD player. ( Is LOST out on BR yet?)
Pick what means the most to you. You'll be happy with any choice.

[ForeverAutumn]

If I went with a PlayStation...

A PS2 is $129.00
A PS3 is $399 for 40GB or $499 for 80GB.

Will I be sorry if I purchase the PS2 and end up wanting the PS3?
If I buy the PS3, is it worth the extra $100 for the additional GBs? Why do I need a hard-drive anyway?

The last time I bought a gaming system was the original Nintendo. I was still living with my parents so I'm guessing that was about 18 - 20 years ago!

After doing some research, I'm leaning towards a PS. It doesn't sound like the graphics on the Wii are up to par with the PS or the Xbox. And it appears that the PS has some motion sensor in the controller, so I suspect that Wii type games will be available on the PS system in the future.

To try and answer Bobsticks' questions...the main monitor for this unit will be a 42" LCD HDTV with a lovely 5.1 sound system hooked up to it. I'm not really concerned about whether the unit can store music or play DVDs (although the blu-ray feature is an added bonus, it's not really a selling feature for me).

[ForeverAutumn]

( Is LOST out on BR yet?)

Yes. But it's almost double the price of the regular DVD set. And, since BR is proprietary I'm not convinced of its longevity.

[GMichael]

Yes. But it's almost double the price of the regular DVD set. And, since BR is proprietary I'm not convinced of its longevity.

If you get a PS3 and a BR LOST, it will play for a very long time no matter what format wins.

I don't know if the PS2's graphics are any better than the Wii's.
I do have Virtual Tennis for the PS3. The motion sensor in the controller does let us play interactively (is that a word?). It's not the same as the Wii, but still a lot of fun. It's much more complicated than the Wii. Harder to play in that mode, but there are way more options to deal with. It may end up being more fun in the long run, (once I figure it all out that is).

The 40GB will not let you play any PS2 games. The 80GB will let you play about 90% of them. But with all the new PS3 games coming out, I'm not sure why you would need that, unless you already own a bunch of them. The 40 also has no SACD player and only 2 USB ports instead of 4.

The hard drives are for storing music, videos & pictures. Also for buying games online. The new interactive bowling game is only out that way so far. I've only had mine a little over a month, so I don't know half of what's available yet.

[L.J.]

If I went with a PlayStation...

A PS2 is $129.00
A PS3 is $399 for 40GB or $499 for 80GB.

Will I be sorry if I purchase the PS2 and end up wanting the PS3?
If I buy the PS3, is it worth the extra $100 for the additional GBs? Why do I need a hard-drive anyway?

The last time I bought a gaming system was the original Nintendo. I was still living with my parents so I'm guessing that was about 18 - 20 years ago!

After doing some research, I'm leaning towards a PS. It doesn't sound like the graphics on the Wii are up to par with the PS or the Xbox. And it appears that the PS has some motion sensor in the controller, so I suspect that Wii type games will be available on the PS system in the future.

To try and answer Bobsticks' questions...the main monitor for this unit will be a 42" LCD HDTV with a lovely 5.1 sound system hooked up to it. I'm not really concerned about whether the unit can store music or play DVDs (although the blu-ray feature is an added bonus, it's not really a selling feature for me).

I store a bunch of stuff on my 60g HD. Pics, videos, music, games....stuff like that. It's cool when you have family over and can do a slideshow of pics or play some family videos. All in one place and ready to go. It has digital media card slots(not sure about the 40) so I can take photos/video and just pop the card in the PS3 to transfer it over. Online games can be purchased for as little as $1.99 up to about $9.99. There's also a bunch of free stuff. Built in wifi allows you to easily connect online if you don't have a router close by or don't want to run the wire.

The motion sensor in the controller is used quite a bit during game play. Bowling, shooting freethrows, driving and so on. I only know of one game that uses the motion sensor only for the entire game but more will come.

I've had my PS3 for over a year now with no issues.

[kexodusc]

....on second thought...

Did some more thinking..FA, you'd get 5 free BluRay movies right now (some good, some not so good) just by getting the PS3. If you doubled it up as a BluRay player, it might be a more value-added unit for you.

BluRay is going to be around as long as the PS3 will be around, which is 4-5 more years at least. It's also currently outselling the HD-DVD camp which came out earlier and cheaper than BluRay. And my oh my, it will look stunning on that purty TV of yours.

Unless you or your hubby are going to be playing a lot of the latest video games or you think you'd take advantage of Microsoft's online catalogue on XBOX Live, the PS3 might be a more well rounded option.

The 360 isn't really that much cheaper, especially if you buy the wireless network adaptor (if you need it), though it has slightly better on-line functionality with all the neat stuff you can download, and it integrates very well with your Windows PC's. From my perspective, it offered more to me now than the PS3 did. If you're less than a casual gamer though, the BluRay aspect might be the deal breaker and probably shouldn't be overlooked.

I don't think you'd need the larger hard drive - just save stuff on your computer or wherever you normally save it. Do you even have any PS2 games? If not, you won't miss being able to play them...

Not an easy decision...but decide how much gaming you'd expect to get out of this thing beyond Guitar Hero and Dance Revolution, those are available on either format. Xbox has a massive advantage in that department, but if you don't care for Halo 3 etc then that point is moot.

[ForeverAutumn]

....on second thought...

Did some more thinking..FA, you'd get 5 free BluRay movies right now (some good, some not so good) just by getting the PS3. If you doubled it up as a BluRay player, it might be a more value-added unit for you.

Are those 5 BluRay movies specific to purchasing it at any one store? The only deal that I've seen is Spiderman 3 being included.

[GMichael]

Are those 5 BluRay movies specific to purchasing it at any one store? The only deal that I've seen is Spiderman 3 being included.

You have to fill out a small form card and mail it in. Sony is running it, so it's available from anyone. They should give you the card to fill out when buying it, but you can print it off the internet if you like. The only problems are that you have to pick from a limited selection, and that you have to wait to get them.

Edit: Here's the one from Wally's website. You can see what titles are available.
http://i.walmart.com/i/rb/4330.pdf

[kexodusc]

Are those 5 BluRay movies specific to purchasing it at any one store? The only deal that I've seen is Spiderman 3 being included.
FA,
Here's a link to the actual form you get here in Canada:
http://www.bluraysavings.com/bluraysavings_canada.pdf
(Edit - looks like the same movies as the form in GM's post)
You can see the movie selection - If it was me picking from that list, there's 3 I would like to own, 2 that I probably wouldn't buy otherwise, but wouldn't mind having. Not insubstantial. The 5 free movie deal makes you think you're getting a big value, but when it's not giving you movies you'd want to own otherwise, the value diminishes somewhat. Guess you'll have to decide what it's worth to you.

But like I said, could be a deal breaker for you folks. I'm awefully tempted myself. I still want a PS3 and will probably get one this year.
When my wife I decided to get the 360, it just came down to the fact that will play a few games here and there, and the PS3 just didn't measure up in terms of titles we could see ourselves playing. The Xbox Live stuff turned out to be a neat bonus. I know we use our Xbox a lot more now than we ever expected we would.

Anyway, as cool as it would be to have a guitar duel over xbox live with ya, I hope you've got enough info to make the best decision for you guys.

[ForeverAutumn]

You have to fill out a small form card and mail it in. Sony is running it, so it's available from anyone. They should give you the card to fill out when buying it, but you can print it off the internet if you like. The only problems are that you have to pick from a limited selection, and that you have to wait to get them.

Edit: Here's the one from Wally's website. You can see what titles are available.
http://i.walmart.com/i/rb/4330.pdf

Thanks. That's certainly worth taking into consideration. I checked Amazon.ca and those movies retail for about $25 each so the offer is worth approximately $125. Too bad the movie selection isn't better.

Such a big decision.

[GMichael]

Such a big decision.

True, but my guess is that no matter which one you pick, you'll have a great time with it. I think I've already got my money's worth out of mine. I play this thing for hours and hours.

[kexodusc]

Hey GM, what games do ya play on the PS3?

[GMichael]

So far I only have 3.

Virtual Tennis - about 4 hours playing time so far
Motorstorm - At least 20 - 30 hours of playing time.
Ratchet & Clank - Although the newest game I have so far, I've put at least 50 - 60 of hours in. I'm up to 1/2 a billion bolts and 12 million raratainium.

[kexodusc]

So far I only have 3.

Virtual Tennis - about 4 hours playing time so far
Motorstorm - At least 20 - 30 hours of playing time.
Ratchet & Clank - Although the newest game I have so far, I've put at least 50 - 60 of hours in. I'm up to 1/2 a billion bolts and 12 million raratainium.
Cool...
I just wanted to prompt your 7000 post...that was me baby, all me...
Congrats on being the first to 7k. What do you win?

[L.J.]

So far I only have 3.

Virtual Tennis - about 4 hours playing time so far
Motorstorm - At least 20 - 30 hours of playing time.
Ratchet & Clank - Although the newest game I have so far, I've put at least 50 - 60 of hours in. I'm up to 1/2 a billion bolts and 12 million raratainium.

How is the R & C? The graphics were just amazing when I downloaded the demo. So much detail.

I own:
Madden 07
NBA 2K7
MLB 2K7
NHL 2K7
TigerWoods 07
Fight Night 3
Virtual Tennis 3
Full Auto 2
Virtual Fighter 5
Ultimate Alliance
About 9 online games(4 Eye Toy games & 5 Old School games)

[GMichael]

Cool...
I just wanted to prompt your 7000 post...that was me baby, all me...
Congrats on being the first to 7k. What do you win?

Smartypants.:incazzato:

I win a chance to keep posting.:idea:

Tanx:15:

[GMichael]

How is the R & C? The graphics were just amazing when I downloaded the demo. So much detail.

I own:
Madden 07
NBA 2K7
MLB 2K7
NHL 2K7
TigerWoods 07
Fight Night 3
Virtual Tennis 3
Full Auto 2
Virtual Fighter 5
Ultimate Alliance
About 9 online games(4 Eye Toy games & 5 Old School games)


Tons of fun. I just can't stop playing. After I finish one game, I just start a new one. There are so many weapons, gadgets and devices. It's fun to try them each out in deferent situations. I love the disco ball. Throw it out and everyone stops fighting and starts dancing. At one time in the game, I turned everyone into dancing penguins. First a got a message saying that I got bonus points for "happy feet" then it gave me more bonus points for "a chorus line." Then when I smoked them with my flame thrower, I got more bonus points for "disco inferno." The game is really a trip. At one point another character says, "Oh, it's you two? I didn't recognize you in high def."

Nice list of games there.

[L.J.]

Tons of fun. I just can't stop playing. After I finish one game, I just start a new one. There are so many weapons, gadgets and devices. It's fun to try them each out in deferent situations. I love the disco ball. Throw it out and everyone stops fighting and starts dancing. At one time in the game, I turned everyone into dancing penguins. First a got a message saying that I got bonus points for "happy feet" then it gave me more bonus points for "a chorus line." Then when I smoked them with my flame thrower, I got more bonus points for "disco inferno." The game is really a trip. At one point another character says, "Oh, it's you two? I didn't recognize you in high def."

Nice list of games there.

Yeah I'll have to take a closer look at that one. I will probably be picking up Time Crisis 4 (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000P297IO?smid=A1DBR0I0345XJ0&tag=pricegrabber-vidgames-20&linkCode=asn) soon. I was hoping it would drop in price but I doubt it. Using the light gun should be pretty fun. No need to go to the arcade anymore.

[GMichael]

Yeah I'll have to take a closer look at that one. I will probably be picking up Time Crisis 4 (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000P297IO?smid=A1DBR0I0345XJ0&tag=pricegrabber-vidgames-20&linkCode=asn) soon. I was hoping it would drop in price but I doubt it. Using the light gun should be pretty fun. No need to go to the arcade anymore.

Wow, that does look cool. Wifey might like that one. She loves shooting things.

[ForeverAutumn]

GM, congrats on 7000K man.

Okay, after talking to you guys, another friend of mine, on-line research and a trip to Future Shop during my lunch break, here's where things stand...

I was considering the PS2 due to the substantially lower cost. However, a friend of mine talked me out of it. His reasoning was that if I'm going to invest at least $300 in Rock Band and Dance Revolution then I should spend the extra money to get the better system to play them on. He didn't think that I should invest in a system that is already outdated as I would have to upgrade in the long run anyway. He also found out for me that the PS2 version of Rock Band is a stripped down version of the PS3 one. If the PS2 game is stripped down, is that a sign of things to come? So, out goes PS2.

I ruled out Wii for now because it's sold out everywhere anyway. The guy at Future Shop said that it's hard to find games and accessories for it as everything sells out as soon as they get stock in. I don't want a console that I can't get games for (assuming that I can even find the console!).

Xbox is a contender, but if I'm going to spend that kind of cash then I might as well get a Blu-Ray player with it for the same price. It becomes a "bang for the buck" issue at this point.

So, it comes down to the PS3 I think. If that's the case then the next decision is 40GB or 80GB.

I'm cool with two USB ports since it seems that you only need them to charge the controllers. I don't see myself storing a lot of media on the system and the card slots aren't a big deal to me. So, it would appear that the biggest difference between the two units is the ability to play PS2 games. So the new question is this...

Is there any reason that I might want to buy a PS2 game over a PS3 game so that compatibility would be important to me?

The difference in cost is $120. I'm thinking that buys me a second controller and a game or two.

[Rich-n-Texas]

7000K. :yikes: And I just bought new glasses too... GM, you REALLY need to find more outdoor activities!

[GMichael]

GM, congrats on 7000K man.



The difference in cost is $120. I'm thinking that buys me a second controller and a game or two.

Thanks,

$120? 499 - 399 = 120? Are the prices different in Ca?

The 80 does come with a game called Motorstorm. It's an off road racing game that I've enjoyed very much. But you could still buy it for $60 if you decide you want it.
No SACD's on the 40G either.
Other than that, you've got it.

[kexodusc]

Xbox is a contender, but if I'm going to spend that kind of cash then I might as well get a Blu-Ray player with it for the same price. It becomes a "bang for the buck" issue at this point.

So, it comes down to the PS3 I think. If that's the case then the next decision is 40GB or 80GB.

I'm cool with two USB ports since it seems that you only need them to charge the controllers. I don't see myself storing a lot of media on the system and the card slots aren't a big deal to me. So, it would appear that the biggest difference between the two units is the ability to play PS2 games. So the new question is this...

Is there any reason that I might want to buy a PS2 game over a PS3 game so that compatibility would be important to me?

The difference in cost is $120. I'm thinking that buys me a second controller and a game or two.
Bingo - I dont' think there's a compelling reason for you to nab the extra 40 GB unit. Maybe our PS3 buffs here can persuade me...er...you...to get one though?

I'm looking at a $100 price tag difference and thinking if I fill 40 GB, I'm going to fill 80 GB just as fast and probably use my computer's hard drive (or alternative storage) anyway?

[GMichael]

7000K. :yikes: And I just bought new glasses too... GM, you REALLY need to find more outdoor activities!

Sold my Harley to buy AV equipment.:17:

[GMichael]

Bingo - I dont' think there's a compelling reason for you to nab the extra 40 GB unit. Maybe our PS3 buffs here can persuade me...er...you...to get one though?

I'm looking at a $100 price tag difference and thinking if I fill 40 GB, I'm going to fill 80 GB just as fast and probably use my computer's hard drive (or alternative storage) anyway?

I've read that the drives in PS3's can be easily replaced with mega drives. There are a few threads about it over on AV forms.

[ForeverAutumn]

Thanks,

$120? 499 - 399 = 120? Are the prices different in Ca?

That's right. It's Canadian Math born out off all those years of calculating why things are more expensive in Canada than they are in the US.

Actually, Best Buy has the 40GB on sale for $379 thus the $120 savings.

So it looks like the PS3 40GB just might be the one. The SACD would be nice to have but it's not a deal breaker since I'm eventually going to upgrade my whole audio system and will likely get an SACD/CD player at that time. I'd rather use the saved cash for the second controller.

Thanks for all your input guys. It was a big help! I'm going to pop into Best Buy on my way to the gym tonight and hopefully they'll have one in stock. The great thing about BB is that I can play for 14 days and then return it if I decide on something different. Maybe I'll rent a couple of games before buying anything...just in case.

[L.J.]

It's been about a year and I have 38g's filled out of 60. Some of that I could clear off though, but my kid likes to play some of the free demos(some of these demos take up almost 1gb) so I leave them on there. Another year from now I might be in trouble. I have alot of stuff stored on my PS3 and may have to move it onto my 500g HD and stream it or pop a new HD in my PS3.

I've purchased a few PS2 games but I actually don't play PS2 games on my PS3 as much as I thought I would. I have a PS2 up front so the games just get played up there.

[Rich-n-Texas]

Sold my Harley to buy AV equipment.:17:
Sold my pool table to buy AV equipment.:17:

It's too bad they haven't created a console - PC platform yet.

[GMichael]

That's right. It's Canadian Math born out off all those years of calculating why things are more expensive in Canada than they are in the US.

Actually, Best Buy has the 40GB on sale for $379 thus the $120 savings.

So it looks like the PS3 40GB just might be the one. The SACD would be nice to have but it's not a deal breaker since I'm eventually going to upgrade my whole audio system and will likely get an SACD/CD player at that time. I'd rather use the saved cash for the second controller.

Thanks for all your input guys. It was a big help! I'm going to pop into Best Buy on my way to the gym tonight and hopefully they'll have one in stock. The great thing about BB is that I can play for 14 days and then return it if I decide on something different. Maybe I'll rent a couple of games before buying anything...just in case.

One? Hopefully they'll have ONE?
Last time I was there they were stacked high as h.ll!

Glad you were able to choose. I'm sure you'll love it for many years.
Now, what games do you have in mind?

[GMichael]

Sold my pool table to buy AV equipment.:17:

It's too bad they haven't created a console - PC platform yet.

Must have been a nice table. My table wouldn't bring in enough to be worth selling it. Maybe that's a good thing.:ihih:

I have a dream! And in my dream, I see PCers, Xboxers and PS3ers playing online with each other without any issues.

[ForeverAutumn]

One? Hopefully they'll have ONE?
Last time I was there they were stacked high as h.ll!

Glad you were able to choose. I'm sure you'll love it for many years.
Now, what games do you have in mind?

Well, once I've recovered from dropping $500 on the PS3 I'll buy the Rock Band bundle...it's about $200 bucks. Hubby is a drummer and I play guitar so I figure that we'll have some fun jamming with that one. On New Year's Eve we played Dance Dance Revolution at a friend's house and it was a good cardio workout, so I plan on buying that one pretty soon. It's hard to find fun ways to do cardio in the winter. That was actually what finally tipped my decision to buy one of these things (I've been thinking about it for a while but not taking the plunge).

As for other games, I'm not sure yet. I'll probably pick up a couple of cheap games to fool around with while I do some research on which are the games that I really want. Any suggestions? Nothing too bloody please. I don't like games that are violent but I do like to blow things up!!! :devil:

[GMichael]

I haven't played all that many games to be able to say, "this one is better than that one." But I do love this Ratchet and Clank game. You get to blow things up all through it. There's no blood of any kind. The hero is a cute cat. It will make you jump, scream and laugh. (not always in that order) I've played it for hours and hours and still haven't tired of it.

I've heard good things about Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune. It's on my short list.

[L.J.]

Once you get online, you can download plenty of free game demos so you can give them a try before you go out to purchase them.

[GMichael]

Once you get online, you can download plenty of free game demos so you can give them a try before you go out to purchase them.

That's it! I'm ordering a 50 foot cable to start downloading.
Is this the right cable? http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10208&cs_id=1020801&p_id=143&seq=1&format=2

[L.J.]

So there's no wifi in the 40g? You haven't been on the PSN network yet?

If not, yeah that's the cable.

[GMichael]

So there's no wifi in the 40g? You haven't been on the PSN network yet?

If not, yeah that's the cable.

I have the 80. I'm sure it does have the wifi, but the cable is cheaper. I'll upgrade later when I can.

Thanks. I wasn't sure if this was the same as the ethernet the PS3 uses or not.

[ForeverAutumn]

After talking to a guy in Best Buy, I'm thinking that Xbox might have better games for me. ARRRRGH!!! :mad2:

Or I could just forget the whole damn thing and put the money towards a new guitar. I fell in love with a Taylor guitar made of Hawaiian Koa over the weekend. Shhhh. Don't tell my Hubby! :ihih:

[audio_dude]

haha, autumn, you've got some expensive tastes!

Good choice not getting a PS2...that thing is almost 10 years old.

I've got a Wii, bought it at the local...GROCERY STORE. yep, thats right.

I'm in ottawa, so I know your price gripes :)
but anyways, if you ever want a wii, make sure to look in the places everyone else forgets to, such as grocery store electronic sections, those sort of things.

Oh, and it's post boxing week that means everthing wii is sold out, stock will even out in a couple weeks.

[kexodusc]

After talking to a guy in Best Buy, I'm thinking that Xbox might have better games for me. ARRRRGH!!! :mad2:

Or I could just forget the whole damn thing and put the money towards a new guitar. I fell in love with a Taylor guitar made of Hawaiian Koa over the weekend. Shhhh. Don't tell my Hubby! :ihih:
LOL!
This is exactly what happened to me.

I'm a big Halo and Star Wars nut, and those games were exclusive to the Xbox. Through in Mass Effect, Bioshock, Call of Duty, and it just became an insurmountable lead.
This coming from a guy who might play 5-10 hrs per week if he's not on the road.

For me, I wasn't in a rush to buy the BluRay player, and since my receiver doesn't have HDMI, I want (and need) a fully separate BluRay player anyway with analog 7.1 audio output. I'm not getting an HDMI receiver until the industry figures out what it's doing with it. You can always get the PS3 later.

As for games you might like, FA, hockey, maybe that Scene It game. Hmmm, throw some out there fellas. My wife is addicted to Viva Pinata. There's a few good racing games...

[ForeverAutumn]

haha, autumn, you've got some expensive tastes!

Are you referring to the guitar that is the current love of my life? I was supposed to be out test driving cars, but I passed the music store on the way to the Mazda dealer and decided to pop in and see what was on sale for Boxing Day. ...I never made it to the Mazda dealer. But its going to take a much deeper discount than the boxing day sale before I can afford that guitar. :sad:

[ForeverAutumn]

LOL!
This is exactly what happened to me.

I'm a big Halo and Star Wars nut, and those games were exclusive to the Xbox. Through in Mass Effect, Bioshock, Call of Duty, and it just became an insurmountable lead.
This coming from a guy who might play 5-10 hrs per week if he's not on the road.

For me, I wasn't in a rush to buy the BluRay player, and since my receiver doesn't have HDMI, I want (and need) a fully separate BluRay player anyway with analog 7.1 audio output. I'm not getting an HDMI receiver until the industry figures out what it's doing with it. You can always get the PS3 later.

As for games you might like, FA, hockey, maybe that Scene It game. Hmmm, throw some out there fellas. My wife is addicted to Viva Pinata. There's a few good racing games...

That's how I feel about the Blu-Ray player. We really don't use our DVD player much so upgrading to a Blu-Ray player that I won't use isn't a big deal. The game selection is much more important and the PS3 games, for the most part, seem to be very dark and violent. I'm more a Super Mario or Crash kind of girl...much better selection of light, family-type games on Xbox.

Did you get the 360 or the Arcade? Again, there's about a $120 difference and I'm trying to figure out whether I can get away with the Arcade version.

[kexodusc]

That's how I feel about the Blu-Ray player. We really don't use our DVD player much so upgrading to a Blu-Ray player that I won't use isn't a big deal. The game selection is much more important and the PS3 games, for the most part, seem to be very dark and violent. I'm more a Super Mario or Crash kind of girl...much better selection of light, family-type games on Xbox.

Did you get the 360 or the Arcade? Again, there's about a $120 difference and I'm trying to figure out whether I can get away with the Arcade version.

Originally, my mother in law bought it for me as a b-day gift. I was working out of town so never had a chance to open it. When I got home, Futureshop had a deal on the above bundle, at the time they threw in Guitar Hero II with the guitar controller free. So I exchanged the old unit for this one:
http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0665000FS10095080&catid=

They aren't giving away Guitar Hero 2 with it anymore though. :(

I've put in some time on the Forza 2 racing game, but I haven't touched the Marvel: Ultimate Alliance game yet. Just been busy with some other games, I'm sure I'll get to it eventually. Unless you're a comic nut, I don't think it's a must have game.

I'd be inclined to get the Pro bundle or whatever comes with a hard drive - that turns the xbox into more of a multimedia device, you might find yourself renting movies from Xbox LIve or downloading Pac Man or some other cool games from the past. You can always trade the 2 included games for store credit somewhere. Might not get a lot for them, but the hard drive is a must I think.

You'll probably want a controller battery pack and charger for the wireless controllers too so you arent' buying Energizers every few weeks. That'll be $30 for each controller you buy.
My wife bought LEGO Star Wars for me about a week later. That's a blast if you're a fan of Star Wars at all.

[Groundbeef]

That's how I feel about the Blu-Ray player. We really don't use our DVD player much so upgrading to a Blu-Ray player that I won't use isn't a big deal. The game selection is much more important and the PS3 games, for the most part, seem to be very dark and violent. I'm more a Super Mario or Crash kind of girl...much better selection of light, family-type games on Xbox.

Did you get the 360 or the Arcade? Again, there's about a $120 difference and I'm trying to figure out whether I can get away with the Arcade version.

The arcade version is ideal if you have no intentions of using the XBOX 360 for anything other than games/standard DVD playback.

If you want to utilize the XBOX marketplace, you need the "Pro" or "Elite" version. Both come with HDMI outs.

The Hard Drive is used to store game data (use a memory card on the "Arcade"), and to store movies from the D/L service.

You can also store music, photos, and other info on the HD.

If you are gonna primarly game, get the arcade. Gamestop sells used 360 HD/ for about $50 if you want one later on. It just snaps on the top.

[ForeverAutumn]

After weighing my options I just purchased the same Xbox bundle that Kex has. I was going to get the Arcade version, but I'd have to upgrade the video cable which reduced the savings. And I figured that even though I may not use the HD, there's a possibility that I might. Who knows what games may come out in the future that will require some hard-drive space to run. Maybe you'll be able to play Dance Revolution with your own songs or something like that. Although the Arcade version would probably be fine for me, I couldn't help but think that it might limit me down the road.

Thank for everyone's input! I haven't purchased any games yet. The Xbox comes with two that I'll try out over the weekend just to see how the thing works, and then I'll buy a few more games in a couple of weeks. So any game recs would be appreciated.

Now all that's left for me to do is break the news to my Hubby about how much money I spent today. :yikes:

[GMichael]

Now all that's left for me to do is break the news to my Hubby about how much money I spent today. :yikes:

He'll forgive you the first time he plays with it. (the game, THE GAME!:incazzato: )

Congrats.

[kexodusc]

I think you'll have a lot of fun with it...


Now all that's left for me to do is break the news to my Hubby about how much money I spent today. :yikes:
Just challenge him to a split-screen game of Forza 2 and whoop his butt in the old 1992 Volkswagen Golf GTi...
Let me know when/if you get Xbox Live and I'll add ya as a friend. Once you get Guitar Hero, we'll see who's got the best chops...

[Groundbeef]

Thank for everyone's input! I haven't purchased any games yet. The Xbox comes with two that I'll try out over the weekend just to see how the thing works, and then I'll buy a few more games in a couple of weeks. So any game recs would be appreciated.

Now all that's left for me to do is break the news to my Hubby about how much money I spent today. :yikes:

Nice.

Games off the top of my head.

1. Mass Effect. Do a google search, and check on "Live" for any info/video. Simply, the game is AWESOME. Very in-depth, and engrossing. Action, suspense, its got it all.

2. Call of Duty 4. Finally out of WWII and into the present. If I wasn't playing Mass Effect, I'd be getting my ass handed to me online with COD4.

3. Fight Night Round 3. Its a budget buy, and it never gets old. Plus, you can vent by busting some punks nose if you have a bad day. Graphics on HDTV is like sitting in the front row of a fight. Its that good.

4. DiRT. Great racing game. On road/off road. Multiplay sucks ass, but the single play game is great.



Go on "Live" and set yourself up on an account. Silver is free, Gold is not. With Silver, you can get demo's, movies, and game trailers. If you want to compete online you need gold.

Post your Gamertag, or PM me and Kex. We will be "Friends".

[audio_dude]

man, call of duty 4?? AMAZING! (coming from a PC game player here, i can't stand playing FPSs on anything other than a keyboard and mouse...) but to each his own.

I played fight night on an xbox 360 demo setup in an eb games (gamestop) a while back. STUNNING graphics. You can actually see every bead of sweat, and man, the punches...you feel 'em.

[ForeverAutumn]

Okay, so that Viva Pinata game that Kex's wife plays is totally addictive. I picked it up for $20 yesterday. Popped it into the machine after breakfast this morning just to get a feel for it and the next thing that I knew my husband was asking what I wanted for lunch. :yikes:

I think that this is going to be an even bigger time waster than I thought it was gonna be. I haven't even opened the Dance Revolution game yet. :nonod:

[kexodusc]

Okay, so that Viva Pinata game that Kex's wife plays is totally addictive. I picked it up for $20 yesterday. Popped it into the machine after breakfast this morning just to get a feel for it and the next thing that I knew my husband was asking what I wanted for lunch. :yikes:

I think that this is going to be an even bigger time waster than I thought it was gonna be. I haven't even opened the Dance Revolution game yet. :nonod:
LOL...got busy making baby Whirlms, eh? Gotta fess up here, Groundbeef suggested it to me a few months ago first when I wanted to pick up a game or two for my wife. You think it's just foolish kidstuff until you see a Chewnicorn...then you gotta get'em.
Fry a Flutterscotch yet?

[Groundbeef]

Instruct a FlutterScotch to fly by an yard lamp. It's "Funny" and it gets you an achivement.

Also be sure to plant LOTS of poison ivy. It'll draw in some rare Pinata's to the garden.

DON'T hit the old gardener with your shovel too much either. He will plant nasties in your garden if you make him angry.

[bobsticks]

Instruct a FlutterScotch to fly by an yard lamp. It's "Funny" and it gets you an achivement.

Also be sure to plant LOTS of poison ivy. It'll draw in some rare Pinata's to the garden.

DON'T hit the old gardener with your shovel too much either. He will plant nasties in your garden if you make him angry.

Sounds like a Lewis Carroll opiate poem...nonetheless, I'm tempted if only because I'm finding that recent installment of Halo a terrible bore.

Bobsticks--hunting the snark

[kexodusc]

Sounds like a Lewis Carroll opiate poem...nonetheless, I'm tempted if only because I'm finding that recent installment of Halo a terrible bore.

You too?
I just finished it. The final level was a disappointment. The story and game play I think was a step up on Halo 2, but by the third installment, it's nothing really engaging.
Maybe the mulitplayer is more fun, but I'm not looking forward to getting plasma-cannoned by a bunch of smack talking 14 year olds with more free time than me, and I don't really know anyone else to start teaming up with. Oh well.

On to Mass Effect...then maybe I'll try the older Call of Duty games.

Anyone got NHL 08?

[audio_dude]

kex, did you beat in on legendary mode? there is an alternate ending when you finish.

[kexodusc]

kex, did you beat in on legendary mode? there is an alternate ending when you finish.
Yeah, saw that.

Is it a teaser to Halo 4?

[audio_dude]

Yeah, saw that.

Is it a teaser to Halo 4?


dunno, maybe. Some people think it might be secretly showing how the halo series might be the prequel to a game bungie did a while ago, can't remember the name though, google it.

[ForeverAutumn]

LOL...got busy making baby Whirlms, eh? Gotta fess up here, Groundbeef suggested it to me a few months ago first when I wanted to pick up a game or two for my wife. You think it's just foolish kidstuff until you see a Chewnicorn...then you gotta get'em.
Fry a Flutterscotch yet?

Hehehe. I was trying to protect my Whirlms for a while until I realized that they are the bottom of the food chain. Now I just have to keep making sure that I keep a good supply of 'em going.

I had to sell one of my birdy guys to get enough money so that the doctor could heal my skunky-looking guy. Is there a reason that my pinata's keep getting sick or is it just to eat up your cash so that you have to find ways to make more?

And how do I get my elephant-looking guy to eat a damn poppy so that I can "romance" them?

And...WHY DIDN'T ANYONE WARN ME THAT THIS GAME HAD SPIDERS!!!! There should be a warning label on the packaging when games have spiders. :(

[Groundbeef]

Hehehe. I was trying to protect my Whirlms for a while until I realized that they are the bottom of the food chain. Now I just have to keep making sure that I keep a good supply of 'em going.

I had to sell one of my birdy guys to get enough money so that the doctor could heal my skunky-looking guy. Is there a reason that my pinata's keep getting sick or is it just to eat up your cash so that you have to find ways to make more?

And how do I get my elephant-looking guy to eat a damn poppy so that I can "romance" them?

And...WHY DIDN'T ANYONE WARN ME THAT THIS GAME HAD SPIDERS!!!! There should be a warning label on the packaging when games have spiders. :(

Pinatas get sick for a variety of reasons. Most of the time it's related to the food intake. Check out your garden. Poisen ivy, and a couple of other nasties will make them sick. It's best to fence off the garden to not allow them to wander in it.

Only flowers are ok to plant around. Also, plant some trees. They drop seeds, and also attract "squirls"

And you can "click" on a pinata, then "click" on a flower. They will go to it and eat it. But the have to be a resident for this to happen. You can't control pinatas that havent elected to stay.

Go here for more advanced advice. There are some real pinata addicts, and they have great advice.

http://forums.xbox.com/514/ShowForum.aspx

[ForeverAutumn]

I figured out that my pinatas were getting sick because of poison candy that a couple of sour pinata's kept dropping at night. Now I just hunt around with my shovel at night and try to beat them off before they can drop their bad candy. (from that link I've just discovered that I can try to tame them) Thanks for the link Groundbeef.

I also figured out that the ants are worth a lot of money. Now I sell them as fast as I can make them resident. This is a very cool game.

[Groundbeef]

I figured out that my pinatas were getting sick because of poison candy that a couple of sour pinata's kept dropping at night. Now I just hunt around with my shovel at night and try to beat them off before they can drop their bad candy. (from that link I've just discovered that I can try to tame them) Thanks for the link Groundbeef.

I also figured out that the ants are worth a lot of money. Now I sell them as fast as I can make them resident. This is a very cool game.

Don't sell 2 many of them. They are food for A LOT of other residents.

[thekid]

Well I got my son a Wii last year and this year an X-Box. Once he got Bioshock, The Orangebox and Assasin's Creed the Wii has not seen much action from him. Also picked up Guitar Hero and my daughter is now hooked on that. Funny thing about that is when I have the 70's station on digital radio all I get is complaints from them and yet a lot of the songs she plays on Guitar Hero are from that era....go figure.

As for me I personally have got hooked on Medal of Honor II on the Wii with its on-line shootouts. I understand it is low tech relative to Call of Duty but I am not a hard gamer. Point and click is more my style. Great way to relieve stress....just slap on that sniper scope and go hunting.......