Strong Next-Gen Console Choice

We finally broke down and entered the XBOX universe with our Pro console. I had been reluctant to stray from Sony/Nintendo but have been too cheap to take the bite on the PS3. My brother purchased an XBOX 360 last year and has been a big fan.

In general, the cost shouldn't be much of a discriminator. Here's where we came in:
- $400 for system with 2 games, extra controller, headset, and Play and Charge kit (cable with battery).
- $100 for wireless network adapter (the 360 didn't like my wired range extender)
- $20 for another Play and Charge kit.
- $30 for a Messenger Kit (chatpad with headset).
All told, that puts us around $550 for the system, which is pretty close to what the 80GB PS3 is, plus an extra controller. The PS3 has wi-fi built in, which was the primary source of financial pain after the original purchase. The PS3 also has a built-in Blu-Ray player, where the 360 offers a HD-DVD add-on for $179, which clearly tips things from a cost perspective to the PS3 if you want that capability. We are in for about $350 with our Wii, in case parents are wondering what that will take.

The controllers and power adapters are all very straightforward and easy to plug in. Microsoft provides a very good set of instructions. Everything is of a very high quality, with very sturdy plastics and nice fit and finish. The button feel and action is very good.

The included base AV cable doesn't do much. I used a standard HDMI cable to plug into my TV set, so if you have a HDMI-capable receiver, I think you can skip the big ($99!) dollar HDMI cable, which allows an HDMI and optical output. Outside of that, it isn't a big problem.

If you are using a home wi-fi setup, it is relatively easy to get your 360 connected. I used a 'DMZ' setting for the 360, which provides unfettered access through the router/firewall for one specific IP address on your network. This will save you pain and anguish related to configuring your firewall to make your 360 happy.

The system is pretty impressive in terms of connectivity. Microsoft 'integrates', or entangles you depending on your view of the house that Gates built, your XBOX with your Windows Live and Messenger accounts, which is nice if you have friends that you want to play with online. It allows full Messenger chatting - but you will quickly tire of the built-in interface and spring for the chatpad. It helps a lot for the setup process as well. I have played around with linking my XBOX to my PC but haven't been entirely successful. A friend of mine has it set up. I have to admit that the XBOX is a cool link between your photo/music library and your home theater. Setup will take you an hour or two, depending on how much stuff you have and how well you and your router/inner geek have bonded.

The XBOX 360 uses profiles to keep track of who does what. The included hard drive keeps all of your game saves - as tied to your profile - and any game demos and media you have. At 20GB, the pro system drive is certainly big enough for most any user who isn't intent on downloading movies.

The games are what you would expect in terms of graphics and sound. We played Halo 3, Call of Duty 4, Forza Motorsport 2, and Marvel Ultimate Alliance. All the games look great and the controllers work well. I find them a little small, but my 10 year old loves them. The system has been around long enough, that non-early adopters will find a lot to like with reasonably priced games and plenty of used options. First run games are still $60 (ouch). We polished off Halo3 in a couple of days, which felt a little thin.

XBOX live offers all sorts of little widgets. Themes (like back in the Win98 days), icons, music, etc. are all available. You can download extra levels and other additional content for games as well. We played some multiplayer on Halo3 and were very pleased with the ease in getting the game setup and quality of play. If you have tried hosting multiplayer games on PC, this isn't always easy.

XBOX live GOLD is $4-7 a month, depending on how many months you buy at a time. The silver account doesn't do much in terms of multiplayer gaming, which is a shame. If you look at what I spent, I spent about $150 for the accessories and will spend another $50 for my first year of XBOX Live Gold. The XBOX accessory prices aren't cheap, but everything we have used so far is good quality stuff, so I can live with that. What kills me is the pricing for extra content on XBOX Live - like Guitar Hero songs at several dollars each - PLUS the $45+ a year for the membership. The online multiplayer is such a big part of many of the games, I think it would be better offer the gold subscription at $25/year, then make the downloadable content available at $45 a year, as long as you subscribe, along with the option to download some of the add-ons at the current rates. By the way, XBOX Live it isn't ad free, and neat little sales pitches will show up on your console.

Overall, I think this has been a good purchase. Is it for you? The 360 isn't as newbie or kid friendly as a Wii, but it does offer next gen capabilities and an impressive software library. Is the PS3 better? Probably from a technical and value standpoint (excepting games, but that will change), but there aren't as many PS3 consoles out there. If you have a large library of PS2 games, that would certainly be a factor. Sony's PS3 online - no Silver/Gold there - is free, which could pressure Microsoft to lower the prices on Gold. We will end up with a PS3 as well, but probably not for a year or so - unless our PS2 dies. What would make the XBOX 360 great? I think a cheaper XBOX live Gold and wi-fi adapter (again, built into the Wii and PS3) are a good start.