Hi guys,
I am thinking of buying a xbox 360 not the elite as I don't want to spend the extra money or is it better to spend the extra $80. I am a casual gammer and I will be playing only a few times a week, but its been long that I have played a video game and I really want to get the Xbox 360 and get back into the gaming. I wnated to know that should I rent games first so that I know which ones should I buy. Do people do this or do they simply buy games. I am not sure what I should do.

Also since there are heating problems with the xbox 360 is the elite better?.
I also have a regular CRT SD tv, will I be able to play the games on the SD tv. I am planning to get a Samsung HLS-5686W 720p tv soon, is DLP good for gaming.
I apologize for being naive but I have no knowledge of how all these things work together.

Lastly, what other essential things do you guys thing I need to buy along with the xbox 360 (premium)

Any help would be appreciated.

Cheers!!!

Peronally, I'd get the Elite if Iwas buying now. The extra hard drive space alone is worth it. HDMI is a bonus, and I like black better. You can download and store many more demo's on the Elite. The 20 gig in the Premium will last a month before you fill it if you keep the demos....which u will.

Heating: nobody knows yet is the Elite is any better. Doubt it.

Get a HDTV, you don't NEEEEED it for the 360, but you will want it.

Thnaks newfmp3 for the quick reponse.
Can you or someone else tell me is it a good idea to get the extended warranty with the 360 or the elite. I don't have a membership with costco but I heard that their return policy was the best. How about circuit city or Best buy how is their return policy. I have a $40 off $199 coupon for CC, can I use it to buy the console?

Cheers!!

Can't answer the CC or BB questions...we don't have one. But I've heard great things about the costco warranties. I've also heard that Costco has recently changed it's return policy so double check that.

I can not stress how important it is for you to get as long of a warranty as possible. So factor that in your cost. The 360 has wonderful software, the best games, the best controllers etc, but the console itself is the worse, most unreliable console to date.

Bottom line, get the warranty. I paid 60 bucks Canadian for 2 years from MS. I've already used it once, see sig.

There's always strings attached with the warranties you get from big box shops, it's best to just get the 2yr warranty from MS. MS covers all the shipping costs and the turn around time is usually reasonable.

Not really a necessity but I recommend getting a battery charger station (the station, not the play'n'charge kit) and have 1 more battery then you have controllers. It just makes life so much easier when your battery runs out. Pop the extra one in, the dead one on the charger and keep on gaming.

As far as renting / buying... that's really all dependent on the person. The great thing about this generation of consoles (at least 360 and PS3) is that you can download game demos off the marketplace so in almost all cases you can try before you buy!

no, get the bb or cc warranty, i had to replace my system ,and BB didn't give me any problems, in fact they didn't even look at the system, just told me to get a new one. I am not saying that MS warranty is not good, its just that you have to wait couple of weeks to get your system back if something happens.

either way, make sure to get extended warranty.

and make sure to get Live subscription

Thanks for the responses guys. Now I looked at both CC and BB and they are out of stock for the Elite. So I have to wait until the store near me has some stock. I live in Delware.

Cheers!!!

Most of the games have a downloadable demo. I also rent...and most importantly, I wait and buy my games used. Get a live account.

As far as renting / buying... that's really all dependent on the person. The great thing about this generation of consoles (at least 360 and PS3) is that you can download game demos off the marketplace so in almost all cases you can try before you buy!
And with eBay, you can typically buy a game and resell it after a month of so for less of a net loss than the cost of a 5 day rental.

sid, if you have internet access and don't already have a router that would be something to add. Wired or wireless will work. It is worth it for the demo downloads (free silver account) or you can pay for the Gold Live account (play with others).

As a Blockbuster.com Total Access member, I use my monthly in-store rental coupon for games rather than movies. $9.99's not bad for unlimited movie rentals (online & instore, with limits of course) + 1 game rental that usually costs $7-$8.

Aside from blockbuster.com, use XBL demos.

How does the Xbox live account work. I don't need to play with others but I would love to download the demos etc and Movies also can be downloaded Right? Which Xbox live should I get. Do I have to buy that when I buy the console or can I buy it later as well.

Cheers!!!

Silver is free and I believe it gives you a trial of the Gold membership. You will need Gold if you want to play with/vs others.

Here's XBox's page with the details:

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/live/features/goldenage.htm

gold is well worth the 50 dollars a year this console is the first i ever played online with and its a blast i started off with the 30 day free trial and when it expired on me at midnite when it was up i ran to my credit card so i could get back in the game i was playing i would also suggest the elite i traded mine in on one and now i download everything i want without having to worry about space still have 80 gigs free

As others have mentioned:

1. get the elite, the extra $80 is definately worth the difference, especially with HDMI (especially if you want to get the HD-DVD drive in the furture, you can then output 1080p over HDMI and not worry about VGA. Games will play 1080p over component).

2. I am never a fan of the extended warrentee, however, the Xbox does have a bad track record. Buy the extended warreentee from Microsfoft (there is a note inside the box to allow you to do this). Otherwise 'take' the chance that you will be OK and if you do get a problem it will cost ~120 to send it in and get fixed after 1 year (unless your credit card will double the warrentee.

3. I tend to buy games. There are so many games out now that I do not have enough time to play them all. Most of the Original games (>1 year old) can be had for $19.99 (kameo, CoD2, Fight Night, most sports games that are 06 and now some that are 07, chromehounds, PGR3, etc, etc). At that price might as well just buy them. However the real fun is getting the latest game and getting caught up in the hype. When Gears of War came out, it was sold out everywhere for weeks, lineups at midnight, the excitement and anticipation was half the fun. The game also delivered. It was/is worth the $60 as even after 6 months, I still end up playing this game despite having several more recent games. I anticipate even more hype when Halo 3 comes out.

4. even as a casual gamer, most of the fun is in online gaming. Getting an Xbox gold account is worth the $50 year. My only suggestion is to buy the cards and not give MS your credit card number. Apparently once you do, it is impossible to get MS to delete your credit card number from the account. Many people have tried and are unable to. MS will not cheat you but.......

5. You get a 1 month free trial with Gold account (Silver is free). If you rarely play on line and that does not appeal to you, then you can wait. Many games give you free 2 day trials and you can save them and use them when you want to play online. Similarly you can open up to 3 new Xbox accounts and get 1 month free with each one.

6 Biggest problem with Xbox live is that the games become even more addicting. An easy way to 'waist' a lot of time (and it will annoy your significant other, unless they are into gaming as well).

Deveng, Thanks for the elaborate response, Thanks to all of you as well. I have now set my eyes on the Elite but it still is showing as unavialable in CC and BB stores near my area. I think I will go to oneof the stores and ask them to get it for me and get the EW either from BB or CC. I want to buy it from CC as I have the coupon which will save me $40 unless the coupon does not apply to game consoles. Does anyone know anything about the coupon being accepted by CC for game consoles.

I like car racing games along with others as well. But to start which is the most exciting racing game out there that I should get (it will be my first game) Any suggestions.

About the router to get connected to xbox live I have a question. I already have a Belkin wireless router but the router is in a different room. The tv and the xbox will be in a differnet room, so I need to kno what do I have to do to get connected. Do I have to buy another router?

Get the elite. It is worth the money for the HD and the color.

Get the extended warranty. I got mine from BB. While I haven't needed to use it for the 360 I have used their warranty on other items and it was as easy as bringing in the old unit with all the pieces and getting a new box off the shelf. In fact they actually let me upgrade to a larger ReplayTV model by just paying the price difference!

I had no interest in the online aspect of the system when I got it last September. Now MOST of my gaming is done online against/with other people. The $50/year is well worth the money.

You do not need another router if you already have one. You just need to connect to the one you have. Wired is the best option but you can do wireless. I would suggest just running a cat5 cable from your router to your xbox.

How much is the BB or CC EW for the 360/elite? Is it more or less than the MS warranty.


Thanks

I like car racing games along with others as well. But to start which is the most exciting racing game out there that I should get (it will be my first game) Any suggestions.

I like arcadey race games, not realistic like forza2.

I like shooting each other while racing, so full auto is a blast. Plus it is cheap. I got mine for 12.99. Plus it has traffic during online play. Only bad thing is that it doesn't have system link.

Need for speed is also a fun arcady race game.

The pocket bike racer from BK is a cheap fun little racing game.

Dead or alive extreme 2 has a good marine race and has these creepy cute cgi girls. Fun when your buzzed.

Haven't tried novadrome, but will probably give it a try.

I am hoping for a new ssx race game. Plus a good atv or mx race game.

About the router to get connected to xbox live I have a question. I already have a Belkin wireless router but the router is in a different room. The tv and the xbox will be in a differnet room, so I need to kno what do I have to do to get connected. Do I have to buy another router?

sid, my XBox is wired so someone else may be able to give you more info, but what you need is the XBox 360 Wireless Network Adapter or a cheaper alternative - search this forum and you should find what you need.

I have a HLS 5687 1080p DLP and a 360 and love it. I got my 360 off of ebay for cheap, but if i bought new I'd probably get the Elite purely for the larger hard drive. Gears of War split screen co-op is fantastic. I like racing games as well, you will love playing them on this big of a screen. I didn't really think about it before I bought the set, but racing games feel like you are driving, all I have to do is get a wheel and I'll be set.

Forza 2 is your xbox answer to Gran Turismo, PGR 3 is a fun arcadey racer, and DiRT (coming out next month) is a good blend of the two featuring mainly off road and rally racing.

Make sure you research HDTV lag. Some say that Samsung DLPs are the worst at this.

I have now set my eyes on the Elite but it still is showing as unavialable in CC and BB stores near my area. I think I will go to oneof the stores and ask them to get it for me and get the EW either from BB or CC. I want to buy it from CC as I have the coupon which will save me $40 unless the coupon does not apply to game consoles. Does anyone know anything about the coupon being accepted by CC for game consoles.

I've found out that because the big box stores don't get a large amount of stock on the game consoles that if they have some in stock it doesn't show up on their website. So, it's a good idea call individual stores in your area. Save yourself some gas money and call first. I also bought mine thru CC and had a $40 coupon. Also, most big box stores will price match other stores in your area. So if CC is out of stock and BB, etc..... has them, ask for a price match w/coupon. Good luck and good shopping!!! :)

if you know for sure you don't need hdmi, if you won't download and save a lot of films, if you like white, get white; otherwise......

personally, i have nothing that excepts hdmi, i don't fill up the 20gb hdd cuz i don't keep lots of demos or anything; do whatever man, it's not such a hard decision

as far as your wifi connect, this may sound dumb, but have you thought of moving your modem? i have a 2wire dsl modem/wifi router, and i was stressing over setting the xbox up for wifi, but then just put the router upstairs next to the box, plugged it in, and i'm good

wifi's not hard, but if you don't need to bother, don't bother; consider the possibility of moving your router; of course might not work for you

I won't be able to move the modem I guess, I will have to look into that option, I had that option on the back of my mind, but I was looking for an alternative if that could not be done.

aztony, thanks. I called up CC and they have two in stock, but it shows out of stock on their website for that store. I now need to know, how to use the $40 coupon since in the fine prints it says it cannot be used for video game consoles. Also the 2 yesr E.W from CC is close to $100 and the E.W from BB is around $70, which E.W is better? Do they price match E.W?

Cheers!!!

aztony, thanks. I called up CC and they have two in stock, but it shows out of stock on their website for that store. I now need to know, how to use the $40 coupon since in the fine prints it says it cannot be used for video game consoles. Also the 2 yesr E.W from CC is close to $100 and the E.W from BB is around $70, which E.W is better? Do they price match E.W?

Cheers!!!

I'm sorry to say that if the coupon says it cannot be used for game consoles, then you're out of luck. I guess you can try going to the store and hand them the coupon and see what happens. You might be able to use it for any accessories or games unless it also specifies they aren't eligible. I've never purchased an EW so I can't help you on that point. My console lasted 5 months before I had to send it in for repairs. I've seen lots of postings where consoles haven't lasted a year. I think you can purchase the MS EW anytime within the one year warranty that comes with the console.

Thanks

Also the 2 yesr E.W from CC is close to $100 and the E.W from BB is around $70, which E.W is better? Do they price match E.W?

Cheers!!!

Get the EW direct from M$. It's cheaper.

I just checked the costco website and they have the elite with an extra controller and charge kit bundle. I don'r have memebrship with costco. Can I still go there and buy it. Or I have to have a membership. I have heard that Costco's return policy is very good and if you have any problems you can go and return it for a new one. Will I have to be a member if I have to return the item. Can someone tell me how it works.

you need to be a member to buy anything.... but it's usually worth it :)
got any friends that are members?

I don't know anyone who has a membership at Costco, So I have to stick with BB or CC. How about the CC EW which is for $145 for 5 years which covers accidental damages. Is it worth it. WHat would you guys do, Just buy the EW from MS or get the EW from BB or CC if you were in my place. I just need the convenience of taking the broken product to the store and walk out with a new one.

You might be able to get a free 'day' membership for trying out Costco (they used to do that). I know Sam's club has that available.

I think the repair cost for the Xbox is $119. If you get the 5 year extened warrentee from BB, your machine has to break twice between years 2-5 (1st year is manufacturer wareentee) to get your moneys worth. The odds of that happening is small. MS is pretty god with ther warrentee, as they send you a box, with all packing stuff and shipping lable. Just drop it with UPS and they will send it back in 5-7 days. If you want the extended wareentee, I would get the one from MS.

I just need the convenience of taking the broken product to the store and walk out with a new one.
You just described Costco's return policy. Worth the $50 or so bucks IMO.

This is a different question altogether, However, I wanted to get your inputs here. I am planning to buy a plasma, do any of you have experience with a plasma and if so how is playing games on a plasma, burn- in problems, lag etc. Which brand I am looking at a size either 42" or 50". My budget is $1500. Less expensive would be ideal.


Thanks guys in advance.

This is a different question altogether, However, I wanted to get your inputs here. I am planning to buy a plasma, do any of you have experience with a plasma and if so how is playing games on a plasma, burn- in problems, lag etc. Which brand I am looking at a size either 42" or 50". My budget is $1500. Less expensive would be ideal.


Thanks guys in advance.
Forget the puny plasma... Get a Mitsubishi HD1000 front projector and have $500-600 left over plus a 100"+ screen :D

You're going to get ripped off one way or the other. But buying the Elite? I don't know... Quite frankly, I think it's a sucker deal. So you get a bigger hard drive and some other stuff most people won't even utilize for $600? Woop-de-doo. I can get a cheap 360 for nothing and buy a hard drive for nothing off of eBay; you just have to be patient. I bought a core for $62, sold it off and got a premium for $85... a few tweaks and it works perfectly.

No video game is worth is $600. None. I refuse to pay that kind of money, especially knowing how poorly these systems are being made nowadays and the fact that MS will likely be releasing a totally new system in a couple years.

Do you think I should buy the premium now and the as rumour has it that there is a possibilty of a new one coming out in fall before the holidays, I can go and return it and get the new one from BB.

I can't find the elite in any of the CC or BB stores here. CC had a good deal a couple of weeks ago where they were giving and extra controller for free, I did not have cash then but I wish I can get a similar deal. or a free game. Does any one know any deal going on the elite.

Has anyone bought the preimium from gamestop or ebgames. Do they have a E.W. How is their service.

Is it better than CC or BB.

Cheers!!!

I've got the elite, but my friend can't find one. Does anyone know where they are available or when the next shipment is? The 360's sales numbers would be higher if they had more elites available. I know of over 5 people that want one. Kinda shocking to me.

I've got the elite, but my friend can't find one. Does anyone know where they are available or when the next shipment is? The 360's sales numbers would be higher if they had more elites available. I know of over 5 people that want one. Kinda shocking to me.

They released it as a limited editon, so I imagine there aren't many and once they're gone they're gone.

For your best shot, check eBay.

Elite is not a limited edition; it is a full permanent product.

the black case and black accessories may be limited edition, but there will always be an hdmi equipped elite, it just may turn back to white like the core/premium.

I need to know, if the Xbox premium comes with a composite cables that I can hook up to my 20" CRT SD TV. Or do I have buy that as well.

I need to know, if the Xbox premium comes with a composite cables that I can hook up to my 20" CRT SD TV. Or do I have buy that as well.

the HD AV cable that comes with the premium has component AND composite.

http://www.made-in-china.com/image/2f0j00fveaIMOGgtzJM/HD-AV-Cable-for-Xbox-360.jpg

ok guys, I think I am going to for the costco bundle offer for $5XX. it inlcudes extra controller, charger and Gow.d o you think its a good deal. Also with costco I can return it anytime. Let me know

doesnt circuit city have a bundle for 479? just the console package and a FREE extra controller.

it's only a good deal if you want to buy everything in the bundle anyway, and it comes out the same or cheaper if you bought them all seperate.

the black case and black accessories may be limited edition, but there will always be an hdmi equipped elite, it just may turn back to white like the core/premium.

Elite is not a limited edition; it is a full permanent product.

http://www.engadget.com/2007/03/20/xbox-360-elite-new-black-limited-edition-xbox-with-hdmi-and-120gb-drive/

And since "limited" basically means being made in limited quantity, which the Elite is, I am correct.

Like I said earlier, it's an expensively bad deal. I don't see the point of it when you have better options to do the same things and spend much less. I don't get the thinking of consumers and the way they spend money unnecessarily.

right, because engadget has all kinds of credibility. thats an old article, the elite is not limited or limited in quantity. put it your way and everything ever made is limited. hell even the core is limited, i dont think an unlimited supply of anything has ever been made. whats your point?

it's already been said. the elite is permanent, there was supposed to be 100k black ones, then white. after the analog boards run out, all 3 sku's will probably have HDMI, the only difference between sku's being the hard drive and included accessories.

Ok guys, when I bring my 360 home, I won't be buying a game for until next week. I wanted to know can I play any demo games through Xbox live. Will I have to buy the memebrship along with the xbox to be able to play the demo games.

Thanks

Silver is free and you can download demos. Try overlord and area 51. Area 51 is a very short demo. But both are a blast.

right, because engadget has all kinds of credibility. thats an old article, the elite is not limited or limited in quantity. put it your way and everything ever made is limited. hell even the core is limited, i dont think an unlimited supply of anything has ever been made. whats your point?

What is credible online these days? And, who decides? Even the manufacturers give out ambiguous imformation. You can find plenty of articles that say it is limited and others that say it's not. Who is right? Who is wrong? It doesn't matter because the lack of supply obviously leans towards limited, and at this point MS has no reason to churn out a ton more of them, and they didn't to begin with. After all, the 360 is 2 Calendar years old now and it dominates the market. Millions of people are not going to fall over themselves to buy an Elite and they haven't. MS knows this, which is yet another reason to realize that it is and will continue to be limited. When was the last time you walked into your local whatever and seen the Elite's outnumber the Core's which quite a few companies don't sell anymore? Probably never.

Secondly, put your way anything "permanent" means it will be made forever or made in large quantity. Fact is, that's not the case.

When I see an official release from Microsoft that say it's NOT limited, then you've got it. Until then, we'll continue to let the evidence of what we see show us the fact.

[QUOTE=Mindwarper]I've got the elite, but my friend can't find one. Does anyone know where they are available or when the next shipment is? The 360's sales numbers would be higher if they had more elites available. I know of over 5 people that want one. Kinda shocking to me.[/QUOTE

Since the stores don't get a large supply, I suggest you or your friend call the local stores to find out what they have in stock or when their next shipment is coming in. I had the same problem with trying to find a Wii. Couldn't find one checking online but finally found one by calling all the local BB and CC stores. Good luck.