What makes a video game system a great one? What would compel you to buy one over the other? There are many factors in buying a video game system and there have been arguments for years about what makes a video game system good. Some areas of the systems capability include the hardware of the system (which includes system/controller design, computing/graphics power, and system hardware features eg. a DVD player), its game library (which includes online and offline games), and its value. Each of these categories will be identified and explained and reviewed for the Xbox 360.
Section I. System Hardwarea. System Design:
The Xbox 360 has a very bland yet futuristic looking style to it. It's "inhale" design makes it stand out more than just looking like a standard DVD player. The detachable hard drive also helps the system stand out but I wouldn't call the Xbox 360 console design a work of art. One issue I have with the design is the DVD drive. It's ETREMELY loud! If you were to play a movie and you came up to a point where everything's quiet, the system is noticeably. What also doesn't help is the system's failure rate which is directly correlated with the system design. According to Game Informer, as of mid 2009, the failure rate was over 50% at 54.2% which is just downright dreadful. Who would want to keep sending his/her system back to Microsoft just to see it fail again? The failure rate of the system due to its design really brings down its rating. Thankfully the system's innards are being refreshed every year or so but it clearly isn't enough for over 3 years of existence the failure rate is over 50%. tsk tskSystem Design Rating: 2/10
The system may not have the best design in my opinion but the controller is one of the most comfortable controllers to use ever. The original Xbox's original controller was one big, bulky, uncomfortable controller to use. It was too big, buttons were too cramped together and it was a pain to use. People had complained so much that they eventually created the Xbox Controller S which fixed many of the issues of the original controller. The Xbox 360 controller is very similar to the S controller's design with loads of improvements. For one, it's wireless. Today, all systems ship with a wireless controller. One draw to the Xbox 360's controller is it uses double A batteries by default and it would be an extra $12 for a battery pack or an extra $20 for a play-and-charge kit which allows you to play games while the controller is charging. Without it you would have to buy a separate dock to charge your controller battery on. The batteries last quite a while at 40 hours but just having to replace them can be a pain especially if you're a huge gamer. The controller uses 2.4Ghz technology and has a range of 30 feet which is quite nice. All-in-all the controller is a very fine piece of hardware; it does what it has to do and it does it well. The AA battery issue brings the controller's rating down slightly but I still give it an 8/10
Controller Design Rating: 8/10c. Computing Power/Graphics Power
The Xbox 360 is a powerful machine featuring a custom Power PC CPU along with a custom ATI graphics chip. I don't think its' necessary to get into the technicalities of the innards so I"ll just say that the system can play power-hungry games...and the games look fantastic. The system has become fairly easy to develop for so there's a huge library of games which I will get into later. The system has enough juice in it to give it it a perfect 10Computing/Graphics Power Rating: 10/10
d. System Features:The Xbox 360 left off where the original Xbox stopped with it's Hard Drive, DVD player and internet access. Unfortunately there's no Blu-Ray player (there was at one point a HD-DVD add-on which is now obsolete) which is understandable since one of Sony's rivaling Playstation 3's selling points is its built in Blu-Ray player and Sony would be getting a good portion of the Blu-Ray add-on's profit since Sony helped develop the Blu-Ray standard and there's no Wifi. Consoles from the original Elite which came out in 2007 to every new console shipped includes a HDMI cable for full 1080p playback. The Xbox 360 always had a component cable out plug but it's not the same as an HDMI connection. Overall there's not a huge lot of change in the original Xbox's hardware feature besides its much larger hard drive and not needing to buy a DVD player add-on. You can connect an iPod or Zune and play music off the player while in a game which is also nice. Much more is available when connected to Xbox Live but that will be a different section. Overall, the lack of WiFi hurts but there's still enough to give it a good rating.
System Features Rating: 8/10II. Gaming
Offline Gaming:The Xbox 360 has one of the nicest game libraries for any system. It has a very large list of original Xbox playable titles that grow all the time with new system updates. the Xbox 360 has amazing exclusives and first party games such as Halo 3/ODST, Gears of War and Gears of War 2, Forza Motorsport, Fable, Bioshock, and many more. Its library ranges from casual gamers to hardcore gamers but its well known the Xbox 360 is a hardcore gamer's system. if you're looking for a system for young children to play with then this might not be the best system for you. Overall, the offline library is a massive, well equipped one with lots of games to choose from. Great overall. Easy Perfect 10
Offline Gaming Rating: 10/10Online Gaming:
The Xbox 360's online gaming community known as Xbox Live a major breakthrough in video game entertainment. Unfortunately you have to pay for Live; it's only $50 a year (you can buy 1 month and 3 month cards for more per month but most would opt for the yearlong card) which is less expensive than a game disc but the features it include convince many that it is a small price to pay. You have so much to choose from ranging from streaming Netflix Movies to Twieeting and Facebooking to playing little arcade games from the Xbox Live Arcade. What really lures most into Live is its multiplayer. You can play people from across the world on Xbox Live and have loads of fun with it. You can have voice chats with people and have a friends list too! So much is available on Xbox Live; everyone should get it! Some would argue that you shouldn't have to pay for the Xbox Live Gold membership (Silver is included with the console but doesn't include features such as Netlix and online multiplayer; you need to pay for the upgrade to Xbox Live Gold for all of that.) but for the features it offers compared to the Playstation 3's online game service, the Playstation Network, it's well worth it in my opinion. Rating this one is easyOnline Gaming Rating: 10/10
III. ValueYou can say a video game system has everything you want on it from a powerful CPU and GPU to a gorgeous design with every title you could imagine with endless online play, but if you're paying an insane amount of money for all of that, why bother? I feel the value of the console is what makes a video game console great. Look at the Neo Geo AES; it had some of the most amazing games such as Metal Slug and King of Fighters but each game cost over $150 in the early 90s and the system itself was $600. It was not worth it to bu the Neo Geo AES. The Xbox Elite's starting price is $300 which includes a 120GB detachable hard drive, a wireless controller, an ethernet cable, an Xbox live headset, a free month of Xbox Live Gold, and now just standard video cables. If you want Wifi you have to pay $70-$100 depending on teh wifi technology you desire for your system. And unfortunately for the wifi, there are VERY few non-Xbox branded Wifi adapters that are compatible with the Xbox 360, an HDMI which you can pay very little for, Xbox Live Gold membership if you want to get the best out of your system, a play and charge kit for your controller which should pay for itself over time, (but why not just make the controller with a built in rechargeable battery?) a DVD remote, and other accessories. All of these accessories can bring the starting point of an Xbox 360 console to about $500, and that's without buying a single game! Compared to buying a PC with high enough specifications to play equivalent Xbox 360 games, $500 is a bargain. Still, the lack of Wifi hurts and the AA battery controller bring the score down but in general, the system is an amazing piece of hardware.
Value Rating: 9/10Conclusion:
Overall I think the Xbox 360 is just an outstanding piece of technology. Sure it has its flaws but it still has the best online gaming network and to some including myself, it has the best game library available right now which grows all the time with new Xbox Live arcade and game discs coming out frequently. I love my Xbox 360 and i would recommend it to anyone looking to buy a new video game system or someone who just wants to try something new. Of course it's expensive but I feel it is 100% worth it. Without a doubt, I think the Xbox 360 is and will be one of the greatest vieoo game consoles created.