Xbox 360

When Microsoft launched its first console, the Xbox, it made one serious mistake. Microsoft launched the original Xbox much later than the PlayStation 2 and Game Cube. While this didn’t have too much of an affect on sales it definitely didn’t help the Xbox.

This time around Microsoft corrected their mistake. The Xbox 360 was released months before it’s competition and left them in the dust. The 360 was the first of the 3rd generation consoles and it is definitely the most impressive.

The 360 features powerful hardware that includes 512MB of unified memory, custom symmetrical triple-core CPU and custom 500MHz ATI graphics processor. Every Xbox 360 title supports 720p and 1080i high definition resolution.

Here are a few of the technical specifications for the Xbox 360:

• Street price: $279.99 – $619.94
• 720p 1080i high definition resolution
• Three USB 2.0 ports, two memory unit slots, Ethernet port, HDMI port
• Wireless controllers
• 20GB hard drive

Things I like
The thing I like the most about the 360 is the fact that all of the games you play come out in amazing clarity. The 360 just makes gaming look realistic. The first game I ever played was Gears of War. I remember shooting someone and the body jerked back as if it was real. This kind of physics and graphics was basically unheard of before the 360.

Another thing that I really like about this version of the Xbox is the fact that there are so many great games for it. Between Gears of War, Halo 3, and a number of old classics the 360 just has so much more to offer than the Nintendo Wii and the PlayStation 3.

Things I don’t like
The fact that 33% of the consoles are defective is absolutely ridiculous. Microsoft has never been known for their product quality but the 360’s replacement numbers are beyond poor. When you buy a console you shouldn’t have to worry that theres a 1 in 3 chance that your console will be defective. Other than the piss poor quality of the hardware the 360 really doesn’t have anything else that I don’t like.

Pros:

• Realistic gameplay
• Fairly cheap (compared to the PS3)
• So much fun to play

Cons:

• 33% chance of failure

Final Thoughts
The 360 was the first console for the 3rd generation of gaming and it’s definitely one of the best. The graphics are ultra-realistic and the game play is amazing. If you haven’t gotten into the gaming scene yet the 360 is a great choice. I fully recommend buying the Xbox 360, you’ll have so much fun on it.