Xbox 360, Dignity or Line-Ups?

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I hope I've given everyone a fair approximation of what the Xbox 360 experience is all about and which games are worth considering (or not) before you leave to camp out a Wal-Mart. The final question is pretty simple, is the 360 and the launch line-up strong enough to compel an otherwise reasonable man to squat in a parking lot for hours, hoping to get one of the precious few systems available? The answer is a resounding NO. Stuff those desires back into the depths of your mind and think about Baseball, this is not worth spending the next 24 hours of your life trying to get a system. Do NOT spend $500+ dollars to get it on Ebay either.

The Xbox 360 is an excellent console and I think it has a bright future, but right now the games just aren't worth the extra time and expense. Think about it, there is ONE whole game slated for a December release (Dead or Alive 4) and only TWO for January, both of which are sports games. The current line-up has some solid titles to be sure, but only one or two are worth the full launch price they'll be asking you to pay right now. If you wait until February the systems will be readily available, the kinks will be worked out, the current games will be cheaper and most importantly, there will be more games worth playing.

Despite everything I've said I know many of you will go out and try to get one anyways. I wish you the best of luck in securing a system and hope you have a great time with it. There are plenty of excellent experiences to be had, just don't go killing little Billy to get one.

Xbox 360 Game Impressions

Xbox 360 Unit Impressions

Comments

I'm still totally disappointed by their completely inadequate supply of the system.

All of the stores around here that are open 24 hours already have far more people in line than they have systems.

Another frightfully honest opinion for a guy with a free, rare X360...

You should do this with all new releases so no one feels like they're missing out. Do the BF2 expansion next!

Next week on GWJ: a review of children. Are they worth all the trouble?

[/sarcasm]

How come there are no reviews for Perfect Dark Zero? It's the flagship game isn't it? The impressions I've read have been good.

I'm getting a system, but only because I have about 300 bucks in Blockbuster credit. If I wasn't getting this for a $100.00 bucks out of pocket I wouldn't get it. I bought a PSP when it first came out and it wasn't until November when I picked up my first game, Grand Theft Auto Liberty City.

I would love to have played Morrowind tonight, but unfortunately I think the game will be delayed till late next year.

Until then my Xbox 360 will be my new DVD player.

Rat Boy wrote:

Next week on GWJ: a review of children. Are they worth all the trouble?

[/sarcasm]

No sarcasm necessary; Certis delegated this assignment to me. Tomorrow I'm headed to a nearby orphanage to select a child, with whom I'll spend the next seven days as their "father." To ensure a fair and honest review, the kid won't know that I don't really want to raise them until it's too late, and then it's back to the orphanage!

God help me, I just can't do it. I have planned for months now to do Wal-Mart at midnight, but now that I am faced with the reality of seven hours in the Wal-Mart parking lot, sleep deprivation that will surely result in a miserable work day tomorrow, and a lineup of launch games that, while solid, is not exactly compelling... I feel like the only tenable decision at this point is to wait. I'm disappointed, I really wanted to want it. My wife seems to be pleased, though.

Now if I happen to see one on the shelf between now and Christmas, all bets are off.

I'm trying to get one. Kinda trying. If it doesn't work out, i'll happily wait until some games that actually compel me come out.*

*-Or I can afford a HD TV.

How come there are no reviews for Perfect Dark Zero? It's the flagship game isn't it? The impressions I've read have been good.

Microsoft never sent us a copy and my local EB won't have it until tomorrow, I get the sense that they're sitting on it until the last minute.

Certis wrote:

... I get the sense that they're sitting on it until the last minute.

Knock it off, Drama Queen. It could still be a perfectly fine game despite being certified late. EGM's first impression is favorable.

I have my copy of PD0, even if I can't play it for another three hours....

Thanks for the info, Certis. I can't bear to own another PSP, looks like i'll cancel my pre-order til some games come out worth playing on this one.

Besides, there are just too many games out right now to warrant having such an expensive toy lying around.

Damn.

I bought an Xbox on launch day.

It was the first console I've ever owned. It was a present to myself for managing a tough year.

I was pretty happy with it, though I don't think it fully lived up to its potential.

For 18 months or so, I suppose, I've been avidly following 360 news and developments. A 360 was going to be my big present to myself for this year.

Now, it looks like there's no way I'll be able to pick up one tomorrow. I've gotten to a point in life where I can't really justify camping overnight in a wallmart parking lot. Given professional responsibilities, a hellish commute, and some lingering self-respect, it's just not a viable option.

Sometimes, being a gamer with a job sucks.

I'm going to stand out side of Target at 6-am... they open early for the x360 launch. I'm getting for three reasons:

  • I already got a PGR3 copy.
  • My girlfriend want x360 as well.
  • I want it... if I don't get it, I'll think and think about, it will bother me, I'll give in and buy it any way. ...in short I'll skip all the steps and just get one now.

I went to Wally World earlier than planned, and they had 30 more people on line than they had consoles.

I needed aftershave, soap, and razor blades andyway so it wasn't a wasted trip.

It struck me as odd - people were staying in line after having been told that there were not enough consoles to give to the people in front of them.

Like they thought the 360s were reproducing in back or something.

Microsoft did a great job creating a strong buzz to get people to line up for this... hats off to them..

Their marketing strategy mystifies my simple mind. It seems they could have made a lot more money this week by actually selling one to everyone who wanted one...

SwampYankee wrote:

Their marketing strategy mystifies my simple mind. It seems they could have made a lot more money this week by actually selling one to everyone who wanted one...

I don't think they thought anyone would hop onto the internet and say "I've got one, but I wouldn't get care too much about it if I didn't."

It's been hard to resist running out and trying to get one, but I'm holding out by drinking beer and playing GTA PSP tonight! Thank you, Arrogant Bastard!

Yep. This is easily an even worse launch than the PS2. Way to go Microsoft.

How they can handle so many other things right and then totally screw one of the most important parts.. I suppose we'll never know.

Yep. This is easily an even worse launch than the PS2. Way to go Microsoft.

I think this is a better launch than the PS2 by quite a bit. There's a few games that might not be exceptional but are better than average and no real duds in the group other than maybe Condemned.

Also, do I need to remind everyone about Fantavision? Nobody wants to drag that horrid game out of the history books.

polq37 wrote:

Now, it looks like there's no way I'll be able to pick up one tomorrow. I've gotten to a point in life where I can't really justify camping overnight in a wallmart parking lot. Given professional responsibilities, a hellish commute, and some lingering self-respect, it's just not a viable option.

I'm with you, man. We could start a support group or something.

LockAndLoad wrote:

I think this is a better launch than the PS2 by quite a bit. There's a few games that might not be exceptional but are better than average and no real duds in the group other than maybe Condemned.

The first two games I remember getting for the PS2 were Midnight Club and the Madden game of the year. Were I so inclined, I'd lean towards NBA Sweat Simulator 2K6, CoD2, PGR3, and/or PD0. That's two more, FTW!

LockAndLoad wrote:

I think this is a better launch than the PS2 by quite a bit. There's a few games that might not be exceptional but are better than average and no real duds in the group other than maybe Condemned.

What difference does it make if the games are good? Unless you started waiting in line at 3 in the afternoon with the other tools you're just sh*t out of luck on even getting the system.

Yeah, the launch games look a good deal better to me than any of the PS2's did. That's great. It's one of the reasons I was excited by the system.

Unfortunately Microsoft did a crap job of getting a good supply of units out there.

Hopefully that info guru posteed in another thread about them sending out a much larger shipment in the middle of December is true. I'd still like to pick one up sometime.

It feels nice to have one's opinion's vindicated.

It works great for sound bites and TV airtime to have people standing in line. Even better when you can get them on camera being disappointed by the fact they couldn't get their system.

Personally with the way preorders are king now I find it very wrong that the shortages are this bad. Microsoft should have been able to fill all the preorders and still filled stores like Wallmart andTaget and such with a signifigant number. If your making a gaming system in these modern times you should expect your marketing to work and people to buy it. Hell if it wasn't such a pain in the ass to get one I might have gone a spent the money on it. Now I'll sit back and likely wait a year till there is competition, cheaper games and perhaps a price reduction.

Here in Jersey people started camping out at the Best Buy in Mt. Laurel at noon yesterday. When my friend and I went to pick up our pre-orders we drove by best buy to check it out. It was like a tent city. And it was pouring all nite. I just can't imagine doing that for a console.

I got home last night with the 360 and damn. That is an amazing console. I am totally loving the dashboard view. I just have to get out of Midnight Club racing mode and into slow down sooner than right before you make the turn.

SwampYankee wrote:

It struck me as odd - people were staying in line after having been told that there were not enough consoles to give to the people in front of them.

BAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!

No seriously we are sheep. If we are told that some item will make us happy for a little while we will all camp out in the rain/sleet/snow for it even though it is not logical. Man being a PC gamer I can see the mentality.. have to find it.. got to get it. You should have seen what I was doing the 2 days before Civ IV and CoD 2 came out.. went to 4 different stores to find them.

But knowing that there is not enough of a product made to satisfy demand and still waiting, that defies logic. I can see how their mind is working but I don't think I would go to the lengths they are going to. Wait till Jan 2nd people and have all winter to play with it.

Oh, and when is Fletcher's brain going to be in its birthday suit?

I just want to complement Certis on his fair and objective reviews - Its part of the reason we always keep coming back, because this site is run by gamers for gamers, and thats a rare thing in this world of today.

I feel much better about waiting till early next year to pick up my 360

Thin_J wrote:

Yep. This is easily an even worse launch than the PS2. Way to go Microsoft.

How they can handle so many other things right and then totally screw one of the most important parts.. I suppose we'll never know.

Your totally wrong.. from a marketing and Microsoft perspective this launch was a HUGE success... its created a strong buzz and even people who were normally on the fence are now scrambling and desperate to buy one before Christmas at any cost..

Instead of thousands of units sitting on shelves waiting for second movers to buy them... you've now got second movers desperate to pick one up before Christmas..

This ensures that the second pre-xmas shipment will also probably completely sell out....lets just be thankful that Microsoft was at least smart enough to release a huge quantity before Christmas instead of trying to ride out the hype past Jan. (which IMO wouldnt have worked)

Everywhere is totally sold out by me... there is not 1 single Xbox 360 to be found this morning at any retail store..

Even accessories are in scarce quantity

Dovetailing with what TGG said so diplomatically, I doubt MS would have gotten as much free media coverage without the "shortage", so it may indeed all be part of a brilliant scheme. The shortage at launch day and the widespread news about how hot and hard to obtain it is may enable them to sell all they can make between here and Christmas.