360 Acquisition: My Story and Paradigm Shift

[MusicallyInspired]

I just got an XBox 360 this past Monday and I can't believe what I was missing out on. The days of gaming on my PC are over (unless said title is unavailable on Xbox or it's an adventure-related title of which I must own every version there is of). I guess I've been sheltered under Nintendo for too long. I'm particularly impressed with how well detailed and feature-filled (not to mention content-filled) the XBox Live Marketplace is. It's wonderful! Want to know if you want a game? Try a demo! Plus no framerate loss or extra money spent on upgrading your rig to boot!

It's fun. I tried out the demo of the first episode of Tell Tale's Sam & Max Save The World (aka Season One) and they really upped the graphics for that port by adding detail and normal maps to every texture. Not to mention SMI:SE looks and plays wonderfully. Also there's tons of classic games (some of them remade in 3D HD) on LiveArcade that you can play online with! It's just great!

I used to shun Sony and Microsoft and stick to Nintendo like an over-exuberant fanboy with some sense of honour and loyalty to them for being innovative and classic. But the truth is they're the farthest thing from. Their latest "innovation" has turned into a much worn off novelty gimmick because 1) it's nothing like I thought it would be. The Wii mote has yet to show me that it can control moving objects on screen (like a gun) through actual physical replication rather than controlling a moving crosshair on screen. 2) Only in-house Nintendo games ever take full advantage of it. All 3rd party developers haven't shown one bit of innovation in the control scheme at all. And as far as games go, I own 5 store bought retail Wii games and that's it. Sam & Max Season One, Zelda: Twilight Princess, Smash Bros Brawl, Metroid Prime 3, and the recently released Metroid Prime Trilogy. NOT ONE OTHER TITLE holds my interest at all outside of Wiiware. And the only Wiiware games that excite me are TTG games. I can't think of one game on Wiiware that I've been looking forward to besides maybe World of Goo which is available elsewhere as well.

XboxLive Arcade, on the other hand, is filled with titles that interest me like Shadow Complex (2D/3D hybrid game in the style of the sidescrolling Metroids) among others. And the retail titles now interest me a lot more after downloading and playing some of the demos from the marketplace. And all this with a headset where you can chat with friends no matter what you're doing. It's all perfectly seamless, very well designed and presented and delivered. Excatly what you want and expect from it. Whereas Nintendo tries to pull the wool over your eyes with their newfound technology that is in no way innovative at all and honestly makes my wrists hurt after a while. I'll take sore thumbs and bruised fingers over aching wrists and arms anyday.

So take it from me, a diehard Nintendo-only fan since the NES era who dodged the PS1 and the PS2/Xbox generations), if you're wondering whether there's life outside of Nintendo or the PC for that matter, there is. Loads of it. I knew XBox Live had a lot of features but I never knew it was as attractive as it turned out to be. And Not that I still don't use my Wii. There's tons of Homebrew applications that I use on my Wii from Mah Jongg and Bitsweeper to ScummVM and DOSBox. And I still have the Metroid Prime Trilogy to play through now with widescreen graphics and Wiimote controls (which are actually pretty decent...probably the only game that has decent Wii controls).

And to think we originally bought it as a replacement to our cheap DVD player that was giving out. I thought I'd take advantage of the situation and since my birthday was coming up grab the newly price-reduced Xbox Elite and have some excellent side gaming that I could play online with some relatives who also have it. Anyway, don't know if there are many so-called "hardcore gamers" here that would even appreciate this rather legnthy post, but here it is.

[Tawmis]

Welcome to the Dark Side. You will find yourself loving it.

Have an XBL account yet? If so - send a friend request to "Sir Tawmis"

[DeadPoolX]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't XBL require a subscription?

[Tawmis]

Yes it does. But worth it to me. It's not much. Depending on which one you get.

[DeadPoolX]

I suppose it depends how much you enjoy gaming on a console. I like it, but I can't justify the price of the console, let alone a subscription to an online service.

That doesn't mean I think the XB360 is a bad console. I'm sure it's a lot of fun, but the price is simply prohibitive for me at the moment. Well, that and the fact a lot of games on the XB360 (and the PS3) are also available for the PC.

If I were to buy a new console, I'd probably go with the PS3 since it has a blu-ray player. Most of the same games available for the XB360 are also on the PS3 as well (give or take a few exclusive titles for each system).

[Tawmis]

I have zilch interest in the PS3. Everyone's hyper about the BluRay, but I am not sure how well it's doing vs out selling DVDs.

And I have over 300 DVDs. I am not about to replace them with BluRay just yet. There's simply no way (and yes, I get that BluRay plays DVDs, to my understanding - but then what's the point of getting a BluRay if you're just going to play DVDs, right?). It'd require getting a BluRay player for my laptop, if I were ever to switch to BluRay since when I travel I take DVDs with me for long trips and such. Same with the computer. I'd need a BluRay player for my desktop. And yeah... just don't see making that change, because unlike when I went from VHS to DVD - it was because my VHS player was eating my tapes and a lot of tapes had degraded. Not the case for my DVDs! It'd cost more to replace all of those DVDs than it would cost to buy a PS3!

So right now with zilch interest in BluRay, I am all for X360.

[DeadPoolX]

I'm not entirely sold on Blu-Ray yet, but I've seen walls of it at Best Buy and larger sections are appearing at Blockbuster. I wouldn't be surprised if Blu-Ray takes over in a few years.

[Tawmis]

It probably will. Just like CDs took over cassettes back in the day. But I figure with how much I have invested in DVDs, and there's no lack of quality in them - I will hang onto DVDs for as long as I can.

[Collector]

I'm not entirely sold on Blu-Ray yet, but I've seen walls of it at Best Buy and larger sections are appearing at Blockbuster. I wouldn't be surprised if Blu-Ray takes over in a few years.

The difference on a 1080P monitor/TV can be amazing. I would expect Blu-Ray to catch on fast, too. And when you take in to account the digital conversion getting people to buy new TVs, many will get TVs that are 1080P capable.

[Tawmis]

I'm not entirely sold on Blu-Ray yet, but I've seen walls of it at Best Buy and larger sections are appearing at Blockbuster. I wouldn't be surprised if Blu-Ray takes over in a few years.

The difference on a 1080P monitor/TV can be amazing. I would expect Blu-Ray to catch on fast, too. And when you take in to account the digital conversion getting people to buy new TVs, many will get TVs that are 1080P capable.

Take into account today's economy, though. Not everyone is going to go all out on their television. And then think of replacing their DVDs. Honestly, that's what holds me back. If I had money, I'd be all for the PS3, and replacing my DVDs. But living nearly pay check to pay check makes me watch where I spend my money... for the most part.

[Collector]

We are talking about a few years and the economy is already showing signs of recovery. Blu-Ray players/drives will only get cheaper as will the TVs and monitors.

[Tawmis]

See, and that's a good thing. They will get cheaper, as the economy improves. And by the time I can afford them, they will be nice and cheap.

[DeadPoolX]

Tawm, I don't know why you're assuming that buying a Blu-Ray player automatically renders your DVD collection useless. You even stated that DVDs work on Blu-Ray players, so why would you have to replace anything?

I know you said "what's the point of having a Blu-Ray player if you're only going to watch DVDs" but that's why you buy all of your NEW movies on Blu-Ray. Who cares about replacing your old collection? That's simply a waste of money.

It's not the same as moving from VHS to DVD. You can't play a VHS tape on a DVD player.

[Tawmis]

Tawm, I don't know why you're assuming that buying a Blu-Ray player automatically renders your DVD collection useless. You even stated that DVDs work on Blu-Ray players, so why would you have to replace anything?

I know you said "what's the point of having a Blu-Ray player if you're only going to watch DVDs" but that's why you buy all of your NEW movies on Blu-Ray. Who cares about replacing your old collection? That's simply a waste of money.

It's not the same as moving from VHS to DVD. You can't play a VHS tape on a DVD player.

The thing is - if I have them on DVD, why wouldn't I want them on BluRay? Why would I want Wolverine: Origins to be all superior to say, THE CROW or to STAR WARS or to... Well there in lies the problem. The list doesn't stop. If I got a BluRay player, I would probably get all of my old DVDs (that are even available on BluRay) replaced first. But that's because I am a freak like that. There's not much in new movies that I buy anymore (mostly because there doesn't seem to be that many good new movies anymore...)

[DeadPoolX]

Who says you have to replace your DVD collection all at once? If Blu-Ray replaces DVD (and it looks like it probably will), you'll have plenty of time to update your collection. In the process, you could always get discs on Blu-Ray that you didn't previously own on DVD.

I'm not a spokesman for Sony (I wish I was as I could use the money!) and I don't own a Blu-Ray player yet. But I probably will and if it's possible, I'd get the PS3. Why? Because it can do more.

That said... I'm waiting for the PS3 to come down in price. It may be less than it was, but I still can't justify the expense. Maybe in another year or two. If the PS3's lifespan is anywhere near that of the PS2 (which still has new games coming out for it!), I won't have to worry about the system becoming outdated and replaced anytime soon.