Forgive me whilst I indulge in my mental musing about the Xbox 360. You see, I have been a major critic about the hardware for a long time and with good reason. However, to deny the library for it would be ignorance in the highest degree. I have been swayed of late (since late last year) because there were supposedly hardware changes (the falcon motherboard?) that should have rendered the high failure rate to one that is more normal for any electronic hardware.
As of today, I was paid a substantial bonus for work (several thousand dollars), so I decided it was time to treat myself to my second console this generation (actually, from a technical point of view, it would be my third as I have 2 Wiis - PAL & NTSC). Yes, I could have gone with the PS3, but no. Whilst the PS3 is without a doubt, a much better console in every way, it is still too expensive at $700 and the library is still light on for games that interest me. When talking about games, it also must be considered the significant number of cheap games, both new and used, available for the 360. With the $300 saving on the 360, I could easily add at least 10 games to play.
Once I made the decision that it would be a 360, the next decision is about the reality of the games library. Yes, it is big, but it isn't about size, it is about interest. To this end, for 2 nights I gave the library a good study and was rather surprised by how little I was interested in. It shouldn't have been that big a surprise really. Looking back at last generation, the Xbox had the least interesting library for me. Even though I have near 60 games, it is only the Gamecube and PS2 games that I am still playing. Fact is, I don't care for shooting games.
So what games am I interested in and do they justify a purchase.
- Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts
- Bioshock
- Blue Dragon (the game I want the most and quite possibly a system seller for me)
- Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
- Enchanted Arms
- Eternal Sonata
- Fable II
- Infinite Undiscovery
- Lost Odyssey
- Mass Effect
- Resident Evil 5
- Star Ocean: The Last Hope
- Tales of Vesperia
- Viva Pinata
- Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise
..... and that's it. Not a lot really, but still than a PS3 list would be. As it is, my Wii library is over 50 games, but if that was narrowed down to the games I REALLY wanted, as opposed to those I bought cheap, it will still number about 20. So, is that sufficient to get one? I say yes. That yes is supported by a decent number of games that I know I can get cheap, cheap enough to class them as good value.
Still looking good then. So what model should I get? I had a quick look around today and discovered the best deals are at EB Games. It seems that the only Sku department stores are interested in selling is the Arcade pack. It certainly is the only that gets promoted. Thing is, why would I get it? No hard drive. It comes with games I could care less about or have (Sega Superstars Tennis, Kung Fu Panda or Indiana Jones seem to be the norm).
The two choices I have is a Pro Bundle at $400 (the RRP for the 360), with bonus games of Halo Wars and Assassin's Creed or the Resident Evil 5 pack (red console) for $569, with a 120Gb HD and the games Resident Evil 5, Streetfighter IV and Halo Wars.
Whilst I like RTS, Halo Wars can only be considered an average game. I would play Assassin's Creed, but it means nothing to me. Streetfighter IV has very limited appeal to me. Resident Evil 5 is on my list. The extra $170 for the RE5 pack just doesn't grab me. I do know the owner of the EB store, so I might be able to choose different games to Halo Wars and Assassin's Creed, it is worth asking.
Lastly in my thinking, a rumour from left field hits me. The 360 is about to get an upgrade and price drop. Should I wait? The rumours are about a small price drop ($20US, a larger hard drive and an included HDMI cable. Rumours are not normally all that reliable though. I'm thinking that waiting isn't really worth it as even if true, the addition of bonus games would probably disappear and leave me in the same position, price wise, anyway.
One extra last musing, I bought my first 360 game today. Yep, I have a game and no console. Now I have to buy one right? No prizes for guessing the game. It was Blue Dragon. As it was a clearance line, I wasn't going to miss the opportunity.
A new Xbox 360 it is for me then. It better not disappoint. Of course, anything could happen between now and my next visit to EB. I have been known to change my mind a lot :-)
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