I'm currently considering purchasing a X-Box 360, but I would like recommendations and opinions before I purchase the system. I'm interested in the system due to couple of RPG's announced and released recently, the titles being Lost Odyssey and Tales of Vesperia. I heard the system cost around the same price as 60 GB PS3. Would that be true? If not, then what price range am I looking at? Keep in mind, I'm mainly purchasing this system for the purpose of playing games, specially RPG titles. You save data directly to hard drive? Are the controllers wireless? Would I need to purchase more equipment for the system after I purchase the system? I plan to buy the system, then purchase Lost Odyssey and begin playing and I should do that without a problem?

I know these questions seem naive, but I have research very little into X-Box 360 and my interest only interested lately with the increase in RPG titles, my genre of choice, being released for the system.

I would just save your money and use it towards the rpg's coming out for the ps3, in the meantime play some good ps2 rpgs and some new ones coming out . Also my ps3 60GB cost me 320 on ebay.

x360 pro - 349.99
* Contains:
- Microsoft XBOX 360 console
- 20 GB Hard drive
- wireless controller
- HD AV cable
- ethernet network cable
- wired XBOX Live headset
- white faceplate
- XBOX Live Silver service

x360 elite - 449.99
Introducing Xbox 360 Elite, the premier Xbox 360 console package that includes a massive 120GB hard drive, a HDMI port, and HDMI cable, all wrapped up with a premium black finish. Xbox 360 Elite also includes a black wireless controller and black Xbox LIVE headset. Xbox 360 Elite has enough space for a whole library of Xbox LIVE Arcade games as well as downloadable high-definition TV shows, movies, music, and all the other content available from Xbox LIVE Marketplace.

PS3 40 GB - 399.99
Internal 40GB HDD for storing your games, music, and photos
Built-in Blu-ray player
Cell Broadband Engine advanced microprocessor
SIXAXIS wireless controller
High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) out for 1080p resolution
Internet ready with built-in wireless network connectivity (Wi-Fi)
Two USB ports
Free access to the PLAYSTATION Network, including online gaming, the PLAYSTATION Store and much more

If you have a HD TV with an HDMI port, I suggest to get a Elite 360. Of course, I also suggest to wait until a price drop. Not alot of RPG's but Eternal sonata is defiantly amazing. Yes, I do know it will be on the ps3 one day.

People say, get a PS3, because the games are out on it too! Get a 360 because the games are out on it too! That standpoint goes either way.

With the elite, you can set it up to download trails of every game automatically. Which I have done. Lets me chose what arcade games I'd like to try. and they are all downloaded when I'm not using my xbox.

I'll write more later. WHy? Because school calls, and I'm already late.

Buy whatever the cheap one is with the HD.

They come with HDMI now so they're golden. The elite is a waste of money.

You can save to the harddrive or a memory card. The controllers are wireless but you need to buy the battery pack you can charge if you don't want to constantly have to put new batteries in the controllers. Or you can stay wired.

I could just sell you mine for 150$ less =P But I don't know how much longer it's got til LOLRRD >_>.

Once you buy it, you dont need anything else to get for it. Other than the games, your all set. The Elite xbox is the one I wish I brought, cause Im filling up my harddrive fast now. Plus it comes with HDMI as well so if you wanna do 1080p you can do that.

I have the Pro (20GB) version and I am constantly erasing demos. There are new demos on Live every week, so if you like trying everything (like me) I would go with the bigger HDD. If you don't plan on downloading XBLA games or Demos then just go for the Arcade version. I would also suggest that one if you don't plan on really going online with the console (DLC tends to take up quite a bit of space). That one goes for $279 and includes a 256MB Memory Card, a Wireless controller, an HDMI port minus the cable, and a disc that includes demos of Xbox LIVE Arcade games Boom Boom Rocket, Feeding Frenzy, Luxor 2, Pac-Man Championship, and Uno. You can also buy the HDD later if you regret that purchase.

RPGs that are out:

Blue Dragon
Lost Odyssey
Eternal Sonata
Mass Effect
Oblivion GOTY (comes with expansions)
Culdcept Saga
Enchanted Arms (should be like $10 used)
Kameo ($10 bucks but more of an Action game/Leged of Zelda wanna be)

There are also 2 Japanese strategy RPGs coming to the 360 this year. Spectral Force 3 and Operation Darkness later in the year. There are 3 strategy games on XBLA: Commanders Attack - 3D Advance Wars clone with a 1950s feel to it, Band of Bugs - 3d turn based strategy game with bugs, and Outpost Kolaki - more of a simulation then strategy. I also think Fable 2 and Halo Wars (RTS) should be coming out this year.

I'm mainly playing RPG's and it doesn't sound like I need a Elite X-Box 360 to do that. Though, I don't want run out of space on the hard drive. It would take a long time to run out of space on 20 GB? I doubt I'll be downloading demo's since I never care for demo's ever. Not sure if I'll download XBLA games yet. The cable is not important. I have a multi-purpose HD AV cable for all three systems of this generation.

If you're not really downloading demos, but might download content or some XBLA games then the Pro edition should be good. I get almost every demo and some of them are a gig+ so after a few of them my drive gets full. I would wait until the end of the month to see if they drop the price. I know they recently dropped the price in Europe, so it might happen here too. They might also announce some new SKUs with bigger HDDs so who knows.

I'm won't have the money for the console for a week to a month. So, I'm not getting it too soon. Though, I do want the system soon since I'll be returning to work on a regular basis around May and have the rest of March and April to relax and play RPG's while finishing up a semester in community college.

So, the Pro would be the ideal choice for me?

Yea Pro is a good choice. It's basically a white Elite with 100 less gigs of storage.

Operation Darkness teaser site
Spectral Force teaser site

Operation Darkness videos
Spectral Force 3 videos

Yeah, If you don't plan to download demos then go pro.

Keep in mind, if you connect via internet wirelessly, you can connect to your computers music, videos, ect.

If you are out of reach with a ethernet, and not enough money for the 100 buck wireless, you can also connect from your xbox directly to your computer. This way, you can also listen to tunes off your box.

If you want to put things directly on the xbox, I would go for a elite like I have.

Personally, I have 60 gigs of demos. Yeah. I try them all when I think they look good.

Keep in mind also, that I had a Premium. I knew I was going to buy the 120 gig harddrive when it came out.

It cost me less at the time to trade in my premium and get a elite, then to have boughten the hardrive alone. (Our Gamecrazy ((Like Gamestop, but the employees actually care)) set me up with a preorder on the elite, where you trade in a premium and get the elite for 150$ whereas the harddrive alone was 200.)

Don't forget about Star Ocean 4 (maybe, thats my guess) and The Last Remnant.

List Here

Some Rpg's there I didnt even know about. Thanks for the list

Well they dropped the price in Japan last year as well, but there was no US price drop after that.
It may happen, but Xbox 360 is selling well in US, so they probably don't need to right now. It always has sold well in the US. In Japan and Europe (besides the UK) it's different though. So they had to slash the prices there to be able to compete better. In Europe PS3 is soon already caught up with 360 sales while in the US it has a long way to go.

You'd think a price drop should be coming soon though, but I think it all depends on PS3's sales in the US.
Because that has been a clear trend for their price drops in the other regions where PS3 is doing better than Xbox 360.

I am aware of the RPG's coming to X-Box 360, Lunar. I'm quite pleased on the number of RPG's that will be released on the X-Box 360 in the near future which spark my interest in the system. I won't get the system if it only had the two RPG's I mention as being RPG's that interest me.

Anyone have the idea for the North American release date for Tales of Vesperia? I just read some stuff on that and now I am very intrested in it.

Get the 20 gig.

Only thing you'll be deleting to make any space is demos.

I went to GameStop yesterday and I got a price of $350 for the system along with controller and built-in hard-drive. I forgot the size, but since I don't plan to go online, the employee suggested I go with the $350 price tag. I want to get a warranty for the system, but GameStop doesn't offer a warranty for the system. I don't want to buy the system without one. I''m not comfortable buying the system without a warranty.

I might be picking the system up in the summer or sooner.

Here I thought it cost me in $500 and above range. The total price should be $400-$450 including tax and the warranty.

I think that's the Pro version(20GB). It should also come with 2 free games (Forza 2 and Marvel Ultimate Alliance). I believe you can get an extended warranty from Microsoft or maybe you should consider getting it at Best Buy (I think they warranties for everything). I would highly recommend getting the gold membership for Live, but I believe you get a free month. You could always just use the Silver account if you don't plan on gaming online. I highly suggest you sign up for one of them because if you create an account on the system; your gamer score will not transfer to your online names ( I lost over 1000 Achievement points since I got Live 2 months after I got the system).

I didnt buy no warranty and it came with the 3 year rrod out of the box for me.

Looking at it from a strictly gaming standpoint I'd definitely recommend getting a 360 since as of right now the library of solid games is larger, and several multiplatform games perform better on it than the PS3 as of now (see orange box, and EA sports games, among others). If you buy a PS3 you are mostly doing so based on its potential, rather than what it has to offer in terms of games right now.

When it comes to multimedia though, the PS3 is mindblowingly amazing. Being able to stream your media from your PS3 to your PSP through the internet is great, as is the blu-ray player and 7.1 sound. As far as hard drive space goes the PS3 is also very easy to upgrade. You can either get a laptop hard drive and use that, or use an external hard drive which essentially gives you a limitless amount of space.

I'm the kind of person who likes to have every system though, so I fully recommend both with all of that said. If I could have only one I'd probably keep the PS3 over the 360 though, even with the fact that it has less stellar games. I just really like what it has to offer.. it's a perfect marriage of gaming and multimedia.

Eh, late, but hey.

Microsoft does offer its own warranties on the systems, so you have that to fall back on. It's three years now for the RROD alone, I believe. Not entirely sure. You could always optionally purchase it at a place such as Target or Best Buy - pretty sure they still offer warranties. It's worth checking out, anyways.

I do want to point this out, though: I've had my 360 since launch and have yet to experience any problems with it, even with regular play. Just make sure you don't pick up the thing while its running.

Microsoft gives a 1 year warranty on the whole box, no matter what happens.

Microsoft extended the RRoD Warranty to 3 years. If something happens to your box after the first year, you are out of luck unless you bought a Warranty from Gamestop/Gamecrazy.

IF after this first year, you get the RRoD, and send it in, you then have a 90 day Warranty on everything the day you get your xbox back. (Still the 3 years from the day you bought the 360 for RRoD. Unless you called it in on the last day of the 3 years, then you would get 90 more days)

I am unsure if you can buy a longer Warranty from Microsoft. But I think you can, due to the fact when I called near the end of march because I got the RRoD, they told me my warranty would be up mid april, but because of RRoD it got extended to July. The Indian lady seemed to try and hit that I should ask about extending the Warranty, but to no avail for her.

The Jist. 1 year Microsoft warranty, 3 year RRoD. If you buy the 360 Brand new of course.


EDIT: http://kotaku.com/381202/spectral-force-3-...s-xbox-360-srpg Another reason to get a 360 =D

You can say RROD even if it doesnt happen and they will fix your box. It's what I'd do.

Glad I waited until the summer to pick a 360 up. I just picked up the system today. A 60 GB HD 360 for 300 U.S. dollars. Lunar told me that Microsoft would cover the system if I encounter the RROD and I believe the system cover for a year for other problems, which is good enough for me. Funny that 20 GB HD was selling for 50 dollars more just a couple of weeks ago. Glad I waited a couple of more weeks.

Oh, the first game I got was Tales of Vesperia. I can't wait to jump into it.

So I take it the 20 giggers disappeared then? I haven't looked the last few times I've been to GS to be honest or at any electronics outlet stores.

That sounds wrong, in a funny kind of way.

Speaking of which, I just found out I have another friend with a 360 (that makes it a grand total of two people), but like the other one it's someone I haven't hung out with in 5 - 10 years. So it won't help me play 360 games. But he told me his has rrod two times now.

If it ever drops to $150, I'll consider getting one just for the games I missed.

20 GB HD are around, if you can find them, for 260 U.S. dollars, but you're better paying the extra 40 U.S. dollars for 40 more 40 GB more of space.

I don't know what I'd really use it for and 40 dollars = bag of maryjewanna.