 Steve Wright looks at Microsoft’s
contribution to the latest console war.
The Microsoft Xbox 360 was introduced to the Australian
public a full nine months earlier than the Nintendo Wii or Sony PlayStation 3,
and has since lost the lead it had built up in the beginnings of the latest console
war.
However, it still manages to hold its own by delivering
solid, straight-forward gaming. In this second instalment of MCV’s new technology feature, we’ll set
the record straight on what the Xbox 360 has to offer – and which version may be best for you -
before you decide whether or not to purchase Microsoft’s pride and joy.
Microsoft offers three Xbox 360 packs to shoppers in what may
be seen as a help or hindrance, depending on one’s technical know-how.
At $399.95, the Arcade pack
is the cheapest of the bunch, packaged with a 256MB memory unit and bundled
arcade classics like Pac-Man and UNO. The only problem: you won’t be able
to fit much downloadable content or game saves on such a small memory unit.
The Core pack sorts out space issues with a built-in 20GB
hard-drive. At a suggested retail price of $579.95, it also features a superior
A/V cable than the Arcade pack, and two
bundled games: Forza Motorsport 2 and
Viva Pinata.
The Elite pack, best of the three, comes with a 120GB hard
drive and HDMI A/V cable for high-definition 1080p resolution. At $729.95, the
only thing not included in the pack is a game; make sure to pick one up at the
same time (for another $100) to get the most of your purchase.
While the Core and Elite packs are able to store lots of downloadable
content, it all comes at a cost. A gold membership on the popular Xbox Live
service – allowing access to online multiplayer capability – is $80 for a year.
All packs come with silver access to the system, but that only provides the
chance to download extra content (like extra songs for Guitar Hero 3) and demos of other Xbox 360 games. Where Australians
really lose out is in lacking the Xbox Live Marketplace; we cannot download Hollywood movies and premium content (think iTunes) as
North Americans can.
Also on offer is an impressive back-catalogue of over 200 games.
Halo 3 holds the record for the
highest grossing opening day in entertainment history; Bioshock shows off the console’s graphics power while introducing
actual plot into a first-person shooter. Upcoming titles such as the
highly-anticipated Resident Evil 5 and
the RPG Fable 2 ensure that the
console can satisfy gamers now and in the future. If that wasn’t enough, the console
supports what’s fast becoming a staple in the industry: backward compatibility
for original Xbox games.
For those looking to grab a dirt-cheap high-definition
player no longer supported by any movie studio in existence, the now-defunct
HD-DVD drive add-on is only an eBay search away. The format has gone the way of
Betamax, losing out to Blu-Ray as the medium of the future. While rumours are
suggesting Microsoft may be releasing a Blu-Ray attachment soon, there’s no way
to currently gauge if the hypothetical unit would be priced as competitively as
the HD-DVD was. The unit, now reduced to a life as a stylish paperweight,
originally retailed around $250.
Despite some solid games in other genres, the Xbox 360 is
fast becoming synonymous with the first-person shooter genre; great if you’re a
fan. Kudos to Microsoft for catering to those of varying budgets and intents
with their various packs…providing shoppers can understand the differences
between each. Picking up Bioshock, Halo 3, Assassin’s Creed, Lost
Odyssey, and The Elder Scrolls III:
Oblivion will get you a nice cross-section of the console’s best. Sticking
to what the original Xbox did and improving upon that, the Xbox 360 is the
least innovative of big three consoles, but with the power of Microsoft behind
it, you know the console will be supported for quite a while.
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