xbox360 - What do I need?

[Biscuit]

Have decided to buy the kids an xbox360 for xmas.  I just feel a pang of guilt every time they fire up the gamecube.  Seeing how out of the loop I am, I was hoping I could get some advice on the best model for me to buy based on the following:

* We will never play online.  However, I expect to get the Live subscription so I can stream netflix for them.
* Primarily being purchased for Rock Band/Guitar Hero.
* Will probably only download a few of the downloadable games to check them out.
* As far as I myself am concerned, I will probably be playing sports titles, GTA titles, and maybe Modern Warfare.

So, based on that, can I get away with the arcade version?

Thanks for any and all opinions!

B

[ChadTower]

IMO, if you're never going to use Live, the 360 isn't the right system.

[HaRuMaN]

Get a PS3, then you'll have a BluRay player... and won't have to pay $50 a year just to stream Netflix

[DJ_Izumi]

I would suggest you get at least a Pro if you intend to get much DLC at all.

The Arcade comes with 512mb of onboard storage but half of that is used the the dashboard.  Game patches, DLC, downloaded XBLA games, they can all add up.  Burnout Paradise wants a 1.2GB free update that adds lots of features that I can't get untill I get a HDD this christmas season.

Not to mention there are some cool more modern arcade ports on XBLA which I very much want as well.

[Frigo]

If you wear an eye patch and have a wooden leg, the PS3 isn't the right system.

+1

[Biscuit]

I appreciate the responses. 

A couple of points:

I don't anticipate going online for anything other than streaming netflix because I'm too old and the kids are too young. 

The blu-ray DVD player of the PS3 isn't overly appealing because I don't own an HD TV. 

Price point of the PS3 is a little more than I want to spend, even though I recognized it's worth the money.

Kids can swap games with neighbor kids that own xbox360.

I don't own a parrot or have scurvy, so I'm not dodging the PS3 for that reason.

As I said, I just want to know if I really need the diskdrive of the xbox360 based upon my earlier post.  Sounds like some of the games require patches that exceed the storage the arcade provides, yes?

[DJ_Izumi]

No game 'requires' a patch.  I've got the 20GB harddrive and it has been more than adequate.

Require for single player?  No.  Though for online there are things required and also some games add new features.  In the case of Burnout Paradise, that 1.2GB update adds things like motorcycles and day-night cycles and stuff like that.  Free additional features that I'm missing out on because I don't have the storage yet.  Though I'll solve that in a week or two.

[ChadTower]

That goes right back to my point, though.  Without Live you're missing out on at least half of the experience for many of the top titles.

[Cakemeister]

I would say get the Arcade plus a 120 gig hard drive from Ebay. Or, if you have the money, get an Elite.

Don't get a refurb.


Edit: I guess the OP won't be needing one of these peripherals.

[shmokes]

The PS3 is definitely more expensive, but not a great deal moreso anymore all things considered.  It's $299, but it comes with a 120 GB hard drive and Wi-Fi built-in.  The Xbox 360 Arcade requires absurdly expensive add-on peripherals for both those capabilities.  And as mentioned already, the Playstation Network is free so Netflix streaming is free (aside from the cost of your Netflix subscription), while Xbox Live will cost you $50 per year.

I think you will probably find yourself getting a hard drive for your 360 if you end up getting the Arcade version.  512 MB is an itty-bitty amount of storage space.  I mean . . . you're screwed even if you just decide to get a single game like the Bionic Commando remake (which is crazy awesome, btw).  Remember that if you're talking about pinching pennies some of these excellent, but low-price downloadable games like Braid and the aforementioned Bionic Commando will probably appeal to you a lot more than you are anticipating.  I mean, you already said that you plan to play GTA titles.  But what are you going to do when you finish the excellent GTA IV on your Xbox 360 Arcade?  Skip the well-reviewed episodic content The Lost and the Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony?  Those expansions aren't going to fit on 512 MB of internal memory.

Point is, you're getting a hard drive, whether you get one now or you pay out the nose for one later.  If there isn't already something to convince you to get one, there will be.  And once you add that expense the 360 and PS3 cost about the same.  But the PS3's online component is free vs. $50 per year for the 360.  And the PS3 has built-in Wi-Fi (and ethernet).  And the PS3 has a bluray player, which you might be happy to have next Christmas when you have an HDTV.  So not only does the PS3 seem like a better value to me, but in absolute costs it seems like you will spend about the same on either one once you factor in the necessary Xbox 360 hard drive.

[Vamp RN]

You will need some sort of hard drive for the 360.  If one of the main games you plan to play is Rock Band then you will need the extra space for songs.  I know that there are a couple of different bundles out now.  Some of them come with games that are great for the little tykes.  I started with the 20 gig and later upgraded to the 60.  It looks like soon I will probably upgrade to the 250 once they make it available for sell without being in a bundle.  Bottom line is that you are going to use the hard drive more than what you think you will.  Trust me. 

[versapak]

The PS3 is definitely more expensive, but not a great deal moreso anymore all things considered.  It's $299, but it comes with a 120 GB hard drive and Wi-Fi built-in.  The Xbox 360 Arcade requires absurdly expensive add-on peripherals for both those capabilities.  And as mentioned already, the Playstation Network is free so Netflix streaming is free (aside from the cost of your Netflix subscription), while Xbox Live will cost you $50 per year.

I think you will probably find yourself getting a hard drive for your 360 if you end up getting the Arcade version.  512 MB is an itty-bitty amount of storage space.  I mean . . . you're screwed even if you just decide to get a single game like the Bionic Commando remake (which is crazy awesome, btw).  Remember that if you're talking about pinching pennies some of these excellent, but low-price downloadable games like Braid and the aforementioned Bionic Commando will probably appeal to you a lot more than you are anticipating.  I mean, you already said that you plan to play GTA titles.  But what are you going to do when you finish the excellent GTA IV on your Xbox 360 Arcade?  Skip the well-reviewed episodic content The Lost and the Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony?  Those expansions aren't going to fit on 512 MB of internal memory.

Point is, you're getting a hard drive, whether you get one now or you pay out the nose for one later.  If there isn't already something to convince you to get one, there will be.  And once you add that expense the 360 and PS3 cost about the same.  But the PS3's online component is free vs. $50 per year for the 360.  And the PS3 has built-in Wi-Fi (and ethernet).  And the PS3 has a bluray player, which you might be happy to have next Christmas when you have an HDTV.  So not only does the PS3 seem like a better value to me, but in absolute costs it seems like you will spend about the same on either one once you factor in the necessary Xbox 360 hard drive.

I'd still go with the 360.

I own them both, and the PS3 just sits there collecting dust 85% of the time, with 10 of the remaining % being Blu-ray use.

Also, he never said he wasn't going to be online. Actually... Quite the contrary. He said it would be online. He just wouldn't be doing any online multiplayer. The Xbox Live Marketplace and Arcade shame the PS3 in every way.


Anyway...

You mention Rock Band being in your future. I have 9GB of just Rock Band content on my hard drive. I am sure you could get buy without ever buying any songs, but you won't want to.

[Malenko]

That goes right back to my point, though.  Without Live you're missing out on at least half of the experience for many of the top titles.

I disagree. I have live but I tend to play single player more then live. I will say that some games are great online (like Modern Warfare 2)but its not "half the experience" in other titles, Like Forza 3 (which you can race online with but dont have to) or Assassins Creed 2 (no online at all). Also, with live theres alot of people on there I dont want my non-existent kids to hear, potty mouth to the extreme among other things.

If your torn on which 360 to get, get the cheapest one you can and get a used 20GB hard drive off of ebay/gamestop; its more then adequate for most games. I have 120GB HD (original elite model) and Im using up about 60GB because I have like 5 games stored on the HD and a buncha vids and TV show episodes saved.

[massive88]

As everyone else has said, get a HDD.

You can certainly make due with a 20gb version.

If you dont want to worry about storage, get a 60gb or elite.

[shmokes]

I own them both, and the PS3 just sits there collecting dust 85% of the time, with 10 of the remaining % being Blu-ray use.

I don't own them both, and I've only had a PS3 for a few weeks, so take my comments for what they're worth.  I've never quite been able to put my finger on why, but I have always been more drawn to a PS3 more than a 360.  It's strange cos I owned and absolutely loved an Xbox, but I never had a PS2.  Also, I'm not very brand-loyal and Blu-ray doesn't really excite me much.

For a long time I figured that backward compatibility was the main reason I wanted it (since I never had a PS2 and missed out on the God of War and Ico franchises), but even after BC was stripped out I wanted a PS3 more.  I don't know why.  I suppose most the important games are multi-platform and I'm a little more interested in the PS3 exclusives than the 360 exclusives.  Maybe.  I don't know.

I've heard before, and it makes a lot of sense for most people, that you should just get whatever more of your friends have cos most games are multi-platform, but you'll want to be able to play with/against your friends online.  But it sounds like that may not apply here so much.

[versapak]

I don't own them both, and I've only had a PS3 for a few weeks, so take my comments for what they're worth.  I've never quite been able to put my finger on why, but I have always been more drawn to a PS3 more than a 360.  It's strange cos I owned and absolutely loved an Xbox, but I never had a PS2.  Also, I'm not very brand-loyal and Blu-ray doesn't really excite me much.

For a long time I figured that backward compatibility was the main reason I wanted it (since I never had a PS2 and missed out on the God of War and Ico franchises), but even after BC was stripped out I wanted a PS3 more.  I don't know why.  I suppose most the important games are multi-platform and I'm a little more interested in the PS3 exclusives than the 360 exclusives.  Maybe.  I don't know.

I've heard before, and it makes a lot of sense for most people, that you should just get whatever more of your friends have cos most games are multi-platform, but you'll want to be able to play with/against your friends online.  But it sounds like that may not apply here so much.

The get the one your friends have really is a big part of it. As far as just the games go, they are pretty darn equal.

The 360 and PS3 share a bunch of features, but the 360 actually integrates all those features into everything, while the PS3 has them just kind of tacked on, and some games may utilize them while others don't. Also a huge part of the 360 is its connectivity. Even if I am not playing multiplayer online, I am connected with friends in a party, where we can chat as though we are all in the same room. I can easily pop up the guide no matter what I am doing and see who is online, what they are playing, see their achievements, invite them to a party, game or chat.

EVERY game on Xbox Live Arcade has a demo. On PS3 the demos are very few, and they don't stick around for very long.

Also, a huge problem for me is that on the PS3 my son and I both have a profile, but the PS3 only allows one profile to be logged in at a time, meaning we either play on his or mine, not both. On the 360 he can be logged into his, while I am logged into mine, and we can play together and each earn achievements.

[Malenko]

I think the OPs question was which 360, not 360 or PS3. That being said I own all 3 (PS3,Wii and XBOX360) and my 360 is played almost everyday. My PS3 is just an expensive Blu-Ray player (Im sure that'll change when I get the new ratchet and Clank or Uncharted 2) and the Wii just sits there keeping the TV stand from flying away.

Despite the fact I dont play multiplayer a whole lot I DO party chat with my friends when they are playing other games I think its a great feature that you can chat with someone playing Halo while you're zippign around the track in Forza 3. I think your best bet is to get the cheapest 360 that has a wireless controller then just go pick up a HD from where every you can the cheapest. I think 20GB will suffice but if you have the bank, get a 60 or 120; I personally think 250 is overkill, but Im sure one day I'll change my tune. I remember when I never thought I'd fill an 10MB HD on my PC

[Biscuit]

Again, I really appreciate all the thoughtful responses.  Between the opinions expressed here and a little more additional research, I might just end up with the slim PS3.  I wasn't aware they were selling for $299, which is closer to what I'd be willing to pay.  The wifi and no subscription fee for streaming netflix have me interested.  As stated earlier, to get that function out of the xbox360 it would cost just about as much.  Only drawback I can see is not too many kid-friendly games although if I can just find 5-6 decent titles for them in the next 1-2 years they should be satisfied.  Little Big Planet looks great as does Ratchet and Clank.

Thanks!

 B

[Malenko]

Little Big Planet is horrible, dont believe the hype. I hated it in about 15 minutes, my GF hated it even faster (and I bought it for her)

enjoy your new Table weight!

[severdhed]

i vote for the 360.  I don't do online gaming, i just dont enjoy playing with a bunch of strangers.  however being able to download game demos is awesome.  there are a ton of demos out there so you can try out the games before you buy them.  there are alot of really good downloadable live arcade games, which are reasonably priced.  Netflix streaming is awesome, but if you dont like paying the yearly fee for it, you could always setup a program on your PC like PlayOn, which allows you to stream netflix, hulu and many other online services through your 360..it is $30 but that is a one time fee.

on a standard def tv, you are really missing out on what these games have to offer, but hey, you can always get a new tv later

[DJ_Izumi]

It is important to know though, for the inexperienced, is that there is a huge difference between Xbox Live Gold which you pay for and largely use for online play and Xbox Live Silver which is free and still gives you access to the market places and DLC and such.  (Of course you have to pay for those downloaded games and a lot of DLC).  But Xbox Live Arcade offers some seriously awesome stuff.  I'm stocking up on arcade games once I get a HDD for my 360 arcade, that's for sure.  Even Metal Sug XX (Port of Metal Slug 7) is due out this spring!

[shmokes]

The $300 price point does make the PS3 interesting

So sad that you would be saying something like that about a console three years into its lifecycle.  LMAO.  What the ---fudgesicle--- were they thinking?

[shmokes]

By the way, Ben's Bargains is listing a really good deal on the 250GB PS3 Slim.  It's normally $350, but it says that Amazon is giving away a free game and Blu-ray movie with purchase and there are some good games and movies to choose from.  It's a very strange promotion, as it isn't even hinted at anywhere on Amazon's page as far as I can tell.  But I just put the PS3, Resistance: Fall of Man and the Hellboy Blu-ray into my cart and went through the checkout process.  The discount didn't show up until the very last page, after I had selected my billing address and payment method.  But it did show up.  It's legit.  Unfortunately I tried it with the 120GB model and it didn't work.

Below is a reprinting of the posting on Ben's Bargains, including a list of the qualifying games and movies:

Amazon has the Sony PlayStation 3 250GB Slim Edition for $350 with free shipping. Through December 17th, or while supplies last, add to your cart 1 PS3 game and 2 Blu-ray movies from the list below for free. Discount will be applied at final checkout.

# PS3 games: MotorStorm, Resistance: Fall of Man, Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, SOCOM: US Navy Seals Confrontation Stand Alone, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, and Warhawk (No Headset)
# Blu-ray movies: Casino Royale, The Da Vinci Code, The Devil's Own, Dragon Wars - D-War, Felon, First Knight, Hellboy, Layer Cake, The Patriot, Redbelt, Resident Evil: Extinction, Starship Troopers 3: Marauder, Underworld

Note:  I just re-read the post and notice that it says I could have added 2 blu-ray movies.  I only added one, but I assume two would have worked.  I don't want to go back to try it again.