The #1 question I've been asked by non-Microsofties since I've started working has been, "so, can you get me an Xbox 360?" to which I have almost always said, "hah!" We've been working so hard to make sure that consumers get their hands on them that there aren't enough to go around the office. Seriously. I did get to see them before they came out, but actually play one for more than a few minutes? Hah!
Last weekend I bought a 360 Core system at the local Gamestop—for those of you who aren't aware, the 360 comes in two flavors: Core, which includes the box, a wired controller, and not much else; and the Premium, which comes with the same box, a wireless controller, a hard drive, and an Xbox Live headset.
So far I've only bought Project Gotham Racing 3, because the big plan I've got for the unit is for it to play music and be a Media Center Extender so it can play videos over the wireless link it's got back to my access point.
I'll talk more about it later, but it's a damned impressive piece of hardware.
So, why a Core instead of the (more capable) Premium?
Project gotham was sooo much better than fronza - fuck fronza. Of course you should also prolly check out NFS most wanted, and the ever popular DOA.
Bill: two reasons.
1) The Core was actually available, whereas the Premium wasn't. It's still hard to find the Premium box around here.
2) After my discount at the MS company store, I can get the Core system with "the goodies I want" for a bit cheaper than the Premium. The only downside to this is that they don't carry the hard drives very often, but that's OK--because I would have had to have waited for the Premium box anyway.
Raven: Have the physics in the NFS series gotten any better? The only one where they seemed bearable was NFS5: Porsche Unlimited, which was an absolutely fantastic game. All the other ones left me really disinterested.
PGR3 has physics realistic enough that I'm not really needing much more. It isn't GT4, but I can't really tell the difference yet...and that's good enough for me.
The game play and story line in NFS most wanted make up for any short commings in the realism of the physics. I'd suggest renting it for a test drive, you'll most likely buy it cause you'll feel so compelled to finish the game.
Hah OK, awesome.
Very good reading. Peace until next time.
WaltDe
Why, thanks.