New To Xbox 360, few questions

[ReTrO-pLaYeR]

I may be able to get an Xbox 360 after a family garage sale (I have many cool and collectible things to sell, so things should run smoothly if I play my cards right), and I have a few questions since I'm generally new to modern gaming. The package I plan to pick up is the Arcade one, which I understand is the cheapest model and doesn't have a lot of storage for memory (which is fine- the games can be expensive so I don't plan on getting too many of them). Is this a decent model for the beginner? I also understand that Microsoft has their alternative to the Wii Points system, called the Xbox Live Arcade. Do I need to subscribe to any services before gaining access to the Live Arcade? Or is that just for online multiplayer experiences?

The Xbox 360 has a large variety of games, typically FPS games. I'm pretty terrible at those, so what's the best one to get me acquainted to the genre? What other genres are plentifully available?

Thanks for your help!

[garagesaleking!!]

If you can afford it I would recommend the new slim 360's that are coming out. They have built in wifi and shouldnt have any red ring issues (lets hope!). No mater what you are going to want a hard drive probably, which does not come with the arcade system. You can choose to just buy a hard drive loose at gamestop, but after adding that cost in the pro model is probably pretty close in price. Also with the new slim 360's coming out, I think theres a chance they might make a markdown on the old model 360's, or even clearance them at target maybe.

As far as games. I would say pick up halo 3 and call of duty 4 or world at war. See how you like them and then decide if you want to invest in the new halo and call of duty games coming out in the fall. As someone who buys very few games like myself, the new halo coming out in the fall is a game that could easily last you 1-2 years if you play online.

You buy points cards at any store or on the console, and they are used for downloadable content, and avatars, things like that. You can also buy arcade games on the console, keep in mind though all of this requires an internet connection to your console.

[dendawg]

They have built in wifi and shouldnt have any red ring issues (lets hope!).

Rest assured the RROD won't be an issue in the new 360's because the red ring has been removed. It's now a tiny dot on the power button.

[sixwayshot]

If you're a first-timer, I'd suggest getting one of those cool new slim ones. I don't have one, 'cause mine still works. It's got built-in wifi and it'll be ready for Kinect right out of the box if ya want it. It also takes up less space and it's more power-conscious.

And it's got a good hard drive, which you WILL need. Even if you're planning on just saving games, you'll eventually find something on the Xbox Live Arcade or through DLC that you really want.

As for games, there's a ton out there, most of which I don't own. I don't really play many 360 disc-titles. I've got a Rock Band setup, though. Rock Band is a fun party game, and if you're a huge music fan like I am, it's a great title with some of the best replay value on the console. Their DLC library is absolutely massive-- you WILL find something you like out of it. Other than Rock Band 2 (3 is coming out soon), I'd suggest picking up Halo 3, which is awesome online with friends. For other FPSs, I suggest Bioshock. Amazing title. The sequel's good, as well, but it's not as good as the original.

For non-FPS games, go for Batman: Arkham Asylum and Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts. The Banjo title isn't as good as the N64 games (Which are available on the Xbox Live Arcade, btw), but it's still a very fun game and very worth the price it's at.

Most of my Xbox 360 library comes from the Xbox Live Arcade. Tons of titles are on the service, ranging in price from: $5 (400 MSP) to $20 (1600 MSP), most around $10 (800 MSP) to $15 (1200 MSP). Many titles are retro re-releases or remakes, along with new titles. For the XBLA games I suggest getting:

Marvel Vs. Capcom 2
Bionic Commando: ReArmed
'Splosion Man
Ikaruga
ReZ HD

Anyway, if you're going to get a console, I suggest, for an initial purchase:

- Xbox 360 Slim Console
- Halo 3
- 1600 Microsoft Points card

And you can see if you want to continue.

[ReTrO-pLaYeR]

If you're a first-timer, I'd suggest getting one of those cool new slim ones. I don't have one, 'cause mine still works. It's got built-in wifi and it'll be ready for Kinect right out of the box if ya want it. It also takes up less space and it's more power-conscious.

And it's got a good hard drive, which you WILL need. Even if you're planning on just saving games, you'll eventually find something on the Xbox Live Arcade or through DLC that you really want.

As for games, there's a ton out there, most of which I don't own. I don't really play many 360 disc-titles. I've got a Rock Band setup, though. Rock Band is a fun party game, and if you're a huge music fan like I am, it's a great title with some of the best replay value on the console. Their DLC library is absolutely massive-- you WILL find something you like out of it. Other than Rock Band 2 (3 is coming out soon), I'd suggest picking up Halo 3, which is awesome online with friends. For other FPSs, I suggest Bioshock. Amazing title. The sequel's good, as well, but it's not as good as the original.

For non-FPS games, go for Batman: Arkham Asylum and Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts. The Banjo title isn't as good as the N64 games (Which are available on the Xbox Live Arcade, btw), but it's still a very fun game and very worth the price it's at.

Most of my Xbox 360 library comes from the Xbox Live Arcade. Tons of titles are on the service, ranging in price from: $5 (400 MSP) to $20 (1600 MSP), most around $10 (800 MSP) to $15 (1200 MSP). Many titles are retro re-releases or remakes, along with new titles. For the XBLA games I suggest getting:

Marvel Vs. Capcom 2
Bionic Commando: ReArmed
'Splosion Man
Ikaruga
ReZ HD

Anyway, if you're going to get a console, I suggest, for an initial purchase:

- Xbox 360 Slim Console
- Halo 3
- 1600 Microsoft Points card

And you can see if you want to continue.

My only problem is that I can only afford an Arcade model- the Slims are way too much for me right now. As for a hard-drive- how much do they cost? Can I just get away with downloading/saving games on an SD card?

[ReTrO-pLaYeR]

Also, on the arcade units, isn't there 250 or so MB of storage? That should at least allow me to get a few DLC games without having to pay for overpriced hard drives at gamestop, yes?

[PapaStu]

It depends on the games. Some of them are not small, and if you like any of the modern games, and say, get a map pack or some other DLC you'll blow that space out of the water without trying.

XBL (XBox Live) is 'free'. You can join as a Silver member, and have access to buy all of the XBLA games. You'll have restricted access to game demos (which will blow the onboard storage out of the water as is). With the new update I think you can use USB cards for storage, but i'd read up on that at Xbox.com for better details.

[Ponyponypony]

I agree with everyone else. You're definitely going to want a hard drive with it, even if it's just a 20GB. I have filled, deleted items, and filled my 20GB again a whole lot. The Arcade only comes with 64MB of on-board memory, which is just enough to handle save games and nothing else, and you will run out of space after a while.

So far as getting into the FPS genre, it's a pretty steep and frustrating learning curve - I would recommend CoD: World at War. It's a pretty short game, and the Nazi Zombies mini-game is really, really, really fun. You might also check out Battlefield: Bad Company 2 when it gets down around $20-30. The SP missions are very fun. Army of Two (the original one) is a very good game if you're playing split-screen with a friend and is pretty self-paced -- you can take things as slow as you need to (most of the time).

You do not need a gold subscription to XBL to download content, it's mostly for multiplayer - If you want to use Netflix on your xbox, you do need it. If you're wanting to check it out, it's only $10 on a month-by-month basis, and if you buy a new system it *may* come with a free month of live. There's a lot of good downloadable games - I am an avid fan of Castle Crashers.

Other genres/games that are fun: If you like RPG's, Blue Dragon is very immersive and fun, and the Fable series is definitely worth a good look. The 360's meat-and-potatoes is mostly FPS's, like you said, so the market for it is generally skewed in that direction. The Lego:(whatever) games are really fun, too, and appeal to the completionist in me (there's a lot of things to unlock in it).

I hope this helps!

[sixwayshot]

Also, on the arcade units, isn't there 250 or so MB of storage? That should at least allow me to get a few DLC games without having to pay for overpriced hard drives at gamestop, yes?

My arcade model (Which I had to buy due to more or less, desperation) came with a 256MB memory card, which is not a lot of space. Most game demos are over 1GB, and 256MB won't hold much DLC. It's really only good for transferring game saves, but those add up quick. Getting a separate hard drive along with the console will cost as much as getting a slim 360. It's better just to buy the new slim Xbox 360.

Apparently, new Arcade models come with 512MB of onboard memory, which isn't nearly enough.

[jonebone]

DeadRising... absolute must own.

One of the best zombie games ever. You're stuck in a mall full of zombies and everything is at your disposal from stuffed teddy bears to chainsaws to lawnmowers and bats. You can kill a zombie with anything you pick up.

You save survivors, you fight bosses, and there's plenty of things to do if you try to 100% the game.

And Deadrising 2 comes out at the end of September (3 years in the making) so now would be a perfect time to play the first.

[Lerxstnj]

A great budget FPS is Unreal Tournament III. I got for $5 used and love it. There are still a lot of people playing it online now too. Awesome game for one of the older ones.

[megasdkirby]

Some may disagree, but I loved Deadly Premonition.

Great budget title. May need some time getting used to, but once you do, it's a blast.

[Lady Jaye]

Even someone with low budget (like a broke teenager) can easily get many great games for cheap on the 360. For instance, I got a brand new copy of Devil May Cry 4 for $10, and it was worth every penny.

[Dobie]

If the OP wants an Arcade, I would make sure to at least get a usb 2.0 thumb drive. They are highly affordable, and you WILL need the extra space if you plan on downloading anything. Average game size on XBLA these days is between 500 MB - 1 GB, versus the small, bite sized games they used to release.

If you can wait, MS has confirmed an "Arcade" SKU of the Slim. But it will likely be $200, so if the extra cost is an issue, I'd say go with the current arcade.

As for games, if you want multiplayer, get Halo 3--but I'd recommend getting ODST instead of Halo 3, so you have all of the DLC maps for the Halo 3 multiplayer. Otherwise, its about $40 and 5 GB worth of map downloads to play all the modes.

Good, cheap, single player shooters are Bioshock, Orange Box, Gears of War 1, GRAW, CoD 2, or RS: Vegas. Most of these are all $10 and under.

Other cheap, but good, games I would recommend, Oblivion, Crackdown, & Fable 2.

XBLA has tons of stuff. My personal faves are Geometry Wars, Pacman CE, and Mutant Storm. But the cool thing about arcade... free demos. So you can literally download any game and try it first. So that is what I would suggest.

[garagesaleking!!]

Trials HD is a great downloadable game and is worth its price. Its the only xbox arcade game I have ever bought which says something.