Thinking about a X360, but...

[megasdkirby]

I am thinking since the price will drop on July 15 or so, in picking up an Xbox 360. Or should I say, they (my family) will pick it up for me as a gift.

However, something troubles me. How is the RROD on recent consoles? I want one real bad (collected over 50 games for it thanks to Sears liquidation prices), but I am terrified of the RROD. I don't want a console to die on me in just a few months.

I heard that the units were much more stable and that there is a huge reduction of RROD, almost to the point of none. Is this true? Has the 45nm console variant been released?

Or should I wait a little longer for a console mobo redesign?

Finally, is the console still coming with two free games? And what is this of a possible 60GB version? Also, besides a bigger HDD, what is the actual difference between the Elite and Pro?

Thanks in advance!

[Sudo]

The "Falcon" units that have been out since Fall I believe are much more reliable and less prone to the RRoD. I've had mine since February and have had no issues thus far. There is going to be a 60GB HDD sold, and a new SKU including it but I'm not sure of the price or when it'll be released. It doesn't come with any free games anymore, unfortunately. Lastly, the only difference between the Elite and the Pro is the size of the HDD and the fact that it's black instead of white.

[Chuplayer]

The "Falcon" units that have been out since Fall I believe are much more reliable and less prone to the RRoD.

Many of them have succumbed to RROD, too. I would have never bought a 360 if I waited long enough for enough RROD problems to present themselves.

This wouldn't have been the case a year ago, but right now the 360's future is looking bleak. The RROD is a huge deterrent. Other hardware failure (and there's a lot of it) is an even bigger deterrent. There aren't a lot of must-have games coming out for it. Gears of War and Halo 3 are far from the killer apps they're made out to be. If you like paying for online gameplay, you're gonna love listening to 12 year old white suburban boys say nigger every 30 seconds while the wankers over in the UK leave you voice messages saying they're going to rip your bollocks off because you're better than they are. XBLA has lost all of its momentum. DRM issues still plague the console. The DRM "fix" is a plague in and of itself. Peripherals cost an arm and a leg. The dashboard keeps getting progressively worse with each update. While I don't have a problem with it personally, the console is LOUD. Then again, I had no problem with the screeching of the Dreamcast, so maybe I have more tolerance for this sort of thing.

Based on the above, I would skip the 360. Just don't get it. Ever. It was the king of this generation for a while, but now the king's not wearing any clothes, and that's just wrong. Also, don't get one thinking you're going to be playing it in 2018. I doubt there will be many systems that are still alive and kicking by that time. There is going to be no NES-like playing of games again when you're older. Hell, even the Saturn is going to outlive the 360.

I'm considering getting rid of my 360 and most of my 360 stuff while the getting's good. The only things holding me back are Guilty Gear 2 which is coming out in the fall and the 360 versions of Guitar Hero 2 and Rock Band. I'm not even sure about GG2 because I probably won't like it, so I might not even stick around for that. The music games are a thorn in my side, though. I really like playing them on the 360. I love the Xplorer guitar. When weighing my options, keeping the system for those two games wins out every time. But I could probably jimmy-rig my Xplorer to work with one or both PS3 guitars, and I never had a lot of DLC songs to begin with, so, I don't know. There's also the fact that GH2 360 is the only one that has Billion Dollar Babies, and I'm not sure I could live without that song.

Oh, by the way. I'm currently on my 3rd 360. No, I didn't think this was going to happen to me. It's like AIDS. Or herpes.

[heybtbm]

Many of them have succumbed to RROD, too. I would have never bought a 360 if I waited long enough for enough RROD problems to present themselves.

This wouldn't have been the case a year ago, but right now the 360's future is looking bleak. The RROD is a huge deterrent. Other hardware failure (and there's a lot of it) is an even bigger deterrent. There aren't a lot of must-have games coming out for it. Gears of War and Halo 3 are far from the killer apps they're made out to be. If you like paying for online gameplay, you're gonna love listening to 12 year old white suburban boys say nigger every 30 seconds while the wankers over in the UK leave you voice messages saying they're going to rip your bollocks off because you're better than they are. XBLA has lost all of its momentum. DRM issues still plague the console. The DRM "fix" is a plague in and of itself. Peripherals cost an arm and a leg. The dashboard keeps getting progressively worse with each update. While I don't have a problem with it personally, the console is LOUD. Then again, I had no problem with the screeching of the Dreamcast, so maybe I have more tolerance for this sort of thing.

Based on the above, I would skip the 360. Just don't get it. Ever. It was the king of this generation for a while, but now the king's not wearing any clothes, and that's just wrong. Also, don't get one thinking you're going to be playing it in 2018. I doubt there will be many systems that are still alive and kicking by that time. There is going to be no NES-like playing of games again when you're older. Hell, even the Saturn is going to outlive the 360.

I'm considering getting rid of my 360 and most of my 360 stuff while the getting's good. The only things holding me back are Guilty Gear 2 which is coming out in the fall and the 360 versions of Guitar Hero 2 and Rock Band. I'm not even sure about GG2 because I probably won't like it, so I might not even stick around for that. The music games are a thorn in my side, though. I really like playing them on the 360. I love the Xplorer guitar. When weighing my options, keeping the system for those two games wins out every time. But I could probably jimmy-rig my Xplorer to work with one or both PS3 guitars, and I never had a lot of DLC songs to begin with, so, I don't know. There's also the fact that GH2 360 is the only one that has Billion Dollar Babies, and I'm not sure I could live without that song.

Oh, by the way. I'm currently on my 3rd 360. No, I didn't think this was going to happen to me. It's like AIDS. Or herpes.

I've heard about these online tantrums before...but have never seen one on DP until just now. Wow. How embarrassing.

Anyway...

Reality is basically the complete opposite of everything mentioned in the post above. Get a 360, you'll love it. If you need lots of storage space, I'd wait until the 60 gig hard drive comes out next month. Your call.

[gepeto]

To be honest I havent heard much about the rrod in a while I think the bulk of the problematic ones are gone. I say get one and enjoy all it has offer.

[megasdkirby]

I heard the same thing too, so I thought the 45nm version was already released. Unless this was just a cruel joke, which makes me .

Because I will be very honest: I really want a 360, but I am terrified that it will damage in a relatively short time. Heck, my Wii is getting many DRE's, and I barely play it! When I called Nintendo, one of the representatives admitted that it was a common issue! Wha!? He told me to send it back to Nintendo, postage paid by them, to "fix". But their "fix" might render my Freeloader useless, so I am very apprehensive about doing so.

In any case, going back to the 360, there are many games I would not mind playing, like DOA4 (I am a big fan) and Dead Rising. Don't care much for FPS games, other than the occasional horror one. Never was a Halo fan. Yet, I still want it. Same thing happened with the original Xbox...my first console, mostly FPS games, yet I love it! I've amassed over 200 games and still buying like crazy. I never regretted purchasing it. That is why I was thinking about the 360.

Also, never heard of the Falcon model. Now I know it's the 60nm version. I just read this on Wikipedia:

Xbox 360 consoles based on the "Falcon" motherboard feature a 65 nm CPU which reduces heat and has greater reliability over previous models. General hardware failure rates of the "Falcon" motherboard is rumored to be around 10%.

That is a very good sign, but is the number reliable? Also, they mention "General Hardware Failure"...so does this include the RROD, or the E74 error?

[Cmosfm]

The RROD is still a problem, despite what others say, my just RROD'd again yesterday so I'm on my 3rd 360 in 2 years. So, what you get is a 360 with a 3 year warranty, and if you don't mind having to pay to get it fixed or just flat out replacing it every 4 years or so when it breaks after the warranty (and being without it for a month at a time for X number of times it does break on you), then get one.

Besides that, the console IS great, but I'm starting to think the PS3 is your best bet for a reliable console.

[scooterb23]

Oh, by the way. I'm currently on my 3rd 360. No, I didn't think this was going to happen to me. It's like AIDS. Or herpes.

Holy hyperbole Batman! Seriously? A red ringing 360 is comparable to getting AIDS? Wow.

Anyway, ignoring that...my two cents is this:

You can never be 100% sure you're going to get working hardware no matter what system you want to buy. So suck it up, get the system, and get the games you want to play. If the thing breaks down (especially during the warranty period) then get it replaced. But if you sit around wringing your hands worrying about whether something may break, you're going to get sore hands and no achievement points for it.

For the record, I have had my 360 for over a year and a half, and I've had a lot of fun with it.

[Jisho23]

Its strange so many people hav RROD'ed yet my console (which was used, has a used HD, and 2 use controlers... and about everything else) has yet to do so. I'd say don't let the RROD discourage as much as people will tell you; worst case you just get a new 360 and go play a different console for a week or so.

It is my favorite of the consoles out. Not saying much, but still.

[Chuplayer]

I've heard about these online tantrums before...but have never seen one on DP until just now. Wow. How embarrassing.

Far be it from a tantrum. The 360 is just letting me down in so many ways. It was the mecca of this generation. Now it's dipped below the PS3 which isn't even that great to begin with. (The Wii seems to have carved out is own gaming subdemographic.) At least the PS3's store isn't useless and the dashboard is mostly easy to use. Not to mention the fact that PS3s don't die nearly as often.

Reality is basically the complete opposite of everything mentioned in the post above. Get a 360, you'll love it. If you need lots of storage space, I'd wait until the 60 gig hard drive comes out next month. Your call.

The reality is that two 360 consoles of mine succumbed to DVD drive issues, the second of which came that way straight from Microsoft themselves. Then the (apparently outsourced) tech support had the audacity to claim that my second console was working perfectly when the damn DVD tray wouldn't extend half the time. At least getting them to send me another coffin wasn't as hard as it with the first console. I literally asked the (apparently outsourced) tech support guy if the console had to be on fire for him to agree to take it back when he claimed that the console was working perfectly and held to that stance for a good 15 minutes. The 360 is an absolute joke.

I'm being absolutely serious here. I'm trying to save this guy money and aggravation. He said that he would like to play DOA4. DOA4 is the lowest point of the series. It peaked at DOA2 and has been downhill ever since. They even messed up DOA2 Ultimate. He says he wants the console despite it having FPSes that he doesn't like but wants to play anyway. I think he's just in love with the idea of owning a 360. Reality's going to bite him in the ass.

The 360 feels more like the fledgling first attempt that you would've expected the first XBOX to be, but since it's following up such a workhorse like the first one, it comes off as a lazy cash grab. It's really quite perplexing.

[Chuplayer]

Holy hyperbole Batman! Seriously? A red ringing 360 is comparable to getting AIDS? Wow.

No, I'm saying that my mindset of "it's not going to happen to me" about the red ringing or other hardware problems is comparable to the mindset of "it's not going to happen to me" in people that get HIV.

[josekortez]

Is it just me or do we see at least one of these "I'm planning/thinking/pondering/musing about buying an Xbox 360/PS3/Wii" threads per week?

[carlcarlson]

Is it just me or do we see at least one of these "I'm planning/thinking/pondering/musing about buying an Xbox 360/PS3/Wii" threads per week?

Maybe not per week, but yeah, they pop up.

I'd buy one. If it has games you want to play then take the plunge. Hardware problems are probably still an issue, but MS also has a good warranty program in place so you'll be taken care of. I honestly don't see them doing a redesign any time soon so I think this is as good as it's going to get for awhile, if not period. Just make sure to give your system plenty of ventilation and don't go on day-long sprees. You should be ok.

[Tommy]

Many of them have succumbed to RROD, too. I would have never bought a 360 if I waited long enough for enough RROD problems to present themselves.

This wouldn't have been the case a year ago, but right now the 360's future is looking bleak. The RROD is a huge deterrent. Other hardware failure (and there's a lot of it) is an even bigger deterrent. There aren't a lot of must-have games coming out for it. Gears of War and Halo 3 are far from the killer apps they're made out to be. If you like paying for online gameplay, you're gonna love listening to 12 year old white suburban boys say nigger every 30 seconds while the wankers over in the UK leave you voice messages saying they're going to rip your bollocks off because you're better than they are. XBLA has lost all of its momentum. DRM issues still plague the console. The DRM "fix" is a plague in and of itself. Peripherals cost an arm and a leg. The dashboard keeps getting progressively worse with each update. While I don't have a problem with it personally, the console is LOUD. Then again, I had no problem with the screeching of the Dreamcast, so maybe I have more tolerance for this sort of thing.

Based on the above, I would skip the 360. Just don't get it. Ever. It was the king of this generation for a while, but now the king's not wearing any clothes, and that's just wrong. Also, don't get one thinking you're going to be playing it in 2018. I doubt there will be many systems that are still alive and kicking by that time. There is going to be no NES-like playing of games again when you're older. Hell, even the Saturn is going to outlive the 360.

I'm considering getting rid of my 360 and most of my 360 stuff while the getting's good. The only things holding me back are Guilty Gear 2 which is coming out in the fall and the 360 versions of Guitar Hero 2 and Rock Band. I'm not even sure about GG2 because I probably won't like it, so I might not even stick around for that. The music games are a thorn in my side, though. I really like playing them on the 360. I love the Xplorer guitar. When weighing my options, keeping the system for those two games wins out every time. But I could probably jimmy-rig my Xplorer to work with one or both PS3 guitars, and I never had a lot of DLC songs to begin with, so, I don't know. There's also the fact that GH2 360 is the only one that has Billion Dollar Babies, and I'm not sure I could live without that song.

Oh, by the way. I'm currently on my 3rd 360. No, I didn't think this was going to happen to me. It's like AIDS. Or herpes.

, Some peoples kids?

I don't really care for one since I still play my original XBOX, The barebone set they sell over here is well worth it but since I picked up the PS3 I really don't see any games that jump out at me for X360. IMO, if someone buys it for you great, but if you buy it for yourself prepare for known problems.

[boatofcar]

If I had to do it over again, I would have gotten a PS3. Actually, I wouldn't have gotten anything. I play my PS2 more than anything still. But at least with a PS3 you get a Blu Ray player. The problem with the 360 is it already has almost no resale value due to the upcoming price cut and the RROD problem. I got my 360 for XBLA, but the lag is so bad playing people back in the states that it's useless for anything other than games like Worms or Catan.

Here's some anectdotal evidence for your question. One of my friends bought a 360 in April, and it RRoD'd on him, so based of that I'd say that the Falcon units aren't any less succeptible than the other ones.

[unwinddesign]

People are scared of the RRoD, but it's not a big deal. Microsoft will fix it for free. I've had three consoles, including one I bought at launch, and none of them have ever had an issue. I think the reports are overblown.

[Icarus Moonsight]

I'd have a damn 360 by now if only it was simply built to a standard that even remotely approaches decent and reliable. Pay good money for a system that will last 3 years tops? No way. It's like a lease at slightly over $100 a year. Plus the +$50 a year Live sub and they are into my pocket for nearly $200 a year of use. I don't lease, I don't rent (not even "...to own"). I BUY DAMNIT! If you require a warranty for a safety net you are buying the wrong product!

I thought they fixed this shit already. Oh, well.

[G-Boobie]

Its strange so many people hav RROD'ed yet my console (which was used, has a used HD, and 2 use controlers... and about everything else) has yet to do so. I'd say don't let the RROD discourage as much as people will tell you; worst case you just get a new 360 and go play a different console for a week or so.

It is my favorite of the consoles out. Not saying much, but still.

Are ye sure ye didn't buy a used 360 that had already been refurbished? Either way, I'm envious.

People are scared of the RRoD, but it's not a big deal. Microsoft will fix it for free. I've had three consoles, including one I bought at launch, and none of them have ever had an issue. I think the reports are overblown.

Yes to the first point, and it's only a matter of time on the second. I'm on console number three myself, though I've only gotten the RRoD twice. Once the disc drive lens started destroying my sixty dollar games and MS wanted me to pay one hundred and sixty dollars to fix it.

That console magically developed the RRoD somehow. "Oh, and Jeeves, if you could fix that fucking DVD drive while you're already under the hood...?"

Even with the hardware failures, the console is excellent. I love the 360 controller; it's the current pinnacle of controller design in my opinion, and the XBL interface is buttery smooth. As long as you claim RRoD for ANY FAILURE AT ALL, you're gold.

[carlcarlson]

The problem with the 360 is it already has almost no resale value due to the upcoming price cut and the RROD problem.

Minor point, but for what it's worth I can sell 360s without a hard drive for $210 all day long.

It's like a lease at slightly over $100 a year. Plus the +$50 a year Live sub and they are into my pocket for nearly $200 a year of use.

That is some strange math you've got there!

[Icarus Moonsight]

It's not strange. It's less than $200 on it's face but, once you factor in time wasted, gas spent dropping the coffin off at a Fed Ex/UPS drop site, returning to pick up the refurb and recompence for the interim time without something you already paid for to use - ~$200 a year seems a fair estimation in my eyes. Also noting that the issue may not be related to RRoD and something may have to come out of your pocket. I'm not even sure whether you're responsible for any shipping charges. So it could possibly be more.

What I find strange is the number of people that think it's alright to spend that kind of cash on something that is nearly guaranteed to fail because it's warrantied for three years... Makes me almost interested enough to check if sometime before the 360's launch Microsoft Corp all the sudden decided to buy shares in KY or Astroglide. Look Marge! You get a free warranty and a big rubber MS dick in your ass! Awesome, can't pass this shit up.

I feel sorry for the folks that got in at launch before the warranty deal was offered. Cause many of them just got the big old dick. Strange indeed.

This should be fixed (should have been already, more like) then I'd have no issues with picking one up. If I didn't want to play some of the games it has on it I wouldn't be so bent up about this crap.