Even if you have HDTV and high speed internet, the most important thing to consider when buying any videogame system are the games themselves. In its first year on the market, the Xbox 360 has seen the release of dozens of great games. Read Full Reviews of Xbox 360 Games Here. The future is also looking very bright as Microsoft has forged strong partnerships and alliances with the heaviest hitters in the industry including Capcom, Ubisoft, Electronic Arts, Konami, 2K Games, Rockstar Games, Midway, Square-Enix and many many more to ensure that the greatest games will be coming to an Xbox 360 console near you.
Of course, there are a ton of great games available right now across many different genres:
- Racing: Forza 2, Need for Speed: Most Wanted, Project Gotham Racing 4, DIRT, GRID, PURE, Midnight Club: LA
- Shooters: Halo 3, Call of Duty 4, The Orange Box, Gears of War 2, Rainbow Six: Vegas 2
- Action: Dead Rising, Grand Theft Auto IV, Mercenaries 2, Ninja Gaiden II, Saint's Row II, Dead Space, Mirror's Edge
- RPG: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Fable II, Fallout 3, Tales of Vesperia, Culdcept Saga
- Sports: Madden NFL 09, NHL 09, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09, NBA Live 09, NBA 2K9, Skate, FIFA 09, Shaun White's Snowboarding
And as we mentioned, you can also download demos for most games on the Xbox 360. Even better, there are nearly 200 full games for download on the Xbox Live Arcade up for purchase ranging from arcade and console classics to brand new original titles. See the full listing of Xbox Live Arcade titles here.
Backwards Compatibility
In addition to the great lineup of Xbox 360 games, you can also play a limited selection of original Xbox games. Not all games work, so please see our Full List of Backward Compatible Xbox Games. Backwards compatibility uses emulation software that has to be updated from time to time. Please see our Backwards Compatibility FAQ for details on how to do this.
DVD Playback
Out of the box, the Xbox 360 can play DVD movies in progressive scan. There is no additional remotes or dongle required. The quality is similar to what you get from an average stand-alone DVD player.
Media Capabilities
Another great thing about the Xbox 360 is that you can use it as a media center. Out of the box you can view photo CDs, view photos on your digital camera or cell phone through a USB cable, copy music to the Xbox 360 hard drive, as well as play music off of your MP3 player through a USB cable. You can also connect the system to your PC on the same network to stream movies, music, and photos from the PC to your Xbox 360. For instructions on how to do this, please look at this Official FAQ from Microsoft.
How To Hook Up Your System
If you don’t know how to hook up your shiny new Xbox 360 system, please check the instruction manual that came with the system and/or use our How to Hook Up Your Xbox 360 Photo Guide.
Is The Xbox 360 Better Than The Wii and PS3?
Yes. Yes it is better. The Xbox 360 has the best lineup of games out of the three systems. Multiplatform games that come out on both the PS3 and Xbox 360 are usually at least equal or the Xbox 360 has an advantage in better graphics or a more stable framerate. The Xbox 360 also has a better controller than the PS3 that suits 99% of the games better than the PS3's Dual Shock 3. Xbox Live is a superior online service than the PSN Network as well. The PS3 does have the benefit of BluRay movie playback, but stand alone players are becoming cheaper all the time and soon you will be able to buy an Xbox 360 system and a separate BluRay player for about the same price as a PS3.
The Wii is a different animal completely than the other two systems. It has a unique motion sensitive controller and the games on the system are uniquely designed to take advantage of it. It is very family friendly and aimed squarely at more casual gamers than the other systems as well.
My Recommendation, after owning all three systems since their respective launches, is this: The Wii is a decent system, but it doesn't really offer enough to keep serious gamers interested. It is great for kids, though. The PS3 and Xbox 360 are, in all honesty, basically the same thing, but the Xbox 360 has a better lineup of games, a better controller, and a better online setup so it is the superior of the two.
Buy an Xbox 360 and a Wii, and everyone in your family will be happy.
