I have to admit that I haven’t always been an Xbox fan. In fact, I was one of many people that were hoping it would fail back when it launched in November of 2001. I thought the controller was too big and clunky, I thought it was fun to make light of the system’s massive footprint, and I had the crazy idea that all Xbox games were inferior. Then I actually spent some quality time with an Xbox. After a couple of weeks I was completely convinced that the Xbox was not only a great system, but that Microsoft would be getting a share of my gaming dollar for their future systems.
Games Are the Most Important Consideration
The most important thing to consider when deciding whether or not to get a new game system is what games you can play on it. For the first eighteen months or so, the Xbox struggled a little bit in this department, but now the Xbox has as good of titles if not better than the competition. Every genre is covered on the Xbox platform from racing to shooters to puzzle games. Also, games that see releases on all three current generation systems almost always look and play better on the Xbox.
Basically, if you like video games, you need an Xbox. Racing games are covered by RalliSport Challenge 2, Apex, Sega GT 2002, and Project Gotham Racing 2. Shooters are covered by Halo, Chronicles of Riddick, MechAssault, Unreal Championship, Brute Force, Armed and Dangerous, and loads of other great titles. Sports games are also widely available on Xbox and now that Electronic Arts has agreed to make games Xbox LIVE compatible, there is no reason to not get the Xbox versions of Madden, NHL, NBA Live, and EA’s other great sports games. Role Playing Games have also found a nice niche on the Xbox with Morrowind, Knights of the Old Republic, and Fable, which is coming out in September. The Xbox covers every genre with a large number of quality titles, so finding games that you want to play shouldn’t be a problem.
Microsoft's Commitment to Quality
One thing that Microsoft has done very well is it has created franchises that have consistently gotten better with each new release. Racing games RalliSport Challenge and Project Gotham Racing were fun games when they came out, but RalliSport Challenge 2 and Project Gotham Racing 2 completely blew the originals out of the water. Upcoming sequels such as Halo 2, MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf, Blinx 2, and Unreal Championship 2 all look to continue this trend of consistent improvement. The promise of great games that keep getting better is definitely something to look forward to.
Great Games Already on Xbox
- Racing Games - Rallisport Challenge 2, Project Gotham Racing 2, Burnout 3: Takedown, Need for Speed Underground 2, Midnight Club 3, MX vs. ATV Unleashed, Forza Motorsport
- Sports Games - Madden NFL 2005, ESPN NFL 2k5, NBA Street V3, Winning Eleven 8, NCAA Football 06, NHL 2005
- Role Playing Games - Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Morrowind, Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance, Phantasy Star Online I & II, Fable, Jade Empire
- Shooters - Halo, Chronicles of Riddick, Halo 2, Unreal Championship 2, MechAssault 2, TimeSplitters: Future Perfect, Doom 3
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