[#1gamer]

Ok, so its been a few years, but what is everyones take on the 360 launch compared to the original XBox launch? All I know, is that I was able to actually get an XBox on launch day.

[corysama]

The 360 launch is going a lot more like the PS2 launch than the Xbox launch. People in line all night. Store without enough stock to fill their pre-orders.

I was in line at BestBuy all night for the PS2 and that was a party. People brought grills and sleeping bags and a good time was had by all.

I was in line at BestBuy all night for the Xbox and that was a dead scene. Hardly anyone showed up. Then at 8 AM the Target next to the BestBuy opened (2 hours earlier than BB) and we all just got out of line, strolled in a bought them with plently left over.

I wasn't in line all night for the 360. I just went back to the same Target at 8. The guy that got the last one from Target got in line at 2AM. He only got it because someone else who came earlier than that got a line ticket, left and didn't get back in time! Several stores later, I am empty-handed.

[Nesh]

I believe MS did a better job this time around.The games are very good and the price is logical.There are more quality launch titles available than previously I believe

The only problem is that there is still no true next gen title imo.But perhaps thats because its too early to tell

[#1gamer]

This consoles does seem to have more games at launch than any other systems. Think PSP and DS launch, only a few games, and no really good ones. I think though everyone wanted a Halo 360 at launch. The only thing, most of the games arn't exclusives, you can get them on the other systems as well. Although they probably do look better on the 360. but it seems like a bunch of developers had made their games for the other systems, and just ported them to the 360. IE Gun doesnt really look any different from the screen shots I have seen.

For the people who got a 360, what games did you get? Maybe it is good I didnt get one today, it will be nice to see what games people say are actually good so I don't waste my money on another bad game.

-#1Gamer. Alright, alright, so I do work for GameAlmanac.com

[#1gamer]

Originally Posted by Nesh

I believe MS did a better job this time around.The games are very good and the price is logical.There are more quality launch titles available than previously I believe

The only problem is that there is still no true next gen title imo.But perhaps thats because its too early to tell

True, it probably is too early. Remember the PS2 launch titles? none of them really took advantage of the systems capabilities. It took awhile for the really good games to come out. These first ones are kinda the guinea pigs. It will take awhile for someone to really push the limits of the system.

-#1Gamer. Just because I work for GameAlmanac.com, doesnt mean I get any games.

[WozIsTheDaddy]

what about pgr3? perfect dark zero? kameo?

its no suprise that these are the first party titles, as i think generally there are far too many games released on all machines... it just leads to lazy coding, the developers cant be arsed to make the most out of all systems so they'll just release a ps2/xbox game, and then pump it up a bit and let it play on the 360... where as if they'd specifically written a game for the 360 alone like the 3 titles above then it'll be alot better game...

its all EA's fault... how many versions of fifa in the last five years? and on how many systems? im not even gonna try counting...

hard core gamers only need 2 or three games per console

n64 - goldeneye, mariokart, mario64
xbox - halo, kotor(i dont really like it but my mates says its the best rpg ever), gotham

if you look at the back catalogue of games for any system, the vast majority can be played on any system, theres only a few really good games that generally are exclusives

ps2 had pro evo soccer, GTA, FF series etc... but now they're all gonna be available on the 360, its just muddying the waters...

just my 2 cents

[Nesh]

Originally Posted by WozIsTheDaddy

ps2 had pro evo soccer, GTA, FF series etc... but now they're all gonna be available on the 360, its just muddying the waters...

just my 2 cents

*slaps WozIsTheDaddy*

You forgot Gran Turismo, Devil May Cry, Zone of The Enders, Tekken, Soul Calibur, Naughty Dog's and Insomniac's games, Wipeout, etc etc etc

[dukmahsik]

Originally Posted by Helstar

Yes, PGR3.

IF they released PGR3 for XBOX1, it would look 95% like this rushed game for X360.
Even PGR2 is 75% similar... it´s IMPOSSIBLE they are using more than 10% of X360 in PGR3. IF they are using like 50%, then X360 is a born dead. A very early demo of GT5, using 10% of PS3 would look AT LEAST 10 times better than this weak PGR3, whick is not even far from GT4 !!!!

yippy kayaye!

[Shifty Geezer]

Originally Posted by Helstar

Yes, PGR3.

IF they released PGR3 for XBOX1, it would look 95% like this rushed game for X360.
Even PGR2 is 75% similar... it´s IMPOSSIBLE they are using more than 10% of X360 in PGR3. IF they are using like 50%, then X360 is a born dead. A very early demo of GT5, using 10% of PS3 would look AT LEAST 10 times better than this weak PGR3, whick is not even far from GT4 !!!!

You've got some amazing measurements and statistics going on there!

[rusty]

I think microsoft has done better this time around - there's much more buzz abotu it, and many of my friends who didn't buy an xbox at launch (me included) are now picking up a 360 at launch.... or at least trying to! (i'm UK based... so it hasn't launched as far as i'm concerned before anyone asks )

as for killer aps - PGR3 is my killer app for sure... but i understand that racing games don't hold the same mass appeal as the halo's of this world. MS could have done with another astonishing FPS, but it has the next best thing; a stable of solid games spanning many genre's.

Originally Posted by Helstar

Yes, PGR3.

IF they released PGR3 for XBOX1, it would look 95% like this rushed game for X360.
Even PGR2 is 75% similar... it´s IMPOSSIBLE they are using more than 10% of X360 in PGR3. IF they are using like 50%, then X360 is a born dead. A very early demo of GT5, using 10% of PS3 would look AT LEAST 10 times better than this weak PGR3, whick is not even far from GT4 !!!!

you have some issues......

[#1gamer]

Originally Posted by WozIsTheDaddy

what about pgr3? perfect dark zero? kameo?

Well yeah, there are a few exclusive launch titles. But I really have a feeling that some of these were original started on the X1, and then decided to move them over to the 360 for launch. So they really didnt get the full 360 power they could have gotten. I think it will take some time before we see the really killer games that make the XBox 360 stand out as a nex gen console. Of course by then the PS3 and revolution will be out, and every game will be available for all 3 consoles, and then a new nex gen bread will pop up in a couple years, and we will be going through all this yet again.

#1Gamer
GameAlmanac.com

[WozIsTheDaddy]

*slaps WozIsTheDaddy*

You forgot Gran Turismo, Devil May Cry, Zone of The Enders, Tekken, Soul Calibur, Naughty Dog's and Insomniac's games, Wipeout, etc etc etc

yeah point taken...
theres a few games there that i havent heard of... and some i dont really care about

the only point i was making is that the exclusive titles always seem to be better quality and they have obviously have had a lot more time spent on them. rather than the EA Roster Update 2006 crap (available on xbox, 360, psone, pstwo, gba, ds, psp, pc) we see nowerdays

some times i look on the shelves at GAME and i wonder why they hell they even bother to make some games... they instantly end up in the bargain bin after about a month for 9.99... its the same as the lame dvds you see in peacocks and other lame cheapo stores... i cant ever see them making money.

IF they are using like 50%, then X360 is a born dead. A very early demo of GT5, using 10% of PS3 would look AT LEAST 10 times better than this weak PGR3, whick is not even far from GT4 !!!!

yah, ok...

you make a valid point about xbox titles being ported to the 360... i think half life 2 is a perfect example... it should have been a launch for the 360 from the start.

i've had a quick go on it but for some reason the developers dont make as much choice for the control layout as the bungie guys do.
i guess its just the crazy way i have my pad set up... i cant get to grips with the default settings

[scooby_dooby]

Originally Posted by #1gamer

Well yeah, there are a few exclusive launch titles. But I really have a feeling that some of these were original started on the X1, and then decided to move them over to the 360 for launch. So they really didnt get the full 360 power they could have gotten. I think it will take some time before we see the really killer games that make the XBox 360 stand out as a nex gen console. Of course by then the PS3 and revolution will be out, and every game will be available for all 3 consoles, and then a new nex gen bread will pop up in a couple years, and we will be going through all this yet again.

#1Gamer
GameAlmanac.com

That's true. But I think that while not being total killer apps on their own, PD0 + Kameo pack a 1,2 Punch that rivals any launch ever.

What was the most impressive killer app ever for a console launch? Mario 64? Cause it was 3d? I would rather have 2 extremely excellent games like Kameo+PD0, even if they don't blow your mind

[Nesh]

Originally Posted by WozIsTheDaddy

yeah point taken...
theres a few games there that i havent heard of... and some i dont really care about

the only point i was making is that the exclusive titles always seem to be better quality and they have obviously have had a lot more time spent on them. rather than the EA Roster Update 2006 crap (available on xbox, 360, psone, pstwo, gba, ds, psp, pc) we see nowerdays

some times i look on the shelves at GAME and i wonder why they hell they even bother to make some games... they instantly end up in the bargain bin after about a month for 9.99... its the same as the lame dvds you see in peacocks and other lame cheapo stores... i cant ever see them making money.

I agree

[#1gamer]

Originally Posted by scooby_dooby

That's true. But I think that while not being total killer apps on their own, PD0 + Kameo pack a 1,2 Punch that rivals any launch ever.

What was the most impressive killer app ever for a console launch? Mario 64? Cause it was 3d? I would rather have 2 extremely excellent games like Kameo+PD0, even if they don't blow your mind

True. And not to say that either of those arn't good. Compared to most other console launch titles, where they was really nothing spectacular, I am sure those games do stand out. I think most people will tell you that Halo was the Killer App (but was it a launch title?) I am thinking the game I got at the XBox launch was Munches Odysee, which I thought was good.

But yeah, I think Mario 64 was a revolutionary game at the time, it did something no other game did. We don't see that much any more. It is kind of a lot of the same, maybe with a prettier face, or some new physics or something, but nothing that changed gaming like the first 3D games that used polygons instead of pixels.

#1Gamer GameAlmanac.com

[Deepak]

http://www.the-magicbox.com/0511/game051122a.shtml

[Metal]

I love the console itself. The games are fine, and I'm enjoying them. You can tell there's a lot of room to grow with the console for developers on graphics. Sometimes you're playing a game like Condemned and you're floored by how good it looks and then sometimes it looks like a hybrid game from last gen with higher texture resolution. Since games are so expensive to make right now the Xbox 360 is suffering from portitus like no other console before. That's both a good and bad thing. Since developers like Activision want Xbox 360 games at launch its good for the console, but they don't feel the need to push the system which is also bad. Someone could say a slightly upgraded Tony Hawk doesn't help the system, and that's probably true. However, not having that Tony Hawk is alot worse than having a slightly upgraded one. With the Xbox launch out to two months the games were about 75% crap filler that Microsoft funded just to say they had some new games.

Overall I give the launch games a B, and the system itself an A. I really dig the Xbox Live integration. If you don't have Xbox Live or an HDTV then you shouldn't get this console until it has more games. That's being honest, and 90% of the people buying one right now have both or at least one of those.

Someone asked above about the games purchased and here's what I have:

Gun (Rental) - Looks like a slightly upgraded Xbox version but runs really smooth. Gameplay wise its a gem, but for a next gen title I give it a C+.

Condemend (Rental) - This game creeps me out and I'm hooked on it. It's got the right amount of creepiness in it without getting stupid like the RE titles. Smart and clever gameplay that's only held back by repetition in spots. Graphically it looks great and times and sometimes just good. I give it a B+.

King Kong (Rental) - So far its really good, but I can tell I'll never play this game again when I get done ahah. Really good movie themed game though, so I'll give it a B- and say that's only because you play it once and that's about it.

Madden NFL 2006 (Bought) - I don't see what the problem is. It's Madden and it looks better than any version ever made. The game is great online and I love it. The modes missing are ones outside of training camp that I never use. I give it a B.

Perfect Dark Zero (Bought) - Mixed reaction to it as I feel the single player is a little weak. Graphically it's another rollercoaster that awes you at times and looks completely average at others ahah. You can definitely tell it was ported up from the Xbox. Online is great though and it's the best online title in the bunch. I give it a B.

Call of Duty 2 (Bought) - I love this game. It's the best WW2 FPS I've ever played, and it looks really great on an HDTV. A- since the online is weaker than it should be in regards to supported players.

Project Gotham Racing 3 (Bought) - Awesome Xbox Live integration and the slickest presentation of any racer I've ever seen. The graphics really impress, but you can tell they could make them look better if they had more time. The cars still miss the mark in a few areas that Poly seems to nail like no other. I'd wager the team at Poly for Sony is about 2 to 3 times the size of the PGR team ahah, so that could be the reason. The environments are wickedly accurate and detailed. This is the best game of the launch (A+).

NBA 2K6 (Bought) - Wow this games great and I really dig it. The graphics need to be improved for actual gameplay though, and that's really my only complaint. These BBall games need to tone down the sweat, it's a nice feature but it's overdone. I give it a B since it's essentially the same game as the Xbox version but doesn't really push the system graphically like it should.

Geometry Wars (Bought) - This is a must own if you want to purchase Xbox Live Arcade stuff. I love this game, and you'll see why if you play it. Best arcade game I've played in years. I give it an A- since it's so cheap.

There's no Halo here, but PGR3 is that Halo if you're a racing game fan. If you like shooters, racing games, and sports you'll love the system. It's no different from the original Xbox at this point and time.