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- Top Ten Reasons to Own an Xbox 360
- Posted 4 months, 3 weeks ago by Coop
I’m sick and tired of people complaining about the “Console Wars.” Sure, it was good and fun when I was seven, but hearing people write off the Wii as a “child’s toy” or say that there isn’t anything worth buying on the PlayStation 3 is annoying and I am sick of the ignorance. So I have taken it upon myself to go through all of the current generation (consoles and handhelds) and give the ten best reasons each one is worth owning.
The list isn't in any real order, more of a "loose order," so before you're at my throat about something being number two when it should really be number three realize that these aren't in any real order, just sort of ascending in importance. Oh, and before anyone calls me a fanboy for this, here is the Top Ten Reasons to Own a PS3 and the Top Ten Reasons to Own a Wii.
10. Achievement Points
Some of you might laugh at this, but the Xbox 360’s achievement point system was their Trojan Horse of this generation. The feature that many laughed at upon it’s announcement has become a legitimate reason to own the system and the best way to measure gamers’ accomplishments. Many gamers will pick up the Xbox version of the game if the PS3 version is identical simply to add to their gamerscore, because, hell, if there isn’t any difference there might as well be an additional reward to playing through it! Not only that, but they give additional gameplay value to games, acting as more rewards to earn from every single title. It isn’t a selling point for the system alone, but it doesn’t hurt, and the prospect of Achievement Points carrying over to the next iteration of the Xbox is sheer genius.
9. Forza 2
Gran Turismo may have been the king of racers before, but this generation only has one true racing simulation so far. GT5 Prologue is far from a full game, and until the full version comes out, there isn’t anything that can compete with the realistic racing experience Forza 2 delivers. Not only that, but it’s dirt cheap now due to it coming bundled with the system for so long, so you can come home with Forza 2 without breaking the bank.
8. The Xbox Live Marketplace
The Video Marketplace has cheap rentals in high-definition, as well as plenty of free content to keep you entertained. The Netflix deal is on its way, and the Xbox Live Arcade consistently delivers fantastic experiences that rival retail releases. Games like Braid, Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2, Lumines Live, and Hexic HD are just a few of the titles that could be full releases on handhelds (and sometimes are), and there are dozens of classic games given online play, giving nostalgia a next-generation kick.
7. Halo 3
Halo 3 has one of the most robust multiplayer packages of any title, with nonstop DLC and Bungie adding custom playlists on a weekly basis. The addition of four-player cooperative play is amazing, and brings the somewhat bland single-player portion of the game to an exciting and fantastic level. Being able to save game replays, edit them, and send them to friends with limited storage restrictions is a feature to applaud. Whatever the future of the Halo series holds, it will take place solely on Microsoft’s 360.
6. BioShock, Gears of War, and Mass Effect
All in one category because of their questionable exclusivity (due to PS3 ports and PC versions), these three games are each reasons to own the system on their own. BioShock has been out for over a year and it’s still one of the most cinematic and marvelous experiences that a gamer could hope for. It has inspired gamers to expect for more from games, and developers to create artistic masterpieces. Gears of War was one of the first games to really open up this generation by blowing gamers away with fantastic visuals and great online play. Even today, over a year after its release, Gears of War is one of the best game experiences of the generation. The story might not be movie-quality, but the gameplay holds up against even the toughest competition, and online cooperative play still hasn’t been done as well. Mass Effect is, as I said in my review, one of the best science fiction stories ever told, and while the combat is rough, the rest of the game is of the highest caliber.
5. Rare
Rare was purchased by Microsoft and hasn't brought anything amazing to the system, but them being owned by MS is a huge benefit for the company. Viva Pinata is a great game, and the upcoming Banjo Kazooie looks great as well. Even though they aren't making the games that gamers might want, like a good Perfect Dark, they are putting out the only REAL next-gen games with E ratings, and that means something.
4. Xbox Live
Yeah, it cost money, but Microsoft’s Xbox Live is the most innovative aspect of this generation. With great online play and chat/friends features, the Xbox 360 set the standard for the current generation despite being released several months earlier. As Sony scrambles to catch up and Nintendo watches as their fans sigh at their ignorance towards online gameplay, Microsoft has time to add new features and content to the service. It costs about $5 a month, a price that many PlayStation 3 or Wii owners would gladly pay for a similar service.
3. Microsoft
Microsoft isn’t afraid to play dirty in the console wars, such as being willing to spend millions of dollars for exclusive games or downloadable content. Sure, it might hurt the company’s image, but damned if it doesn’t benefit gamers. Games like Grand Theft Auto IV and Fallout 3 can look forward to exclusive content thanks to daddy’s wallet, and Final Fantasy XIII is coming out on the system because of a check Microsoft wrote to Square. Bitch, moan, do whatever you want, but their actions are of huge benefit to the casual and hardcore alike.
2. Games
The Xbox 360 has the best video games of any next-generation console. It’s true, and trying to argue against it makes you sound like an idiot. The sheer number of games is astounding, and even if a game isn’t an exclusive, the 360 version is usually superior to its competition. Developers know how to develop for the console, and most create their games for it before porting it over to the PS3, and until developers begin spending more time on this process, the other versions always suffer from it.
1. The Future
Sequels to Gears of War, Mass Effect, and BioShock will likely find themselves on the Xbox 360 before being ported over to other systems, and the future of the Halo series as well as anything else Rare makes is going to be exclusive to the system. There are also a huge number of developers eager to create wonderful experiences for the system because of the XNA Games studio, so expect to begin seeing cheap, innovative titles on Xbox Live Arcade as Microsoft reaches out to the independent development community.
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Comments
Great Article! Also, I dont see point number 5 :P
I own all three systems. I really play my 360 the most right now. It does have the best library, but not necessarily the best games IMO. Hell, Uncharted got my vote for Game of the Year last year. But sheer numbers, 360 wears the crown.
I love both the PS3 and 360. I spend most of my time on the 360 because of the superior online, but if there's a single player game going multiplatform, I tend to get it on the PS3.
Agreed on Xbox Live vs. PSN--yeah, Xbox Live is $50 a year, but you get what you pay for. No comparison.
Great article. I agree with just about everything up here. Like I said on the PS3 article, I would LOVE to own a PS3. But the game library of the 360 is just so superior that I end up spending the money I would spend on a new console on all the new games that come out.
Also, I don't care what anyone says. I have used both PSN and Xbox Live extensively. There is no comparison. Xbox Live truly feels like a complete gaming community, and it is only going to get better with the huge upgrade in November.
I think some are out of order, or omitted, but the point comes across really smooth.
I still have friends having 360 issues with the hardware and these are friends with systems just recently purchased. And when i know people who have gone through 3 or 4 systems, that is def. an issue for me in dropping dollars on the system.
The Achievement/trophy system is def. something that is key for all games. It was very smart on Microsoft's part and Sony I hope can get more people on board with this in the future. It gives every game a high amount of replay value. Saw tons of people playing Uncharted since its trophies release.
@Voyou: The chipsets from 2007 are quieter, cooler, and fixed the major RROD RAM issue. Unless you still have a 360 from before that point in time you have nothing to worry about.
I totally agree on the achievement points. Such a simple system, and its so addictive. Why else would you waste your time playing a game like "Avatar: The Last Airbender"? I'm glad Sony started doing it too, but I hope they stay with it.
lol'd@3
forgot to say, good article :)
i do agree the 360 has a lot going for it, but the thing they don't have is good hardware, hardware that wont crap out on you, and thats the main reason I do not own or plan to own one. I want to try some games out so badly but I do not trust the hardware.
I agree with most of your points, though Halo has gone down hill for me since 1, Bioshock is now a PS3 game, and though Microsoft has the most games, i would not really say they have the best games. I think they have some very good games, but not really the best.
and on the subject of live, I really don't think Sony is scrambling to catch up with live. The PSN has more than enough features needed and its completely free. I am sorry, but instead of paying 5 bucks a months to play online, I would much rather use that 5 bucks on a quality PSN title or DLC.