Page 3: The Things That Kinda SUCK!
As you can tell, I�m REALLY digging my Xbox 360. It�s got great online features, the best controller ever designed, an extremely well thought-out dashboard, and (most importantly) some terrific, not-to-miss games. So, what DON�T I like about the new system? Well, there ARE a few things that irk me, to say the least�
<b>1. THE NOISE:</b> I understand the need for some sort of cooling system in the current and next-gen video game systems, but COME ON! This thing�s liquid cooling system can sometimes sound like a harrier jet during takeoff! To add to the racket, the high-speed DVD drive whips up quite a bit of background noise as well.
On the plus side, it does throttle down the fans when not in use (like modern PCs), but if you don�t have your 360 in a closed entertainment system (make sure it�s ventilated though � those fans are in there for a reason) or are playing with the game�s audio way down, it�s definitely noticable, and quite irritating.
<b>2. PAYING FOR �FLUFF�:</b>As you may know, Xbox Live now has an online marketplace that lets you purchase full versions of Live Arcade games, add-on packs, as well as dashboard themes and gamer pictures�wait, PURCHASE dashboard themes and gamer pictures?! Yeah, right... Considering there are many themes and Gamertag pictures available for FREE downloads, it�s a stupid idea. My assumption
is that they put this crap up for sale so you have something more to buy when you don�t have quite enough to buy any actual GAMES...regardless, it feels a bit stingy for the gaming companies to do so. Tsk tsk...for shame.
<b>3. FACEPLATE CHANGING:</b> While it looked like a cool idea to many at first, I think it�s absolutely retarded. Sure, you can change the front of your console�s face with a simple click, but what about the rest of the unit? It�s still white, and it just looks dopey and incomplete. Plus, they�re charging 20 bucks for the damn things. No thanks, I won�t be �pimping my Xbox 360� any time soon.
<b>4. AVAILABILITY:</b> It�s simply embarrasing that the 360 finally had some system-selling titles in March, and you couldn�t buy the friggin' thing ANYWHERE! Recently, it�s been much easier to score one, but how does the big "M" expect to compete with the PS3 if they can�t take advantage of their head start? It took me a week to find one, and I work in the industry, for crying out loud!
<b>5. LAUNCH DATE RUSH JOBS:</b> Simply put, stay away from most of the crap they dumped on us at launch. Titles like Gun, Ridge Racer 6, Tony Hawk...they simply don�t do the system justice. Heck, even the much-touted titles Perfect Dark Zero and Quake 4 look and run like CRAP compared to the newer stuff. March is really the month the 360 came to fruition....
<b>6. FREEZES/GLITCHES:</b> I�ve had Fight Night Round 3 freeze up a couple of times between loading, and I�ve seen Call Of Duty 2 crash on three occasions (in the same spot, no less). Other than that, the system�s been perfect (about 40 hours into Oblivion and it has yet to crash), but this is STILL disconcerting. As far as I know, I have a 3rd generation Xbox 360, and the well-documented overheating/crashing issues were supposedly addressed at this point. Let�s hope these are software issues, and that it isn�t going to be an ongoing problem with the hardware.
Then again, I�ve been through three PS1s, two PS2s, and three Xbox consoles�I suppose that�s what happens when you design a system to be powerful AND try to keep the price down. I�ll be happier the day they make a �hardcore� version of a console an option, with things like bigger hard disks, superior cooling, and higher quality DVD drives. I�d rather pay the extra cash up front for reliability, than buy the same damn system three times over.
<b>7. TOO MANY MULTI-DIRECTIONAL SHOOTERS ON LIVE ARCADE:</b> OK, let�s see here: we�ve got Robotron, Geometry Wars, Mutant Storm, Smash TV, AND Crystal Quest. One question: WHY? What about 360 updated versions of Missle Command, Galaga, or Pac-Man, even? Enough with all the Robotron clones, please; a little more variety in the titles will be appreciated. At least Geometry Wars and Mutant Storm are really good.
<b>1. THE NOISE:</b> I understand the need for some sort of cooling system in the current and next-gen video game systems, but COME ON! This thing�s liquid cooling system can sometimes sound like a harrier jet during takeoff! To add to the racket, the high-speed DVD drive whips up quite a bit of background noise as well.
On the plus side, it does throttle down the fans when not in use (like modern PCs), but if you don�t have your 360 in a closed entertainment system (make sure it�s ventilated though � those fans are in there for a reason) or are playing with the game�s audio way down, it�s definitely noticable, and quite irritating.
<b>2. PAYING FOR �FLUFF�:</b>As you may know, Xbox Live now has an online marketplace that lets you purchase full versions of Live Arcade games, add-on packs, as well as dashboard themes and gamer pictures�wait, PURCHASE dashboard themes and gamer pictures?! Yeah, right... Considering there are many themes and Gamertag pictures available for FREE downloads, it�s a stupid idea. My assumption
is that they put this crap up for sale so you have something more to buy when you don�t have quite enough to buy any actual GAMES...regardless, it feels a bit stingy for the gaming companies to do so. Tsk tsk...for shame.
<b>3. FACEPLATE CHANGING:</b> While it looked like a cool idea to many at first, I think it�s absolutely retarded. Sure, you can change the front of your console�s face with a simple click, but what about the rest of the unit? It�s still white, and it just looks dopey and incomplete. Plus, they�re charging 20 bucks for the damn things. No thanks, I won�t be �pimping my Xbox 360� any time soon.
<b>4. AVAILABILITY:</b> It�s simply embarrasing that the 360 finally had some system-selling titles in March, and you couldn�t buy the friggin' thing ANYWHERE! Recently, it�s been much easier to score one, but how does the big "M" expect to compete with the PS3 if they can�t take advantage of their head start? It took me a week to find one, and I work in the industry, for crying out loud!
<b>5. LAUNCH DATE RUSH JOBS:</b> Simply put, stay away from most of the crap they dumped on us at launch. Titles like Gun, Ridge Racer 6, Tony Hawk...they simply don�t do the system justice. Heck, even the much-touted titles Perfect Dark Zero and Quake 4 look and run like CRAP compared to the newer stuff. March is really the month the 360 came to fruition....
<b>6. FREEZES/GLITCHES:</b> I�ve had Fight Night Round 3 freeze up a couple of times between loading, and I�ve seen Call Of Duty 2 crash on three occasions (in the same spot, no less). Other than that, the system�s been perfect (about 40 hours into Oblivion and it has yet to crash), but this is STILL disconcerting. As far as I know, I have a 3rd generation Xbox 360, and the well-documented overheating/crashing issues were supposedly addressed at this point. Let�s hope these are software issues, and that it isn�t going to be an ongoing problem with the hardware.
Then again, I�ve been through three PS1s, two PS2s, and three Xbox consoles�I suppose that�s what happens when you design a system to be powerful AND try to keep the price down. I�ll be happier the day they make a �hardcore� version of a console an option, with things like bigger hard disks, superior cooling, and higher quality DVD drives. I�d rather pay the extra cash up front for reliability, than buy the same damn system three times over.
<b>7. TOO MANY MULTI-DIRECTIONAL SHOOTERS ON LIVE ARCADE:</b> OK, let�s see here: we�ve got Robotron, Geometry Wars, Mutant Storm, Smash TV, AND Crystal Quest. One question: WHY? What about 360 updated versions of Missle Command, Galaga, or Pac-Man, even? Enough with all the Robotron clones, please; a little more variety in the titles will be appreciated. At least Geometry Wars and Mutant Storm are really good.