360 questions.

Dcully

Hi guys im a diehard PC gamer and have been for years.
I havent had a console since i had a ps2 and xbox which i got bored with very quick.

Im considering a 360 but have a few questions.
Since i play a lot of games online what way does xbox live work with the 360? as in what games and cost of a kit or anything?

Also i have a custom built gaming pc setup with a lovely lcd monitor and would like to hook the 360 up to this if possible.

Finally what are the best packages available here in Ireland?
Whats the story wih the hard drive pack?
Also is pro evo soccer available on 360?

Sorry for all the questions but this fanatical pc gamer just isnt up to speed on consoles anymore.

koneko

Efioanaes wrote:

Im considering a 360 but have a few questions.
Since i play a lot of games online what way does xbox live work with the 360? as in what games and cost of a kit or anything?

Depends on how you connect. Wireless, you'd need the wireless add-on (€100 or thereabouts). Otherwise just hook up a cable and hook that up to your router or PC (with internet connection sharing).

Each account gets 1 month free gold subscription by default, that means you can play games online, do everything. After that month it'll revert to Silver which means you can't play online, but can still access marketplace (for downloads like game updates, demos, Live Arcade games to buy).

Also i have a custom built gaming pc setup with a lovely lcd monitor and would like to hook the 360 up to this if possible.

Yes, with the right cable.
Official version - Joytech (unofficial) version

Finally what are the best packages available here in Ireland?

Look over some recent threads here, but Xtravision used to have a great offer, not sure if it's still on. Gamestop's offer sounds pretty good, and someone else here recently got theirs in HMV and was impressed. Best to look around and see for yourself, some offers force certain games into the bundle you might not like.

Whats the story wih the hard drive pack?

Definitely get the Premium. Works out cheaper. The harddisk is needed for downloads, backwards compatibility with original Xbox games. I couldn't do without mine, and it's much better value to get the Premium pack than the Core and a seperate harddisk.

Also is pro evo soccer available on 360?

I don't play footie games, but I hear Pro Evo 5 on Xbox is compatible with 360 now (so you'd need the HD, and the update it'll download as long as you're online). Saw some news about footie games coming to 360 but I didn't pay much attention

Sorry for all the questions but this fanatical pc gamer just isnt up to speed on consoles anymore.

No worries, ask away.

koneko

Oh, forgot to add. After the 1 month gold, you can continue with Gold if you want, and pay the subscription.

Check out packs like this:
http://www.play.com/Games/Xbox360/RTS/3-/860394/XBox_Live_12_Month_Gold_Membership_Card_+_1000_Free_Live_Points/Product.html

12 months XBL Gold membership, and 1000 points to spend on the marketplace, so you can for instance buy extra stuff for games like GRAW, Call of Duty 2, etc, or Arcade games.

Kristok

the new pro evo is coming to the 360 and will be an exclusive (next gen) for a year which seeing as the ps3 wont be out here for another year nearly its not as big a deal as it was when it was announced.

Smellyirishman

Koneko pretty much nailed it. PES06 will be out this year (dunno the date, I think it's October/November though...) on 360.

Also, setting up on a PC monitor is hawt.

Dcully

Thanks guys.

So the 12 month gold card means i can play online for 12 months hassle free?
Also the 1,000 points is for updates etc,is 1,000 actually a generous amount?
Can i purchase that 12 month gold card in normal Irish game stores?
Finally what is the online experience like on,ive ? ie lag etc.

Forgot to ask what games you recommend.

koneko

Efioanaes wrote:

So the 12 month gold card means i can play online for 12 months hassle free?

Yes, nothing else to pay unless you want to buy things like Live Arcade games or packs for games (like extra maps).

Also the 1,000 points is for updates etc,is 1,000 actually a generous amount?

I wouldn't say it's a lot of points, but it's free. Some Arcade games can be around 500 points IIRC, so you could get 2 live Arcade games. Most are more points though, you'll get at the very least one Arcade game out of it and maybe some smaller things like a theme or gamerpic pack (you can buy packs of images to use in your profile). Game updates (like patches) are free, it's only extra things you'd pay for such as online map packs, or add-ons (like some of the Oblivion downloads).

Can i purchase that 12 month gold card in normal Irish game stores?

Yes, you should be able to, but it would be cheaper online.

Finally what is the online experience like on,ive ? ie lag etc.

Depends on the connection you have, and the game. As long as it's a decent broadband connection you probably won't notice much lag, and it doesn't make anywhere near the same difference as pings do when playing PC games. Some games are quite poor online though, so expect lag with those (like Prey).

Forgot to ask what games you recommend.

In general; Dead Rising, Saints Row, Oblivion, Condemned, GRAW. I'm hearing good things about Lego Star Wars II and Test Drive Unlimited but I haven't tried them yet. (Will probably be getting Enchanted Arms next myself)

For online; Halo 2 (it's cheap as chips nowadays, but watch out for annoying American kids and plenty of cheaters). GRAW is fun online. COD2. PDZ is good for the occassional online session, but it's nothing to write home about, and the single player isn't very good at all. Table Tennis and Fight Night 3 are fun against friends. DOA4 if you're into your fighting games (personally I'd say the game is only "meh").

Check http://www.eurogamer.net for good reviews of games, should give you a clear picture of a certain game is like, and if you might like it. http://www.gamerankings.com is handy for a quick overview of different reviews, and the average rating something has.

Dcully

Cheers m8,well i play on an almost nightly basis games like COD2,DODS,WOW,BF2 etc etc,i just wonder if will always be just comparing the 360 experience to my pc gaming.
Does 360 in general along with live offer me anything special that i dont already have and play if you know what i mean.
Im on eircom 3meg broadband btw.

BFassassin

you will be getting achievements from the games you play and these put up your gamerscore. you will also get xbox live arcade where you can download arcade games plus there are some xbox exclusive titles out there for you to play

Dcully

What arcade games can i get m8?
Got a link to info maybe ?

BFassassin

this seems to be a pretty good list. the first games are for the original xbox, the 360 ones are further down the page
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xbox_Live_Arcade

Dcully

Yeah i had just found that and was coming back to tell you not to worry,thanks anyways
Whats COD2 like on live? the whole joypad anf fps games doesnt really float my boat but then again i recall Halo on xbox was actually decent after a while with pad.
COD2 any similar or indeed any 360 fps game live?

Timans

COD2 is the best FPS out imo.

GRAW is great aswell but COD2 is fantastic.

Get COD2. The Single Player is great as is the online.

PES6 is out on the 20th of October. Pre-Order it now.

Dcully

Ok lets just say ive ran and configured COD2 servers for PC.
So yeah ive played many hours of COD2 on pc,how does the console version compare "online".Im not too fussed about single player tbh.