Tips for a soon-to-be Xbox 360 owner

[Wolf-man]

Hey I am planning on buying an Xbox 360 next week and I was wondering if anyone had any tips on what are the best accessories for the cheapest price, things that I am going to need to buy for it, etc...
A friend already told me I should buy a recharge pack for the controller.
I already have a list of games I want to buy for it but any recommendations would be good.

[Etoh*the*Greato]

Contrary to what you may have seen in Youtube videos, don't shake your Xbox. Not while it's on. Especially not while there is a disk in it.

[Atria35]

My brother has one of those... He says that getting rechargeable battery stands for his controllers and an intercooler (something that provides extra cooling fans, I believe is what it is) were some of the best buys that he made.

Edit: as for game recommendations, it depends on what type of games you like.

[Htom Sirveaux]

Get a good warranty with that thing and DON'T LOSE IT.

[Etoh*the*Greato]

Do NOT under any circumstances get an Intercooler. I don't even know if they'll work on the new redesigned models, but on recently produced Xboxes the failure rate has dropped dramatically and if they figure out that you've been using an Intercooler on the system and it redrings they WILL void your warranty. Those suckers can actually speed up the system breaking down.

[Okami]

Used games at Gamestop become your best friends! Add the couple extra bucks to put them under warranty for a year, and you've got extra money to put into more games. I would assume you do not have a gamertag at this point? If that's the case - SIGN UP FOR LIVE ON THE CONSOLE, NOT ONLINE. I got screwed over on this one, when you sign up on the console, you get a free one-month of Gold membership. I missed out on this because I signed up online while I was getting my system checked out for errors it was having!

And also in agreement with what Etoh said, I've heard of people having issues with intercoolers with the xbox and then having the warranty voided on their console....I've heard all they (the intercoolers) do is blow dust around which collects and such. I was looking into getting one for my refurb. Not anymore! The best thing to do is keep it on a hard surface where the fans can run clear.

[Atria35]

Do NOT under any circumstances get an Intercooler. I don't even know if they'll work on the new redesigned models, but on recently produced Xboxes the failure rate has dropped dramatically and if they figure out that you've been using an Intercooler on the system and it redrings they WILL void your warranty. Those suckers can actually speed up the system breaking down.

Hasn't the Red Ring of Death been resolved on new Xboxes? Also, they reworked the original design for the intercoolers (which was the main complaint of how/why the warrenty voided- the original design had it attaching to the Xbox power cable which caused failure), and it's now a separate unit that merely attaches to the Xbox without drawing power or otherwise doing anything other than running fans. It depends on the brand/style of the intercooler, too. My brother has one that doesn't have this issue with the draining, etc., while others have ones that do.

[Nate]

Yes, they resolved the Red Ring of Death on the Elite system...by taking off the ring. However, the system still has the same kind of error as the RRoD, so while the statement is technically accurate, it's very misleading and the Elite is just as buggy and broken as the original 360 model.

[ich1990]

The newer models, such as the one I just purchased, have a much better processor architecture that allows for less current draw and heat output. Therefore, the new 360's are more resistant to RRoD heating issues than the old ones.

To check and see how old yours is, look at the power supply. If it is a 150 watt model, you have the newest processor. The higher it is above that, the worse off it is.

[Wolf-man]

Thanks for the advice. I am going to buy the brand new model that was just released this week. From what I understand they have resolved the red ring of death. I know that the new ones are designed differently so they wont overheat. They have giant fans on either side and they do not draw nearly as much power as the previous two versions.
As for games just suggest anyones you think are good. Maybe you will mention I hadn't thought of.

[Nate]

Er, my mistake. I said "Elite" in my last post. I should have said "Slim," which is the newest model.

Hope you're not planning on any marathon gaming sessions. See, Microsoft, in their infinite wisdom, decided that the solution to avoiding overheating problems was to have the console shut itself off. Yes, Microsoft's "solution" to the overheating problem was to have the console prevent you from playing when it gets too hot. Brilliant.

Just try to keep it in a well-ventilated area and pray you have air-conditioning in your house, otherwise the Slim model still hasn't solved the overheating issue. Which is why I'm still not going to buy a 360 until Microsoft LEARNS HOW TO MAKE A WORKING CONSOLE.

[Etoh*the*Greato]

Hasn't the Red Ring of Death been resolved on new Xboxes? Also, they reworked the original design for the intercoolers (which was the main complaint of how/why the warrenty voided- the original design had it attaching to the Xbox power cable which caused failure), and it's now a separate unit that merely attaches to the Xbox without drawing power or otherwise doing anything other than running fans. It depends on the brand/style of the intercooler, too. My brother has one that doesn't have this issue with the draining, etc., while others have ones that do.

Well, and since he has the redesign it's probably a moot point regardless, but yeah. If it's not one that draws power from the USB port it's likely not gonna do much more to increase the rate of failure on the box. Still, if they see the marks on the box (if it does RR and he sends it in) left by the Intercooler, they may void the warranty and won't fix it for free. I've read a lot of reports on the webbernets about this. Generally, while I think "Not much you read on the internet is true" is a good policy to follow I think in cases like this I'm not often willing to risk it. I'm running an older model myself, and as long as I allow it plenty of breathing space, I have no issues what-so-ever with the RROD.

In regards to the redesigns, the awesome things about these is that if they show even a hint of overheating, they'll give you a warning and shut the system down for safety's sake.

Games I'd suggest are the Gears of War games if you haven't tried them and Halo Obviously. Getting into slightly more obscure stuff, if you're a JRPG fan I suggest Blue Dragon (One of my favorites this gen), Tales of Vesperia, Lost Oddysey, and Eternal Sonata. I was massively disappointed in the latter game, but other people seemed to enjoy it immensely. It's got a fun battle system and pretty music if nothing else.

If you like shooters and just generally enjoy quality gaming, pick up the Orange Box. It's a set of Valve games including - among other things - Portal and (My favorite game ever) Team Fortress 2. Mondern Warfare 2 and Call of Duty 4 are also both quality experiences, but if you're into the more political side of gaming or have any active hate of Activision, you can pick them up used. They might still be on the expensive side for it.

Brutal Legend was genuinely one of the more quality gaming experiences I've had this generation, but I'm a fanboy for the creator of the game and am a rabit Psychonauts (his previous game) fan.

Red Dead Redemption is out now and whether or not you're as nuts about Westerns as me it is THE game to get at the moment. I cannot suggest this game enough. I just picked up FIFA10 because I likey my Soccer games, though PES10 is cheaper and has a strong fan following as well. Speaking of Sports Games, the Fight Night games are genuinely fun even if you hate sports.

Tomb Raider Anniversary, Legends, and Underworld are all high on my list. They're good games, but they never resolved the issues the TR games always had - Lara controls like a cow. Regardless, though, I recommend them. Bully was one of my favorite PS2 games, and they ported it over to the 360 with great success. To tell you something about this game - I loved it so much I picked it up again on the 360 for the extra content.

The Force Unleashed is a bit broken, and I have some continuity issues with it, but it's hard not to feel like a complete Bad-#$@ when you charge up and use Force-Push to blast open a giant metal door. For the confidence issue alone I'd push this game. Also, the opening level completely redeemed Darth Vader from anything George Lucas and Hayden Christensen did to ruin the character for me.

If you light fighting games, you've got your pick to take: Streetfighter IV (With the new SUPER Street Fighter IV out), BlazBlue (Made by the guys who did Guilty Gear and absolutely HAMAZING), Dead Or Alive 4, the Marvel Vs Capcom games (Which can be bought on Live), and Soul Caliber 4. All of these are quite good, but the best among them are the first two I mentioned. They have the deepest mechanics and the strongest player base. SSF4 actually ranks among one of the top games for competition in the pro-gaming circuits.

Also, you HAVE to get your Xbox online and sign up for Live. I don't care if you get a Silver Account or a Gold account. You need to do it for the following games: The Maw and Splosion Man. Especially Splosion Man. Just... Just play it. Also high up on my Recomendations list for Arcade are N+, Braid (One of the best cases for Games as Art, and completely funded and made by one man), and Castle Crashers. Castle Crashers is an incredible (If violent) game to get to just play with your friends. Four players, coop one screen. It is mayhem. Cartoony, violent, mayhem.

Edit: Sorry for the wall of text, but I just remembered a few more essential games!! Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2, and Fallout 3. Experience the best Western Roleplaying has to offer! I have sunk so many hours into all three of those games now. They've been some of the best gaming I've had this gen.

Hope you're not planning on any marathon gaming sessions. See, Microsoft, in their infinite wisdom, decided that the solution to avoiding overheating problems was to have the console shut itself off. Yes, Microsoft's "solution" to the overheating problem was to have the console prevent you from playing when it gets too hot. Brilliant.

My understanding is that this isn't if you get it warm from marathon playing sessions, but more if it is on the verge of red-ring, which hopefully won't happen from long play like that. The power architecture is designed to run drawing less power and generating less heat so the failure rate should be substantially lower. Of course, we'll have to wait a few months to see. I don't expect the RROD to just go away, but I do expect it to drop dramatically.

[Shao Feng-Li]

Ok, I don't know id this will apply to the new model, but don't stand it up vertically. Just don't.

[Etoh*the*Greato]

Ok, I don't know id this will apply to the new model, but don't stand it up vertically. Just don't.

I think all consoles generally just look better horizontal anyway.

[Azier the Swordsman]

Contrary to what you may have seen in Youtube videos, don't shake your Xbox. Not while it's on. Especially not while there is a disk in it.

I want to reiterate this just because it's so freaking important. I accidentally destroyed a $60 game (Fable 2) just because I tried to move the system while the game was running. It freaking tore into the disk.

[Etoh*the*Greato]

There is another gaming forum I'm on where there is a very healthy (unfortunately) console flame-war going on. The PS3 guys were going nuts because this video came out of a guy with an Xbox Slim that showed how the console destroys your games. Yeah. It does. If you move the Xbox repeatedly while it plays the game.

I've seen PS3s do the same. Actually in regards to this, the only thing I've not seen where there is a danger if you move the unit around is a laptop, and I'd still say it isn't advisable.

[Okami]

As for games just suggest anyones you think are good. Maybe you will mention I hadn't thought of.

I suggest the Fable Series. I just bought a brand-new factory sealed version of Fable: The Lost Chapters (The expansion of Fable I) on eBay and after the update that the console does to play it through backwards compatibility, it is running smoother than any of my 360 games. (Weird, right? lol) This is my first time playing it. I have played Fable II five times, have beaten it three times, and plan at least another two playthroughs to get all of the achievements. (Four of the plays were not using Xbox Live, so this is with my "official" account---but, this is also my favorite game, so I don't mind constant replaying) I am also stoked for Fable III. It's coming out in October.

[Wolf-man]

Ok, I don't know id this will apply to the new model, but don't stand it up vertically. Just don't.

May I ask why? There shouldn't be a problem with this considering it is designed to do it.

Also, thanks for the advice about shaking the console but I am unsure of what possess a person to shake a console period, let alone while a game is in it. I never move things (except my laptop) while a disc is inside. It's just asking for trouble.

Thanks for the recommendations. I already know most of those and in fact Ehto reminded me of some I wanted to play.
Oh, does anyone have a list of what Xbox games are compatible with Xbox 360.
Also I know a silver Xbox live account is free, do I have to have gold to get the downloadable content for games or can I do that on silver?

[Etoh*the*Greato]

You can do some of it on Silver. Silver members get it a little later than gold.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

Ok, I don't know id this will apply to the new model, but don't stand it up vertically. Just don't.

You mean don't maintain it's vertical position? Or don't move it while a disc is inside? I keep mine vertical, and it's been no problem.

[Okami]

Oh, does anyone have a list of what Xbox games are compatible with Xbox 360.

Here is the official listing of backwards compatible games.

[Wolf-man]

Thanks. This sucks though. I was kind of hoping that I would be able to sell my Xbox 1. Oh well I'll hang on to it. I figured I wouldn't be able to play all my games but still I could at least hope. XD

[Bobtheduck]

I really hope that next gen is completely backwards compatible... Or at least the 99% PS2 standardized.

There should be no reason to switch Architectures next gen, so doing this gen's games shouldn't be THAT difficult, and doing the previous gen's games should be easier than it is this gen since the architectures changed (x86 to PPC on xbox, MIPS to PPC on Playstation)

Not to start fanboy warring, but as far as the PS3 scratching discs, my PS3 fell off the table onto a wooden floor while loading Assassin's creed... The disc was unharmed (and the console wasn't harmed any more than it had been by trying to procure it from my backpack... Bent the front panel, so the touchpad power button doesn't work without pressing it really hard). Pretty extreme circumstances, yes. I wouldn't recommend it in any case.

[Etoh*the*Greato]

Well, and mine has fallen over and likewise, the disk was unharmed. But doing so is pretty much asking for trouble. To shake it and have the disk not be scratched should be considered lucky, not standard.

[Wolf-man]

Another question for you all. How do I transfer saved games from my original xbox to my 360? Do the original memory cards work?

[GrubbTheFragger]

No you unfortunatly can not transfer saved games from Xbox to 360 to my knowledge

[Wolf-man]

Yeah I just read on xbox.com that you can't. That is really stupid. So basically unless I want to start my games from scratch I am forced to keep my original Xbox.

[Okami]

Yeah I just read on xbox.com that you can't. That is really stupid. So basically unless I want to start my games from scratch I am forced to keep my original Xbox.

Starting from scratch isn't really a bad thing, though. Sometimes it's a whole new experience when you re-play, re-re-play, and even re-re-re-play a game. I love replaying what I have!

[Shao Feng-Li]

We've knocked it over twice with a game inside. It sucked. So it just stays flat now.

[Etoh*the*Greato]

Yeah I just read on xbox.com that you can't. That is really stupid. So basically unless I want to start my games from scratch I am forced to keep my original Xbox.

Pertty much.