I've been playing on Matt's a bit. He's got a racing game (PGR3), but i'm really pants so i don't make much of an opponent, but it is quite fun

I got hand cramp after only 30 minutes on it though, not hardcore enough evidently

Oh, and the graphics are good blah blah etc...

(Edited by lil_miss 03/12/2005 14:56)

It'll be interesting to see what developers will be able to do with all this raw power as better graphics will only get you so far....

I'll wait a little while with getting myself a copy until prices drop a little and there is some indication on its alternative uses (XBMC 360 anyone?)

But are there any good games for it?

Is there a GTA - San Andreas? A Deus Ex? A Syndicate? or is it "pole position - the next generation" in the guise of the next exactly the same racing game with prettier graphics?

I've had my Xbox 360 pre-ordered since august when they were announced. I've played nearly every major console (with the exception of the Sega Saturn), and the 360 was immediately on my list. I went to pick it up at 12am at Gamestation. It was invite only (i.e. only people who pre-ordered could go), so where wasn't a big queue, but i was at the end of the small one. Didn't have to wait too long though.

The system itself is gorgeous. In my book, it's better looking than any previous console, nice and sleek. It might be smaller than the original xbox, but it's still heavy! I got the Premium pack, which includes the Live headset, a remote control, a wireless controller, the hard drive and whatnot. The accessories, especially the wireless controller are all extremely well made. They're all very slick.

One of the best things about the system is the Dashboard. It's a great system, you can do everything you need to very, very easily. I've been streaming content from my iPod over the system while playing, but unfortunatley because my system is a mac i can't stream content from that. At the moment streaming from PCs is windows only.

Gameswise i got Project Gotham Racing 3 and Perfect Dark Zero. I'd never played a PGR game before, but so far i love it. Graphically it's gorgeous, it's full of amazing cars (the Lamborghini i will have when i'm rich) and the gameplay is very satisfying. Arcadey, but not mental, and it provides a challenge. Perfect Dark Zero isn;t revolutionary. It's just a fairly plain sequel to Perfect Dark with nice graphics, so if you liked one you'll probably like the other.

There is nothing revolutionary on the launch line-up, but that's standard. The Playstation 2 launch line-up was dire, and other than Soul Calibur on the Dreamcast and Halo on the Xbox, so were those. The really good games will come in the next couple of waves, and that's when the fun really begins, and why people who aren't hardcore about games don't really need to buy the console until next spring time.

Emmy and I saw a demo model in Nottingham the other day.

All I can say is.... Iwantiwantiwantiwand!!!!

To Maff

I hearts you, you geek

Love Txxx

Me gots one too, but not played it much - it's been in the care of Havoc practically since I got it, and I keep getting sidetracked from picking it up, but then feeling like something on the pavement that's been driven over and stamped on by small children will do that to you... (Note to self: get off arse and phone the sodding GP!)

I picked up a premium system (natch) with a second wireless pad (deathmatch = essential requirement ), Perfect Dark Zero, Kameo (don't Rare just rule? ) and the Halo Triple Pack (sadly, I was one of the rumoured Xbox owners that -- gasp!-- didn't have Halo, though I did have the sequel until some [bleeep!] half-inched it along with my Xbox).

All seems pretty damned cool so far, very nifty with the shinyness, flashing lights groovy and little noises etc., but then I was always easily entertained , and it looks like it's gonna be lots of fun - except for the poor gits who didn't/couldn't pre-order one, who all get my sympathy.

Anyone else impressed with it? I sure am...

Alan, is your gamertag the same as it was on the original Xbox?

Either way, my Gamertag is, you guessed it, Maffrew, so add me to your friends list and maybe we can play some PDZ multiplayer at some point. We could try the co-op, which is supposed to be great online.

They didn't have one for me (pre-ordered in October), which is what I pretty much expected. Talk to them and they said "i should" have one in the next delivery, but not holding my breath on that one. Oh well I have my PSP and X-men Legends 2, GTA: Liberty City Stories and Mario Kart to play in the mean time (all I need is to get my DSL fixed so I can play some of those online).

The offer's appreciated Maff, but at the mo I am sans-Live, and have been since the first year's membership expired in about November. I may resubscribe at some point, but not just yet. I haven't been on Live since I came home from uni in about January - I only got broadband in June (I think), but haven't had an actual Xbox since March, which makes Live access a tad difficult, but not so much anymore, eh?

Not got one yet, which has come as something of a shock to a fair few people I know. However, I've never bought a console on day 1 to day, it's always been after at least one round of price cuts, when I can get a sense of what games are going to be like, both in terms of quantity and quality.

Xbox 360 looks good so far but I suspect it'll take Halo 3 to get me queuing up for one.