I heard a rumor that Halo 3 is the culprit for the 360 problems as the game causes the machine to overheat. Anyone else hear anything?
The newer 360 games like Halo 3 and Gears of War use all three of the 360's core processors (many first gen games only used one). As such, when all three processors are in use, the console might be generating a little more heat.
According to some articles, the problem with early consoles was that one of the processors was not properly mounted to the motherboard. When the console would heat up, the processor would start to deform and bend outward and the pins would lose contact with the motherboard. MS first tried to address this by putting massive amounts of epoxy on the chip to keep it in place. Later revisions added a bigger heat sink over the main processors and, most recently, the 65mn chips which are supposed to run cooler.
From what I've read, the 3 red lights is just a general hardware failure message; in fact, it doesn't necessarily mean that the processors have failed. It could just as easily be the DVD drive, memory or some other component.
Microsoft replaced my 360 with a new unit, it arrived today. Having trouble getting the wireless network set up, had trouble last time too.
EDIT - Wireless network back in business.
Glad to hear you're back in business Barry. Just out of curiosity, does your new 360 have an HDMI port on the back? Also, do you find it any quieter (or noisier) than your original?
NightshooterIn bed with SolitairePosts: 2,917MI6 Agent
Oh man, I would LOVE it if the new one had an HDMI port... that would make the weeks of waiting worth it.
Forgot to mention that Microsoft also extended my Xbox Gold memebership an additional month. All in all great service.
Was looking to pick up Guitar Hero for the 360, but can't find the bundle anywhere. May go with Madden 2008 and something else. Waiting for a possible last minute before xmas price drop.
Forgot to mention that Microsoft also extended my Xbox Gold memebership an additional month. All in all great service.
Was looking to pick up Guitar Hero for the 360, but can't find the bundle anywhere. May go with Madden 2008 and something else. Waiting for a possible last minute before xmas price drop.
Glad to hear that your support experience with MS worked out well Barry. Guitar Hero is the must have game of the season so it sells out quickly for all platforms. Personally, I never cared much for those rhythm games; the music selection doesn't help either.
I picked up Assassin's Creed for the 360 today. You play an assassin during the crusades charged with removing 9 key figures of importance to your secret society. There's a major twist to the gameplay that is revealed right during the opening cinematic. So far, I'm enjoying it quite a bit; the game proceeds along at a very leisurely pace, the controls are very easy to learn, and the graphics are phenomenal. It's particularly impressive when you climb to the top of a high tower to survey they city - and then when you get back down to the ground, you're free to explore every square inch of it. Some people have complained that the gameplay gets repetitive but it's a lot of fun so far.
A quick update, under the Christmas tree this year was Call of Duty 4, Guitar Hero, National Alliance, Madden 2008 and The Simpson's game. So far Guitar Hero and Call of Duty have been played. Call of Duty looked pretty good, some nice urban warfare.
Also a quick observation, I think Microsoft needs to get a handle on this 360 problem. While at a family get together (wife's side) some of the younger relatives (20's) were talking gaming and a couple of them have sold their 360's and bought PS3's. Each of them had problems and were tired of wondering when it would break down again. The PS3 was initially hurt by the high price point, but now that the price points are relatively close I think the reliability factor may move folks towards the PS3. Just my opinion.
NightshooterIn bed with SolitairePosts: 2,917MI6 Agent
Well, this is my view on the whole matter:
If you want a more reliable system with horrible games, sure, sell your 360 and go for a PS3.
If games are still what you use it for... well, I'll keep my 360.
Speaking of which I received the box for it recently and am going to send it back out today. I would have earlier, but with the holidays and everything I've been a little busy.
Also, I purchased Rock Band (I somehow found it online at J and R, at retail price, even though it is sold out everywhere), and it is shipping, but I guess I'll be waiting for my 360 instead of playing it.
Interesting you mention that Barry. A friend of a friend of mine got her son a 360 for Christmas and upon opening everything up they discovered that the hard drive was DOA right out of the box.
It's a well known fact that companies lose money on videogame hardware for the first few years of their life cycle. As such, they cut corners wherever they can; even shaving a few dollars off the cost of manufacturing a console can add up given the quantities that we're talking about here. I think MS did go overboard in its cost cutting and is paying the price for it now. The newer 360s (which use a revised motherboard called the Falcon as well as cooler running chips) are more reliable but there are still thousands of the older models in the pipeline. Also, components like the hard-drive and DVD drive are manufactured by several different subcontractors so quality can vary. As the product line matures, things always get better but given all the tech inside these new consoles and the constant drive to reduce costs, hardware failures will probably always be with us.
As for people swapping out 360's for PS3's, I know of several people who've done just that as well, pretty much for the same reasons you mention. But it's also important to remember that the 360 still has the highest attach rate - the ratio of games bought for every console - of any next-gen videogame system. Conversely, the Wii (which is the best selling piece of hardware) has the poorest attach rate; something very close to 1:1. As for the PS3, things have gotten better and they do have some good games but most of the hottest titles this holiday season are still 360 exclusives.
So, while some people may be writing off their 360's, the ones who are holding onto it are buying more and more games for it. And that is where the real money is.
The exception to all this of course is Nightshooter. I think it's safe to blame his 360's demise on Daniel Craig as the console bought the farm about 48 hours after Night started using Craig's mug as his gamerpic. :v {:)
NightshooterIn bed with SolitairePosts: 2,917MI6 Agent
Hate to disappoint you, Tony, but I'll be keeping it when I get my 360 back, which will hopefully be soon.
Rock Band will arrive today, and I'll have nothing to play it on! But I'll put everything together and see how it works just for fun.
Hate to disappoint you, Tony, but I'll be keeping it when I get my 360 back, which will hopefully be soon.
Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you.
BTW, in case you were thinking of picking up Assassin's Creed, DON'T!!!! I bought the game a couple of weeks ago and at first it was a lot of fun. Trouble was that by the time I'd finished my first assassination, I'd literally seen EVERYTHING the game had to offer. After that, all the missions looked and played exactly the same - go to a town, climb X number of towers, save X number of people from angry guards, pickpocket X number of people, etc., etc., etc. The game got horribly repetitive - even the animations and voiceovers after each task were exactly the same. By the time I'd made it to the second city, only to be beseiged by the exact same play requirements, same animations, and even the same voiceovers, I'd had enough. I traded the game for some store credit that same day.
Instead, I've gone back and done a second playthrough of Mass Effect, this time going out of my way to find and play thru every sidequest. I just got an achievement that I'd unlocked the majority of them. By the time I finish the main quest for a second time I should be pretty well done with that game as well. We'll have to see if Bioware releases any downloadable content or I may sell that back as well as I think I've pretty much wrung all the replayability out of it.
NightshooterIn bed with SolitairePosts: 2,917MI6 Agent
you should've mailed it to me... I would've liked to play the first mission! )
But yeah, most reviews had been saying exactly what you found, which is why I won't be picking up the game.
As for Mass Effect, supposedly there will be downloadable content, but who knows if it will be substantial or worth your time.
Sweepy the CatHalifax, West Yorkshire, EnglaPosts: 986MI6 Agent
edited December 2007
I got one on X-MAS Day! Anyway, it was a premium that came with an additional box with 2 wireless controllers and 2 games in a 2-disc box! (I only asked for the XBOX and two games) Then more came and I had 5! The games were Forza 2, Halo 3, The Simpsons Game, Stranglehold andViva Pinyata. The price was over £300 too! (I paid a little towards it) anyway, I already had 'Dead Rising' off one of my mates for £15.
So thats:
XBOX 360 Premium
and
2 Wireless Controllers
Games:
Dead Rising
Forza 2
Halo 3
The Simpsons Game
Stranglehold
and
Viva Pinyata
'Dead Rising' is fun but has a screwy save system and is quite hard. 'Forza 2' has some annoying cars but maybe it's because I keep getting beaten by my brother ) , 'Halo 3' was more fun than I expected and not too hard, The Simpsons wasn't as bad as people said but could be passed for a normal XBOX game. Stranglehold is one of my faves with Halo 3 and Viva Pinyata was a bit of a little kiddies game. Overall I'm happy and wouldn't mind discussing things with you lot (Rogue Agent, Nightshooter, Tony DP etc.) In the January sales I'll probably get 'Pro Evolution Soccer' (The latest one) and 'Call Of Duty 3+4' (Can't miss out on WWII). Also is XBOX Live.
Congrats on scoring a 360 Sweepy; I'm sure you'll get a lot of mileage out of it and of the games you have Forza and Halo alone should keep you busy for a while.
If you like driving games then I'd suggest you spend some quality time with Forza 2. Once you get a handle on the realistic driving model the game can be a lot of fun, especially in the different feel and power of all the cars.
Never cared much for Dead Rising myself. As you say, the save system is really wonky and I hate the way the game respawns enemies every time you enter a room - even if you cleared it out 30 seconds earlier.
As for Halo3, the graphics alone are worth at least two playthrus. You'll see some very interesting worlds, pilot some pretty unique vehicles, and play with some snazzy weapons.
Unfortunately the 20" TV in my room, despite having all of the red, blue and green sockets, just shows a black screen when I attempt to run the machine in HD
I'm pretty terrible at Halo 3 - my EXP stands at 12 right now
Unfortunately the 20" TV in my room, despite having all of the red, blue and green sockets, just shows a black screen when I attempt to run the machine in HD
I'm pretty terrible at Halo 3 - my EXP stands at 12 right now
I'm loving Mass Effect and Assassin's Creed.
Congrats IEUTD. Another X-Man! We'll have to start giving each other nicknames. )
IEUTD, if the British premium 360 is anything like the American version, the A/V cable should have a switch on it to select either standard def or hi-def input. When you tried using the red/green/blue connectors, did you check to make sure that the switch was set to the hi-def setting?
Regardless, I hope you enjoy your 360. Assassin's Creed lost its charm for me after a few hours but hopefully you'll get more mileage out of it. And Mass Effect is a very solid RPG with some really striking worlds to visit, especially later on in the game.
What's an EXP? I've heard of gamerscores (110 in 3 days) and achievments (11 in 3 days) but what the hell is that.
I think you receive EXP (Experience Points) whenever you win an online match on Halo 3. When the game matches you up with players of a similar level, it is based on this EXP. So its only really related to Halo 3
I have not played anything yet, but my youngest son has played and beaten Call of Duty 4, he really enjoyed it. Both of sons have been playing Madden 2008, at times against each other and have really enjoyed it. Yesterday my youngest son started playing Ultimate Alliance, much to his surprise he is really enjoying it. From my observation it appears he has been playing as Captain America. He wasn't familiar with the game so he wasn't sure what to expect. I picked up the game based on praise from Tony and Night, so thanks.
Sweepy the CatHalifax, West Yorkshire, EnglaPosts: 986MI6 Agent
Yesterday I got Call Of Duty 3 + PES 6. Now I'm skint Oh well, 8 games is enough for now.
I have not played anything yet, but my youngest son has played and beaten Call of Duty 4, he really enjoyed it. Both of sons have been playing Madden 2008, at times against each other and have really enjoyed it. Yesterday my youngest son started playing Ultimate Alliance, much to his surprise he is really enjoying it. From my observation it appears he has been playing as Captain America. He wasn't familiar with the game so he wasn't sure what to expect. I picked up the game based on praise from Tony and Night, so thanks.
I finally picked up CoD4 yesterday; it was on sale at Best Buy for $38 and I decided to take the plunge. I've played a few missions and am enjoying it quite a bit. Although to be truthful, I really don't think it's "Game of the Year" material based on what I've seen so far. The graphics are really good, almost photo-realistic at times, but the environments are for the most part your garden variety bombed out towns and abandoned buildings - stuff that's been done before in other games like Ghost Recon and even Black. For my money, the alien landscapes of Halo 3 were far more memorable and visually arresting. Also the action in CoD4 can get too chaotic at times and you can lose site of what you're supposed to be doing or where you're supposed to be going. It's a great game and I am enjoying it, but I also think some of the reviewers have gotten a little carried away.
As for Marvel Ultimate Alliance, that was a fun beat-em-up. I still have the game myself as it really holds up to repeated playthrus.
I have not played anything yet, but my youngest son has played and beaten Call of Duty 4, he really enjoyed it. Both of sons have been playing Madden 2008, at times against each other and have really enjoyed it. Yesterday my youngest son started playing Ultimate Alliance, much to his surprise he is really enjoying it. From my observation it appears he has been playing as Captain America. He wasn't familiar with the game so he wasn't sure what to expect. I picked up the game based on praise from Tony and Night, so thanks.
Also the action in CoD4 can get too chaotic at times and you can lose site of what you're supposed to be doing or where you're supposed to be going.
Surely that makes for a more realistic battle scenario. Personally I absolutelty love the chaotic fights.
I too have found myself losing sight of what I am doing but I think it adds to the game. I hate to be led by the hand by games and although COD4 can be linear at times, you don't notice it as much as the battles are extremely distracting. At least thats how I've found it.
I do agree that certain reviewers have over-rated the game though. It's a great game, game of the year though?!? Not for me.
1- On Her Majesty's Secret Service 2- Casino Royale 3- Licence To Kill 4- Goldeneye 5- From Russia With Love
Sweepy the CatHalifax, West Yorkshire, EnglaPosts: 986MI6 Agent
edited December 2007
I've just realized you can play normal XBOX games too! B-) So now I have about 15 games!
Oh, and I'm a little confused on how to get XBOX Live and how much it would cost?
NightshooterIn bed with SolitairePosts: 2,917MI6 Agent
Sweepy, Xbox Live is $50 a year, and all you need is a broadband internet connection. What you do is you run an ethernet cable from your router to the back of your Xbox 360 (or you can go the route of a wireless adaptor, but that is more expensive).
Hope to see you online!
Still waiting for my 360, gents. The wait is agonizing. What awful timing - right over break.
However, I've been playing around a little with the Rock Band peripherals, and I can't wait to play the game. It will be awesome.
As for how Tony felt about CoD4, have you played the multiplayer? While the single player game was great, a lot of reviewers were very impressed with the multiplayer as well. As for Game of the Year, I agree. Mass Effect is my GotY, not CoD4.
Also, can everybody who played CoD4 post their FNG training time? I think it would be fun to compare (I don't remember mine, I think it was around 17 seconds, I'll get the real number once I get my 360 back).
Comments
The newer 360 games like Halo 3 and Gears of War use all three of the 360's core processors (many first gen games only used one). As such, when all three processors are in use, the console might be generating a little more heat.
According to some articles, the problem with early consoles was that one of the processors was not properly mounted to the motherboard. When the console would heat up, the processor would start to deform and bend outward and the pins would lose contact with the motherboard. MS first tried to address this by putting massive amounts of epoxy on the chip to keep it in place. Later revisions added a bigger heat sink over the main processors and, most recently, the 65mn chips which are supposed to run cooler.
From what I've read, the 3 red lights is just a general hardware failure message; in fact, it doesn't necessarily mean that the processors have failed. It could just as easily be the DVD drive, memory or some other component.
EDIT - Wireless network back in business.
Glad to hear you're back in business Barry. Just out of curiosity, does your new 360 have an HDMI port on the back? Also, do you find it any quieter (or noisier) than your original?
I think I'll include a letter when I send it back asking if I can get a 360 with an HDMI port. Can't hurt, right?
Won't hurt at all. Make sure to mention that you were an early adopter and have staunchly supported the 360. Like you said, it can't hurt.
Was looking to pick up Guitar Hero for the 360, but can't find the bundle anywhere. May go with Madden 2008 and something else. Waiting for a possible last minute before xmas price drop.
Glad to hear that your support experience with MS worked out well Barry. Guitar Hero is the must have game of the season so it sells out quickly for all platforms. Personally, I never cared much for those rhythm games; the music selection doesn't help either.
I picked up Assassin's Creed for the 360 today. You play an assassin during the crusades charged with removing 9 key figures of importance to your secret society. There's a major twist to the gameplay that is revealed right during the opening cinematic. So far, I'm enjoying it quite a bit; the game proceeds along at a very leisurely pace, the controls are very easy to learn, and the graphics are phenomenal. It's particularly impressive when you climb to the top of a high tower to survey they city - and then when you get back down to the ground, you're free to explore every square inch of it. Some people have complained that the gameplay gets repetitive but it's a lot of fun so far.
Also a quick observation, I think Microsoft needs to get a handle on this 360 problem. While at a family get together (wife's side) some of the younger relatives (20's) were talking gaming and a couple of them have sold their 360's and bought PS3's. Each of them had problems and were tired of wondering when it would break down again. The PS3 was initially hurt by the high price point, but now that the price points are relatively close I think the reliability factor may move folks towards the PS3. Just my opinion.
If you want a more reliable system with horrible games, sure, sell your 360 and go for a PS3.
If games are still what you use it for... well, I'll keep my 360.
Speaking of which I received the box for it recently and am going to send it back out today. I would have earlier, but with the holidays and everything I've been a little busy.
Also, I purchased Rock Band (I somehow found it online at J and R, at retail price, even though it is sold out everywhere), and it is shipping, but I guess I'll be waiting for my 360 instead of playing it.
It's a well known fact that companies lose money on videogame hardware for the first few years of their life cycle. As such, they cut corners wherever they can; even shaving a few dollars off the cost of manufacturing a console can add up given the quantities that we're talking about here. I think MS did go overboard in its cost cutting and is paying the price for it now. The newer 360s (which use a revised motherboard called the Falcon as well as cooler running chips) are more reliable but there are still thousands of the older models in the pipeline. Also, components like the hard-drive and DVD drive are manufactured by several different subcontractors so quality can vary. As the product line matures, things always get better but given all the tech inside these new consoles and the constant drive to reduce costs, hardware failures will probably always be with us.
As for people swapping out 360's for PS3's, I know of several people who've done just that as well, pretty much for the same reasons you mention. But it's also important to remember that the 360 still has the highest attach rate - the ratio of games bought for every console - of any next-gen videogame system. Conversely, the Wii (which is the best selling piece of hardware) has the poorest attach rate; something very close to 1:1. As for the PS3, things have gotten better and they do have some good games but most of the hottest titles this holiday season are still 360 exclusives.
So, while some people may be writing off their 360's, the ones who are holding onto it are buying more and more games for it. And that is where the real money is.
The exception to all this of course is Nightshooter. I think it's safe to blame his 360's demise on Daniel Craig as the console bought the farm about 48 hours after Night started using Craig's mug as his gamerpic. :v {:)
Rock Band will arrive today, and I'll have nothing to play it on! But I'll put everything together and see how it works just for fun.
Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you.
BTW, in case you were thinking of picking up Assassin's Creed, DON'T!!!! I bought the game a couple of weeks ago and at first it was a lot of fun. Trouble was that by the time I'd finished my first assassination, I'd literally seen EVERYTHING the game had to offer. After that, all the missions looked and played exactly the same - go to a town, climb X number of towers, save X number of people from angry guards, pickpocket X number of people, etc., etc., etc. The game got horribly repetitive - even the animations and voiceovers after each task were exactly the same. By the time I'd made it to the second city, only to be beseiged by the exact same play requirements, same animations, and even the same voiceovers, I'd had enough. I traded the game for some store credit that same day.
Instead, I've gone back and done a second playthrough of Mass Effect, this time going out of my way to find and play thru every sidequest. I just got an achievement that I'd unlocked the majority of them. By the time I finish the main quest for a second time I should be pretty well done with that game as well. We'll have to see if Bioware releases any downloadable content or I may sell that back as well as I think I've pretty much wrung all the replayability out of it.
But yeah, most reviews had been saying exactly what you found, which is why I won't be picking up the game.
As for Mass Effect, supposedly there will be downloadable content, but who knows if it will be substantial or worth your time.
So thats:
XBOX 360 Premium
and
2 Wireless Controllers
Games:
Dead Rising
Forza 2
Halo 3
The Simpsons Game
Stranglehold
and
Viva Pinyata
'Dead Rising' is fun but has a screwy save system and is quite hard. 'Forza 2' has some annoying cars but maybe it's because I keep getting beaten by my brother
If you like driving games then I'd suggest you spend some quality time with Forza 2. Once you get a handle on the realistic driving model the game can be a lot of fun, especially in the different feel and power of all the cars.
Never cared much for Dead Rising myself. As you say, the save system is really wonky and I hate the way the game respawns enemies every time you enter a room - even if you cleared it out 30 seconds earlier.
As for Halo3, the graphics alone are worth at least two playthrus. You'll see some very interesting worlds, pilot some pretty unique vehicles, and play with some snazzy weapons.
Hope you enjoy them all.
Unfortunately the 20" TV in my room, despite having all of the red, blue and green sockets, just shows a black screen when I attempt to run the machine in HD
I'm pretty terrible at Halo 3 - my EXP stands at 12 right now
I'm loving Mass Effect and Assassin's Creed.
Congrats IEUTD. Another X-Man! We'll have to start giving each other nicknames.
IEUTD, if the British premium 360 is anything like the American version, the A/V cable should have a switch on it to select either standard def or hi-def input. When you tried using the red/green/blue connectors, did you check to make sure that the switch was set to the hi-def setting?
Regardless, I hope you enjoy your 360. Assassin's Creed lost its charm for me after a few hours but hopefully you'll get more mileage out of it. And Mass Effect is a very solid RPG with some really striking worlds to visit, especially later on in the game.
I think you receive EXP (Experience Points) whenever you win an online match on Halo 3. When the game matches you up with players of a similar level, it is based on this EXP. So its only really related to Halo 3
Oh you should invest!
I finally picked up CoD4 yesterday; it was on sale at Best Buy for $38 and I decided to take the plunge. I've played a few missions and am enjoying it quite a bit. Although to be truthful, I really don't think it's "Game of the Year" material based on what I've seen so far. The graphics are really good, almost photo-realistic at times, but the environments are for the most part your garden variety bombed out towns and abandoned buildings - stuff that's been done before in other games like Ghost Recon and even Black. For my money, the alien landscapes of Halo 3 were far more memorable and visually arresting. Also the action in CoD4 can get too chaotic at times and you can lose site of what you're supposed to be doing or where you're supposed to be going. It's a great game and I am enjoying it, but I also think some of the reviewers have gotten a little carried away.
As for Marvel Ultimate Alliance, that was a fun beat-em-up. I still have the game myself as it really holds up to repeated playthrus.
Surely that makes for a more realistic battle scenario. Personally I absolutelty love the chaotic fights.
I too have found myself losing sight of what I am doing but I think it adds to the game. I hate to be led by the hand by games and although COD4 can be linear at times, you don't notice it as much as the battles are extremely distracting. At least thats how I've found it.
I do agree that certain reviewers have over-rated the game though. It's a great game, game of the year though?!? Not for me.
Oh, and I'm a little confused on how to get XBOX Live and how much it would cost?
Hope to see you online!
Still waiting for my 360, gents. The wait is agonizing. What awful timing - right over break.
However, I've been playing around a little with the Rock Band peripherals, and I can't wait to play the game. It will be awesome.
As for how Tony felt about CoD4, have you played the multiplayer? While the single player game was great, a lot of reviewers were very impressed with the multiplayer as well. As for Game of the Year, I agree. Mass Effect is my GotY, not CoD4.
Also, can everybody who played CoD4 post their FNG training time? I think it would be fun to compare (I don't remember mine, I think it was around 17 seconds, I'll get the real number once I get my 360 back).