Xbox 360 place in gaming

[errolwd40]

Just wondering how well the xbox 360 will be judged in future years? I think it could be judged one of the best machines of all time, an awesome games catalogue (gears, pgr, forza, fable, left 4 dead, halo, best multi format conversions) first machine to offer full online gaming with just about every game and first to offer hd. The reliablity would go against it I think but overall I think it will cetainly be judged as the best of this gen at the very least. Cheers.

[AmigaJay]

Yeah I agree it's the best of this generation, never any problems with the two different models I've owned, sadly the same cant be said with my PS3.
I wouldn't say nearly every game has online play as their are plenty that don't, though I think the Dreamcast will be remembered for the first console that offered online play, with the original Xbox first to go broadband only online.
Speaking of the original Xbox, this, not the 360 was the first console that enabled some games to be played in 'HD' 720p or 1080i though of course not many had sets back then so not much was known about it.

[IronMaidenRule]

I think it will be seen as the Spectrum equivalent of this generation, the PS3 might have had slightly better graphics and more features like a Blu-Ray drive, but the 360 has hit the correct price point and probably sold a lot more consoles, despite being arguably inferior.

[Negative Creep]

Could be argued that it was the first console to successfully market itself as a media centre as well just playing games. For better or worse, it also really pushed the idea of DLC forward

[James A]

Its the best machine of this generation hands down. Xbox live & Acheivements have really moved things on and brought plenty of new ideas. Also theres the amount of retro stuff thats been brought through XBLA.

[Antiriad2097]

Could be argued that it was the first console to successfully market itself as a media centre as well just playing games.

Except the PS2 DVD drive was a significant selling point in the previous generation.

[pratty]

I think it will be remembered quite fondly for it's games and gaming experience.

However from a retro gaming point of view, there is always the question of it's durability. I do wonder how easy/difficult will it be in the future to acquire a relaible 360.

[killbot]

Unsurprisingly, the Wii is the machine of the generation for me, but the 360 deserves praise for picking a niche ('hardcore' gamers who like shooting things), doing everything that that niche wanted it to with a minimum of fuss and selling very well as a result. At least until the last couple of years when Kinect has seen MS kind of lose sight of where the machine is actually going. Yes, the appalling failure rate of early models is a big setback but still, I think history will judge it kindly.

[killbot]

I think it will be remembered quite fondly for it's games and gaming experience.

However from a retro gaming point of view, there is always the question of it's durability. I do wonder how easy/difficult will it be in the future to acquire a relaible 360.

Yes, that will be a problem. In fact it will be doubly problematic from a retro perspective, since many of the games rely heavily on online multiplayer which won't work any more in a few years when the servers are switched off. Okay, the larger titles might see private servers spring up but I do worry that the 360's place in the pantheon of great consoles is kind of reliant on a. having access to Live and b. having access to a machine that works properly. Since most people in the long-term future will have neither, you do wonder what people in 20 years time will think of it.

[Misery]

The thing though also has a (very well-deserved) reputation for only having FPS games.... I think that really hurts it (alot). I mean, seriously, the selection couldnt BE more boring, for anyone that DOESNT like FPS games or the other things it has, like FPS games, FPS games, oh, and lets not forget FPS games. ......and Dead Rising (which is LITERALLY the only thing about the console that stuck out for me). If you're the type of player that can get into those (or other competetive online games), the thing apparantly has alot to offer, but if you're NOT.... it's damn near useless.

I dont like the Wii one bit, but even that thing put out a couple of games I didnt COMPLETELY loathe. I dont think the 360 ever did that, beyond the imports. Gave away my non-import console after using it for like 10 months as a doorstop. It didnt even fulfill THAT role well.



That, and the aforementioned failure rate. Though I never actually had one die on me, despite me hitting them with stuff.

[The Laird]

Is this for real? Are we really discussing this, is this what RETRO gamer forum has come to. Oh dear . . .

[Sel Feena]

Doesn't seem any different from the mag's Future Classics articles... I do wonder if this console and PS3 will be viewed as marking a turning point to how games are delivered to us, if MS and Sony are going to be big enough gits to lock out preowned titles come their next hardware releases.

[skylarking]

The thing though also has a (very well-deserved) reputation for only having FPS games.... I think that really hurts it (alot). I mean, seriously, the selection couldnt BE more boring, for anyone that DOESNT like FPS games or the other things it has, like FPS games, FPS games, oh, and lets not forget FPS games. ......and Dead Rising (which is LITERALLY the only thing about the console that stuck out for me). If you're the type of player that can get into those (or other competetive online games), the thing apparantly has alot to offer, but if you're NOT.... it's damn near useless.

I dont like the Wii one bit, but even that thing put out a couple of games I didnt COMPLETELY loathe. I dont think the 360 ever did that, beyond the imports. Gave away my non-import console after using it for like 10 months as a doorstop. It didnt even fulfill THAT role well.

WTF? The 360 has a great range of non-FPS games, especially if you take into account Xbox Live Arcade. I don't play FPS's that much, but the 360 is my main console.

[Misery]

The thing though also has a (very well-deserved) reputation for only having FPS games.... I think that really hurts it (alot). I mean, seriously, the selection couldnt BE more boring, for anyone that DOESNT like FPS games or the other things it has, like FPS games, FPS games, oh, and lets not forget FPS games. ......and Dead Rising (which is LITERALLY the only thing about the console that stuck out for me). If you're the type of player that can get into those (or other competetive online games), the thing apparantly has alot to offer, but if you're NOT.... it's damn near useless.

I dont like the Wii one bit, but even that thing put out a couple of games I didnt COMPLETELY loathe. I dont think the 360 ever did that, beyond the imports. Gave away my non-import console after using it for like 10 months as a doorstop. It didnt even fulfill THAT role well.

WTF? The 360 has a great range of non-FPS games, especially if you take into account Xbox Live Arcade. I don't play FPS's that much, but the 360 is my main console.

Oh, I dont mean it actually DOES have *only* FPS titles; but that's it's reputation among those that dont care for it much (and even among a good number that do like it). The rest is my usual sarcasm.

At the same time though..... I really do find it's selection to be terminally boring (giving it away due to lack of interest was NOT sarcasm). And it really does have WAY way way way WAY too many FPS types (and I lump any third-person shooter in with those). Dead Rising really is the only interesting game I've ever found for it that isnt an import, and even then, that game is plagued with problems of it's own (I should point out that I loathe pretty much all AAA titles; I've yet to find even one exception to this).

I can safely say that I dont miss the idiotic thing.

Also, I probably should have pointed out that I mean retail games, when I speak of this. XBLA has some good stuff, to a point. Not nearly enough though.

Is this for real? Are we really discussing this, is this what RETRO gamer forum has come to. Oh dear . . .

What did you expect?

Besides, just because it's not retro doesnt mean it's instantly bad. That's more of a general statement, mind you, I still really dont like the 360 much at all. Frankly, all 3 consoles can go leap off a cliff.

[batman877]

Pros:

• Great catalogue of games
  Stable and well maintained online service
  Achievements

Cons:

• Early models were very noisy
  Red ring of death
  Online subscription service
  Extra cost to turn a basic model into something worthy of a current gen machine (e.g. larger hard drive, wifi, wireless controllers etc)
  Kinect - did we really need it on a machine like this? (i.e. a machine built for gamers)

It will certainly take it's place in history and will largely be remembered as a huge success.