So like the Xbox 360 comes out in 3 days here in Australia... who's getting one???

[GTS_300_Coupe]

Guys give it time.
Remember when PS2 first launched and had games like Ridge Racer and Dark Cloud?
Those games looked really crappy.

I think the original xbox was the only console to launch with an amazing line up and awesome graphics compared to the previous generation.
Developers just need to get used to the new systems hardware to take full advantage of it.

That being said, if you had 2 similar games type games (ie. gran tourismo 4 ps2 & project gotham racing 3) side by side running the graphical difference would be very noticeable.
Plus some of you dont notice the little touches that the new games have you wouldnt of seen in previous game consoles such as real time reflections in car's paintwork, leaves blowing across the ground, etc.

And whoever said the new 360 ghost recon looks like grand theft auto clearly needs to get his eyes checked.
Theres no comparison.

Ghost Recon



Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

[F6Tornado]

we had one on pre-order but cancelled it as there is only one or two games I'd consider playing on it. I'm going to build a computer instead and hook it up to the plasma - pretty much the same as an xbox IMO.

Schaz

[GTS_300_Coupe]

Gran Tourismo 4 PS2


Project Gotham Racing 3 360


Again, the difference in quality is MASSIVE.

[JADED6]

Geez. Yeh I'll pay that GTS 300 COUPE..
Not long to go til release. For those that buy them, darg yourselves away from it if you can & post what you think of it.

[EA2BA]

There are very few games written exclusively for the xbox-360 just yet, without a HD you cant play any old Xbox games on it and even then only about 50% are currently compatible (i guess more patches to be released). Sounds like a bit of a rushed jump of the gun again from microsoft like nearly all products they release.

The Xbox without a HD is just like a PS2 in reality (although graphics apprear better), wasnt the HD the be all to end all cry of the Xbox, thats what made it faster and better then PS2, Microsoft can never get their act together.

I will stick with playstation for my money, mainly has I have a stack of games already.

[Creampuff]

Iwill stick with PS2...then PS3....all the pictures shown here are on an LCD screen..anything looks good with that!

[Gambit]

In this mornings local paper at Big W all Xbox 360 games are $75 today only which is a pretty good price. I assume this would be everywhere.

[MYVYSS]

I would really like one, however I have seen approx 6 different machines in the stores all LOCKED up and needing a reboot, I hear they are having problems with overheating but I could be wrong...The graphics are the best I have ever seen from a Gaming Console.

[FPV8U]

Looks great but i'll wait for PS3 late this year and decide which one i will buy.

[CongoAU2]

I've got one on order and can't wait to be able to go and pick it up in a couple of hours. For all you knockers sony only really has one game that most people buy a playstation for and that is gran turismo. And Project gotham is getting pretty close to that. The games graphics are obvoiusly gonna get a lot better, probably within the next 6 months.

[Rastus]

I settle for my xenium chipped, 200 gig HD equipped xbox for the time being until prices do the usual free fall. Probably when PS3 arrives. I've already got the media center/networking and all that gear so it offers not much apart from "prettier" gaming and latest titles.

[GTS_300_Coupe]

i'll be picking up my 360 at midnight tonight.
I'm going to the midnight launch party here. :

[martO]

Originally Posted by GTS_300_Coupe

i'll be picking up my 360 at midnight tonight.
I'm going to the midnight launch party here. :

I'm going tonight to pick up my copy of Oblivion for PC, and my brother is picking up his 360 plus oblivion for the xbox. I hope I can get the PC version at 10pm like they said and dont have to wait 2hrs to get the game which is when the xbox guys can get their stuff.

[Grechie]

Originally Posted by GTS_300_Coupe

i'll be picking up my 360 at midnight tonight.
I'm going to the midnight launch party here. :

where abouts is the xbox 360 launch?

[GTS_300_Coupe]

Originally Posted by Grechie

where abouts is the xbox 360 launch?

depends on your city.
Mine is being held at one of our major shopping centres for EB in Townsville here.

[Venomous]

Yeah, i would love one, althou the two at my local shopping system are already goonee. Not sure what's wrong with them, but they no worky no more.

[Big_Fella]

i turned my last xbox into a computer and xbox in one, i cant wait till they figure out how to do this to the new one and then i'll have the best of both worlds lol

[Mack 6]

Story in the paper this morning about a guy who went to an XBOX 360 launch party here in adelaide, picked up his new toy, and on the way our was confronted by two men with knives who lightened his load a little. Maybe they thought the price was a little out of reach for them.
You would be spewing tho if someone nicked yours while it was still in the box!!!!!

[XA Coupsta]

So guys with the 360's..........how are they?

Im going to wait for a PS3 myself. Anyone heard of the new blu-ray technology the PS3 is coming out with? This is what delayed the launch - they couldnt agree on copyright issues or protections or something.

But a blu-ray disc holds 3 or 4 times more info than a standard DVD type disc. Therefore with that capacity games should be sensational.

[HSE2]

Originally Posted by AUII_SE_Ute

No, you're not the only one.

I trialled one at K-Mart running PGR 3 and first impression was that my X-Box I have now is almost exactly the same in graphics quality.

Sorry Bill, you've done bad...

My local Kmart had a similar set up and was getting comments exactly like what you have stated. Hooked it up to a small LCD and the opinions changed very quickly. Personally I didn't see it before the LCD screen so I can't comment but the PGR that I saw was very impressive. The PC monitors have a huge advantage over normal TV.

I was looking seriously at PS3 but have gone 360. I think Sony have made the same mistake that Sega made with the Saturn. Technically it may have the edge in some specs but the experts can’t agree how this will translate in the real world. Each have certain architectural advantages and unknowns that make the systems hard to judge, especially so considering what Sony say and what they deliver are often worlds apart. 360 has had some over heating issues in other markets so the launch hasn't been glitch free. However most seem to agree the PS3 is going to be a ИИИИИ to program for unless Sony can get decent development tools to the programmers.

It doesn’t matter how good the machine is if the programmers can't take full advantage of the hardware.

[seano14]

Originally Posted by HSE2

I was looking seriously at PS3 but have gone 360. I think Sony have made the same mistake that Sega made with the Saturn. Technically it may have the edge in some specs but the experts can’t agree how this will translate in the real world. Each have certain architectural advantages and unknowns that make the systems hard to judge, especially so considering what Sony say and what they deliver are often worlds apart. 360 has had some over heating issues in other markets so the launch hasn't been glitch free. However most seem to agree the PS3 is going to be a ИИИИИ to program for unless Sony can get decent development tools to the programmers.

It doesn’t matter how good the machine is if the programmers can't take full advantage of the hardware.

people ever said the same thing about the ps2 before it came out, but i never saw anyone discouraged to develop for it. nintendo screamed from the rooftops that their cube was dead easy for developers but i never saw a mass exodus of companies jumping ship from sony.

one thing that gets me is the xb360 sounds amazing on paper, 3x 3.2GHZ cpu's or something isnt it? yet the screenshots here dont look all that far above the latest PC stuff.

combined with the other news of games freezing and the console itself overheating would also signal to me that the smartest thing to do may be to actually wait a few months, wait until these things are ironed out and the console drops its price a bit, then buy one.

as for comparing PGR3 to GT4; it does look a damn sight better and so it should, your comparing a 2001 released console to a 2006 one. sony also has a massive foothold in japan, and IMO most of the groundbreaking stuff like GT and metal gear comes from there. each to their own i guess.

[HSE2]

PS3 is hugely removed from anything that has come before it and pushes the boundaries in so many areas all at once. Sony has definitely got sick of being on the weak end of technology but it will be ironic should they loss market share in this pursuit. Blue ray is a huge gamble by itself let alone the architecture design and use. Although superior there is a risk the current format war between the two corporations could alone be deciding. Sony hasn't sat on the fence with their new machine and deserves to be successful but the increasing amount of delays points to how far they are pushing the boundary.

[TheSneakiness]

Originally Posted by HSE2

My local Kmart had a similar set up and was getting comments exactly like what you have stated. Hooked it up to a small LCD and the opinions changed very quickly. Personally I didn't see it before the LCD screen so I can't comment but the PGR that I saw was very impressive. The PC monitors have a huge advantage over normal TV.

The one I played was on a small LCD.

I'm going to wait until PS3 launches and see what happens from there.

[XplosiveR6]

Originally Posted by GTS_300_Coupe

That all depends really.
The Xbox 360 is more powerful than any market PC currently available and as a dedicated gaming machine you will be able to play games better with no need to upgrade or download patches.
The only way you will experience the full potential of the consoles hardware is if you have a High Definition TV.
Playing it on a regular TV wont do any justice so yes if you have a really powerful PC it might be better to play whats available on that instead but if you got a brand new TV the xbox 360 will look better and run smoother.

Plus its more fun to play games on a couch than on a computer desk. :

i would certainly disagree with you, you obviously have never played a high end PC, so you are in position to judge which is better.
The pictures you are given are certainly not mind blowing, compared to xbox or PS2 yes they are definately better, but they are about on par with about 1-2year old PC games, FEAR, doom3, Battlefield 2, Halflife2 all on high res, decent PCs will look better then those games, and thee games game out ages ago, then with this Xbox, to even be able to see the graphics you need to spend thousands on a plasma sceen.

do you seriously think a $3000PC is less powerful then a $500 gaming console? lets be serious here, you get what you pay for, Xboxes dont have some magical technology which pc manufacturers have never heard of before, as soon as new computer technology comes out they will make it for PC consumers.
more fun playing on a couch, thats your opinion, you simply cant beat the mouse and keyboard for accuracy that a control pad can only dream of, though some games are better with a control pad

[HSE2]

Originally Posted by AUII_SE_Ute

The one I played was on a small LCD.

I'm going to wait until PS3 launches and see what happens from there.

That’s a fair call but I have to say that after setting the Xbox back up and running PG along side Xbox 360 to show friends the difference, your observation seems odd given you are comparing the old version against the new machine especially in the areas of lighting, reflections and speed. The difference isn't small and was very noticeable so far to everyone I have shown. Comparing it to a current top end PC might be a different matter but then again so to be the price. I seem to remember reading these new consoles are the new direction for PC architecture in reducing piping bottlenecks, but then again you can’t believe everything one reads.

[HSE2]

Originally Posted by EF_Dave

i would certainly disagree with you, you obviously have never played a high end PC, so you are in position to judge which is better.
The pictures you are given are certainly not mind blowing, compared to xbox or PS2 yes they are definately better, but they are about on par with about 1-2year old PC games, FEAR, doom3, Battlefield 2, Halflife2 all on high res, decent PCs will look better then those games, and thee games game out ages ago, then with this Xbox, to even be able to see the graphics you need to spend thousands on a plasma sceen.

do you seriously think a $3000PC is less powerful then a $500 gaming console? lets be serious here, you get what you pay for, Xboxes dont have some magical technology which pc manufacturers have never heard of before, as soon as new computer technology comes out they will make it for PC consumers.
more fun playing on a couch, thats your opinion, you simply cant beat the mouse and keyboard for accuracy that a control pad can only dream of, though some games are better with a control pad

It’s not as simple as that. There is no difference between PC and console as these are just terms used to distinguish the case for which the guts sit.

Here one quote.

"When Associate Editor Rich Brown asked the folks from Nvidia about the value proposition of high-end PCs vs. next-gen consoles, he didn't quite get the answer he was looking for. In his E3 PC gaming blog, Rich paraphrased the PR rep as saying that "if next-generation consoles represent the best that Nvidia and ATI can do at the time when those consoles launch, you'll still be able to count on PC hardware surpassing the PS3 and the Xbox 360--within a few years."

Same goes to the processors and in Sony’s case the claim is


"The PS3's Cell processor--combined with an Nvidia-based RSX graphics processor--will offer stronger graphical performance than just about anything you can get in a current gaming PC. That means you're getting a whole system for less than what it would cost to buy a cutting-edge, high-end graphics card. But you don't have to take my word for it or even Sony's: the claim that the PS3 will offer the equivalent graphics performance of two GeForce 6800 Ultra cards working in tandem came from Jen-Hsun Huang, president and CEO of Nvidia. Current cost of those cards: about $500 each. Cost of Alienware's Aurora ALX SLI, which incorporates a dual 6800 Ultra configuration: nearly $5,000. And how many consumers are willing to pay hundreds extra for PC graphics cards that the manufacturer's own CEO admits are inferior? I'll let you do the math"


These quotes are from Cnet reviews. Dedicated forums argue the accuracy for and against but at launch the INDUSTRY claim is as stated. Where individuals argue is at the level of dedicated and assigned support with in these elements.

[ON_DUBS]

nope. upgraded the pc instead.

[FASTXR]

Originally Posted by EF_Dave

more fun playing on a couch, thats your opinion, you simply cant beat the mouse and keyboard for accuracy that a control pad can only dream of, though some games are better with a control pad

I have to agree. When it comes to racing games, I find the PS2 controllers perfect to use. However, the PC wins hands down for FPS games - I find the up/down/, left/right and back/forward movements soooo much easier with a mouse than with the gamepad.

[BlueRaven]

Originally Posted by FASTXR

I have to agree. When it comes to racing games, I find the PS2 controllers perfect to use. However, the PC wins hands down for FPS games - I find the up/down/, left/right and back/forward movements soooo much easier with a mouse than with the gamepad.

Good point.

FPS for computers, racing for consoles.

However, I've got to say...Consoles today are only just starting to catch up with the awesome power of the ATARI 2600!!!

[Ultimate]

Originally Posted by GTS_300_Coupe

That all depends really.
The Xbox 360 is more powerful than any market PC currently available and as a dedicated gaming machine you will be able to play games better with no need to upgrade or download patches.
The only way you will experience the full potential of the consoles hardware is if you have a High Definition TV.
Playing it on a regular TV wont do any justice so yes if you have a really powerful PC it might be better to play whats available on that instead but if you got a brand new TV the xbox 360 will look better and run smoother.

Plus its more fun to play games on a couch than on a computer desk. :

Yes well i dont think the xbox could beat duel x850xt running in sli mode, with 4gb of ram, and duel core 4800+ cpu's. Also you cant get a tv screen that will do big resolutions. Dell make a 30inch moniter which its native resolution is more then what any video cards in the world cant run maxed out on fear