Is now the time to buy an XBox 360?

Buddy Lee · November 2007

I couldn't find any threads in G&T about the purchase of an XBox 360, so here it goes...

I'm seriously considering the purchase of an XBox 360, but with all of the problems that have been coming up with the console I wonder if it's a good idea.

G&T, what are your thoughts on purchasing a new XBox? What do I need to know about it? How do warranties work and should I consider buying a service plan through a retail store?

Lord Yod · November 2007

I've been tossing the idea around myself, and at this point I think I'm going to wait until sometime next year when the Falcon units will be available used. (I have a PS3 and will basically only be getting it for its exclusives)

MegaMan001 · November 2007

Yes, now is probably the best time to buy one.

First, look for a model with a ship date past September, 2007 - that will increase your chances of getting a Falcon model with a improved chipset that is supposed to be more efficient. Barring that, just buy an Elite or Halo 3 edition and those have the improved chipsets as well.

Second, the Red Ring of Death (the most common fuck up) has a warranty of 3 years - so really no worries if anything goes wrong.

Three, I wouldn't get a service plan unless it is the Best Buy REPLACEMENT plan. It costs %10 of the cost of the item and Best Buy replaces the item if there are any issues.

EDIT: Plus, November quite possibly has the best line up of games releasing on a single platform, ever. I'd take a look through XBox 360's library and see if you can come up with 5 games you'd play on a regular basis (that's my rule of thumb for buying a new system).

Guek · November 2007

if you can afford it, yes.

Roshin · November 2007

I have a launch unit that has performed flawlessly, despite frequent use.

Scudo · November 2007

does the Best Buy plan let you keep your hard drive?

edit: I ask because my brother wants a 360, I got mine at a Costco and they have a 1 year warranty

MegaMan001 · November 2007

Scudo wrote: »

does the Best Buy plan let you keep your hard drive?

I couldn't say for sure, but I'm willing to bet no. This is based on other times I've used that replacement plan and they literally just grabbed another unit for me, updated my plan's info, and gave it to me over the counter.

Darlan · November 2007

The main question here is whether or not you have and will have a decently power PC: most of the highly acclaimed 360 games are also going to be/are out on PC, but they also demand a rather expensive one, and a 360 is a great gaming PC alternative.

Death of Rats · November 2007

Basically, if you want a 360 there are several things you need to look at.

Which model do you want? I'd go with the premium. At the moment it comes with 2 free games (one of arguable quality).

How worried are you about the RROD? At the moment it's looking like it isn't as big of a problem as it was 4-5 months ago. If you buy a new premium system that comes with the game bundle, you're probably getting a falcon model. Seeing how these remove the biggest cause of the RROD (the xclamps) and come with the new drives (which won't kidnap your family and kill you) the chances of you even needing your warranty are rather slim (by comparison to earlier this year). Just make sure that the box you get was manufactured during or after October. Someone will come here to tell you the lot number you need to have, I don't know it off the top of my head.

But onto the warranty.

How does the warranty work? I believe this is the way it works. You have a year (or is it 90 days? I'm not sure) worth of the normal warranty. If you console breaks down at all within this time you can call Microsoft and get it fixed for free.

The RROD warranty is completely different however. Most problems on the 360 come from the RROD, which is cause by overheating and stress put on the mainboard cause by the xclaps. If your 360 gets the RROD (which is 3 red lights on the front of the console), your console is busted. If this happens, for 3 years after your purchase date, you can get it replace by Microsoft for free. However, if you have any other problems besides the RROD, you're out of warranty. If you have multiple problems (RROD and a faulty DVD drive), you more than likely will get it replaced for free, as long as you only mention the RROD.

As far as purchasing a used system, I don't believe that the warranty is void on used systems (like ones from GameStop). So unless I am wrong on this, if you choose to go the used system route, you need to get a service plan through the store. It would more than likely be more beneficial to get a new system with 2 free games that you can sell if you don't want.

Buddy Lee · November 2007

Darlan wrote: »

The main question here is whether or not you have and will have a decently power PC: most of the highly acclaimed 360 games are also going to be/are out on PC, but they also demand a rather expensive one, and a 360 is a great gaming PC alternative.

I built a really powerful PC when I was in high school, but I didn't play games too much on it during my first year of college. It needs an upgrade in order to be considered "powerful" again.

The big reason that I want a 360 is for multiplayer play. Although I do enjoy single player games, gaming is so much more fun with a friend. A lot of my friends have 360s and it would probably be the best purchase out of all three major consoles.

-EDIT-
Death of Rats, that's an extremely helpful post. Thanks a lot. Does anybody have the lot number that DoR mentioned?

The_Spaniard · November 2007

Well this is a very complex question with a wide variety of factors that need to be taken into account. Give me a while to create a very detailed and thorough answer..

YES.

Well there you go.

Death of Rats · November 2007

Buddy Lee wrote: »

Darlan wrote: »

The main question here is whether or not you have and will have a decently power PC: most of the highly acclaimed 360 games are also going to be/are out on PC, but they also demand a rather expensive one, and a 360 is a great gaming PC alternative.

I built a really powerful PC when I was in high school, but I didn't play games too much on it during my first year of college. It needs an upgrade in order to be considered "powerful" again.

The big reason that I want a 360 is for multiplayer play. Although I do enjoy single player games, gaming is so much more fun with a friend. A lot of my friends have 360s and it would probably be the best purchase out of all three major consoles.

Go for it. The GoW and Halo 3 lan parties I've been at have been a blast. Easy to set up, no computer bullshit, and it's just fun. If your friends have 360s and you want to be involved in the multiplayer love fest, I'd say go for it. Even if it is for online (well, as long as you can invest $50 a year for Live).

grrarg · November 2007

Death of Rats wrote: »

If you buy a new premium system that comes with the game bundle, you're probably getting a falcon model.

This isn't necessarily true. I assumed that it was and ordered a bundle online a couple of weeks ago. The model I got was a Zephyr made in July. It looks like Microsoft just took all the unsold premiums with HDMI and put the Marvel/Forza game inside then slapped a couple of stickers on the box.

The best way to see what model you are getting is to go to a brick and mortar store and check the serial number. There's a little tab on the box you can pull out to check. I wish I had done that, but I assumed all the new Premiums with HDMI had the new chips.

Death of Rats · November 2007

grrarg wrote: »

Death of Rats wrote: »

If you buy a new premium system that comes with the game bundle, you're probably getting a falcon model.

This isn't necessarily true. I assumed that it was and ordered a bundle online a couple of weeks ago. The model I got was a Zephyr made in July. It looks like Microsoft just took all the unsold premiums with HDMI and put the Marvel/Forza game inside then slapped a couple of stickers on the box.

The best way to see what model you are getting is to go to a brick and mortar store and check the serial number. There's a little tab on the box you can pull out to check. I wish I had done that, but I assumed all the new Premiums with HDMI had the new chips.

Ok, good to know. Pay attention to this then. If you buy a 360, you really want to get the Falcon model.

Buddy Lee · November 2007

Okay, does anybody know what serial number to look for? I don't even know where I would find this information...

-EDIT-
I got it.

IGN wrote:

[...a Falcon model can be] identified by its lot # of 734. Other users have confirmed that not all Halo 3 edition consoles are built on the Falcon mobo, so prospective buyers in search of a revised console should shop hard to find units manufactured on the same or later date, ideally also of the same lot, 734. Such manufacturing information is printed on the outside of Xbox 360 boxes, so just ask to inspect the box before purchasing.

The article is about a guy at IGN who disassembled a Halo 3 edition of the 360 to check if it was a Falcon model. The manufacturing date was at the end of August of 2007.

The_Scarab · November 2007

Buddy Lee wrote: »

Okay, does anybody know what serial number to look for? I don't even know where I would find this information...

MS 882224380751,

RFX · November 2007

Is an Elite worth getting? I really like the idea of a bigger hard drive in order to download movies and TV shows on there, but what's the quality like? I know that some are available in HD, but not all - will this be changing over the next year or so, as more movies also come out on HD/BluRay? I see the Xbox website has special tags for those with 5.1 audio. Does that mean the rest are just going to be in stereo? If so, that seems to make the bigger hard drive pretty worthless, since I would get a much better experience with DVDs, despite the lack of digital distribution.

The_Scarab · November 2007

RFX wrote: »

Is an Elite worth getting? I really like the idea of a bigger hard drive in order to download movies and TV shows on there, but what's the quality like? I know that some are available in HD, but not all - will this be changing over the next year or so, as more movies also come out on HD/BluRay? I see the Xbox website has special tags for those with 5.1 audio. Does that mean the rest are just going to be in stereo? If so, that seems to make the bigger hard drive pretty worthless, since I would get a much better experience with DVDs, despite the lack of digital distribution.

With Premiums now having HDMI there is no reason to get an Elite unless you like the colour black.

the 20gb HDD with the premium is, frankly, ample space for anything. If you need more HDD space while it is costly getting the 120gb HDD standalone may be better.

The point is, you just dont know if you are going to need all that space if you get an elite. you might not. I certainly dont.

imo 20gb is loads of space. minus 7 for caching 13 wont fill up quick. as long as you delete large stuff you dont need anymore.

The_Spaniard · November 2007

The_Scarab wrote: »

RFX wrote: »

Is an Elite worth getting? I really like the idea of a bigger hard drive in order to download movies and TV shows on there, but what's the quality like? I know that some are available in HD, but not all - will this be changing over the next year or so, as more movies also come out on HD/BluRay? I see the Xbox website has special tags for those with 5.1 audio. Does that mean the rest are just going to be in stereo? If so, that seems to make the bigger hard drive pretty worthless, since I would get a much better experience with DVDs, despite the lack of digital distribution.

With Premiums now having HDMI there is no reason to get an Elite unless you like the colour black.

the 20gb HDD with the premium is, frankly, ample space for anything. If you need more HDD space while it is costly getting the 120gb HDD standalone may be better.

The point is, you just dont know if you are going to need all that space if you get an elite. you might not. I certainly dont.

imo 20gb is loads of space. minus 7 for caching 13 wont fill up quick. as long as you delete large stuff you dont need anymore.

I own an Elite and I use a hell of a lot of the HDD space. I like having lots of demos and videos and that will fill you up quick on a 20 gigger if you have just 13gigs to work with and the bigger demos clock in at around a gig to a gig and a half.

Zephyr · November 2007

i don't know about you but i usually delete demos after i'm done with them

because they're demos

The_Spaniard · November 2007

Zephyr wrote: »

i don't know about you but i usually delete demos after i'm done with them

because they're demos

Some people are more content with a demo than the full game, it's just the perfect amount of said game for them so they keep it to play whenever they are in the mood for that type of game.

Or I myself like to keep demos for games I intend to get down the road so that I have something of the game to play till I get it. Not all demos mind you, but demos that don't get old after only one play.

Proto · November 2007

MegaMan001 wrote: »

Scudo wrote: »

does the Best Buy plan let you keep your hard drive?

I couldn't say for sure, but I'm willing to bet no. This is based on other times I've used that replacement plan and they literally just grabbed another unit for me, updated my plan's info, and gave it to me over the counter.

They let me keep my HDD (this was on the 30 day exchange, I had a bad optical drive). Pulled one off the shelf, opened it up and swapped the drives. No problem at all.

Variable · November 2007

I'm happy I got 120 gigs, being as I currently have more than 20gigs worth of space taken up between demos, a couple of tv shows, and xbla games (tho they are small).

if you can afford it without it cuting hard into your game related budget, having extra space is always better.

Jean · November 2007

I heard than 360s made in/after late August '07 (dont remenber the exact date) with a lot number of 733 or more are of the Falcon variaion.. is that true?

Hooraydiation · November 2007

Historically, what's the timing for the first drop in a system's price?

Shadowfire · November 2007

I haven't seen mention of the 360 bundle right now (I may have missed it), but you also get two fucking awesome games with premium systems... Forza 2, and Marvel Ultimate Alliance. So yea, this is a great time to buy.

KVW · November 2007

Game wise, ya, this is probably the perfect time to buy a 360. It's probably got the strongest xmas line up I've ever seen without even counting the multiplatform titles.

If you're from Canada, Dell.ca has a nice deal going from now until the 9th.

Basically, it's the Holiday bundle with Ultimate Alliance, Forza 2, 20 GB HD, with HDMI port / cable all for $399.99 with free shipping. On top of that they throw in Halo 3 for free. Here's the linky if anyone's interested. It's the best I've found for deals in Canada. US might have better deals though.

Death of Rats · November 2007

Hooraydiation wrote: »

Historically, what's the timing for the first drop in a system's price?

Around 3 months ago... when the 360's price dropped.

Lord Yod · November 2007

Buddy Lee wrote: »

Okay, does anybody know what serial number to look for? I don't even know where I would find this information...

-EDIT-
I got it.

IGN wrote:

[...a Falcon model can be] identified by its lot # of 734. Other users have confirmed that not all Halo 3 edition consoles are built on the Falcon mobo, so prospective buyers in search of a revised console should shop hard to find units manufactured on the same or later date, ideally also of the same lot, 734. Such manufacturing information is printed on the outside of Xbox 360 boxes, so just ask to inspect the box before purchasing.

The article is about a guy at IGN who disassembled a Halo 3 edition of the 360 to check if it was a Falcon model. The manufacturing date was at the end of August of 2007.

Aren't they also labelled on the sticker? I remember reading somewhere around here that the Zephyrs are marked 'Zyphr'. (Obviously I could be way wrong)

Inglorious Coyote · November 2007

Is now a good time to buy a 360?

Short answer: Yes

Long answer: Hell Yes.

arod_77 · November 2007

MegaMan001 wrote: »

Scudo wrote: »

does the Best Buy plan let you keep your hard drive?

I couldn't say for sure, but I'm willing to bet no. This is based on other times I've used that replacement plan and they literally just grabbed another unit for me, updated my plan's info, and gave it to me over the counter.

I just cashed in my plan yesterday and they let me keep it

Left Wing jAy · November 2007

Never looked at a 360 until now, so one question (probably a stupid one):

Can I (In the UK) get one from America and happily use it over here? The term region-free has been tossed around...

But yeah, alot of deals right now involve the Premium and 2 Good games for for Â£249.99, so I'm very tempted...

EclecticGroove · November 2007

Left Wing jAy wrote: »

Never looked at a 360 until now, so one question (probably a stupid one):

Can I (In the UK) get one from America and happily use it over here? The term region-free has been tossed around...

But yeah, alot of deals right now involve the Premium and 2 Good games for for Â£249.99, so I'm very tempted...

The bigger problem with the whole Americas/Europe thing is the whole Pal vs ntsc issue. I don't know if a NA 360 will output PAL (or vice versa). That would be a bigger issue than just worrying about region free games.

Smug Duckling · November 2007

Hmm, I bought my 360 in October and it has a HDMI port but a serial number 074053273607. Does that mean it's not one of the good ones?

(Not that I care too much, since it seems to work fine and runs nice and cool.)

EDIT: Just checked the box and it looks like it has a lot number of 735 and the number under the barcode is 882224573887.

The_Scarab · November 2007

EclecticGroove wrote: »

Left Wing jAy wrote: »

Never looked at a 360 until now, so one question (probably a stupid one):

Can I (In the UK) get one from America and happily use it over here? The term region-free has been tossed around...

But yeah, alot of deals right now involve the Premium and 2 Good games for for Â£249.99, so I'm very tempted...

The bigger problem with the whole Americas/Europe thing is the whole Pal vs ntsc issue. I don't know if a NA 360 will output PAL (or vice versa). That would be a bigger issue than just worrying about region free games.

Only if using composite.

afaik if you use component or vga or hdmi with the 360 ntsc will display on a tv bought in the uk. dont quote me on this.

ive played an american 360 on my hdtv fine using standard cables but it could be a one off.

Strato · November 2007

"Buy it, best system ever, etc."

Go go go

Santa Claustrophobia · November 2007

Death of Rats wrote: »

grrarg wrote: »

Death of Rats wrote: »

If you buy a new premium system that comes with the game bundle, you're probably getting a falcon model.

This isn't necessarily true. I assumed that it was and ordered a bundle online a couple of weeks ago. The model I got was a Zephyr made in July. It looks like Microsoft just took all the unsold premiums with HDMI and put the Marvel/Forza game inside then slapped a couple of stickers on the box.

The best way to see what model you are getting is to go to a brick and mortar store and check the serial number. There's a little tab on the box you can pull out to check. I wish I had done that, but I assumed all the new Premiums with HDMI had the new chips.

Ok, good to know. Pay attention to this then. If you buy a 360, you really want to get the Falcon model.

Ordering online was the trap here. The only way to ensure a newer 360 is to buy it from a brick and mortar store.

If it hasn't been said, the Lot # is 0734 and up. I saw a Premium system with a Lot # of 0737 the other day if that matters to anybody.

Gdiguy · November 2007

Santa Claustrophobia wrote: »

Death of Rats wrote: »

grrarg wrote: »

Death of Rats wrote: »

If you buy a new premium system that comes with the game bundle, you're probably getting a falcon model.

This isn't necessarily true. I assumed that it was and ordered a bundle online a couple of weeks ago. The model I got was a Zephyr made in July. It looks like Microsoft just took all the unsold premiums with HDMI and put the Marvel/Forza game inside then slapped a couple of stickers on the box.

The best way to see what model you are getting is to go to a brick and mortar store and check the serial number. There's a little tab on the box you can pull out to check. I wish I had done that, but I assumed all the new Premiums with HDMI had the new chips.

Ok, good to know. Pay attention to this then. If you buy a 360, you really want to get the Falcon model.

Ordering online was the trap here. The only way to ensure a newer 360 is to buy it from a brick and mortar store.

If it hasn't been said, the Lot # is 0734 and up. I saw a Premium system with a Lot # of 0737 the other day if that matters to anybody.

What's the deal with the new bundles - are they all newly made consoles, or did they just repackage old consoles with the extra pack-in stuff?

Santa Claustrophobia · November 2007

arod_77 wrote: »

MegaMan001 wrote: »

Scudo wrote: »

does the Best Buy plan let you keep your hard drive?

I couldn't say for sure, but I'm willing to bet no. This is based on other times I've used that replacement plan and they literally just grabbed another unit for me, updated my plan's info, and gave it to me over the counter.

I just cashed in my plan yesterday and they let me keep it

Check with the store you buy it from to be sure. Get it in writing from a manager if you're worried about it.

Wienke · November 2007

Gdiguy wrote: »

Santa Claustrophobia wrote: »

Death of Rats wrote: »

grrarg wrote: »

Death of Rats wrote: »

If you buy a new premium system that comes with the game bundle, you're probably getting a falcon model.

This isn't necessarily true. I assumed that it was and ordered a bundle online a couple of weeks ago. The model I got was a Zephyr made in July. It looks like Microsoft just took all the unsold premiums with HDMI and put the Marvel/Forza game inside then slapped a couple of stickers on the box.

The best way to see what model you are getting is to go to a brick and mortar store and check the serial number. There's a little tab on the box you can pull out to check. I wish I had done that, but I assumed all the new Premiums with HDMI had the new chips.

Ok, good to know. Pay attention to this then. If you buy a 360, you really want to get the Falcon model.

Ordering online was the trap here. The only way to ensure a newer 360 is to buy it from a brick and mortar store.

If it hasn't been said, the Lot # is 0734 and up. I saw a Premium system with a Lot # of 0737 the other day if that matters to anybody.

What's the deal with the new bundles - are they all newly made consoles, or did they just repackage old consoles with the extra pack-in stuff?

I got the Forza/M:UA bundle and I think it's pretty awesome. I had a pretty lousy 360 from last christmas and I also had a launch one, they were both really loud and got pretty hot. This HDMI one, even though it may be the older "Zephyr" model, isn't nearly as loud nor does it get as hot.

I'm also a sucker for pack-in games.

Dodge Aspen · November 2007

The new Arcade pack has taken away the one barrier keeping me from getting a 360: The price. The lack of hard drive is somewhat off-putting, but that's why the price is so low. I really don't have any need for movies or tv shows. Mostly XBLA games and possibly some demos. I will likely get one in the near future, and see just how much stuff I download. Maybe I'll grab a hard drive down the road as an upgrade if I find I really need one.

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