Another sight ont he way to work today: avid gamers standing in line, waiting for the store to open so they could pick up their shiny new XBox360 systems. The folks I saw apparently weren’t able to find any of the stores that were open at midnight, but at least they got a good night’s sleep in anticipation of a day of gaming.
The reviews I’ve read indicate that the system is pretty sweet. Screenshots of games show graphics previously unattainable in a console system. I don’t yet know whether the initial game lineup will use that raw power to take the gaming experience to the next level, but I’m sure game developers will find a way to use it sooner or later.
The online experience will be a lot richer with the new system. Customizable profiles, in-depth information about gamers, records of “achievements” all promise to keep gamers online for even longer periods of time. Downloadable micro-content, such as character upgrades, outfits, equipment, and the like, will be available for online purchase, promising to keep open the money pipeline to Microsoft from gamers’ wallets. I haven’t seen any examples of this yet; I’ll have to reserve judgment until I actually see for myself.
Others, less game-centric, have been drooling over the network-ready media features. You’ll apparently be able to stream music and even listen to podcasts via the media features. One early adopter found something for the whole family:
My wife was openly hostile to the 360 for a day or so, basically treating it like some cheap hussy I’d brought home. That is, until I showed her that we could use it to browse all of our family photos through the TV and create those adorable pan-and-scan slideshows with any music she wanted behind it. Best. Wife-appeasing. Feature. Ever.
The big question in your mind, of course, is why I’m sitting here writing this instead of blasting away on Perfect Dark Zero or punching out the competition in DOA4. The answer, although shocking, is the obvious one. I don’t have a 360 yet. I won’t get one before Christmas. And then, with the new baby in the house, it’s likely I won’t have one for some months beyond. Sure, I covet, but as a father and husband, I have more important things to spend my time and money on. Even if I would really like to take a few laps around the track.
You should follow me 
You should follow me 
