Somebody talk me out of buying an XBox.

....

*cough*

Well, I'd go Gamecube, based simply on Metroid Prime, Eternal Darkness, Mario Sunshine, and Animal Crossing, not to mention Super Smash Bros. Melee, the Super Monkey Balls, and Resident Evil games. Plus, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker arrives next year.

I agree with that, go with Gamecube. Plus, it's cheaper too.

It's a big, fuck-off ugly box, with clunky controllers, costly peripherals, and all the class of a Wall-Mart wine glass. Suitable for the friendless lamer who masturbates over the fictional physics of Phasers.

Adam said it.

And lo, the edit function tempts me. And lo, I am made to look silly.

We don't want you in our XBox club! GO AWAY!

Did that help?

Xbox gives you rectal cancer. How's that?

Although Destroy All Monsters is hilarious and I love it dearly, I wouldn't buy a GameCube just to play it. It's pretty shallow, and unless you have a lot of multiplayer opportunities, the appeal wears off quite quickly.

My rule of thumb has always been that I won't buy a new console until there are three games exclusive to the platform that I really want to have.

Well you see, I wouldn't include Ghost Recon because it's not Xbox exclusive. Well, it is at the moment but a PS2 version is due. This brings in another variable - if there's another version coming out, do you have the patience to wait for it, or do you need the game so badly you need a console to play it on now?

Aah, just buy the damn Xbox. That's what you want to hear, right?

Well personally, I resisted buying an Xbox too. Something just seems wrong about it, from being made by Microsoft to the clunky look.

But when I did buy it finally, I enjoyed it immensely. Once you get past that leap of "it's microsoft, I should avoid it" there really is a good system there.

You probably don't want to hear this, but if you've not grown bored of your PS2, there's no way you'll grow bored of the Xbox.

Go ahead, buy Microsoft. It's blissssssssssss...

(you're damn lucky I didn't post that Bill Gates pic)

Anything but that, please!

Why you shouldn't buy an X-Box:

1) The games. For every shining title (Halo, Splinter Cell), there are about 5 mediocre to horrible ones. The level of quality is startlingly low for XBox. Plus, most of the great ones are not exclusive for very long (Halo is coming to PC, Ghost Recon is already on PC and coming to PS2 and GC, Splinter Cell will be on PC in about 2 months and the other consoles in about 6)

2) The standard controller is ass-tastic. Humongous. Penny Arcade had it best when the controller was as big as they were.

3) X-Box Live ain't all it's cracked up to be. Ok, so you've got maybe 3 or 4 games that are worth playing over XBL. From what I've heard, they just aren't much fun for single-player. Multiplayer Only games have never tickled my fancy, maybe it'd do more for you. Plus, there's the fact that not only do you have to buy a $50 game, but a $50 kit that you'll have to keep paying for annually. Not to mention the fact that you HAVE to give your credit card number to Microsoft when you first load XBL. Oh, and it's broadband only, too.

4) The system is an enormous beastly creation. Yeah, it's a shallow reason, but dammit I can't stand to look at the thing.

5) The peripherals. I believe someone already mentioned that they're expensive. This is true. Plus, it really pisses me off that to use the built-in DVD player, you have to drop another $30 or so to get a remote control kit. Yes, I would want to have the remote, but don't force me to buy it to use built-in functionality.

6) If you don't, you'll restore my faith in society. X-Box is the pinnacle of image over content. The fact that people buy it just to play games that are violent and/or sexy (DOA3/Volleyball) while the gameplay sucks just make me mad. Plus the fact that the same people will shit on a PS2 or Gamecube game because it looks 'gay,' never mind the fact that it's an insanely fun and engaging title (Super Mario Sunshine and Zelda come to mind)

Personally, I think you're better of with a Gamecube, but since you said that none of the AAA titles interested you, I'd say keep the $200 and buy more PS2 games.

You'll be giving money to this guy:

<img src="http://www.iwelcomepity.com/bill-gates.jpg" alt="" />

Well, this Christmas, I almost bought an Xbox mainly for a try at Buffy. Yes, I'm a big fan of the show and since I heard good things about the game, I was clamoring for a PS2 version. Sadly, it still hasn't come so upon going to the game store, the salesperson 'persuasively' talked me out of it. Plus, it was either that or Vice City.

So I'll procrastinate and get it in 2003...maybe.

Not to derail, but what negative things did the saleperson say about Buffy? I too mainly wanted an Xbox for it (and Halo). It turned out to be an amazing game for me.

I have to agree on the hate for the big block look to the Xbox (and it's too fricken heavy). What I was surprised with was how great the controller is. It looks huge and painful to use, but it ends up being much nicer to use than the dual shock. I don't know about everyone else, but I find the d-pad and the left analog stick on the dual shock much too close together.

I agree with most of what Pinch-A-Loaf said.

There's also the fact that supporting Microsoft's X-Box could have a long term negative impact on gaming. I don't want to bore anyone too much, but analyzing MS business strategy is part of my day job. If one day they get to a dominant position and start behaving in the same way as they've done in other industries, it could have *serious* consequences for us gamers. Right now we've got a good thing going, with a bunch of different providers (MS, Sony, Nintendo) all competing on a level playing field, keeping prices in check and innovation/creativity up (several rival game designers try to outdo each other, the net result being awesome killer apps like GTA). But it might not stay that way forever.

Ultimately, Bill wants his machine to transcend gaming and become an integral part of every household's entertainment center (watch him incorporate new non-gaming value addeds, so that consumers conveniently start to rely on the X-Box's features more than they rely on their other devices e.g. the family DVD player or Tivo). But it's the gamers who will have laid the foundations for him to get into each household. It's all strategic.

Think I'm being paranoid? I say don't let your desire for that one exclusive title make you an accomplice in the great Microsoft powerplay.

You hit on exactly what my fear was, Adam. Not so much the grand scheme, but that given Microsoft's history that they could someday squash Sony and Nintendo.

I don't see the harm though in supporting two or even all three systems.

You wanna talk horrible quality on the Xbox take a look at the PS2.. more crap titles than you can fill a bargain bin with.. for every AAA title there is 20 crap titles..

not to mention that my PS2 looks like ass on my bigscreen no matter how I hook it up, well my GC or an XBOX look great

I must say about the GC though, if you don't want Zelda or Metroid DO NOT buy a GC.. its future is pretty damn bleak at this point, name me 5 games that will be hits after Zelda.. I bet you can't

the Xbox has the best hardware, the best online plans and has shown they will be willing to cater to the hardcore gamer (ala the dreamcast).. don't believe the hype.. play the system and decide for yourself

just think, if there was no MS, you probably wouldn't be on this message board right now.. you probably wouldn't be playing any of those PC games that you like so much.. they've done a lot to help the PC movement by forcing a standard OS OS.. whether you want to accept that or not, they did.

I say the Xbox has the most potential, whereas the PS2 has already reached it's peak performance wise.. Sony made some major mistakes in the design dept. and they are things that can't be cured with out releasing a PS3

and Adam.. you're just being paranoid.

Well, I'm convinced.

I'll be picking one up after the new year.

For the money you spend on an X-Box and it's games you could buy food for three, maybe four impoverished children in any host of African or South American countries for a whole year, maybe two.

Hell, if you have that kind of money to burn I know plenty of Chewers who could use it...post-Christmas sucks if you're poor, especially if you were guilted into spending what little money you had in the first place on presents for people.

You could get a catalytic converter installed in your car (if you have a car) and cut down on greenhouse gas emissions.

You could buy yourself bus passes for the year and stop using your car (and maybe even make more money for not spending money on insurance).

You could donate that same money to the American Heart and Stroke Foundation to help other video-game-induced-lard-asses when their arteries finally explode from too much in-activity.

Use your imagination, and ask yourself "What would life be like without an X-Box?"

Ok, let's derail the thread!

Nope that's just the wonders of a hasty cut-and-paste/quote reply!

The Gamecube bit belonged to the original poster to whom I replied. He was also the one that didn't like online gaming.

Hope this clears it up a bit!

The only reason to get a GC is if you are 10. No offense to anyone, but w/ the exception of Res Evil, Metroid and very few others, the games on GC are as gay as a picnic basket (and the controls/options really really really suck).

I have both XBox and PS2, and honestly I like X about 1000 times better. I have played the same games for each system, and PS2 somehow pulled the double threat of making them look crappier and less fun.

I like the controls better on X, the graphics, the games and the options. The Box, to me, is just a better system.

Hey Smirk, you are a dope. Picnic baskets are so heterosexual, they're sometimes refered to as 'Wilt Chamberlains'.

Gamecube is nice. She is my friend. Runs fast, the best controller out there, & they have come out with a lot of good games in the last quarter.

Not that it much matters (the fellow already said he doesn't want a GC), but I agree about the Gamecube being highly spiffy.

Yeah it's true that mainly there's REmake, RE0, Metroid, and the forthcoming Zelda for the Cube (although I'm fond of Star Fox as well). Still, those are four incredible games. Compared to the PS2 games which I'm having trouble finding enthusiasm for (except Vice City; although in fairness I haven't put in FFX yet to test it out), I think it's a great choice. And hell, I like the little cube design better than the Big Flat Block of the Xbox. The controller is designed by the Debil, true. Crazy looking controllers seem to end up being the best in play though.

But since this is really just about the Xbox: Buy the dang thing. It's not going to encourage Microsoft to take over the industry, not when you're already double-dipping with a PS2. And yes, there are great games on it that you won't get bored with in 2 months (Halo, Buffy, Splinter Cell, Mechassault, Unreal, Halo 2 in the future) that look amazing and some of which let you play online (which many people seem to dig, for reasons I can never understand). That about sums it up.

Playing computer opponents does not give you a real sense of victory when you win and no sense or real desire to do better than someone who just kicked your ass. Computers have a certain program they follow and certain difficulty settings, but when you play the world, you find personalities behind your opponents. You find styles of play that differ from your own and ones that a computer cannot yet recreate. You can learn from these and truly enjoy a victory when you crush someone who gots skills. You know that when you take that single headshot from 500 yards out in Ghost Recon, that some kid just sat back and said 'what the fuck!' and you can smile about that just a little bit.

Reason 2: You feel a sense of community. There's always assholes, but whether it's Xbox Live or Warcraft III, I feel like I'm with people who understand what gaming really is about. I get to talk to them and enjoy conversations with people thousands of miles away and with some MMORPG's, I even make friends.

Reason 3: Xbox Live is stable, never seen a crash yet. It's just as stable as Everquest, Earth & Beyond and Battlenet in my experience. I don't have any headaches with it.

As some has mentioned, Xbox Live is not for everyone. MS themselves have said they gear towards an adult market and hardcore gamers that have the money and the hardware necessary to play fast and slightly more extreme games. I would not be as happy if there were dialups on the network crashing my games when I pay good money for a cable connection. I'm very glad that most people on Live are mature and seasoned gamers. In fact, I get less immature taunting on there in a week than I do in an hour on Battle.net. I'm glad that the amount of little kids is kept to a minimum by the costs of the hardware and setup.

I've written these reasons in every thread asking for advice on the Xbox. I love it as I do my computer games, online or not. Personally, I even prefer FPS games with a controller and a large tv rather than with a mouse and keyboard though I know that is not preferred by most. It's been a month and a half since Live's launch and I've played on it nearly everyday. I don't see it getting boring anytime soon.

Being the owner of an XBOX, I say buy one.

Plus, Electronics Boutique is now offering used XBOXs with full warranties for $150

<a href="http://www.ebgames.com/ebx/ads/promos/holidaycab/xbox/" target="_blank">http://www.ebgames.com/ebx/ads/promos/holidaycab/xbox/</a>

But if you need a seven reasons not to buy one, read this (do note that this was written when it first came out and that the guy who wrote this is ALWAYS angry at something):

<a href="http://maddox.xmission.com/xbox_suckit.html" target="_blank">http://maddox.xmission.com/xbox_suckit.html</a>

Get a friggin X-Box!

Other than lack of cash, I see no reason not to own all the consoles out there. I enjoy games on all three systems, and only have to worry about waiting for titles that I want on a particular console.

The x-box gets plenty of time in my gaming rotation...

Go ahead and buy now. If you wait any longer, you'll have to choose bewteen a PS4 or an X-Box3.

You seem to have misunderstood some of the points that I was making...

1) Yes, there are some absolutely terrible titles on PS2. However, this thread was about why he shouldn't buy an X-Box. If we were talking him out of a PS2, I would have mentioned the glut of horrible games that plague cut-out bins. Also, note that I mentioned Halo and Splinter Cell as AAA X-Box titles (this shows up later).

2) I personally have never heard as many people complain about a controller than I heard from X-Box owners. You also state that one could just buy an S-Controller. This is an option, but it's an option that shouldn't need to exist. An X-Box owner should not have to shell out another $30 per controller just to have a controller that is comfortable. The standard, packed-in controller should do the trick.

3) Yes, Microsoft is the only company with an online plan. But does that mean it is or will be the best? Perhaps they've jumped the gun and rushed it to market (purely speculation, XBL could turn out to be a monumental success, or it could end up like Sega's rush job of the Saturn to get ahead in the 32-bit market). Also, I never said that I did not like online gaming. I love to play against real opponents. I just feel that if I'm going to spend $50 on a game, there should be some attempt to provide an engaging single-player experience with some sort of story (if it's an action/adventure/RPG -- I wouldn't expect a story from a sports title). I personally just feel that it's somewhat of a cop-out if a game is only worth playing online.

4) If you think that a PS2 and X-Box are similar in dimensions, you are out of your mind. Perhaps they are both equal in length, but X-Box is much larger in respect to height and width. Also, you stated, "And since when does the machine's appearance play a big part in your decision to buy it?" Apparently, you did not read the sentence where I stated, "Yeah, it's a shallow reason, but dammit I can't stand to look at the thing." Also, it could become an issue if the system is too large to fit into someone's entertainment center (which I know has happened to a friend).

5) Yes, PS2's DVD playback may be inferior and difficult to use with a controller, but the fact remains that it can be used out of the box. Charging money to unlock features that are built into the machine is absurd.

6)You stated, "You've never played Halo, Splinter Cell or even Jet Set Radio Future if you think they have crap gameplay." Note in the first point of my original post that I said that Halo and Splinter Cell were shining examples of X-Box software. Also, using Knights of the Old Republic as an example, that's another title that will be on PC. Also, while X-Box games are typically geared toward a "mature" audience, they also typically tend to be mediocre games that have no real innovation or contributions to their genres. And in response to your claim that "Good Xbox games have substance," yes, all good games for any system have substance. However, judging by the amount of used X-Box titles that I see in stores (a much higher number than Gamecube, PS2, or Game Boy Advance), I'd have to conclude that there aren't many good X-Box games, since there are so many that lack the substance to warrant keeping.

I guess that my main issue for not owning an X-Box, and why I think that others should not either, boils down to the games. Personally, I haven't been impressed by many X-Box games, aside from Halo and Splinter Cell. And these games are coming to other systems. The main reason to own a console is for exclusive games, and the good exclusive X-Box games do not stay exclusive.

Also, I noticed a lot of posts proclaiming that Gamecube has the least promising future. I have to disagree with this. If sales figures are accurate (which, coming from multiple sources, I believe that they are), the X-Box is selling quite poorly in every country except the United States. A report (a report that came from Nintendo, so I'm somewhat skeptical...) stated that despite bundling two games with the system, X-Box and Gamecube sold nearly equal amounts in November. If X-Box comes with 2 games and still can't sell better than GC, than I have to believe that X-Box is the one that has a questionable future.

P.S. I have no life, which is why I'm debating the value of an X-Box on an Internet message board.

P.P.S. The reason this post exists is to defend/clarify myself from the misunderstanding that my original post seems to have created.

Just a minor correction, but you don't have to buy a seperate Xbox s-controller. The games bundle set comes with the standard Big Controller and an S-controller.

Also, I may be wrong, but I was reading that the Xbox is being bundled now with both Halo and Splinter Cell (in addition to the extra controller and two sports games). If that's true, you would essentially only be paying 100 bucks for the console. It sounds too good to be true though. Did anyone else hear about this?

Edit: My mistake, a quick online check revealed the Halo/Splinter Cell bundles are more pricey than the standard 200 kit. Ah well.

The Limited Edition bundle consists of an XBOX system, Jet Set Radio Future/SegaGT 2002, and ONE Controller S.

You have to buy another controller.

But, then again, all consoles unfortunately come with only one controller nowadays.

That's a negative guys, I bought the bundle set 3 months ago and it came with Sega GT, JSRF and 2 S-controllers. It's still the standard bundle for $199.

Bah, don't get it. If there's one thing I've learned about PC ports on PS2 is that most of them end up being less-than-the-sum of their wholes. Not that that's bad per se - Deus Ex I actually found to be a great port with a few new wrinkles added and despite all complaints of Max Payne, it was alright. Still, Ghost Recon PS2 hasn't really been getting any great reviews.

I still got another Controller S as a gift.