So I'm probably getting a 360

[TKz]

Help me EWB! I'm getting paid a nice extra £200 this month that I don't need for anything. So, I'm going to finally come to the dark side.

But I have two questions...! Do I need a big hard drive? I can get one for £150 with 250gb and that looks like a pretty good deal (new!) but if I don't need a hard drive, I'd be happy to get a smaller one for cheaper. What's it used for? Just save data or installs?

And the other question... what games do I get? I've been on PS3 so long that I've played pretty much all the big titles, but I don't want to get a new console and just not get any games for it. What're good exclusives for the 360?

Also what are you all playing now! I'm primarily getting this because the PS3 online is awful (let's face it, my fellow Sony fans) and I have barely anyone to play on with. I want to play with you fine fellows! So what do I get? What're you guys still playing? That isn't Mass Effect 3.

Also...! Do they usually come with a HDMI cable or should I make sure to get one as well?

This is the one I'm considering, can anyone see any reason it's not a good idea? Are there any makes of 360 I should look out for? Anything I should know?

[Gongsun Zan]

Unless you plan on downloading a lot of games and demos, I don't think you need 250GB of hard drive. I have one of those first gen 360s with like 20-30GB on it, and it took like several years before I had to delete a couple of arcade games. Considering that you can just re-download them when you feel like playing them again, it's hardly a big deal.

[King Ellis]

It's probably easier to just get the 250gb hard drive caus you'll be safe in the long run if you end up wanting any DLC, arcade titles etc. Saves aren't usually too big so you could get away with just a 4gb and the odd USB stick or two but arcade games can run up to 1 or 2gb nowadays and DLC is the same. Installing games can vary from about 3 to 7gb a disc and for the most part all you're doing is allowing the console to run quieter,though the latest models are fairly quiet anyway compared to the old ones. It can improve load times amongst some titles and help with other issues. I don't think there's too much difference in price between the two models so you should probably go for the 250.

Really, there aren't a great deal of exclusives. The likes of Halo, Gears and Alan Wake spring to mind immdiately. Halo and Gears are fun in co-op and the multiplayer can be too. Alan Wake is strictly a single player affair though. Then you've got Fable II and III, 2 was OK, never played 3 but it seems to be thought of as average at best. Forza if you want a driving game, Dead Rising and Crackdown 1/2 for sandboxy action, Earth Defence Force 2017 for over the top, cheesy, giant ant shooting arcade action (I will forver reccomend this game!).

After that, XBLA can be another source of exclusives like Shadow Complex, The Dishwasher 1/2, Trials HD, Geometry Wars 1/2 (Not sure if it's just 2 that is exclisve, if either of them are at all), 'Splosion Man 1/2.

HDMI I don't think comes in the box but you can usually get them on amazon or ebay for like a pound. Actually, I think they've now gone so far as to not give you even HD component out of the box. Just regular RCA. Cheapskates!

[TKz]

I was looking around and it seems like the 250gb is the best value for money anyway. Doesn't seem like the 20gb ones are really quite as common anymore. I'll definitely look into Gears as that's always interested me, never been huge on Halo... I'd like to try it, but I imagine getting into it now would be silly, because it's going to be nothing but people who're pretty damn good at them.

Sadly it doesn't look like there's really anything new coming out soon. I suppose my first big 360 game will be Max Payne.

[Jason Patricks]

I had the same dilemma, bough the 250 Gb one with Fable III and Halo; then bought WWE '12 separately and am now waiting for the release of Minecraft for the Xbox 360... As for the HDMI cable you do have to but separately, they come HDMI ready but with no HDMI cable...

[mystikz]

honestly I don't use most of the harddrive but it's really the only alternative.

I assume you'd get the slim model, less problems and wireless and at first I got the 4GB harddrive but that was much too small. there was no medium harddrive for the slim, so yeah I got the 250. no real regrets.

[Olive the other Jiberdeer]

Get a PS3, you slut.

[Mad Jack]

Whilst I agree with TOMK, who is both a gentleman and a scholar for getting the BETTER CONSOLE *coughs* ahem, on the hard drive thing, I've never seen the need for anything as large as 250 gb, with even my more gaming obsessed friends struggling to fill 80 and 120 gb drives (this is on the PS3 however).

[Ruki]

Get a PS3, you slut.

He has one :/

But yay coming over to the 360!!! You should get Gears of War...I would run through that with you. Also, if you can get GTA 4 for cheap, we jump on there and do races once a year or so

If you get Borderlands, I would consider picking it up again! Also...Boredlands 2 whenever that comes out

[Olive the other Jiberdeer]

Fuck you, Ruki, I'm drunk.

(Psst...Ruki...)

[Ruki]

I'm not driving across the country just to cuddle you :/

(plus, you're a very selfish lover)

[EWB's Best Poster.]

In all honesty if youre getting xbox for exclusives ..... get a vita.

The list is slim. Microsoft pays for advanced dlc sony pays for exvlusives.

So unless halo gears and alan wake need to be played youve already got a system.

[Beefus of Bethesda]

In all honesty if youre getting xbox for exclusives ..... get a vita.

The list is slim. Microsoft pays for advanced dlc sony pays for exvlusives.

So unless halo gears and alan wake need to be played youve already got a system.

Fucking this x1000.

I still don't get all the hate for the PSN, most users who complain about it must be using wireless or something, I run an ethernet cable into mine and I never have an issue.

[probablyoliver]

Left 4 Dead! Get Left 4 Dead! Get Left 4 Dead NOW!

[Colly]

In all honesty if youre getting xbox for exclusives ..... get a vita.

The list is slim. Microsoft pays for advanced dlc sony pays for exvlusives.

So unless halo gears and alan wake need to be played youve already got a system.

Fucking this x1000.

I still don't get all the hate for the PSN, most users who complain about it must be using wireless or something, I run an ethernet cable into mine and I never have an issue.

I use wireless and barring the hack I've never had any problems with PSN whatsoever. I'm confused every time I'm told XBL is better, all I'm doing is playing online and it works, so better in what way? Other than being more expensive?

[Baddar]

I am another that has never had any issues with PSN signing me out etc. - but if you are going to buy a 360, make sure you play Alan Wake. And Forza 4, even if you aren't a big racing fan.

[TCO]

I've always been confused about what makes Xbox Live the undisputed king of online gaming. I use PSN to play games online and I've never had any issues, so I've yet to hear a valid reason for me forking out a subscription fee for the same service.

[Baddar]

Party chat is one thing XBL has over PSN, in that you can talk to whoever you want, whenever, regardless of what they're playing. But yeah, I can't personally say that the connectivity is any better or worse on either, as I'm always connected. Sure, PSN has its downtime for maintenance a bit too often, but when it's running, I never get signed out.

[jase12881]

Mostly the interface is better...party chat....easier to join friends online and to communicate with them. I have both systems. My 360 gets more play for those reasons. Well that and all my ps3 friends are more casual gamers and rarely play online.

[Gazz]

GTAIV. You haven't lived till you've been on one of LL's boat tours.