Xbox 360 question

[Starbrite]

DS13 wants an Xbox 360 for Christmas. Grandma is considering buying it for him.....but I have a questions.

Do you have to have it hooked up to the Internet? Will he be able to play all the games if it's not....or will he miss out?


He doesn't have internet access in his bedroom - only the family living room & we already have the Wii in there.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

You can play games offline, but alone. My son plays the games that are interactive, so we actually moved our router into his room. We are wireless so that was okay. My son plays offline maybe 5% of the time. I would see if you could hook him up before making the purchase. It is expensive. Games, memberships, extra "maps" for the games, the red ring of death (a common problem where you have to ship the console back to get fixed). I know it sounds like a lot, but my son wouldn't give up his for the world, and yes he paid for it himself.

 

[Starbrite]

You can play games offline, but alone. My son plays the games that are interactive, so we actually moved our router into his room. We are wireless so that was okay. My son plays offline maybe 5% of the time. I would see if you could hook him up before making the purchase. It is expensive. Games, memberships, extra "maps" for the games, the red ring of death (a common problem where you have to ship the console back to get fixed). I know it sounds like a lot, but my son wouldn't give up his for the world, and yes he paid for it himself.

What would I need to hook him up to the Internet? (We're wireless at home)

Can you actually surf the internet....or just visit xbox sites with it?



I know, I know...I'm clueless We're a Nintendo family

 

[shortbun]

DS13 wants an Xbox 360 for Christmas. Grandma is considering buying it for him.....but I have a questions.

Do you have to have it hooked up to the Internet? Will he be able to play all the games if it's not....or will he miss out?


He doesn't have internet access in his bedroom - only the family living room & we already have the Wii in there.

Online play is extra and optional. My son pays for his own but we have it hooked up to a large screen and all he needed was a wireless router connected to our tower just as we have for our laptops. I can guarantee you he'll want to play games online. Discuss with him the extra costs. My son is only allowed to play with his friends and that is easily monitored. One poster said he'd have to play 'alone' if he's not online. He can have friends over and play multiple player games just like any other platform. Be sure he gets a cooler and the Xbox has plenty of space so it stays cool or it will overheat and get 'red ring of death.' It took two years before ours got it but when we sent it back, they sent us a new Xbox.
Some Xboxes have the cooler built in and some have to be set up with it as an extra component. It' s really important.

 

[Scurvy]

As Tinker'n'Fun said, you don't have to be online to enjoy the 360. However, you won't be able to download extra content or game updates, or play multiplayer games online (which is the biggest part of some games). If you have a way to get the 360 online (by running cable to it or getting a wireless adapter and router) I would recommend doing so. You still can't do everything online unless you have a Gold membership to XBox Live, but you can get the game updates without that. You can also buy some downloadable content in the Marketplace.

(Since you mention your son is 13, I wanted to add one other thing in case you are concerned about letting him play online. Some of the language can be very objectionable. If you are concerned about that, there are settings you can change if you choose to get the 360 online to block all online chat so he wouldn't be able to hear any of the other players and they wouldn't be able to hear him, but he could still play against other people.)

 

[DrCavin]

You can get the wireless network adaptor since your setup wireless already. Gamestop has them for $99 but i bet you could find it cheaper somewhere else.

 

[Sparx]

weve been thinking about getting one too. online play is something i'm completely not interested in, so i don't have to have it? the xbox will work fine? i have an original xbox which was never connected to live, and it works fine, but i was wondering if they made xbox live a necessity with the 360?

 

[Scurvy]

weve been thinking about getting one too. online play is something i'm completely not interested in, so i don't have to have it? the xbox will work fine? i have an original xbox which was never connected to live, and it works fine, but i was wondering if they made xbox live a necessity with the 360?

It is technically not a necessity, but I consider it one even though the only game I really play online is 1 vs 100. You have to be able to get online if you want to get any game updates or additional content for the games. Sometimes adding addition content can be almost like buying a whole new game, but for a fraction of the cost. Even though the 360 is fun offline, I find that being able to get online can massively improve the gaming experience even if you never play online at all.

 

[dawson5]

We have the wireless antenna for ours. Also have a 10 yd ethernet cable (router is awful). Our game is in the office. Usually dad or I are in there with them, people do have foul mouths. You can do something, I want to say reputation points. It doesn't do anything to them though and MS will not do anything about this. There was actually soemthing on the news about this a few years ago where a guy was playing madden online and the person who he was playing against was using racial slurs and threatening his family. The guy recorded it, complained to MS and still they would not do anything. This is why ours is where we can monitor it.

Also for the live account. Look online at walmart. This is stupid but it works. If you go to the store, 12 months of live is $50. 12 months of live online is $40. You can buy it online and ship it to store (free ship to store) and save $10. They will not price match their own internet prices.

Looks like they bumped it $5, still less than in the stores:
http://www.walmart.com/search/searc...ox+live+12+months&Find.x=0&Find.y=0&Find=Find

 

[N.Bailey]

You can definitely get an Xbox without taking it online. In all honesty though, the Wii is probably the better system for simply playing games (which he already has). I highly doubt he just wants the Xbox to play games, he will probably want that connection.

Also keep in mind, anyone who is still on a dial-up connection (and that's getting more rare all the time) cannot join Live. It requires a high speed connection via cable or DSL.

The Live membership costs $50 per year.

When new maps are released for games it runs about 5 or 6 dollars each. It goes by points (you purchase the points, then use the points for downloading content). What this does however is, it allows you to keep getting upgrades for those $60 games (Wii games are $50 at release, but PS3 and Xbox 360 are $60 generally - there may be some exceptions). Upgrades really extend the life of a game and since you pay a bit, it's incentive for the developer to keep working on new maps for older games (and if it's a good franchise, there is a lot of incentive here - Ghost Recon 2 or Gears of War are 2 examples).

Having Live also gives you the ability to download a lot of demos, so you can get the feel for a game before shelling out the $ to buy it or even rent it.

I'm not sure what the connection is that's currently being run in the house, but there may be some additional expenses involved with getting it online. Visit Xbox' site for step by step instructions if you're interested. While it's not mandatory, if you're gaming, you really should have a wired connection if possible. Since we have a great connection (wired), my husband usually hosts all the games he and his buddies play. Some might tell you it's not necessary, and there is truth in that, you will still get a better connection if it's wired.

If one is also a member of Netflix, you can use the Xbox 360 to stream movies from the instant watch selection for no additional cost.

 

[N.Bailey]

It is technically not a necessity, but I consider it one even though the only game I really play online is 1 vs 100. You have to be able to get online if you want to get any game updates or additional content for the games. Sometimes adding addition content can be almost like buying a whole new game, but for a fraction of the cost. Even though the 360 is fun offline, I find that being able to get online can massively improve the gaming experience even if you never play online at all.

Well, if you're not going to be gaming online, if you fit this scenario, you can literally use your connection from your computer (assuming it's high speed) to take your Xbox online just to get additional content.

Actually, you can keep switching back and forth with a direct connection from your computer to your Xbox 360 anytime you want. I don't find that to be the most ideal situation, but for some people, it really might be the best option available. I know a lot of young guys who used to do that with the original Xbox because they just weren't in a good financial position and mommy and daddy didn't want to pick up the entire tab.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

Every one is quick today, or I am on slow-mode. Are you okay with how to set-up now?

I am going to stress that my son really enjoys the online aspect of the system, and yes the language is bad. But, have you walked in a school yard lately. I am really against cursing. Only curse in extreme circumstances, but some words have become part of the language to younger generations. Is is right, NO. But I have come to terms with it, and just ask DS to turn down his TV or put his headphones on. I will not let him speak that way in front of me.

My DS paid for all of his system, all of his games, and works off all the upgrades, maps, and yearly costs. This is the only thing he will work off for me. He has made a lot of great friends online and a majority of the boys he goes to school with are online with him. I have heard them discussing homework while playing the game, so all is not lost in his brain.

Finally, I actually took him to the MLG gaming tour for his 13th. birthday. He was just a spectator, but I found it very interesting. The kids were very well behaved and had manners to boot. I didn't see any tendencies of violence due to the games. My DS taught me a lot that weekend, including the fact that the top teams make more in a few years with sponsors than DH and I have in a lifetime. At one point, DS claimed that would be his "career" choice, but thankfully he outgrew it. Now he wants to be a physician.

My son has also bought all his other systems. We own them all. In the end though, he plays the 360 more than all the others combined.

Good luck with your choice, and no matter what you do, I am sure you will find the right gift for your DS.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Well, if you're not going to be gaming online, if you fit this scenario, you can literally use your connection from your computer (assuming it's high speed) to take your Xbox online just to get additional content.

Actually, you can keep switching back and forth with a direct connection from your computer to your Xbox 360 anytime you want. I don't find that to be the most ideal situation, but for some people, it really might be the best option available. I know a lot of young guys who used to do that with the original Xbox because they just weren't in a good financial position and mommy and daddy didn't want to pick up the entire tab.

My sister does that with her Wii. She is addicted to downloading games.

 

[Katie]

We have an xbox 360. We spent the money to hook it up to the internet. He plays about 40% online...60% off line.
Mostly because we live in a small community and we have satelittle internet and the speed is not fast enough for him to do well in many games.
Alot of the games, will let others know your connection speed, and if your speed is not "HIGH" enough, they will not let you join their game.
My son says it's very frustrating...he is ready to move to a "real" town where you can get "real " internet!

 

[ohiomom28]

Good Luck...we have 2 different ones. One we bought and one given to us and both have erros. One the red ring of death and another is just as bad. We have given up on the XBOX.

 

[Starbrite]

Are you okay with how to set-up now?

Honestly, I'm just as confused as ever I will have to save this thread & come back on Christmas to make sure I have it all straight.



So in addtion to the system, controllers & games...

I will need a $99-ish wireless adaptor thingy.
$45-50 LIVE Membership (What exactly do you get with this?)
Plus you pay for downloadable games in addition to the membership fee?
Are there any extra memory cards or anything like that?

We have an xbox 360. We spent the money to hook it up to the internet. He plays about 40% online...60% off line.
Mostly because we live in a small community and we have satelittle internet and the speed is not fast enough for him to do well in many games.
Alot of the games, will let others know your connection speed, and if your speed is not "HIGH" enough, they will not let you join their game.
My son says it's very frustrating...he is ready to move to a "real" town where you can get "real " internet!

How high is "high enough" we have a 3 Meg Wireless connection....Is that good enough?

 

[Scurvy]

So in addtion to the system, controllers & games...

I will need a $99-ish wireless adaptor thingy.
$45-50 LIVE Membership (What exactly do you get with this?)
Plus you pay for downloadable games in addition to the membership fee?
Are there any extra memory cards or anything like that?

You only need to buy the gold Live membership if your son intends to play online or you want to stream Netflix through the 360. The Silver membership is free and that allows you to access the Marketplace.

You do have to pay for any games or DLC you choose to download, but the actual software updates to fix or improve performance issues for the 360 and other games are free.

There are cheaper wireless adapters that will work if you don't care about getting the Microsoft one, or you could run a cable from your router instead.

The only extra memory stick is something that allows you to carry your profile or game save files to other locations, like if your son wanted to play at a friend's house. It isn't necessary, though.

 

[N.Bailey]

Good Luck...we have 2 different ones. One we bought and one given to us and both have erros. One the red ring of death and another is just as bad. We have given up on the XBOX.

I'm with you! If it were up to me, I'd have given up on them long ago, but since they specialize in the genre's my husband and son love, we're kind of stuck. I get sickened by the fact that they're constantly getting extra money out of us due to faulty equipment.

The last system (regular Xbox), we had to replace 6 controllers that were faulty. It was the first time in our gaming lives (back to Atari days) that we looked to 3rd party for controllers.

We also bought 3 original Xbox systems and are on our 2nd 360 (hubby bought a 2nd while the first was in transit to deal with the 3 rings of death).

Basically, they are rewarded for crappy product and it's appalling to me, but I can't fight my own City Hall.

The good news is, I think they are giving a 3 year warranty on the ring of death issues.

 

[phoenx79]

I read through the posts on this thread and noticed something. No one said anything about a hard drive for the console. The basic console only comes with a memory card. It is great for game saves and small downloads. The problem is that the card is only something like 64Mb, and if you are going to have any downloadable content like map packs for games, they require more space. The good news is that they sell bigger memory cards, I have seen them up to 2Gb. The best bet is, if it doesn't have a hard drive, is to buy one. And they are not cheap. You can get a used 20Gb drive for $50, a new 60Gb for $100 or a new 120Gb for close to $200.
We have two consoles in our house, mine and DS13. His does not have a hard drive, but he needs one. We felt that he was mature enough to handle playing online, but he wants to be able to download games as well.
The cost for downloading games varies. You can buy a card at any game store that has Microsoft points on it. They are usually $20 for 1600 points or $50(I think) for 4000. The downloads are anywhere from 80 to 1200 points for downloads. For songs on RockBand or Guitar Hero are 120 points, and the map packs for Halo 3 are 600 points each.
Hope that clears some other things up for you.

 

[Scurvy]

I read through the posts on this thread and noticed something. No one said anything about a hard drive for the console. The basic console only comes with a memory card. It is great for game saves and small downloads. The problem is that the card is only something like 64Mb, and if you are going to have any downloadable content like map packs for games, they require more space. The good news is that they sell bigger memory cards, I have seen them up to 2Gb. The best bet is, if it doesn't have a hard drive, is to buy one. And they are not cheap. You can get a used 20Gb drive for $50, a new 60Gb for $100 or a new 120Gb for close to $200.
We have two consoles in our house, mine and DS13. His does not have a hard drive, but he needs one. We felt that he was mature enough to handle playing online, but he wants to be able to download games as well.
The cost for downloading games varies. You can buy a card at any game store that has Microsoft points on it. They are usually $20 for 1600 points or $50(I think) for 4000. The downloads are anywhere from 80 to 1200 points for downloads. For songs on RockBand or Guitar Hero are 120 points, and the map packs for Halo 3 are 600 points each.
Hope that clears some other things up for you.

You're right - I had completely forgotten about the Arcade version. I absolutely do not recommend getting the Arcade version, which has no hard drive. I suggest getting the Elite version which has a 120 gig hard drive or the Modern Warfare limited edition bundle that has a 250 gig hard drive. If you intend to download anything, you really do need the hard drive. (And though you could find cheaper third party hard drives and memory units online, don't use them. It will result in your XBox 360 being banned from XBox Live if you use unapproved hardware.)