Poll: Conundrum: Xbox loyalty

[instantbenz]

EDIT: Just so everyone knows, I treat my electronics with the utmost care and never move them while playing or anything. I dust regularly and I store the consoles with plenty of breathing room. END EDIT

I love XBL, and I'm not against the price increase. Microsoft's online gaming service is stellar, especially with party chat.

But I can't stand the machine. I've had 8, all of which failed at some point. I purchased 3 of them at full price at different times. My last 360 red ringed and I could not get it fixed by Microsoft so I fixed it myself.

I am straight fed up with the poor construction. I have not gotten my hands on a slim, but I've heard decent things ... and poor things like that it's the game Cookie Monster [om glom glom] and that RDOD are still prevalent despite the name change.

Ever since last summer when I decided to nix Xbox due to poor machine design, I became PS3 loyal and I'm glad I did. I just got the Move and I love it. It's Wii HD and I always wanted a Wii.

My problem is I made this big decision at the same time as a friend of mine did. We played Halo 3 like crazy for years, but both of our machines were just being sent back so many times it was pathetic. We got rid of our Xboxes, but he went out and got another one just for Reach. From what I've seen of the game, I'm decently impressed and multiplayer is about all that matters to me although the campaign looked drab in color.

Bottom line: Is it worth it to purchase a machine weighed down by great skepticism just to play Reach with a few friends?

Note: I've got a good gaming PC as well, so it is not as though the PS3 is my only gaming machine.

 

[Jonluw]

If you have the money, I'd say it could be worth it. I dunno.

But wow, 8 360s. Are you sure that it has nothing to do with how you treat them? I've had a 360 since launch, and it only redringed once. Microsoft then sent me a new xbox for free. No problems since.

 

[Eumersian]

You seem to have had a bit of bad luck, my friend. After nine, I would say that Microsoft just hates you, and doesn't want you to enjoy your machine for a reasonable period of time. I haven't had such misfortune; I've had the same machine work relatively perfectly for the three or so years that I've had it.

I would recommend just playing it on a friend's machine if possible.

 

[JoJo]

You've been very unlucky, I've had a Xbox 360 for two years and it's only broken down once so far... whether or not you should get a new one depends on whether you think Reach will be worth the cost of a new or preowned console.

 

[Delock]

Reach, Mass Effect, and the fact that buying my library again on the PS3 would be too expensive keep me from tossing mine out the window, so the same might apply to you. Strangely, I'm only on my 4th, and that's only because the first I got I returned since it wouldn't play games, the second was also returned (same store too...) as it Red Ringed, the third was fixed by microsoft, but I was moving out to college, and decided to let my brother keep it so I bought a new one. This one seems to be ok, but I'm always on the lookout for the RRoD.

 

[TPiddy]

While I'm a little skeptical of your claims, I will say that if what you say is indeed true, you just have some bad luck. I've only had 3 360's, and only paid for 2 of those because I wanted the upgrade from the standard to Elite for HDMI and the bigger drive.

Any 360 manufactured after November 2008 will have an acceptable (read: less than 10%) failure rate, and all of them come with warranties. Halo: Reach is fantastic, and is the release of the year. It is a system seller, but it's really up to you at this point whether you want to spend the money for one game. If you can see anything else you like coming out for it by all means, but don't expect a PC port of Reach anytime soon.

 

[Larsirius]

In my 3 years of owning a 360 system, I've had my first console RROD once, which was fixed and returned to me within two weeks, free of charge, two years after purchase. I've recently bought a slim because of the built-in WiFi, the bigger HDD, as my old one was full, the lower noise, and the HDMI output. It's worth it, and Reach is awesome. I was a little skeptical to the campaign myself, even being a major Halo-fanboy, but it's beautiful, melanchlic and emotional, no matter how much the characters are little more than stereotypes. They're believable characters, and the story is grandiose, yet it isn't. You'll just have to see for yourself. I'd recommend buying a new "Slim" system just for reach. I did the same thing with H3.

 

[johnsom]

1 xbox would be enough for me to call it quits. You have the patience of a saint sir.

 

[CitySquirrel]

I think I agree with Jonluw. If you have gone through 8 360s then you are doing it wrong.

 

[Eumersian]

I voted that there's a good chance that it'll go poorly, but technically, there is just as much a chance of RRODing as with any other person's. In situations like that though, I wouldn't rule out the existence of luck because, wow, that a lot of red rings.

 

[Grouchy Imp_v1legacy]

8?!? Ouch dude, what are you doing to them? I'm only on my 2nd, having bought my first on release day!

I'd say do it. Entry level 360s are only about 120 quid these days, but if you are gonna buy a new one you also maybe need to look at how you're gonna keep it from getting knocked/damaged (tv cabinet, shelf, whatever) because however you're keeping them at the minute clearly ain't working!

 

[C95J]

Wow, 9? I always hear EVERYBODY talking about how their xbox 360 always breaks, but it hasn't happened ONCE to me or my friends.

I think that Reach just isn't worth it, it's only one game, and spending all that money to play ANOTHER Halo game just simply isn't worth it.

 

[Sexual Harassment Panda]

Just to play Halo?...no.

Halo won't have changed much with this release(if we're being honest), if you could live without Halo 3...you can live without Reach.

Spend the money on games or upgrade your pc, anything other than an aging console that you only want for 1 game.

 

[Autofaux]

I found my reasons for getting an Xbox to complement my PS3 started to wane after their exclusives seemed to consist of just Halo, Gears and Fable, as well as the fact that I'd have to pay for my online, which isn't a hard ask but why would I? There are better shooters and RPGs out there, most games are multiplatform now, and if I were to get any of those multiplatform games for the 360, I'd be tied to Live.

I dunno, perhaps I'd been spoiled by free online.

OT: Abort, dude. Abort. Probably should've given up at 3.

 

[DustyDrB]

I guess you're due. No one has odds that bad.

 

[xavi]

Go for it. Get a slim. Just take care of it and it'll last

 

[Caprice0083]

I've had only one 360 for the past 3 years, it used to RROD ocassionally after a year of play but I would just turn it off and back on again and it would play without problem. One day I just said F it and sent it in before the problem got worse, got it back about a week and a half later and its never happened again. I've done about 3 all nighters and it has yet to fail me (Knocks crazy on wood) so I will pick up Halo Reach when my finances are straight and play the hell out of it like I did ODST and Halo 3.

 

[Quid Plura]

If it really happened this much, try writing Microsoft a letter about it. Maybe they give you one for free. Maybe not, but it's worth the try.

 

[YourAverageParasite]

Halo reach is just another halo... so defenatly not worth it.
Also, I voted for the first option, because the system is indeed, like you said horrible.

Stick to the PS3, it's epic enough. (and it will save you a hellota money )

 

[TheDrunkNinja]

How about the first three "no's"? It'll probably bust like the rest, Reach isn't worth it, and you should switch over to PC FPS's instead. Why continue to give Microsoft your money? You might as well be renting the damn console for the same price. Eight consoles in the last five years that the Xbox has been alive? This is ludicrous.