Thinking of getting Xbox 360...help?

[Chancie]

Okay, I've been thinking of picking up an Xbox 360 lately, but I'm still not 100% sure. Some of the games I already know I want to play for it are Infinite Undiscovery, Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2, The Last Remnant, Magna Carta 2, and Alan Wake. I feel like there's one other one, but I can't think of it.

I already have a PS3 but more and more, I'm running into Xbox 360 exclusives that I want to play. So, I have a couple of questions because I know next to nothing about the Xbox 360.
Care to help me?

1.) How often/easily does RROD happen?
2.) Just like the PS3, there seem to be different "size" hard drives in 360s. What would you recommend? (And what's the "Arcade" version? Because it seems very different and I think it's also the cheapest.)
3.) Care to recommend some other games for me? I've been told that the Xbox 360 has a lot of RPGs/JRPGs, so that sounds perfect for me. My favorite genres are RPG/JRPG and Survival Horror, but my tastes range and there are games I like from pretty much every genre. So, suggest away!

Thank you so much, guys! (How much do Xbox 360s cost now, anyway?)

 

[godofallu]

1 A RROD used to happen every 2-3 years or so, but they were covered by warranty. I have gone through 3 xboxes since release date, microsoft has given me new ones for free each time.

Now a days a RROD is far less likely, due to the new models. Still I would estimate 4 years before troubles.

2 I personally got my 360 on launch day, so I have a 12gb harddrive. I don't download movies or songs and it has been fine so far. Now I think 120GB is standard size, which is more than you will need.

The arcade version is just a 360, no hard drive, no games, (no controllers?). It was 200 dollars last I checked. It's great if you already have everything but you broke your 360, but for someone with no cords or hard drive or anything you need more than is included.

3 Mass Effect, Halo series, COD series, GOW series, and Fable series just for starters.

 

[Ironic Pirate]

As a PS3 owner, I'm pretty sure almost half of them die, but warranty covers that. The new ones apparently die less.

I would recommend getting as big as you can afford, because you'll thank yourself later. I'm pretty sure the arcade has no hard drive, you have to buy memory of some kind.

Uh, Resident Evil 5 and Mass Effect spring to mind, but there are probably better. Go to GameFAQs and explore the genre options.

And I think they cost around a couple hundred. Two fifty maybe? Something like that.

 

[Sronpop]

With the new models of 360, the Arcade version does come with a hard drive, a small one, 4gbs to be exact. Enough to never have to worry about saved game space, enough to play online with, enough to download patches and the odd piece of dlc or demo, although you might have to deleted them after awhile to make room. I only have a 12gb hard drive and it has been perfect for me. The only models now are the 4gb one and the 320gb ones, so depending on how much space you need take your pick. Since you have a ps3 id say go for the 4gb one.

The RROD has never been an issue for me in the 3 years I have had my console. And if it does become a problem microsoft fixes it free no questions asked. Its a non issue for me.

AS for games, 2 good 360 exclusive JRPG's are Lost Oddessy and Blue Dragon, both should be really cheap now as well so you are saving a lot of money by buying these games so long after release. And if you haven't played it the Mass Effect series is a must, its an RPG shooter hybrid that is just amazing and personally 2 of my top 5 games of all time.

 

[TPiddy]

-snip-

1. if your console's manufacture date is after November 2008 you should have a failure rate well within industry standards. In the unlikely event that you do get one they have full warranties for them now.

2. I have the 120 GB Elite, and have about 89 of it left. The majority of that is taken up by Rock Band songs. Game saves and DLC don't take up a hell of a lot of space, and by the time you start running low you can delete old stuff anyhow.

3. Mass Effect series, Gears of War series. Lost Odyssey and Blue Dragon were decent, but stay away from Eternal Sonata, Enchanted Arms and Two Worlds.