hmmm…

Well, now that I got a bit of time to play around with it here are my thoughts.

Microsoft got their stuff together in putting together the 360. Of course, when something is this expensive they can afford to make it nicer. That’s my main problem with the 360, expense. It’s far too expensive for a console, however, it is slightly underpriced for being a PC.

Make no mistake, the 360 is more a PC and less a console. In that way Microsoft has done very well by providing the beginnings of a very enjoyable online experience. Of my time on the 360 much has been spent exploring the market place and its offerings. Many of the trailers offered on live have been downloaded but more importantly the arcade games have offered the greatest attraction. The arcade games are unique and awesomely fun (Geometry Wars!).

Of course, let’s get to the actual games. Yes, the games are tons of fun in HD but the graphics aren’t yet at the level I expect from this console. In particular the trees need a lot of work as they just look far too out of place. There are times on load screens where things freeze for a second or two (Ridge Racer) and PGR3 has frozen on me a couple times during load screens. It’s to be expected and seems to be a programming issue rather than a heat issue.

Enjoyable? Yes. Worth the price for most people? No. Worth the price for hardcore gamers? Yes.

I also like the Windows Media Connect feature which allows me to play audio and view pictures from my PCs around the house.