650 for 360

[kevin]

Yep the Xbox 360 goes on sale in Australia in about 2 weeks time, for the expected $650.  Not sure if that's the budget version or not actually.    Finally got to see one the other day.   Lets just say i wasn't inspired enough to make a preorder based upon that.  But it does look nice.

[Ian Price]

As an owner of all current and last gen machines and handhelds, I'm not inspired enough to splash out on an XBox 360 just yet. I know it will have some killer games, but at the moment there aren't any and many of the first batch have serious bugs, which many mags have ignored - PGR3 is one of the worst accoring to a friend that's owned a 360 from day one (and an XBox prior to this).

The price is also due to come down once the PS3 and Revolution are launched (sources say that Revolution will be less than US$200). Whilst Microsoft have always said they are not competing with Nintendo, a price that low is bound to make them think otherwise.

As a machine it's lovely and the dashboard integration is fantastic (according to my friend). The controllers are said to be excellent and much better than the original XBox. Unfortunately, it's not fully backwards compatible either (I don't knwo if you own an XBox or not, so this may be irrelevent).

I'm not biased towards it either, as I said, I own all the current gen machines (bar the 360) and really enjoy my XBox but I'm leaving off getting a 360 for a while.

Besides, if it's anything like here when the 360 is launched there, you won't be able to get one anyway (even if you had pre-ordered!).

[kevin]

Yeah, having read about the us preorder drams, I'd be more than a tad concerned if i'd pad up front for one.  Although, this roll out can't be bad as the original xbox release here.  

 I'm not really a console person, but i have been tempted with this generation.  So we'll see

[kohai]

Grab your pants, Sony announced that they delayed the PS3, because they have pbs with Blu-Ray DVD specs.
But rumours says that's because they want to be able to produce enough units on time ( 6M units at launch time + 1M units / year ).

Anyway, Xbox360 is just not worth the price IMHO. Games i have tested so far are far from perfect ( yup, they're the first gen game, but still )

Ian Price > As an owner of all current and last gen machines and handhelds ...
By chance, did you test the highly suspicious 'GP2X' console ( Korean thing, i think ) ... Looks like a really nice hardware, but couldn't any real tests/reviews of it ...

[kevin]

Looks like a really nice hardware, but couldn't any real tests/reviews of it

 Apparently the initial release had some less than perfect firmware.  Have  heard some good things though apart from that.

[Ian Price]

The GP2X hadn't been "properly" launched when I wrote that due to "technical problems" (ie it keeps crashing and dying). The original GamePark32 machine is lovely though and with some corking homebrew and emulation stuff available for it.
Battery life is better than PSP, but not as good as GBS SP or DS.

I'll wait for a more stable GP2X before I invest money in one.

BTW I haven't got a Gizmondo or a Tapwave either, so I haven't got EVERY piece of hardware and I was talking more consoles than handhelds anyway.

[kohai]

Bah Gizmondo is dead anyway ... too much Escort-girls and Ferrari's in the budget :)

[Ian Price]

Gizmondo was stillborn!

It would have been a nice machine a year or so ago, but it was too little, too late with absolutely no software worth playing on it.

There are some serious criminal investigations going on into the management of Tiger Telematics (the parent company). There are a lot of Financial irregularities and "keeping it in the family". The lavish lifestyle they lead wouldn't be believable in a Hollywood film!*







* By all accounts. The more you read about it, the more amazing the whole story is.