Anyone know who has the best in store warranty? I think I may buy a 360 tomorrow.

I would get the Microsoft Warranty, most stores apparently tie the warranty to the serial number and once you replace it you have to get a new replacment plan. Somebody mentioned Target as an exception. Microsoft automatically transfers your warranty to any replacement.

You also have to wait for your "coffin" on the Microsoft plan. Other stores usually offer a "product replacement" plan, where they will just give you $X.XX amount of credit if yours is broken, and you can get a new one on the spot.

Just remember, at least with the Best Buy Product Replacement Plan, it is a one shot deal. So if your first system breaks and you get it replaced, you would need to buy ANOTHER PRP.

Also some stores won't even honor your store-bought extended warranty if you're still w/in the 1 year Microsoft warranty and they'll insist you go through those hoops.

Anyone know how Walmart's is? My girlfriend bought me it for Christmas and got a plan from Walmart. Just curious in case anything happens.

I didn't try Pirates, Hour sucked, Tenchu wasn't anything special, and I bought Shadowrun so no need to get the demo.

I have played the first level of Vampire Rain demo (up on the Japanese marketplace) a couple of times (weird mix of Resident Evil & Splinter Cell) but I keep dying haven't tried the other levels yet. I have downloaded Overlord but haven't had a chance to try it yet.

Costco, easily.

Overlord looks fun as hell can't wait until that comes out.

Played the Shadowrun demo, might have to see if I can pick it up, once i have some cash.

Well I picked up an Elite at Best Buy. I didn't realize they only replace it once. Hmm I think I may be going back to cancel that PRP. Then again I may just take the whole thing back. I am slowly coming to the realization no matter how much I want to be I am not a console gamer. I have tried a majority of the demos that interest me, everything from Crackdown to Forza 2, and I can't get into any of them . I rented Gears of War but of course the copy I got isn't playable so no idea on that one. I never played Guitar Hero so I don't even know if I would like it and other than the demos I didn't see much in the stores. I need to hit up the other Blockbuster and see if there is anything else out there for me.

I posted a pretty good description of the Target warranty in the "Have you had your 360 serviced thread".

Probably the best value overall. 3 years for $29.

I wasn't a fan of Forza either - i hate sim racers. Also bear in mind there are a ton of people (including me) who hated the Crackdown demo but enjoyed the real game.

I have a question about the controllers. The lights around the guide button on my controller spin around from time to time. Is this normal? Is it supposed to indicate something? The lights on the 360 do not do anything while the lights spn on the controller.

It means the batteries are about dead.

more specifically its a connection issue, which usually means the power in the controller is weak. it COULD also mean theres some interferfence between the controller and your console.

Does anyone know how to turn off the friends online announcement? It keeps coming up during movies and can't be more annoying!

Thanks for the info! You would think it would be in the controller documentation.

If you hit the guide button and go to personal settings, there should be an option to turn off notifications. This does turn off the annoying achievement unlocked notification, and I would assume it turns off the friends online notification too but I am not positive about that.

Well now you hear it...$140 to send my 360 to Get is services. Bright news is that the money includes shipping and a new 1 year warrenty. Serves me right for not spending the $50 for a 2 year extension. Good News is that after I get the 360 bax I can and WILL be spending the $50 to increase this warrenty. I guess my word of warning is that Quake 4 is a fun game but I guess just like Dead Rising it may lead to the 3 ring catastrophe!

-Many Thanks!

Blasphemy! Angels sing every time an achievement is unlocked! You must know about it instantaneously!

Imagine you have been playing Oblivion for 10 hours straight. You are completely immersed in the game world. Then suddenly this little pop-up box comes on saying "Achievement Unlocked". That just totally kills the immersion. That little pop-up is akin to crying babies and ringing cell phones in the movie theater IMO.

The 360 hardware is just problematic. No game actually harms the system. The 3 red lights occurs no matter what game you are playing or movie you are watching.

To each their own, I guess. It brings a tear of joy to my eye whenever I unlock an achievement. I'll fully admit I'm a GamerScore whore, and I eat 'em like candy. For someone who has an addictive personality or a collector's mentality, MS can really get someone hooked.

I will play a mediocre game on the 360 just for achievements. Meanwhile I've got great games for PS2 like God of War 2, Rogue Galaxy and Odin Sphere, which I haven't even touched yet. If they had achievements, I'd probably be more apt to play them.

Does that make me superficial? Perhaps. But I have fun going for the achievements, and as long as I'm having a good time, then it's all gravy.

And I am the complete opposite. Heck, I don't even know what my gamerscore is.

I totally agree. I've said in the past that I've finished and in some cases replayed, more games this Generation than I have in the past and it has a lot to do with achievement points. I must admit that -for me personally- playing old games without achievement points is a little less satisfying.

Hell. No.

It just means you appreciate that little extra something for you efforts and there's NOTHING wrong with that. Just like there's nothing wrong with not caring about the points.