Like previously mentioned there is a play and charge kit for the 360, that will let you charge while you play:

http://www.amazon.com/Xbox-360-Play-.../dp/B000B6MLS2

I don't have one. I have this because I got a smoking deal on it some time back:

http://www.amazon.com/Xbox-360-Quick..._ob_vg_title_1

The batteries seem to last quite a long time. Honestly I prefer the choice of either using standard batteries or being able to use rechargeables. I don't want to be tied into having to recharge.

Now that's a good idea that I hadn't thought of.


I never found the story particularly compelling, and I don't think I am giving anything away here, but I did find that when one of them has a family member abducted and they try to track them down, that was at least interesting. I was more enthralled by the graphic eye candy of the game. It was just awesome to look at more than anything. Story and control obviously came second and third in development.

Chess, I think you're looking for things in Gears that were never the intention of the game's designers - especially if you're holding Uncharted against it. I actually think Gears has a much more satisfying shooting mechanism than Uncharted does. The gun-play and shooting-action are far more crunchy, smooth, and satisfying than Uncharted's can ever hope to be, and that's the criteria it should be judged on, not whether the characters move with grace or if the story is compelling. While a Mario game might have a story or shooting with fireballs, do you criticize it's story for being paper thin or not being able to aim your fireball shots? No, it's good at what it does do and the same is true of Gears - for whatever reason, you were expecting a game that it is not. I'm assuming that you're not even playing it right.

Actually, I played it a bit this morning, but I am fairly early in the game. I'm at a gas station with dudes spawning all around me...sometimes even right next to me.

I'm not deliberately comparing it to Uncharted, and I'm not looking for it to be Uncharted. Uncharted just happens to be the last new game I played, and it makes Gears feel dated. Gears feels a bit more like a Resident Evil game with slow tank-like controls, and I disagree about how satisfying the shooting is. I find the aiming to be sluggish and imprecise, and the guns I've used thus far are full of recoil and ass. So I'm finding the game generally frustrating, and the lack of story or likeable characters is making it worse.

I don't think it's a "bad" game at all, and if I'd played it a year after RE4, I'm sure I'd have thought it was brilliant. I just missed its "window", and I'm not sure it has aged well.

Gears vs. Uncharted is a much more apt comparison than the usual Uncharted vs. Tomb Raider.

As for "sluggish" controls. How nimble do you expect a 250 lb space marine wearing 200 lbs of gear to be? :P Slop has one thing right though, Nathan Drake may control better but the gunplay in Gears feels far more satisfying.

It's interesting to hear you have already come around on the 360 pad for the most part. It seems the only people that trash it are the ones that haven't spent any real amount of time with one.

I can't hit anyone in Gears or Uncharted so it was all the same to me. Damn you R stick my arch enemy.

I love the 360 controller though. D pad does suck, but it is my favorite for everything else. Because of the D pad I did get the Genesis collection on PS3.

Because of the D-pad, I bought both a SF IV fightpad and a SF IV Tournament Edition Fight Stick. It's only really usable in a few non-fighting games, but that Fightpad's D-pad is really wonderful.

Again, not a deliberate comparison since I think Gears probably has more in common with RE...and I really wish I hadn't just played Uncharted, as it's making this less fun.

Depends on how many steriods he's used.

The cardinal sin, which I've tried to describe but have done so poorly, is when the targets can move across my field of vision faster than I can swing my gun.

I never had a beef with the 360 controller and always wished the DS3 would have been more like it. The perfect controller (for me) would be shaped just like the 360's, and with the same general layout, but with the sticks and D-pad from the DS3 and an internal lithium battery and mini-USB.

Thx for the friend invite BTW...my first one on Live.

I'm still pretty skeptical about my paying for Live though.

For folks who like the Gears games (or even if not, as I have both and haven't played all the way through the first one yet and have not even opened the 2nd yet), I'd highly recommend the Gears novels by Karen Traviss ... pretty good stuff.

http://www.karentraviss.com/

Not quite as good as her republic commando stuff, but still pretty good.

I'm looking forward to her stuff in Halo Evolutions as well.

I use rechargable AA batteries in my 360 and Wii controllers. Works great. I have a multiple sets of them. I hate the PS3 system. It should charge when the system is off.

so I either download or netflix most of my tv shows that i watch through tversity

today i decided to try hulu through tversity on my 360 and gotta say, Ive very disappointed with it so far

Yeah Uncharted vs. Gears is a good comparison.

Though Uncharted nailed the adventure aspect, Gears nailed the action aspect. If only the two could come together properly (Uncharted's action sequences lacked excitement (and were, frankly, tedious, especially near the end of Among Thieves), Gears is basically a straight shooter with no puzzles and is totally linear.)

I actually felt both Uncharted games had the same "RE" style limitations on the controls. Gears definitely has it, and while I don't remember it in Uncharted: DF (I haven't played it in sometime), I definitely noticed it in Uncharted 2. Nate is definitely more nimble than Marcus, but they both have some similar control issues. Game developers really need to find a way to get away from that, it hurts otherwise fantastic games.

I'm looking at Live Starter Packs on Amazon and am pondering the 60GB set for $90 vs the 20GB refurb for $50.

For someone who will use the 360 as a secondary gaming machine, will a 20GB do? I'd probably want to keep a few games on the HD, get 5-10 Arcade titles and keep a few demos.

For that price difference i would go with a 60 gig.

To be honest, my 20 gig filled up rather quickly with DLC and demos. It gets especially bad around E3 and TGS when they put up a huge quantity of game videos. I also often download a demo and don't get around to trying the demo for a week or so. Now a days the demos will sometimes hit 1.5 gigs.

Remember also that 7 GB is earmarked for BC. That only leaves 13 GB space on a 20 GB HDD. NOT worth $50.

I didn't find the action sequences in Uncharted tedious at all. There was plenty of variety, and I found the Train, Tank and Truck sequences plenty exciting (for instance). From what I've seen so far of Gears (admittedly not THAT much), I'm finding it really repetitive in comparison. It's pretty much just cover and shoot.

I don't follow this. With RE and Gears, I have a dude who can navigate in all directions and shoot, and that's about it. Nate jumps, climbs, swings, and shoots while hanging amongst other things, and I found it all to be very fluid.

I really wish I hadn't started an Uncharted vs. Gears debate. I was simply commenting that having just played Among Thieves was affecting my ability to enjoy Gears.

Thanks fellas. I'll probably get the 60GB.

I think he means that the shooting segments of Uncharted can be tedious - which I agree with. The action stuff is great, but like I said, the shooting segments in Uncharted feel dull, hollow and limp, which makes them feel tedious when they get drawn out towards the end, especially in comparison to Gears.

Its the best choice. You won't get a few games on the 20 GB... you might get 2 installed.

Some pretty good 360 deals on Target clearance:

Wolverine: $15
GH Metallica: $20
Red Faction: $20

I picked up Wolverine.

YMMV, obviously.

I saw these same prices at a Target near me yesterday, so it's possible it might be an across the board cut everywhere.

I'd like to get Wolverine at that price.

good price for red faction.

No, it's not. Target clearance prices are very YMMV, even from store-to-store. I found Wolverine for $42 at one Target and $30 at another last Monday.

Usually my Target is way behind others in dropping prices, so I'd say folks' odds are pretty good.

Anyway, like I said, YMMV.