Re: 1st Time X-Box 360 Owner (Basic Questions)
 

- As far as FPS, L4D is a great game and easy, but if you wont want to play with others online, its too short for a single player game, some amazing FPS experinces are Mirrors Edge, Call of Duty Modern Warefare 1,2, Halo 3, Farcry 2.

-If you like the Zombie Genre get Dead Rising. Its freaking Awesome, like dawn of the Dead. In the Mall with thousands of Zombies.


-Brutal Legend is a great game, it is more of adventure game then a platformer, but its got great characters, fun story, and dont worry about the RTS parts in the game, they are not complicated, very simple.

- Batman AA is an Amazing game, Visuals, Story, Voice Acting, Gameplay is fantastic.

- Left 4 Dead is a fun game but not a great single player experence, its more of a online coop game.

-Boarderlands is a fun game, fun as a single player game and as a multiplayer game.

- Bioshock - Is a must buy, An AMAZING experience, Amazing atmosphere, story, characters, art design, sound etc.

- If you liked Resident Evil 4, you will like Resident Evil 5, controls are about the same as well as the gameplay,

-Xbox Live Membership lets you play games against other people, access facebook, Last FM, Play 1 vs 100 Gameshow, which is free to Xbox Live Gold subscribers, and lets you access Netflix if you have a netflix account etc. Well worth the 50bucks a year. Plus once you try playing Borderlands etc online you wont go back.


Games I recommend..

BioShock
Crackdown
Mirrors Edge
Dead Space
Gears of War 1&2
Call of Duty Modern Warefare 1 & 2
Resident Evil 5
BoarderLands
Eternal Sonata

Re: 1st Time X-Box 360 Owner (Basic Questions)
 

If you like the Ghostbuster movies, you will love it. Its got the all the cast members from the first movie, the story was written by dan aykroyd. It pretty much the Third movie we never got. Its got great dialogue, and is alot of fun. One of my favorite games this year. So if you are a ghostbusters fan, you will LOVE it.

Re: 1st Time X-Box 360 Owner (Basic Questions)
 

It depends on how big the files are and how graphic intensive the games are.

I downloaded a WWE Demo a few months ago and the file was rougly 1.5 GB and took almost 45 minutes to d/l.

On the other hand, I downloaded the full version Marvel vs Capcom 2 and that took less than 10 minutes.

Re: 1st Time X-Box 360 Owner (Basic Questions)
 

Obviously your not a very experienced gamer. Don't go too crazy picking up advanced games you may or may not like or don't have time for. Alot of these games that the posters and you have mentioned here take alot of hours and days to get through. Pace yourself and only play with the ones that you have and practice with them 1st and see if you get the hang of it.

For me, I'm much more comfortable playing sports games like NBA 2K10 or Madden. I get instant gratification playing with my favorite teams and players and the controls are much more easier to handle.

Re: 1st Time X-Box 360 Owner (Basic Questions)
 

Good point DJariya. I guess we could give a rundown on the games mentioned:

Bioshock - about a 14 hour game (for experienced gamers)
Ghostbusters - about 8 hours and probably a good one to start with. Very fun if you love the movies.
Crackdown - it's hard to judge this one, the game itself doesn't take long but if you get into the orbs you could play this for hours on end.
Mirror's Edge - AWESOME game, but short, maybe 6-8 hours
Dead Rising - designed to be short so that you play through the game multiple times. Advance warning, you WILL have problems with the save system so we can expect a thread bump if you buy this one. :D
Borderlands - I'm playing this now, extremely fun shooter, however, I'm about 27 hours in and only at level 32 of 50 with my character. I have no idea what missions are the main story missions(and don't care) because I'm just doing them all.

Fair enough but some games go beyond the genre they are in to capture gamers that normally wouldn't play that genre. Bioshock is one of those games.

First, it's not a typical FPS. It's not a run and gun game like you are probably envisioning. It's actually slow paced and methodical. It has RPG elements in it that you can upgrade your weapons and powers. Second, the story, atmosphere, music and characters carry this game and make it far more than a shooter. It's an experience. There's a reason why it was Game of the Year for most people.

At any rate, download the demo if there is one. Give that a spin and see what you think. Actually there are demos for about 98% of the games out there so just go crazy this first week you have your system and play all kinds of demos for games you might have your eye on.

And that brings us to download speeds, I rarely have any issues with slow downloading. The only time that something takes longer than normal is if it's a demo/expansion/map pack on release day where 10 million other xbox users are downloading the same thing. Typically speeds are very fast for me. Then again I'm also on 20.0 broadband and hardwired to the router.

Re: 1st Time X-Box 360 Owner (Basic Questions)
 

thanks again guys. in terms of times for games it took me months to beat RE 4 on Gamecube and it was the best experiences of my life. i don't mind if it takes forever. i never play more than 1 hour maybe 2x a week, but still love to take my time and enjoy the hell out of the games. some need to play constantly and beat as soon as possible. not me. i play at convenience and as a nice outlet to look forward to when i do have the time.

i exchanged L4D2 and got Gears of War 2 (Game of Year Edition), cheaper too. GoW2 seems complicated, but the graphics and 3rd person style seemed right for me.

will likely return Bioshock for Dead Rising. DR is all about the games i like. i am dl'ing the L4D demo and will see later on.

**edit**
component cables?...my component cables don't seem to work. i get color in the background, but image is not shown, only lines throughout and can't see at all. the back of my tv has Y, PB, PR; while the XBOX wires say Y, CB, CR. Would this not be compatible then? i assume i am having trouble because my TV only supports 480p and XBOX does not, only 480i and higher? this sucks as i would have liked this hook up...

Re: 1st Time X-Box 360 Owner (Basic Questions)
 

Is it true that in order to hook up to the internet wirelessly, I have to get the wireless adapter?

Re: 1st Time X-Box 360 Owner (Basic Questions)
 

RE4 was probably my favorite game from last gen...but I didn't like the demo for 5 at all.

The demo was fun, but this is one to buy later for $15-20.

I'd start with Orange Box and Bioshock. Both are single player, both are cheap, and both are amazing. Orange Box (Half-Life 2) has zombies (sort of)

Batman is amazing. I think the best 3rd Person games are probably on PS3 though.

It's not exactly horror, but Dead Rising comes to mind.

Re: 1st Time X-Box 360 Owner (Basic Questions)
 

Hey Scott

Well first off congrads to getting on-board with the 360. And second who've come to the right place for insight. suggestions and more importantly plenty who don't mind jumping in or invite for some online fun. You'll find any and all levels of playing styles and abilities. Just get the gamer tags and send some friend request and you're ready.

As to games that appeal it's up to you. But I will suggest one type that's both fun, entertaining, learning, and sometimes laughable is ....co-op games. There are plenty to choose from and most have differnt levels (medium to veteran to hardcore to insane, etc...). It's still competitive but it's something about having "buddies" with you versus the evil A.I that's pure fun and enjoyment.

Many have suggested games and most I certainly would also suggest included.....
Gears 2 - though it's bit old by todays still going strong and co-op is there but Horde is so much fun. jump in some random to get yourselve going but with friends so much better.
Boarderlands - this has become one of my favorite games. Great single player but co-op is a blast. large open worlds, and insane amount of weapons, four characters to choose from and endless hours of fun. Best of ll you can choose your pace, and missions. You can be at Level 15 and invite someone with Level 40 to back you up.
COD-World At War - While it's mainstay is M.P the co-op play is outstanding and the single play is darn solid.
Left4Dead2- face it, hacking & slashing zombies with all sorts of guns, chainsaws, swords, frying pans, bats with three other buddies....what a hoot and rush.
Halo ODST - can't go wrong here as both co-op and single play is fun and challenging. The Firefight Mode is must.
Ghostbusters - when it came out everyone jumped on it and well worth it. A good change of pace, good action and a blast. What more to ask for with a Proton Back-Pack and zapping ghosts. Only downside is many have moved to other games.

Upcoming games is another story. Getting on-board at the start helps...
Army of Two: 40th day - co-op and great single play. A tactical and "I've got your back" game
Bioshock 2 - Everyones wish and must have list.
Aliens vs Predator - still a bit unknown but so far looking very good. Co-op, single play and choose from Predator, Alien and Marine

Just a few there and yes you can add me to your friends list. Oh and one more thing. Finding friends with similar games is not hard, it's finding ones on the same time zone and time is the challenge. Good luck.

Re: 1st Time X-Box 360 Owner (Basic Questions)
 

^ thanks K&A.

to tell you the truth, i haven't played a minute of game yet, but having a blast reading this stuff, watching video reviews and seeing my XBOX light go blinkety blink when it is off because it is downloading all the demos i had in my queue. i even love my gamertag which is taking from my work nickname 'Tbone' and the 'system i have'.

and because of all this simplicity and may even buy a month of Gold and checkout what this playing onlne is all about, but as K&A said i won't know how to get into a game and play, especially if i am inexperienced and don't want to muck anyone else up.

the set up was so simple and never realized i would be hooked up to the internet so quickly and easily. one big deterrent for me and reason why i waited so long was, not thinking i would be able to hook up easy, didn't know where i could put the system in the room its in, and thinking i would be overwhelmed by complicated great games that i wanted but frustrated because i wouldn't know how to play. i could always pick up a game and get used to it after sometime, but it does take me sometime and then i take off.

Eternal Darkness and RE 4 on Gamecube were probably the most advanced games i've played and was daunting at first, but they have become 2 of my most favorite games of all time. RE 4 was actually very simple to get into.

so, gonna wait till X-mas break when i will have, hopefully, a lot of time to take the time and get used to the games slowly but steadily and on my own time. will probably start with Resident Evil 5 as this was my most anticipated since i beat RE 4 for the first time, how many years ago? i don't care how long games take, could be an 8 hour game, but for me it would take months and i don't mind that a bit.

Demos i just dl'd: (which will probably be delved into first)
Shadow Complex
L4D2
Condemned
Contra
Too Human
Soul Caliber IV
Ninja Gaiden 2
Zombie Apocalypse
Guitar Hero 5
Brutal Legend
BioShock

Games I bought:
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Ghostbusters
BioShock (free)
Gears of War 2
Dead Rising
Resident Evil 5 (will be first ever full game played)
Dead Space
Lego Batman (free)
Pure (free)

think it is a good start.

want to check out:
Bionic Commando (favorite NES game of all time) (sadly no demo except for Gold)
how is this one?

thanks again to everyone in this thread for getting me excited and taking me through the initial process. it made it a lot easier and less stressful in-between doing all my lesson plans for the upcoming week. 1.5 weeks till X-mas break and i look forward to it with renewed vigor and among other things something very fun to look forward to!!

anyone else have any thoughts on one of my above posts with the component cable situation? probably just that my tv component connection is not compatible with what XBOX component supports?

Re: 1st Time X-Box 360 Owner (Basic Questions)
 

The demo for Condemned isn't too impressive but as I posted above, the game is awesome. Left 4 Dead is pretty pointless without Live. Lost Planet is another 3rd person action/shooter you might want to give a shot. The demo was quite good and the game should be super cheap these days. I just finished X-Men Origins: Wolverine which was third person and very fun.

As for your cable problem, did you buy component cables separately? The xbox only comes with composite, so it kinda sounds like you're using composite cables into the component ports on your TV.

Re: 1st Time X-Box 360 Owner (Basic Questions)
 

these old XBOX games in your link, can they be bought and downloaded to XBOX 360? or they have to be bought as the actual disc?

what i am looking for are old XBOX games that i can buy through Live and dl to 360...

Re: 1st Time X-Box 360 Owner (Basic Questions)
 

Scott here's a list of all the full games you can download to your hard drive, it's a mix of 360, Old Xbox and 360 Arcade Games:

http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/ga...alog.aspx?d=13

Re: 1st Time X-Box 360 Owner (Basic Questions)
 

Scott, you can get some real helpful tips by clicking Xbox 101 on the Dashboard. Just go to My Xbox then Solutions and go Xbox 101 at the end. They have video tips like how to install your games to your harddrive and many helpful tips, I find it very useful for me.

Re: 1st Time X-Box 360 Owner (Basic Questions)
 

thanks KoE.

Re: 1st Time X-Box 360 Owner (Basic Questions)
 

when you say Lost Planet is that 1 or 2?

ok, so i have had 5 downloads in queue and it has taken several hours and only 2 of 5 have downloaded. is this normal?

no, no i know the difference between composite and component and know the system came only with composite.

no i bought the Monster XBOX component cable for $20. as i said the back of my standard tv has Y, PB, PR; while the Monster XBOX wires say Y, CB, CR. Would this not be compatible then? i assume i am having trouble because my TV only supports 480p and XBOX does not, only 480i and higher?

i think it is because of the 480p not compatible with 480i and thus seeing a severly distorted image/lines throughout picture screen to render anything viewable.

Re: 1st Time X-Box 360 Owner (Basic Questions)
 

just read at XBOX.com that i can set to 480p:
To set the Xbox Dashboard to 480p
1.Connect your Xbox console to the component inputs of a TV that supports 480p with an Xbox High Definition AV Pack.
2.Start the Xbox console without a disc in the tray to run the Xbox Dashboard.

Note
If your Xbox console takes you to the Xbox Livearea rather than the Xbox Dashboard main menu, press the B button on the Xbox controller twice to return to the Xbox Dashboard main menu.
3.From the main menu of the Xbox Dashboard, select Settings.
4.From the Settings menu, select Video.
5.From the Video menu, select 480p.
6.Select Yes to confirm that your TV supports 480p.
7.Pull and hold both the left and right triggers. While holding the triggers, click (press in) the left and right thumbsticks.
After a brief blank screen, the Xbox Dashboard will display in 480p.

If you want to return to 480i, repeat the controller combination in step 7, or switch your Xbox High Definition AV Pack with another type of AV pack.

but how can i do this if when i put in the component and start up, i can't see any images in order to reset?

Re: 1st Time X-Box 360 Owner (Basic Questions)
 

There are too many variables to say what download speeds you "should" have. For me, it's never been a case of hours per demo, though.

Re: 1st Time X-Box 360 Owner (Basic Questions)
 

They are compatible.

Sounds like an incorrect or loose connection. Double check your wires. Also, make sure your cable isn't set to hi def.

Re: 1st Time X-Box 360 Owner (Basic Questions)
 

Pretty sure he mean's the first Lost Planet since the second one isn't out yet. That one comes out Feb. 2nd.

Re: 1st Time X-Box 360 Owner (Basic Questions)
 

i double checked and double checked. everything was tight. how do i make sure if the cable is set correct? there was no setting on the cable itself. just wires with no switches or anything...
really want to get this connection to work. as it is i have composite through my Line 1 of VCR.

Re: 1st Time X-Box 360 Owner (Basic Questions)
 

Good luck getting that to stick. And I base that entirely on: link. This thread should be up to 100 pages by next Sunday. Over/Under is ten pages.

Re: 1st Time X-Box 360 Owner (Basic Questions)
 

There is an HDTV / SD switch on the cable. Make sure it's set to HDTV when using component cables, even 480p mode.
http://z.about.com/d/xbox/1/0/2/G/360avswitch.jpg

Re: 1st Time X-Box 360 Owner (Basic Questions)
 

I'm speechless... well almost, but compared to scott1598, yes I'm speechless :D

Re: 1st Time X-Box 360 Owner (Basic Questions)
 

He's got the Monster cables... not sure if those have the same kind of switch.