Refurbished Xbox 360s...

[Enforcer]

Three models of Xbox 360 isn't so bad... just look at how many versions of Vista they put out!

That said, I got the Pro (middle-tier) which was bundled with Marvel Ultimate Alliance and Forza 2. Haven't played Forza, but Marvel was a blast. Currently losing sleep over Mass Effect.

 

[trancejeremy]

I got my 360 today from Overstock.com. Sadly, it really was the bundle with no games (I was hoping they were just too lazy to add another entry for them, though I'd rather have the $50 I saved, so no biggie). And even sadder, I missed getting one of those Falcons by a week (according to the production date). I also didn't get the cable to connect it to my PC monitor yet, so I haven't played with it much (not to mention, I don't have any games yet).

Still, I have some questions and was too lazy to start a new thread:

1) Can you actually register your hardware? Sony and Nintendo have a thing on their sites where you enter in your serial number. And occasionally they send you stuff. (Sony does, anyway, all I got from Nintendo was an ad for their magazine). Though I mostly wanted to make sure they didn't give me a refurbished or used model.

The back of the user pamphlet says you can and gives and url, but all that does is sign you up for Xbox Live Silver, not your hardware

2) How long do the batteries generally last in the controller? And also regarding the controller, is the d-pad as lousy as it seems? (I dunno what happened, the Xbox 1 had a great d-pad)

3) Other than backwards compatability, is possible to install patches for games or the firmware of the 360 from a cd? (Since I'm on dial-up, I can't use Xbox Live, obviously)

4) Any cheap games 360 owners would recommend? I'll try Forza 2 from ebay (since they should be flooded with bundles from pack-ins) and plan on getting Mass Effect.

 

[ohGr]

1) Can you actually register your hardware? Sony and Nintendo have a thing on their sites where you enter in your serial number. And occasionally they send you stuff. (Sony does, anyway, all I got from Nintendo was an ad for their magazine). Though I mostly wanted to make sure they didn't give me a refurbished or used model.

The back of the user pamphlet says you can and gives and url, but all that does is sign you up for Xbox Live Silver, not your hardware

Despite having my 360 since February, i just registered my system earlier this week.

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/support/?WT.svl=nav
System registration is on the right.

2) How long do the batteries generally last in the controller? And also regarding the controller, is the d-pad as lousy as it seems? (I dunno what happened, the Xbox 1 had a great d-pad)

Batteries last somewhere in the neighborhood of 40 hours, i'd guess. It's long enough that i can't really give an accurate estimate.

And yes, the d-pad is horrendous.

3) Other than backwards compatibility, is possible to install patches for games or the firmware of the 360 from a cd? (Since I'm on dial-up, I can't use Xbox Live, obviously)

Yes.

4) Any cheap games 360 owners would recommend? I'll try Forza 2 from ebay (since they should be flooded with bundles from pack-ins) and plan on getting Mass Effect.

$30 is about as cheap as 360 games get, so you should check out their Platinum Hits lineup. Out of those, i loved Dead Rising and had some fun with Saint's Row.

 

[trancejeremy]

Thanks. It didn't occur to me to look under Repair Center as the place to register the console. D'oh.

I did download the backward compatability update, but does that sort of thing also work for patches for 360 games (while most don't seem buggy, some have been)?

And despite what the manual says, is it okay to use rechargeable batteries in the controllers? I've got some nice ones I used to use in my digital camera until I dropped it.

 

[LightPhoenix]

And despite what the manual says, is it okay to use rechargeable batteries in the controllers? I've got some nice ones I used to use in my digital camera until I dropped it.

I use rechargeable batteries for my Wii controller, so this may not apply. I haven't had any problems, but the lifespan is significantly less than disposable batteries - I would say two-thirds to half of the lifespan. I haven't had any problems other than that (which isn't really a problem) at all.

 

[Bront]

I use rechargeable batteries for my Wii controller, so this may not apply. I haven't had any problems, but the lifespan is significantly less than disposable batteries - I would say two-thirds to half of the lifespan. I haven't had any problems other than that (which isn't really a problem) at all.

Having not compared the two, I get a good 20+ hours out of rechargable batteries with just the Wiimote, and less if I use the Nunchuck.

That's a guestimate though, since I've never just sat there and worn down the batteries, and that's usually over a few week time span.

Still, it's more than enough for an extended play session. I have 2 chargers and 4 AA batters for each charger (I actualy have an extra 1 and 4, but those aren't the same brand, and were given to me second had, so I rarely use them), so unless I need all 4 wiimotes, I can rotate them. You can get a pack with charger for $20 of the Energizer hi capacity AA batteries, which should be more than enough.

Remember though, they do slowly loose their charge over time too, so you do occasionaly have to recharge them if you haven't used them in a while.

 

[RangerWickett]

You could always try one of these offers: http://www.gadgetcity.com/dest?id=634&pid=1844166011&cid=4005&lid=1116

You sign up for trials of various services and such, and get the 360 as a 'reward.' Of course, you need to know which services are the best to pick, and you have to be vigilant to cancel everything in a timely manner, or else you'll end up racking up charges greater than the cost of a normal 360.

But one of my friends is a guru of these things, and navigates through the sea of sketchiness to make a small killing. I believe he got a 360 for about a $50 investment. Hell, he helped me get a $250 gift card for about $10 from a similar site.

There are whole messageboards devoted to doing these online offers. My understanding is that they manage to provide things so cheaply because they're a tax shelter of sorts, and because most people who do them don't know any better and end up hemorrhaging cash.

Me, I plan to get a 360 for Christmas (though it'll probably not arrive til, like, March).

 

[ohGr]

I did download the backward compatability update, but does that sort of thing also work for patches for 360 games (while most don't seem buggy, some have been)?

Hmm, no, i don't think you can for title updates. (MS's euphemism for patches.) That said, i don't think there are any games out there with absolutely game-breaking, renders-the-entire-thing-unplayable bugs, so you should be ok. Oblivion has some pretty nasty bugs, but i think the newest version (Game of the Year, the one which comes with Shivering Isles and a bunch of other DLC) is already patched.

And despite what the manual says, is it okay to use rechargeable batteries in the controllers? I've got some nice ones I used to use in my digital camera until I dropped it.

Rechargeables are the only kind of batteries i use and i haven't encountered any kind of problem. I don't remember reading that in the manual, what's their excuse for recommending against them? (Other than wanting you to buy their own rechargeable battery packs, of course.)

 

[trancejeremy]

Rechargeables are the only kind of batteries i use and i haven't encountered any kind of problem. I don't remember reading that in the manual, what's their excuse for recommending against them? (Other than wanting you to buy their own rechargeable battery packs, of course.)

It just says "For best performance, rechargeable AA batteries are not recommended."

Probably just wanting people to buy their battery packs, as you say.

 

[Arnwyn]

$30 is about as cheap as 360 games get, so you should check out their Platinum Hits lineup. Out of those, i loved Dead Rising and had some fun with Saint's Row.

Unless, of course, you go the used route.

Games like Crackdown, Saint's Row, and Dead Rising have dropped to $24.99 (or less) used, and many games are $19.99 or less. (EB Games/Gamestop, or even local game stores)