XBOX 360. Please Clue me in.

[Odhanan]

Question: I read that you connect a wireless controller by introducing it to the console (pressing buttons on both the console and the controller). Can you have two wireless controllers linked to a single console?

 

[ki11erDM]

Question: I read that you connect a wireless controller by introducing it to the console (pressing buttons on both the console and the controller). Can you have two wireless controllers linked to a single console?

Yes. You can have up to 4.

Also I find that my wife's Zune software on her PC integrates perfectly with the system. And my Vista Ultimate extends video to it very smoothly as well.

Lastly the system you bought SHOULD last a long time as it should have the new CPU and cooling system in it. And Forza 2 rocks!

edit: And yes it still sounds like a jet taking off. LOL

 

[trancejeremy]

Forza 2 is okay, but I'm sort of disappointed with it. I was a big fan of the original Forza, so Forza 2 was a big reason I got a 360. But it's basically the same exact game in most areas, except a step back in some areas (like tracks).

They also didn't address some of the issues (IMHO), like how when you upgrade cars, the performance index goes up dramatically, but often not in relation to its actual performance. So upgrading a lot of cars is useless, since they will get smoked. And certain cars just dominated in certain levels, no matter what.

Track design is also really really bland. I realize most tracks are real, and so are drab in real life, too. But the fictional tracks are bad, too. I don't want races through an enchanted forest with unicorns and waterfalls and dancing smurfs, but some nice scenary would be nice.

And technically, it's not a great game. Loading times are quite long, the graphics are pretty bad (for a 360 game, that is), no in dash view, only a hood cam (for some cars anyway) - and if you do use the hood cam, that means no rear view mirror. You also apparently can't change what music plays in the menus. (There's a song I can't stand in it, but some I like.)

 

[John Crichton]

Both KOTORs can be played via a 360 as well.

I'll add a disclaimer: KotOR2 is buggy as hell on the 360. There is slowdown, skipping and audio problems all over the place. Very disappointing.

 

[ki11erDM]

I was a big fan of the original Forza, so Forza 2 was a big reason I got a 360. But it's basically the same exact game in most areas, except a step back in some areas (like tracks).

Had no XBox so never had Forza so it is all 'new' to me. Was a huge Gran Turismo fan on the PS1 so I like this style of racer.

 

[trancejeremy]

Had no XBox so never had Forza so it is all 'new' to me. Was a huge Gran Turismo fan on the PS1 so I like this style of racer.

The style is great, the game is great (almost), it just doesn't have enough tracks (IMHO). The original Forza had about twice (maybe more, actually, at least 8-12 more depending on how you count) as many, including point to point ones, like mountains and street racing.

There are more downloadable tracks (including one that was in the original), but they apparently can't be used in career mode, only online and "arcade"

And if you go over to Forzamotorsport.net and look at the leaderboards for best times on the various tracks, you can see how they didn't do a very good job of balancing the Performance index vs actual car performance.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Well, my wife bought me a 360 for Christmas, and so far Forza2 > me.

The irony is that I've got track time with my car (an S2000) on several tracks. I'm still a novice, and not fast. But on Forza with an S2000, I can't even get around the track once without going off. I'm glad I decided to drive on a track before trying Forza, because if I'd tried the game first thinking it was representative of what track driving is like, I'd never have had the guts to go to the track. I do wish the tracks I have driven were in the game so I could do a direct comparison. I know the feedback from the controller doesn't map well to in-car feel, but I'm wondering what else is off.

Luckily, I got Halo as well, so when driving gets frustrating I can go kill aliens (which isn't nearly as frustrating).

 

[Felon]

Well, my wife bought me a 360 for Christmas, and so far Forza2 > me.

The irony is that I've got track time with my car (an S2000) on several tracks. I'm still a novice, and not fast. But on Forza with an S2000, I can't even get around the track once without going off. I'm glad I decided to drive on a track before trying Forza, because if I'd tried the game first thinking it was representative of what track driving is like, I'd never have had the guts to go to the track.

Well, I had the exact same problem. Couldn't stay on the tracks. Then one major revelation hit me: the thumbsticks aren't the only things that are analog--the trigger buttons are too! And that means that every time I mashed the right trigger in, I was going pedal-to-the-metal.

 

[Banshee16]

Correct, aside from games, the only accessory I bought was the Play & Charge kit, though the recharger tower:

http://www.amazon.ca/Xbox-360-Quick...3?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1197922510&sr=1-13

Is also neat.

I may eventually get a messenger kit (for no apparent reason, but it looks neat) and the HD-DVD player (hey, why not enable me to spend double for movies), but everything else is optional.

The messenger kit is useful if you use the XBox to chat at all....or just to send messages. It's *so* much faster than picking out characters on the screen. I just take it for granted now. And it's no longer nearly as frustrating when friends see me on messenger when I'm on the XBox, and try to reach me. Used to be that I'd end up shutting the XBox down, and going to my PC.

Just my two cents.

Banshee

 

[Banshee16]

I personally have had some issues with my 360 and media sharing from my computer. Issues that still have not been resolved more than a month after purchase. It's a great system, but the media sharing was an important part of the package for me. I still haven't been able to figure out the problem, but from what I've read I'm not the only one with the issue, and XBox support has not been traditionally helpful on this one. I'm actually going to make the call on Thursday, so I may report back with more info.

Of course, the primary reason I bought the system was for the the games, and at this stage the Xbox has the best and the most.

What problems are you currently having? I was able to get Media Sharing set up with Zune pretty easily. The installation was a little confusing, but I'm pretty sure it's just that the instructions could have been clearer. Once I put it down, and came back to it a few days later with a fresh mind, it took about 5 minutes, including the time needed to run from my PC on the 2nd floor to the XBox in the basement to configure a few things.

If you have Media Center Edition WinXP it works even better. Only issue I've seen is lag when streaming video files via wireless connection. But getting a router with A (??) channel instead of B/G seemed to help my buddy.

Banshee

Banshee