# Is it too late in the console cylcle to buy an XBox360? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [April 28, 2010, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-too-late-in-the-console-cylcle-to-buy-an-xbox360/537626 "2010-04-28T14:52:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-too-late-in-the-console-cylcle-to-buy-an-xbox360/537626/21 "2010-04-29T14:20:14Z")
> [@Kinthalis](#): > > As an aside, if you have a desktop that is less than about 4 years old, a $100 graphics card + steam is all you need to enjoy many of the same games available on the consoles (plus heaps more). just FYI 🙂 It took 14 posts and 5 hours? You PC gamers are slipping… ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-too-late-in-the-console-cylcle-to-buy-an-xbox360/537626/22 "2010-04-29T14:23:35Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > It took 14 posts and 5 hours? You PC gamers are slipping… Well, we’re simply enjoying the wide range of excellent games avaliable to the PC market - what do you expect? 😉 Honestly if anything i’d say now is a very good time to get yourself a console, if you’re after one. A lot of really good games you’ll be able to find used, and there’s plenty of games out there for whatever genre you’re interested in. No real worries of the next gen coming out yet. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-too-late-in-the-console-cylcle-to-buy-an-xbox360/537626/23 "2010-04-29T14:27:17Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > It took 14 posts and 5 hours? You PC gamers are slipping… Hopefully they’ll slip out of the thread and into ones that pertain to them in the future. That comes across as more hostile than I intended to, but it’s not even the subject of the thread. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-too-late-in-the-console-cylcle-to-buy-an-xbox360/537626/24 "2010-04-29T15:22:32Z")
Yeah, because the OP’s eyeballs will melt while reading that one phrase. :rolleyes: It was a small, friendly aside I added AFTER commenting on the OP. Doesn’t surprise me that instead of ignoring it, since it obviously doesn’t matter to you, you had to post a snide comment about it. A lot of people mentioned the Wii and the PS3, why no snide comments about them not sticking to 360 related comments ONLY? ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-too-late-in-the-console-cylcle-to-buy-an-xbox360/537626/25 "2010-04-29T15:24:46Z")
> [@Kinthalis](#): > > Yeah, because the OP’s eyeballs will melt while reading that one phrase. :rolleyes: But… once again!.. this advice is given in a thread where someone is asking for advice on what console to buy. You don’t understand why some people would see red after constantly having to hear ir in every console-related thread? ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-too-late-in-the-console-cylcle-to-buy-an-xbox360/537626/26 "2010-04-29T15:31:45Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > But… once again!.. this advice is given in a thread where someone is asking for advice on what console to buy. You don’t understand why some people would see red after constantly having to hear ir in every console-related thread? That’s a poor description of what this thread is about. It isn’t “what console should I buy?” it’s “when should I buy this item?”. Bringing up PCs is just as relevant as bringing up the Wii or PS3. Let’s all dial our offend-o-meters down a few notches. In the meantime, here’s [a monkey washing a cat](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6JB3riPJu8). ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-too-late-in-the-console-cylcle-to-buy-an-xbox360/537626/27 "2010-04-29T15:35:22Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > That’s a poor description of what this thread is about. It isn’t “what console should I buy?” it’s “when should I buy this item?”. Bringing up PCs is just as relevant as bringing up the Wii or PS3. Let’s all dial our offend-o-meters down a few notches. In the meantime, here’s [a monkey washing a cat](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6JB3riPJu8). I know it’s not a big deal, but I think people are bothered by the fact that **Kinthalis** does this all the time. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-too-late-in-the-console-cylcle-to-buy-an-xbox360/537626/28 "2010-04-29T15:41:39Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > That’s a poor description of what this thread is about. It isn’t “what console should I buy?” it’s “when should I buy this item?”. Bringing up PCs is just as relevant as bringing up the Wii or PS3. Let’s all dial our offend-o-meters down a few notches. In the meantime, here’s [a monkey washing a cat](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6JB3riPJu8). Not really. No one was suggesting buying a PS3 or Wii instead. They were bringing them up to point out that none of the current manufacturers has a next-gen console ready to roll, which is relevant since these things usually go in waves - e.g. if Sony had just announced the PS4, you’d expect the xbox 720 to be announced soon. And talking about arcade vs. elite, & HDD size are all relevant to someone planning to buy a 360. Only one person suggested buying anything other than a 360. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-too-late-in-the-console-cylcle-to-buy-an-xbox360/537626/29 "2010-04-29T15:47:40Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > I know it’s not a big deal, but I think people are bothered by the fact that **Kinthalis** does this all the time. Meh. The OP expressed a desire to expand his hardware in order to play a few games that interest him. The odds are pretty good that those games are available on the PC as well, which some people may not realize (especially if they’re casual gamers like the OP seems to be). And he dedicated 66 of his 108 word post explaining why now would be the pefect time to buy a 360, and the last 42 to mention that the games are probably available for hardware he might already have. :shrug: ---
**Author:** ![lemac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f19dbf/32.png) [@lemac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lemac)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-too-late-in-the-console-cylcle-to-buy-an-xbox360/537626/30 "2010-04-29T15:50:35Z")
Get one with a HD so you can install games on it. Otherwise the 360’s DVD ROM sounds like a vacuum cleaner while playing games. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-too-late-in-the-console-cylcle-to-buy-an-xbox360/537626/31 "2010-04-29T15:51:49Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Meh. The OP expressed a desire to expand his hardware in order to play a few games that interest him. The odds are pretty good that those games are available on the PC as well, which some people may not realize (especially if they’re casual gamers like the OP seems to be). > > And he dedicated 66 of his 108 word post explaining why now would be the pefect time to buy a 360, and the last 42 to mention that the games are probably available for hardware he might already have. :shrug: There’s a blog I like, Psychology of Games, that has an interesting article on how social identity theory ties into the console-fan rivalry thing. Worth a read: [How Social Identity Theory Predicted the Console Wars of ’07 | The Psychology of Games](http://www.psychologyofgames.com/2010/01/11/how-social-identity-theory-predicted-the-console-wars-of-07/) ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-too-late-in-the-console-cylcle-to-buy-an-xbox360/537626/32 "2010-04-29T16:14:47Z")
::sigh:: Justin, when are you NOT seeing red whenever you see the dreaded two letters? P…C PC PCPCPCPCPCPC! There, now you’ll have to go get some visine. Back to the 360: I would also recommend that if you go with that platform, you splurge for the hard drive. As much as I loathe consoles as gaming only platforms, they are no longer just that. The xbox 360 is a great media center extender and to take full advantage of that (and the interconnectivity with your existing PC and media) you really do need a hard drive. Also, the hard drive comes in handy when downloading updates and DLC even for single-player only games. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-too-late-in-the-console-cylcle-to-buy-an-xbox360/537626/33 "2010-04-29T16:17:02Z")
I strongly recommend getting a 360 with a decent hard drive. If you fall prey to the Rock Band habit… and you should, it’s a good one, then you’ll be happier later. The ‘720’ isn’t really going to come out till they can do satisfactory 3-D gaming, they said once, so it’s not much to worry about. My current faves are Rock Band 2 and Forza 3, with some Virtua Fighter action on the side. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-too-late-in-the-console-cylcle-to-buy-an-xbox360/537626/34 "2010-04-29T16:19:40Z")
> [@Mr.Excellent](#): > > There’s a blog I like, Psychology of Games, that has an interesting article on how social identity theory ties into the console-fan rivalry thing. Worth a read: [How Social Identity Theory Predicted the Console Wars of ’07 | The Psychology of Games](http://www.psychologyofgames.com/2010/01/11/how-social-identity-theory-predicted-the-console-wars-of-07/) That was interesting, but it’s basic human nature 101. That we like to categorize ourselves and express favoritism to our “group” and disdain for other “groups” is something anyone with an IQ above 10 should have figured out by now. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-too-late-in-the-console-cylcle-to-buy-an-xbox360/537626/35 "2010-04-29T16:22:37Z")
> [@Kinthalis](#): > > Yeah, because the OP’s eyeballs will melt while reading that one phrase. :rolleyes: > > It was a small, friendly aside I added AFTER commenting on the OP. Doesn’t surprise me that instead of ignoring it, since it obviously doesn’t matter to you, you had to post a snide comment about it. > > A lot of people mentioned the Wii and the PS3, why no snide comments about them not sticking to 360 related comments ONLY? Whoa there. Like I said, my previous comment did come off as a little too snarky when typed out. Nobody’s mentioned the Wii or the PS3 outside of saying they’re in the same generation of consoles. Besides, we’re not talking about them. We’re talking about you. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-too-late-in-the-console-cylcle-to-buy-an-xbox360/537626/36 "2010-04-29T16:25:46Z")
> [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](#): > > Besides, we’re not talking about > them. We’re talking about you. As it should be. I’m way more interesting than some piece of plastic with overheating tendencies. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-too-late-in-the-console-cylcle-to-buy-an-xbox360/537626/37 "2010-04-29T16:31:48Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > The ‘720’ isn’t really going to come out till they can do satisfactory 3-D gaming, they said once, so it’s not much to worry about. I’m concerned about the whole 3D gaming thing. I already look geeky enough with my surround sound headset and wii motion controls/mouse. Do I really need to wear some clunky 3D glasses too? How much geek can we take? Our wives will leave us. Our dogs will hide their heads in shame. ---
**Author:** ![Mooch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mooch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mooch)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-too-late-in-the-console-cylcle-to-buy-an-xbox360/537626/38 "2010-04-29T16:39:57Z")
> [@lemac](#): > > Get one with a HD so you can install games on it. Otherwise the 360’s DVD ROM sounds like a vacuum cleaner while playing games. Again, I appreciate everyone’s advice and was going to probably follow the suggestions to get one with a hard drive but the above absolutely sold it for me! As to the mini argument over using a PC - I use a laptop at home which is ill-equipped to play the games I want to play. Thanks for the suggestions, though. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-too-late-in-the-console-cylcle-to-buy-an-xbox360/537626/39 "2010-04-29T17:11:58Z")
> [@Kinthalis](#): > > As it should be. I’m way more interesting than some piece of plastic with overheating tendencies. 🙂 Don’t they all? ---
**Author:** ![Airk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@Airk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airk)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-too-late-in-the-console-cylcle-to-buy-an-xbox360/537626/40 "2010-04-29T18:48:18Z")
> [@Mooch](#): > > Again, I appreciate everyone’s advice and was going to probably follow the suggestions to get one with a hard drive but the above absolutely sold it for me! Good for you, but this shouldn’t have been the comment that did it. **lemac** is either exagerating, has the quietest vacuum I’ve ever heard tell of, or has an old or defective 360. I can’t even hear the drive on mine run - the read lens moving back and forth makes more noise than the disc spinning. My gaming PC with its half dozen fans makes WAY more noise than the drive on my 360, so take his comments with a grain of salt. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-too-late-in-the-console-cylcle-to-buy-an-xbox360/537626.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-too-late-in-the-console-cylcle-to-buy-an-xbox360/537626.md?page=3)