# Just bought an XBox...good choice??? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 1, 2002, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-bought-an-xbox-good-choice/139789 "2002-12-01T17:27:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kwyjibo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/59ef9b/32.png) [@Kwyjibo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kwyjibo)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2002, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-bought-an-xbox-good-choice/139789/1 "2002-12-01T17:27:30Z")
Well…I don’t have it yet. I put a down payment on one for my kids Christmas present. (Honestly! It’s for the kids. :)) I hear it is a great system, but am curious to hear the Teaming Millions take on them. The good and the bad. ---
**Author:** ![Tuco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tuco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuco)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2002, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-bought-an-xbox-good-choice/139789/2 "2002-12-01T17:51:00Z")
My mate (20) bought one about 4 months ago and now he never uses it. ---
**Author:** ![Drastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Drastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drastic)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2002, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-bought-an-xbox-good-choice/139789/3 "2002-12-01T18:08:12Z")
It’s a good console, I think. But the controllers are so amazingly huge that I know adults with small hands who have difficulties with them–I have to imagine that even more kids would, as well. ---
**Author:** ![raisinbread](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8491ac/32.png) [@raisinbread](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raisinbread)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2002, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-bought-an-xbox-good-choice/139789/4 "2002-12-01T19:52:22Z")
Not a good choice. ---
**Author:** ![raisinbread](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8491ac/32.png) [@raisinbread](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raisinbread)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2002, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-bought-an-xbox-good-choice/139789/5 "2002-12-01T19:56:21Z")
Oh you want the good and the bad. The XBox is like the Betamax. Technically it’s superior but you won’t have a great library of media to choose from that would make buying an XBox worth your time and money because they’re all available for other systems or just unavailable for your system. The good side? The games will probably be dirt cheap by next year. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2002, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-bought-an-xbox-good-choice/139789/6 "2002-12-01T20:29:31Z")
Yeah, the controller is too big but the new xboxes come with the smaller S controller, which is better. ---
**Author:** ![Kwyjibo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/59ef9b/32.png) [@Kwyjibo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kwyjibo)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2002, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-bought-an-xbox-good-choice/139789/7 "2002-12-01T22:17:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by raisinbread \* > \*\*Oh you want the good and the bad. The XBox is like the Betamax. Technically it’s superior but you won’t have a great library of media to choose from that would make buying an XBox worth your time and money because they’re all available for other systems or just unavailable for your system. The good side? The games will probably be dirt cheap by next year. \*\* I dunno. I had a look at the games and there seems to be a better selection. PS2 games usually seem to be sports games. (Usually…not all of them.) Hmmm… ---
**Author:** ![AzRaek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/azraek/32/16739_2.png) [@AzRaek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AzRaek)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2002, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-bought-an-xbox-good-choice/139789/8 "2002-12-01T22:23:56Z")
We just got one yesterday, Halo, Morrowind and Splinter Cell (which I keep caling Sickle Cell). After twenty minutes, I was sick to my stomach from the motions. Guess Ill stick with chat and MBs and let my hubby frag the aliens. ---
**Author:** ![aoty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9e8a1a/32.png) [@aoty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aoty)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2002, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-bought-an-xbox-good-choice/139789/9 "2002-12-01T23:04:52Z")
Bad choice, in my opinion. The xbox will be dead in a years time. Take it back and get a PS2 or Gamecube. ---
**Author:** ![Ranma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19b73/32.png) [@Ranma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranma)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2002, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-bought-an-xbox-good-choice/139789/10 "2002-12-01T23:11:47Z")
Yikes. Lots of bebunking work here. > [@](#): > > It’s a good console, I think. But the controllers are so amazingly huge that I know adults with small hands who have difficulties with them–I have to imagine that even more kids would, as well. Not true. I speak from personal experience here, I have teensy feminine hands(I’m a guy) and I easily use the Xbox controller without any hindrance. I might go on a stretch and say that it’s not big enough on the fact that the buttons aren’t put apart enough. But even if you have any quarries with the normal controller, the other official controller, the S-controller, is smaller, with bigger buttons, set apart with more distance. And if you don’t have satisfaction with both official controllers, there’s a plethora of 3rd party manufacturers that offer different controller solutions. Just shop around. > [@](#): > > Oh you want the good and the bad. The XBox is like the Betamax. Technically it’s superior but you won’t have a great library of media to choose from that would make buying an XBox worth your time and money because they’re all available for other systems or just unavailable for your system. The good side? The games will probably be dirt cheap by next year. I don’t want to be mean, but don’t post if you have no clue what you’re talking about. It spreads the misinformation. First of all, the Xbox is nothing like the Betamax, apart from what you said, better technology. Games for the Xbox are roughly the same price as those for Gamecube or Playstation 2. But game prices are up to the publishers. You said that the game library isn’t great. Well duh, the console’s been out for only one year! The PS2 has, of course, a much greater game library than the Xbox, it was released roughly one year and a half before the Xbox. It was the same for the PS2 when it was released, really crappy selection of games, along with really poor graphics(lower than the graphic quality of the Dreamcast games). But over time, the game developers learned to use the PS2’s wacky architecture and program games with better graphics. Same goes with the Xbox. Right now the game selection isn’t extreme, but yet it has lots of games available for it, and most of those games are 1st generation. In comparison, games coming out for the PS2 right now are 3rd generation titles, which mean that the games won’t keep going to look better as time goes. PS2 is at it’s golden age, while the Xbox is in it’s pre-teen stage. As for the games for Xbox being available on all other systems, that’s COMPLETELY false. The list of Xbox exclusive games is very long. And a lot of Xbox only titles could never be ported to other systems because of their sheer graphical quality, which other systems couldn’t handle without being lowered in quality. Of course other systems have their system exclusive games, but what can you do, short of buying all systems… The Xbox is beginning it’s life, and there’s no way in hell that Microsoft is going to let it fail. The Xbox still has AT LEAST 3 years before it. Phew, I dunno if I’ve forgotten anything ?! P.S.: The Xbox is NOT going the way of the dinosaur in a year’s time! That’s preposterous! It already has quite a good user base, and is having success. It’s nowhere near the success of the PS2, but given time it might rise to half that level. At any rate, Microsoft is 100% behind the console and has already declared that they want to milk the console for 5 years ahead. It has made enough sacrifices already to let it fail now that it’s starting to get profitable. Use your brains people! ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Cynical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ee59a6/32.png) [@Mr.Cynical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Cynical)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2002, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-bought-an-xbox-good-choice/139789/11 "2002-12-01T23:40:35Z")
I have an X-box, and really enjoy it! ---
**Author:** ![Kwyjibo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/59ef9b/32.png) [@Kwyjibo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kwyjibo)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2002, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-bought-an-xbox-good-choice/139789/12 "2002-12-02T00:22:25Z")
Has any one here who has an XBox ever had any probs with them? ---
**Author:** ![Ranma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19b73/32.png) [@Ranma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranma)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2002, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-bought-an-xbox-good-choice/139789/13 "2002-12-02T00:25:53Z")
Personally, I haven’t had any with mine, but problems have been reported. Search the [www.teamxbox.com](http://www.teamxbox.com) forums for more specific information. ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2002, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-bought-an-xbox-good-choice/139789/14 "2002-12-02T01:29:00Z")
One plus for the xbox…you don’t need a memory card. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2002, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-bought-an-xbox-good-choice/139789/15 "2002-12-02T01:39:43Z")
I have an Xbox and have had no problems. The smaller selection of games is no problem at all as I’m not going to be buying heaps of games, just a few good ones. Just remember when you set it up that the manual tells you to keep it ventilated for a reason. The thing gets hot (as all electrical stuf does) and should be allowed some airflow around it. ---
**Author:** ![Cubsfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Cubsfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cubsfan)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2002, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-bought-an-xbox-good-choice/139789/16 "2002-12-02T02:20:08Z")
I have all 3 systems and my Xbox is by far my favorite of the three. I am not a hardcore gamer, but I like the controller, games, and graphics of this system. I also just got Xbox live tonight and am playing GHost Recon as we speak. Everyone MUST use a headset to talk to each other instead of typing on a shitty keyboard. Works great. ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2002, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-bought-an-xbox-good-choice/139789/17 "2002-12-02T02:29:37Z")
As for the controller issue. You can buy an adapter that will allow you to use the PS2 controlledr with the xbox. ---
**Author:** ![sleestak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@sleestak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleestak)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2002, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-bought-an-xbox-good-choice/139789/18 "2002-12-02T03:09:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ranma \* > \*\*P.S.: The Xbox is NOT going the way of the dinosaur in a year’s time! That’s preposterous! It already has quite a good user base, and is having success. It’s nowhere near the success of the PS2, but given time it might rise to half that level. At any rate, Microsoft is 100% behind the console and has already declared that they want to milk the console for 5 years ahead. It has made enough sacrifices already to let it fail now that it’s starting to get profitable. Use your brains people! \*\* Post snipped. ::DING DING DING:: “Thanks for playing Sir but you answered the question incorrectly. The correct answer is ‘Microsoft lost 177 million on the XBox in the three months ending on September 30th’. As a parting prize you have your choice of a set of stainless steel cookware or the ‘Michael Jackson Being an ASS’ DVD set.” 🙂 According to [slashdot](http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=02/11/15/1519234&mode=thread&tid=109) MS lost 177 million on the XBox. This was reported on November 15th. While the XBox is technically a great system MS is losing money on it in a big way. MS has stated that they are willing to throw 2 BILLION behind the XBox which is a large amount of money. It is still questionable if MS is going to follow through if the losses keep piling up. I’ve been debating whether to get an XBox or a PS2 for a while now. I am still up in the air. Slee ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2002, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-bought-an-xbox-good-choice/139789/19 "2002-12-02T04:12:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kwyjibo \* > \*\*PS2 games usually seem to be sports games. (Usually…not all of them.) Hmmm… \*\* You’re not looking very hard, then. ---
**Author:** ![ElwoodCuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/edb3f5/32.png) [@ElwoodCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElwoodCuse)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2002, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-bought-an-xbox-good-choice/139789/20 "2002-12-02T05:00:54Z")
How old are the kids? If they are old enough to enjoy Grand Theft Auto, they’ll be annoyed. Heck, if GTA is too mature for them, they might even prefer a GameCube. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-bought-an-xbox-good-choice/139789.md?page=2)