# Maybe this time I should send my XBox back in little tiny pieces **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 22, 2009, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-this-time-i-should-send-my-xbox-back-in-little-tiny-pieces/497325 "2009-05-22T19:33:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Rolken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df788c/32.png) [@Rolken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rolken)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-this-time-i-should-send-my-xbox-back-in-little-tiny-pieces/497325/41 "2009-05-26T08:04:21Z")
> [@ivn1188](#): > > Furthermore any claims as to overall profitability are bullshit, because none of us have access to the real figures nor the expertise to integrate the intangibles Of course we have access to the real figures on overall profitability; these are all public companies. MS and Sony both itemize out their game divisions in their quarterly reports. Nintendo is hugely profitable, Sony is hemorrhaging cash, and MS wavers back and forth. That’s lumping the Wii/DS, PS3/PSP/PS2, and 360/Zune together, but there is plenty of corroborating evidence for both the Wii and DS being massively profitable, the PS3’s losses would be even deeper without the PSP/PS2, and the Zune hardly matters. ivn vs ivn, go! > [@ivn1188](#): > > the 360, failures or not, is arguably the most successful console of this generation, profit-wise. > [@ivn1188](#): > > I’m not even claiming the Wii _isn’t_ the most profitable, I am just saying that it’s certainly not the obvious winner. So, it’s arguable, it’s just… not what you’re arguing? 😕 > [@ivn1188](#): > > The point would be to prove you weren’t a fucking moron fanboy or some other kind of jerkass that doesn’t understand the business at all, but wants to be on the “winning” side. This is an example of ivn demonstrating how he is the businesslike and evenhanded figure in this thread. ---
**Author:** ![ivn1188](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e480ec/32.png) [@ivn1188](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivn1188)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-this-time-i-should-send-my-xbox-back-in-little-tiny-pieces/497325/42 "2009-05-26T08:44:11Z")
Yes, because you have profit/loss statements, that means you know everything that’s going on. Hey, just a quick trivia note, did you know [Amazon.com](http://Amazon.com) didn’t turn a profit for nearly 7 years? True story, it’s all right there in the numbers. As for the rest of your post, well there is just so much wrong with it, I won’t even get started, and you wouldn’t believe me anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Rolken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df788c/32.png) [@Rolken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rolken)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-this-time-i-should-send-my-xbox-back-in-little-tiny-pieces/497325/43 "2009-05-26T08:55:04Z")
> [@ivn1188](#): > > Yes, because you have profit/loss statements, that means you know everything that’s going on. No, that means we can make _claims as to overall profitability_. Here’s what you said again: > [@ivn1188](#): > > Furthermore any claims as to overall profitability are bullshit, because none of us have access to the real figures nor the expertise to integrate the intangibles Moving on… > [@ivn1188](#): > > Hey, just a quick trivia note, did you know [Amazon.com](http://Amazon.com) didn’t turn a profit for nearly 7 years? True story, it’s all right there in the numbers. I’d love to hear how this trivia note is relevant. I don’t think anyone here is arguing that MS is headed toward insolvency, and Sony’s losses are so [staggering](http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2008/06/sony-loses-33-b/) (article from a year ago, and they haven’t been making it up since) that comparing them to Amazon is meaningless. > [@ivn1188](#): > > As for the rest of your post, well there is just so much wrong with it, I won’t even get started, and you wouldn’t believe me anyway. I know, I’m being so boneheaded it kills you, but think of all the people out there reading this topic who are smarter than me and want to be convinced by you. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-this-time-i-should-send-my-xbox-back-in-little-tiny-pieces/497325/44 "2009-05-26T09:12:54Z")
Here’s the deal: Go out to your yard. Smash the Xbox into smithereens with a sledgehammer. Put the smithereens in a funerary urn. Send urn to Microsoft. Include a note saying that the device wanted to come back to its maker. Buy a PC. If you don’t know about gaming PCs find someone who does (they’re not uncommon) and have him help you build a good PC from Newegg or some other such place. Play your games on a PC. That’s the answer. Fuck consoles. ---
**Author:** ![fluiddruid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fluiddruid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluiddruid)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-this-time-i-should-send-my-xbox-back-in-little-tiny-pieces/497325/45 "2009-05-26T12:41:31Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > Play your games on a PC. > > That’s the answer. Fuck consoles. I’m sad to say, as a long term console gamer (NES, SNES, N64, GameCube, PS1, PS2 owner… plus an Atari 2600 and a few others), that this is the answer I’ve come to as well. I like the Wii. I own one. It’s great at what it does - fun little games, party games, that sort of thing. I just don’t think it’s a good platform for serious games because the controls aren’t appropriate for that format. I’ve had a ton of fun playing Boom Blox, Wii Fit, Endless Ocean, and so on but Okami definitely showed me that it’s not the right platform for some games. I won’t get a PS3 because they are overpriced and they don’t have a lot of games that I actually want to buy (except ones that I can already get for PC). Sony completely dropped the ball with adding something most gamers don’t care about (Blu-Ray) and upping the price hideously. The only PS3 exclusive I really wanted was Little Big Planet, which seemed to have its moment in the sun but then died terribly. I tried someone else’s copy and all the awesome user designed levels were lost in a sea of high-rated levels that just gave you ridiculously out-of-balance numbers of rewards, but weren’t actually fun or original. I won’t get an XBox 360 because of the monstrous failure rate and not wanting to have to deal with returning my console multiple times. I keep consoles for the long term and use the heck out of 'em and, from all that I’ve read, it’s practically guaranteed that a heavily used XBox 360 **will** fail, given enough time. Nuts to that. Further, as cool as DLC is, it’s becoming an excuse to nickel and dime gamers into buying things that should be free. All in all it’s been a disappointing generation. XBox 360 would be the clear winner if MS could just get their heads out of the asses about its issues. All of the gamers I know either avoided buying one completely or postponed the purchase for a long time in the hopes of avoiding problems. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-this-time-i-should-send-my-xbox-back-in-little-tiny-pieces/497325/46 "2009-05-26T12:45:44Z")
Not to mention that playing a console shooter sucks donkey dick because you have to control the movement with your fucking THUMBS. Guess what, people - the thumb is the most clumsy out of all of the fingers, and despite the fact that we need it for a lot of things in life, it is not the optimal appendage to use for controlling a weapon in a first-person shooter. The WASD + Mouse control scheme that PC games use is a billion times more intuitive and natural, and it allows you to have true precision aiming because you’re using your entire right arm, wrist, and hand to manipulate the mouse, and the movement of the player is controlled by the fingertips of the left hand - this is a far, far more ergonomic and satisfying way to play a game. ---
**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:** [May 26, 2009, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-this-time-i-should-send-my-xbox-back-in-little-tiny-pieces/497325/47 "2009-05-26T13:01:12Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > Not to mention that playing a console shooter sucks donkey dick because you have to control the movement with your fucking THUMBS. Guess what, people - the thumb is the most clumsy out of all of the fingers, and despite the fact that we need it for a lot of things in life, it is not the optimal appendage to use for controlling a weapon in a first-person shooter. The WASD + Mouse control scheme that PC games use is a billion times more intuitive and natural, and it allows you to have true precision aiming because you’re using your entire right arm, wrist, and hand to manipulate the mouse, and the movement of the player is controlled by the fingertips of the left hand - this is a far, far more ergonomic and satisfying way to play a game. The Wii v. everything else debate met everyone’s daily recommended allowance of fanboy whining. A console v. PC pissfest is just overkill. People know their options - why insist on rolling around in this shit? ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-this-time-i-should-send-my-xbox-back-in-little-tiny-pieces/497325/48 "2009-05-26T13:02:54Z")
Sorry. I’ll call the guys who are holding guns to your head and forcing you to read my post, and tell them to stop. ---
**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:** [May 26, 2009, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-this-time-i-should-send-my-xbox-back-in-little-tiny-pieces/497325/49 "2009-05-26T13:21:48Z")
Oh, don’t stop on my account. Please continue to roll around in this crap. I’m sure you’ll emerge a clear victor, bringing up a point that no one has thought about in the countless arguments that have been raging for the past 20 years. You and your argument are unique and special snowflakes in this discussion, and we’re all dying to hear more about the ergonomics of thumbsticks. ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-this-time-i-should-send-my-xbox-back-in-little-tiny-pieces/497325/50 "2009-05-26T16:19:37Z")
Meanwhile, back on the OP… The ever-so-informative UPS tracking site tells me the XBox is somewhere between here and Mesquite, Texas, with an estimated arrival time of “later.” Gee, thanks UPS! I never would have guessed that. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-this-time-i-should-send-my-xbox-back-in-little-tiny-pieces/497325/51 "2009-05-26T17:17:31Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > Not to mention that playing a console shooter sucks donkey dick because you have to control the movement with your fucking THUMBS. Well, not on the Wii. At any rate, I prefer either console setup to a mouse and keyboard. And I don’t know what the big deal about using your thujb is–it’s been the primary form of inputting movement for games since before the NES. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-this-time-i-should-send-my-xbox-back-in-little-tiny-pieces/497325/52 "2009-05-26T18:33:10Z")
The thumb works fine for imprecise movements like jumping up and down in a side scroller. The thumb does not work very well for controlling precise movements like the realistic aiming of a rifle with iron sights in first-person perspective at a moving target that’s the game equivalent of 200 feet away. Someone aiming a gun in real life uses his whole arm, wrist, hand and fingers, and it’s way more realistic to model this action in a game by using a mouse (which is manipulated by the whole arm, wrist, hand and fingers) than by using a thumb joystick. I could not even imagine trying to play Battlefield 2 or Call of Duty on a console. Maybe FPSs with really simplistic aiming systems, but not anything that actually requires you to use realistically-modeled sights on a firearm. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-this-time-i-should-send-my-xbox-back-in-little-tiny-pieces/497325/53 "2009-05-26T18:49:29Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > The thumb works fine for imprecise movements like jumping up and down in a side scroller. Did you forget how you move in platforms…by using your left thumb? And that often requires very precise movement, particularly with 3D platformers, as they utilize the control stick in lieu of a D-Pad. > [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > The thumb does not work very well for controlling precise movements like the realistic aiming of a rifle with iron sights in first-person perspective at a moving target that’s the game equivalent of 200 feet away. That’s not so much a function (or lack thereof) of the thumb as it is the input device. Either way, I find it does work \*well \*, despite the concession that it’s less accurate that a mouse. If the game is designed well around the input device, the fact that it’s less accurate than a mouse is practically a moot point, personal preferences aside. ETA: I was just playing some old-school Goldeneye with some buds this weekend and had no problems picking them off from across the level using pistols. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-this-time-i-should-send-my-xbox-back-in-little-tiny-pieces/497325/54 "2009-05-26T18:57:34Z")
> [@Red\_Barchetta](#): > > ETA: I was just playing some old-school Goldeneye with some buds this weekend and had no problems picking them off from across the level using pistols. I’ve heard that consoles usually compensate for the inaccuracy of thumbsticks by adding in a certain degree of auto-aim or increasing the size of the cross-hairs. Dunno if that’s true though (I play maybe one videogame a year, or less). ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-this-time-i-should-send-my-xbox-back-in-little-tiny-pieces/497325/55 "2009-05-26T18:59:16Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > I’ve heard that consoles usually compensate for the inaccuracy of thumbsticks by adding in a certain degree of auto-aim or increasing the size of the cross-hairs. Dunno if that’s true though (I play maybe one videogame a year, or less). We disabled this, but yes, a lot of console shooters feature aim assist to some degree (although the option to disable it is often provided, as with Goldeneye). ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-this-time-i-should-send-my-xbox-back-in-little-tiny-pieces/497325/56 "2009-05-26T19:18:24Z")
I vastly prefer consoles to PCs if only because generally I can grab any console game, as long as it’s meant for that console, and play it. I don’t have to upgrade my console or anything or worry about whether my video card is strong enough - I just play it. My computer is only a few years old but already it won’t run 90% of the new games that are out on the market. It’s not a slow computer; it was top of the line when I got it. Just the way it is. I also don’t really like playing games with a mouse & keyboard. For one, I don’t use a mouse - I vastly prefer a trackball. For two, I hate trying to search for the right key. However, I don’t play FPS much, and they probably are better with a keyboard/mouse combo. * * * I got an error on my Xbox when I had it for seven months; it was only one red light. Turns out the graphics card blew out. I think. But Microsoft was amazingly good and efficient with the return; I had my console back within 10 days. All that aside, I love my Xbox. The Wii is my toy. It just doesn’t have the games I like - that is nothing against it, that’s my personal thing, but the Xbox has so many games that fit right up my alley, and I like the graphics, too. I loved Super Paper Mario for the wittiness and humor but when I want to play a real game, I admit, I think of Xbox. I just think the Wii hasn’t come up with the equivalant games. I don’t like 90% of the games they do have. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-this-time-i-should-send-my-xbox-back-in-little-tiny-pieces/497325/57 "2009-05-26T19:21:45Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > I also don’t really like playing games with a mouse & keyboard. For one, I don’t use a mouse - I vastly prefer a trackball. That’s hot. ---
**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:** [May 26, 2009, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-this-time-i-should-send-my-xbox-back-in-little-tiny-pieces/497325/58 "2009-05-26T22:33:08Z")
Most people who claim that they’ve got a pretty new PC but can’t play “90%” of the games out there probably run an intel integrated video chip and therefore Your PC NEVER ran ANY games (not at least 8 years old). It was not bought with the intent to play games, or the capability. Funny thing is, adding a capable video card would have probably cost you under $100 more, and that would have also translated to a smoother OS experience, better video quality, and more video RAM to play with. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-this-time-i-should-send-my-xbox-back-in-little-tiny-pieces/497325.md?page=2)