# Talk to me about Xbox **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [November 17, 2011, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-to-me-about-xbox/603234 "2011-11-17T16:08:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2011, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-to-me-about-xbox/603234/21 "2011-11-18T14:15:21Z")
Get him a gift certificate to GameStop in the equivalent value of a new XBox. If he needs one he can get one, if not he can get a new hard drive, new games, or a renewal to XBox Live. You can’t lose. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2011, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-to-me-about-xbox/603234/22 "2011-11-18T14:24:49Z")
That’s a good idea, except I don’t believe in gift certificates. 🙂 I suppose if all other ideas fail me. ---
**Author:** ![Airk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@Airk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airk)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2011, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-to-me-about-xbox/603234/23 "2011-11-18T22:24:05Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > She said he’s had it for 3 years, and that he likes Halo and “first person shooter games”, or something like that. Don’t really attempt to act on this bit of direction - unless he’s impoverished, he probably already has the 2-3 FPS games he’s going to want to play, and it’s not really worth trying to second guess him here. Unless he’s been dropping hints about really wanting Modern Warfare 3 or something, or has been, miraculously, smart enough to postpone buying it (if he even wants it) in the hopes of someone giving it to him, he probably has all the FPS games he wants. (I think most console FPS players play 1-2 games heavily, and maybe dabble in some others.) > [@](#): > > I’m starting to think that she watches what he does, but doesn’t pay attention to what he wants. I don’t know what your budget is, but if he likes FPS games, he’d almost definitely benefit from an [Xbox Live Card](http://www.amazon.com/Xbox-LIVE-Month-Gold-Membership-360/dp/B0029LJIFG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1321654850&sr=8-1) which is basically a year of the service he pays for to play FPs games with his friends. Also, though it may seem “gift cardy” to you, you can also get him some [Microsoft Points](http://www.amazon.com/Xbox-360-Live-1600-Points/dp/B000B9RI14/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1321654850&sr=8-6), which are essentially currency used to purchase games/downloadable content that are, generally ONLY available via these points (which is the only reason there’s a difference between this and a gift card. It’s not POSSIBLE for you to buy him a Halo map pack or something.). But if your target is to spend $200 or so on him, this stuff isn’t going to get you there, because he probably DOESN’T need 3 years of Xbox Live and 5000 MS points. (Or maybe he does, but it wouldn’t be my first choice.). ---
**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:** [November 18, 2011, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-to-me-about-xbox/603234/24 "2011-11-18T22:29:53Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > That’s a good idea, except I don’t believe in gift certificates. 🙂 You don’t have to believe in them because they believe in you. Just buy him a gift card and stop making this out to be some kind of thing, because short of asking the nephew yourself, you’re not going to get a clear answer from the girlfriend. And buying him a new Xbox 360 when he already has one is absurd and buying him games when you don’t know jack shit about which games he might want is just going to lead to him returning said games and using the money he gets as a GameStop gift card. So cut out the middle man and just do that. ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2011, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-to-me-about-xbox/603234/25 "2011-11-19T02:53:06Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > First, I’d ensure that he doesn’t have a 1st gen xBox. That definitely merits an upgrade, but it’s unlikely that he does and that it’d still be functioning if he did. Note this is the xBox, not the xBox 360 which debuted in 2005, the original xBox debuted in 2001. The original Xbox is built like a tank and can fully expect to last beyond the life time of a 360. As the recipient of the gift is 25 I doubt he would own an original xbox, so I agree with you there. But its still a very fuctional system that one could pick up for between free and 30 dollars, game titles being priced between free and 2 bucks. Declan ---
**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:** [November 19, 2011, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-to-me-about-xbox/603234/26 "2011-11-19T05:25:29Z")
> [@Declan](#): > > The original Xbox is built like a tank and can fully expect to last beyond the life time of a 360. As the recipient of the gift is 25 I doubt he would own an original xbox, so I agree with you there. But its still a very fuctional system that one could pick up for between free and 30 dollars, game titles being priced between free and 2 bucks. I don’t understand, why is it impossible for a 25 year old to have owned an original Xbox? About the only thing I did with money from my first job was buy video games. It probably explains why I didn’t have a girlfriend until I was 18. ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2011, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-to-me-about-xbox/603234/27 "2011-11-19T09:25:10Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > I don’t understand, why is it impossible for a 25 year old to have owned an original Xbox? About the only thing I did with money from my first job was buy video games. It probably explains why I didn’t have a girlfriend until I was 18. Not impossible, just unlikely that he would be running it as the prime system and not gathering dust somewhere. Declan ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2012, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-to-me-about-xbox/603234/28 "2012-11-09T14:36:27Z")
Figured bumping this thread was a better solution than starting a new one (or trying to navigate XBox message boards) > [@Sarabellum1976](#): > > **Best Buy** - 250 GB model with headset, Fable III, and Halo games included for $199.99 It looks like Best Buy has a [similar bundle this year, with Skyrim](http://blackfriday.com/products/12178-xbox-360-250gb-holiday-bundle?return=http%3A%2F%2Fblackfriday.com%2Fflyers%2F71-best-buy-black-friday-ad-2012%2Fpage-9&title=Best%20Buy%20Black%20Friday%20Ad%202012). I was just wondering if it’s still a screamin’ deal? ---
**Author:** ![Airk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@Airk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airk)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2012, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-to-me-about-xbox/603234/29 "2012-11-09T20:12:36Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > Figured bumping this thread was a better solution than starting a new one (or trying to navigate XBox message boards) > > It looks like Best Buy has a [similar bundle this year, with Skyrim](http://blackfriday.com/products/12178-xbox-360-250gb-holiday-bundle?return=http%3A%2F%2Fblackfriday.com%2Fflyers%2F71-best-buy-black-friday-ad-2012%2Fpage-9&title=Best%20Buy%20Black%20Friday%20Ad%202012). I was just wondering if it’s still a screamin’ deal? It’s certainly not bad; While the Wii U launches in a couple of weeks, it doesn’t really seem to be bringing anything super exciting to the table. On the other hand, you don’t really need an Xbox to play Skyrim. Finding a bundle with an Xbox exclusive might be better. I wonder if there’s a Halo 4 launch bundle or something. ---
**Author:** ![typoink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@typoink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typoink)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2012, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-to-me-about-xbox/603234/30 "2012-11-12T20:32:52Z")
> [@Laggard](#): > > Thanks. Would like to get one but heard many a story of people on their third Xbox in as many years. It’s a much safer bet now. Most of the old failures are repairable and don’t require a full replacement or factory service if you’re at all handy. ---
**Author:** ![Luk3112](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a9adbd/32.png) [@Luk3112](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Luk3112)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-to-me-about-xbox/603234/31 "2012-11-13T13:14:15Z")
Yea what munch said. Get him games, just search new releases call of duty black ops 2 is a new one ---
**Author:** ![Luk3112](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a9adbd/32.png) [@Luk3112](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Luk3112)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-to-me-about-xbox/603234/32 "2012-11-13T13:23:55Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > She said he’s had it for 3 years, and that he likes Halo and “first person shooter games”, or something like that. > > I’m starting to think that she watches what he does, but doesn’t pay attention to what he wants. [http://www.videogamer.com/xbox360/halo\_3/features/article/top\_10\_first-person-shooters.html](http://www.videogamer.com/xbox360/halo_3/features/article/top_10_first-person-shooters.html) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-to-me-about-xbox/603234.md?page=1)