# X-Box $149--Is it worth the price yet? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 30, 2004, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-box-149-is-it-worth-the-price-yet/237303 "2004-03-30T14:03:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-box-149-is-it-worth-the-price-yet/237303/1 "2004-03-30T14:03:23Z")
So Microsoft finally confirmed that the X-Box will start selling for $149 starting today. I’ve been holding out for the PS2 to drop to about that price, but they haven’t done it yet (surely they will soon though, if patterns hold true.) But is it now time for me to consider getting an X-Box? What exclusives are there on the X-Box that make it worth my hard earned money? Keep in mind that I hate console FPS’s so Halo is not a seeling point (besides which, I can have it on PC if I want it.) ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-box-149-is-it-worth-the-price-yet/237303/2 "2004-03-30T14:13:30Z")
I rather enjoy the handful of games I have for the XBox. \*Ninja Gaiden \* is a third-person ‘shooter’ … or ‘slasher’, I guess, and I’m enjoying it despite the extreme difficulty. \*Knights of the Old Republic \* is excellent as well. I’m also a fan of the \*Dead or Alive \* series which is now manifesting only on the XBox. Whether it’s worth $150… well, I guess that depends on how much money you have to burn. Right now, my the XBox is my least favorite of the three major consoles, because despite the strength of the XBox exclusives, the PS2 and GameCube are even better. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-box-149-is-it-worth-the-price-yet/237303/3 "2004-03-30T14:33:38Z")
I have KOTOR on PC as well, so I reckon PC/X-Box crossovers are excluded too. But single player games are more what I’m looking for, since I don’t have a roommate/built-in fighiting game opponent these days. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-box-149-is-it-worth-the-price-yet/237303/4 "2004-03-30T14:38:02Z")
Heck, I liked the XBox when it first came out and bought it then. Obi-Wan alone was worth the price. “Look! _I’m a Jedi Knight!_” ---
**Author:** ![Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jimmy_Chitwood)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-box-149-is-it-worth-the-price-yet/237303/5 "2004-03-30T16:44:49Z")
My XBox has been worth every bit of the 200 bones I paid when it came out. It has a _hard drive_. I play mostly sports games, though. ---
**Author:** ![Orbifold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/779978/32.png) [@Orbifold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orbifold)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-box-149-is-it-worth-the-price-yet/237303/6 "2004-03-30T16:58:26Z")
Panzer Dragoon Orta is a lot of fun, and I’ve heard that Otogi: Myth of Demons is also supposed to be pretty good. The first Buffy the Vampire Slayer game isn’t bad either, and may be available in a bargain bin near you. I haven’t played the second game in that series. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-box-149-is-it-worth-the-price-yet/237303/7 "2004-03-30T17:52:44Z")
I plan to pick one up unless I get lucky and get one for free (whee!). The X-Box exclusives are great, and I don’t like the 'Cube. And I already have a PS2. I defintely intend to buy Jade Empire when it comes out. ---
**Author:** ![xvxdarkknightxvx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/34f0e0/32.png) [@xvxdarkknightxvx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xvxdarkknightxvx)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-box-149-is-it-worth-the-price-yet/237303/8 "2004-03-30T18:14:12Z")
Don’t forget GTA. ---
**Author:** ![aleong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4af34b/32.png) [@aleong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aleong)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-box-149-is-it-worth-the-price-yet/237303/9 "2004-03-30T18:18:11Z")
Xbox Live is another reason to get the Xbox. Though you have to pay for a starter kit (which includes a headset, 1-year subscription, and Mechassault), it is rather addictive to play games like Rainbow Six 3 and Return to Castle Wolfenstein online. Also, because of the voice chat feature of the Xbox Live lobby, you can save yourself some long-distance bills by chatting with your out-of-town Live-subscribing friends. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-box-149-is-it-worth-the-price-yet/237303/10 "2004-03-30T18:56:51Z")
> [@xvxdarkknightxvx](#): > > Don’t forget GTA. which I have both 3 and VC on PC. If it’s on PC I prefer it in that format because I can get the most out of a keyboard and graphics card. And I really like my Gamecube. I got it for the Star Wars exclusives, and still love it for the Eternal Darkness and Resident Evil exclusives. Is there anything like Frequency or Amplitude on X-box? And how many versions of Dance Dance Revolution are there for XB? ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-box-149-is-it-worth-the-price-yet/237303/11 "2004-03-30T19:23:11Z")
After much research on all three consoles (NGC, PS2 and XBOX) I got the XBOX when it first came out. Then I got a PS2 a few months later. As soon as I can find a cheap (maybe used) Gamecube, I’ll get one of those… for MONKEY BALL!!! I love that game. I still play both my PS2 and XBOX. XBOX games I love (I don’t know if they’re cross platform): Cel Damage, Dungeons and Dragons: Heroes. (I don’t buy or rent much now due to financial concerns). PS2: Final Fantasy X, X-2 and all the old ones (all the backwards compatibility is great!) silent hill, bust a move… I’d say it’s worth it if you have the extra money. ---
**Author:** ![xvxdarkknightxvx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/34f0e0/32.png) [@xvxdarkknightxvx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xvxdarkknightxvx)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-box-149-is-it-worth-the-price-yet/237303/12 "2004-03-30T19:52:53Z")
PS2 is far more supposrtive of DDR, if that’s a major thing you’re looking for. Most fo the decent controllers are made for PS2 anyway. ---
**Author:** ![divingFaces](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@divingFaces](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divingFaces)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-box-149-is-it-worth-the-price-yet/237303/13 "2004-03-30T20:40:22Z")
Especially if you’re playing solo and you don’t like First Person games. I personally can’t stand First Person stuff. If you’re old skool, you can also get every Final Fantasy aside from those released for GameBoy or Cube. That in itself was reason for me to get a PS2. Look into Vagrant Story and Final Fantasy Tactics too if you happen to go PS2. They’re actually PSOne games, but they’re amazing. Also, you can get a hard drive and FFXI online for $129 (CAD). PS2’s HD is 40 GB. I’d sooner get a GameCube rather than an X-Box too. ---
**Author:** ![My\_Darn\_Snake\_Legs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f14d63/32.png) [@My\_Darn\_Snake\_Legs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/My_Darn_Snake_Legs)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-box-149-is-it-worth-the-price-yet/237303/14 "2004-03-30T20:46:18Z")
I got a PS2 because I can’t stand the x box controllers. I have agree with the above that All of the Final Fantasy games are great as are many others. Who cares that the Xbox has a hard drive? I have one memory card for my PS2 and it has yet to run out of space with about 8 different games saved on it. As for online play, the PS2 has free online play for games that support it. You don’t have to pay for the service at all. Just the ethernet adapter. Sounds like a deal to me, though I haven’t tried it yet. Overall, I think that the Xbox is over-hyped. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-box-149-is-it-worth-the-price-yet/237303/15 "2004-03-30T20:58:37Z")
Does it have any Myst type fantasy/puzzle games without shoot 'em ups? ---
**Author:** ![Orbifold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/779978/32.png) [@Orbifold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orbifold)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-box-149-is-it-worth-the-price-yet/237303/16 "2004-03-30T21:31:22Z")
> [@Libertarian](#): > > Does it have any Myst type fantasy/puzzle games without shoot 'em ups? Well, it has “Myst III: Exile”. Also: “Syberia”, “Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon”, and apparently there’s a new Leisure Suit Larry game coming out. None of these are X-Box exclusives. > [@My Darn Snake Legs](#): > > Who cares that the Xbox has a hard drive? I have heard (caution: third-hand rumour) that it’s possible to save your own MP3’s to the X-Box hard drive and use them as replacement soundtracks for certain games. And it’s built-in, so you don’t have to pay another $18 bucks just to save your game. Neither of these is a deal-maker or deal-breaker for me either but hey, you asked. ---
**Author:** ![Tarrsk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/97f17d/32.png) [@Tarrsk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tarrsk)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-box-149-is-it-worth-the-price-yet/237303/17 "2004-03-30T22:16:55Z")
> [@Orbifold](#): > > I have heard (caution: third-hand rumour) that it’s possible to save your own MP3’s to the X-Box hard drive and use them as replacement soundtracks for certain games. This is true. I have loads of MP3s on my Xbox, and occasionally use it as a backup music player when I’m doing something processor-intensive on my computer. It’s also great fun to play Project Gotham 2 to whatever music you want (I tried racing to the soundtrack of “The Lord of the Rings” the other day… never realized that racecar driving could feel _epic_ until just then). Okay, my copy-paste keys don’t seem to be working, so I’ll have to respond to **My Darn Snake Legs** ’s points without quoting them- sorry! Re: Controllers Personally, I find the original controller very comfortable, and can’t stand the tiny PS2 controller, despite having extremely small hands. However, even if you don’t like the sturdy bulk of the original, there IS an option for those of you who want a smaller one. The Controller S is essentially an Xbox controller designed for Asian hands like my own. From all accounts, it’s what you would get if you combined the Xbox controller’s layout (and superior control sticks/ triggers) with the ergonomics of the Gamecube controller. The best part is, the Controller S is now the “official” controller for the system- when you buy your Xbox, the controller(s) it comes with will be Controller S’s (Controllers S?). Re: Hard drive You have no idea what difference the hard drive makes. In addition to being able to store music, you can have vast numbers of save files- something extremely useful for multiplayer shooters such as Halo when each player needs his/her own profile, as well as for long RPGs like Knights of the Old Republic. I currently have 73 save files for one game of KOTOR alone, scattered throughout the game… and the Xbox is still reporting the “50,000+ blocks free” that it displayed when I first bought the thing. Also, three words: Shorter load time. Re: Online play If you’re into online games, $50 gets you a full year’s worth of Xbox Live, which is broadband only so lag is almost never an issue. The voice headset seems like a gimmick at first, but it actually makes the multiplay feel much more interactive when you can actually talk to your opponents/ teammates. IMO the games themselves are much better, as well… I’ll take MechAssault, Crimson Skies, Project Gotham 2, and Ghost Recon over SOCOM anyday. Note that the PS2 ethernet adapter has a list price of $47.99, as well. The upside of that is obviously that you only need to buy it once. The downside is that you don’t get the voice communications, you don’t get a well-designed system for finding/ forming games that is standardized from game to game, you don’t get the universal tech support, and the developers don’t get the ability to offer post-release support (apparently, SOCOM was heavily hit by this soon after release due to the massive use of cheating hacks… that sort of thing just doesn’t happen on online Xbox games, where security measures are in place to boot cheaters, and developers can patch games using the hard-drive to address new hacks). ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-box-149-is-it-worth-the-price-yet/237303/18 "2004-03-30T23:19:48Z")
> [@](#): > > Who cares that the Xbox has a hard drive? Well, it’s the equivalent of $2,000 worth of PS2 memory cards, for one… Basically, if the only games you want are ones available for both PS2 and Xbox, get the Xbox… the games look better, run better, load faster, etc. If you primarily want PS2 exlusives, well, obviously, you get the PS2… ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-box-149-is-it-worth-the-price-yet/237303/19 "2004-03-30T23:36:03Z")
So…how long until the whole thing’s obsolete, and I can buy it for $30 at FuncoLand? ---
**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2004, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-box-149-is-it-worth-the-price-yet/237303/20 "2004-03-31T00:09:37Z")
I don’t know if Prince of Persia is available on PS2 or GC…but I just played at a friends house for the first time this past weekend…godDAM that game looks good! Fun gameplay, too…that’s probably next on my list to buy. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-box-149-is-it-worth-the-price-yet/237303.md?page=2)