Xbox 360

Washington Post staff writer Mike Musgrove was online to answer your questions about the new Xbox 360 video game system. He is working with staff writer Jose Antonio Vargas on a review of the new system, which comes out on Tuesday.

A transcript follows.

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Mike Musgrove: Hi all-- Microsoft's new game console, the Xbox 360 goes on sale at midnight. Lucky guy that I am, I've already gotten a little time to play with the sucker. Let's go...

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Ellicott City, Md.: Can you play original xbox games like Halo on xbox 360? Like you can play playstation1 games on playstation2?

Mike Musgrove: Yes, you can play Halo on the new Xbox, but that's not necessarily the case for all your old Xbox games (if you have one). Microsoft has worked overtime to make many of its most popular titles-- like Halo-- backwards compatible, but not all are.

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Kensington, MD: I'm getting a 360 tomorrow, but I gotta say from what I've seen so far the naysayers and those that believe this is really "Xbox 1.5" seem to be right. I understand that the games will take some time to come into their own but the graphics are not nearly as stunning as what I've seen from the future PS3. Is that the sentiment going around?

Also for the wireless controller, will I need to buy separate components to be able to play it out of the box (i.e. docking station or rechargeable batteries)??

Mike Musgrove: I've played a few games on the new Xbox. They look pretty impressive, but they aren't a radical upgrade like this generation of consoles (Xbox and PS2) showed over the previous generation. Project Gotham Racing has some amazingly slick graphics, but it didn't seem like a huge shift up from previous racing games othre than that.

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Mclean, Va: What is the biggest difference between the current Xbox and Xbox 360? If one doesnt have a HD TV, will the changes be that dramatic?

Mike Musgrove: I played the Xbox 360 on an old tube set. The games were clearly a bit sharper, but I wondered if I might need an HD set to get the whole experience. Alas, I don't have an HD set in the budget this year.

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Stafford, VA: Being the loyal PS1,2 and soon to be 3 person that I am, it just makes sense for me to ask the overall question of:

Just what makes the new XBOX 360 a competitive system?

Microsoft has done a good job of building a solid system with the first XBOX but despite that, the sales of it's first system did not translate into what I would call a comparative success to the PS2.

Having the 360 come out first before the PS3 does this spring, how do you think it will effect overall sales? And is there a strong marketing strategy in place to back it up, because my prediction is that the 360 will be sale strong thru mass but will be far out of thought if Microsoft does not have some way awesome titles due to come out at the same time come Spring 2006.

What are your comments???

Mike Musgrove: I think Msft really believes they would have done better with the Xbox if it had had the first mover advantage last time around, in 2001, when they launched their first console a year after the PS2 launch. But, since the Xbox 360 doesn't have a game, like Halo, that has everyone abuzz, I don't know if that's a huge advantage. (After all, the Sega Dreamcast launched first, in 1999, and still flopped.

Main people who are going to buy the Xbox 360 this year are the hardcore gamer folks who buy everything anyway.

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Ashburn, Va.: Is there a noticeable difference in the graphics and sound quality. I hear that the leap for this generation from the one before it was not as great as in the past as far as the graphics go. Right now I am a PS3 hold out, but on the ropes about owning both.

Mike Musgrove: I can report that the game Call of Duty 2, a WW2 game, was scary enough that I wanted to shoot my virtual soldier in the foot so he could spend the rest of the war in a hospital (good thing I wasnt a member of the greatet generation). But I'm not sure it looked scads better than the PC version of the same game.

FOr other games, the graphics improvement is noticeable, generally, but not mind-blowing.

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Herndon, VA: My 7 year old son asked for a PS2 for his birthday. We don't have any other gaming devices. Do I wait for the PS3 to come out and get it? Or do I wait for the PS3 to come out and get the PS2 at a clearance price? Or do you recommend I buy the new XBOX for him? Thanks

Mike Musgrove: You know, if I didn't have any other game devices, I might buy the old Xbox now. It just now has a lot of great games for it and is down to $150. You could spend $400 for the Xbox 360 and all you would have so far is slicker versions of the same games.

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Washington, DC: I've seen some 360 screenshots, and while they definitely look great, I'm not so sure that they're so great that it's worth paying $300-$400 for the system. Is the 360 something that only hardcore gamers--who go nuts for any tech improvements--will enjoy, or will it blow everyone away?

Mike Musgrove: I think Msft knows that hardcore gamers will buy the sucker anyway this year. They probably need to have a "Grand Theft Auto" or "Halo"-level hit for the console within a year, so that mainstream folks will start reaching for their wallets too.

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Fort Washington, Maryland: Have you had a chance to use the wireless network adapter? Can you tell us a little bit about the functionality?

Mike Musgrove: Microsoft sent me a pre-retail version o fthe Xbox 360, with a wireless adapter. It worked seamlessly, thank goodness. I didn't have to do anything but plug it in and it picked up my wireless network.

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Silver Spring, MD: How much money will Microsoft gain from this release?

Mike Musgrove: Funny thing is, Msft hasn't made a profit off the original Xbox yet (getting into the game console biz is very very expensive). With the Xbox 360, the head Xbox guy J Allard told me, the expect to make "between a lot of money and a LOT of money."

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McLean, VA: Hello! If I have a wireless adapter for my current Xbox, will I need to get a different/new one for the Xbox 360?

Mike Musgrove: I have read that you can use the same adapter. I don't know, because I never had one for the last Xbox, sorry.

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Rockville, MD: Can you recommend an objective, unbiased resource for determining which of the new consoles will be the best?

The X-Box is generally seen as having the best graphics of the current generation (PS2/Game Cube). Any indication which will be the best of the new wave of consoles?

Mike Musgrove: Well, the best console is the one with the best games, and there's no way to tell that yet, alas. You can read the tech specs a couple of different ways-- *some* people think the PS3 might have the advantage there. But it's not like one system's games are going to look radically better or worse on one or the other, I think.

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Stafford, VA: I agree,

But for this to be a situation where the system cannot expect to become profitable for a long time, if ever... What do you think the Microsoft stratagy will be (if they trully expect to remain competitive) If the existing games that they have, as you said don't work because of backward compatability issues???

Mike Musgrove: This time around, Msft is really pushing Internet connectivity in the interface of the Xbox 360. And with that, they are pushing a for-pay subscription service. there is a free subscription, but the interface really nudges you into feeling like you aren't getting the full deal unless you pay $50 year ot $6 or $7 a month for their pay subscription deal. That's where it seems liek they want to start getting new revenues-- subscription and allowing you to buy arcade games online.

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Anonymous: I find that most people who define the xbox360 or ps3 batter based on hardware terms rarly know anything about computer architecture know much about what they are talking about. They buy into the makers hype and theoretical numbers.

Both in the end with be almost identical.

Mike Musgrove: Just posting this. I think both sides play up the tech specs where they have an advantage, but it's like comparing apples and oranges. It all depends on the games, and there is none that I've seen for either side that'll tip the balance on eway or the other.

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Bowie MD: I hear that the system has many bells and whistles, including a dvd player, IM, etc. Is this the system an 8 year old can handle or is it geared toward an older audience?

Mike Musgrove: I think 8 year olds are pretty technically adapt these days... I think Msft has designed all these bells and whistles to be relatively easy to figure out.

Still... I know it's not as exciting as the Xbox 360 is for kids, but if I were a parent, I'd probably go for the Xbox (or PS2) about now.

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Silver Spring, MD: When are the must have games comming out for the 360?

Mike Musgrove: Don't know! Sony's PSP came out this past spring and didn't have any real "must have" kinda games until recently, wit the new GTA game for it. So, it's not unheard of for a console to launch without a game that everybody really really wants on day one.

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Annapolis, Md.: I've not been much into gaming since the controller on my Atari 5200 broke (now that had some great games, particularly Robotron). Following up an earlier question about a 7-year old, do any of these systems have a decent selection of games for kids (7-10)? Or are they all gory shoot-em-ups, run-down-Granny race games, and show-your-best-bad-sportsmanship-moves sports games? Which does have the best selection for kids?

Mike Musgrove: Actually, much of the fun I have had so far is playing the 20-year-old game Joust on the Xbox 360. The Xbox live interface features a lot of classic arcade games like that-- you can download trial versions or buy the whole thing with "Xbox Points" which you get from promotions or buying at retail. Generally, for best selection of kids titles, one thinks of Nintendo. But there are pletnty of such offering s for PS2 or Xbox now (if not Xbox 360).

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Walton KY: Happy Thanksgiving! I've read some articles that indicate one of the real objectives for xBox 360 is to become the home media hub. Wondered if you buy into that scenario? Personally, if I'm looking at home multimedia center I'd rather invest in the new Apple iMac (of course, we're talking much larger investment). Appreciate your comments.

Mike Musgrove: The media hub, yes. Misrosoft has really ried to make this a device that people can use t ocheck out their digital pictures and listen to their MP3 collection, but most smart people tell me that nobody is going to buy the thing for those features alone.

Microsoft really puts the multimedia tools front-and-center on the Xbox 360, but I can't tell yet if it's something that I, personally, would ever use.

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Vienna, VA: Mike,

So, what is the answer? Should we buy one or not?

Mike Musgrove: Jeez, if you're going to corner me like that, I'd say... erm. I wouldn't buy it just yet. There are a lot of good original Xbox (and PS2) games I'm still more interested in at the moment..!

If you have a lot of $$, have an HD set and really love games, sure.

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Washington, DC: Have you been able to play Perfect Dark Zero? Is it the killer app that everyone is clamoring for (the 360's Halo, you could say)? I'm hoping it is for the sole reason that I hope MS gets its money worth out of Rare, since Grabbed by the Ghoulies didn't cut it and the bit of Kameo I have played was slightly disappointing, especially because the Gamecube build I played in 2001 was amazing, though it was four years ago.

Mike Musgrove: Yes, I've played a little of Perfect Dark Zero. Looks pretty good, but I'm stuck at a point very early in the game where you have to set up a sentry gun. Alas, I keep getting killed by spider robots. Probably, I am an idiot. Tough world.

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Bloomington, Indiana: I understand that the price for this new system is in the $300 - $400 dollar range. What bells and whistles do you get for you gaming dollar?

Mike Musgrove: Yes, there are two buyin goptions, a $300 and $400 version. Fo rthe extra $100 you get a 20 gig-hard drive, headset mic, DVD remote control. Seems like the more expensive bundle offers enough fo rit to be the better deal, relatively speaking.

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Stafford, VA: Thank you for answering my questions.

I don't doubt that ultimately they will do very well. I just hope that they have taken into consideration the current state of the American economy.

At a time where we are paying more at the pump, and the price of natural gas is also on it's way up along with the terrible events caused by Katrina and the sad state of affairs concerning Iraq. Do you think after paying hundreds of dollars just for the system alone, will people still want to pay almost another $10 a month just to play???

It probably won't stop me from buying my PS3, but I seriously doubt that stupidity will kick in and I pay a monthly fee for a a game that will surely have already cost me $50. I will leave that to the hardcore MMRGP gamers.

Thanks

Stafford, VA

Mike Musgrove: Jeez, and I haven't even mentioned that many games for the Xbox 360 will evidently cost $60. This is a good question & we'll see... Some critics have deridd the new Xbox as "Xbox 1.5" or "an Xbox with an Internet cash register attached." If consumers think that Msft is merely coming up with new ways to hit your wallet, without coming up with radically new or different game experience, it could be trouble for the Xbox 360 reaching the mainstream...

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Washington DC: The wireless controller was horrible for the PS2 when playing football the reaction time was delayed and the movements would stick is the wireless controller better with the 360 in games where seconds count like in Madden 06

Mike Musgrove: To answer what I think your question is: The wireless controller fo rthe Xbox 360 works really well, and with no delay that I have noticed.

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Fairfax Station, VA: I am intrigued by the idea of owning the XBOX 360, but I am not into gaming and games. Does the system have other useful applications that would make it worth my money and troubles? By the way, I am no techno whiz.

Thank you for your kind reply and happy holidays.

Mike Musgrove: Hello three-- you would be exactly the person that Microsft is trying to reach this time around. The company is making a big gamble that there are enough curious folks out there with enough disposable income to sell this thing as a "media center" to folks who don' tclasify themselves as gamers. Are there enpough of you in the wide world? Willbe interesting to see.

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Mike Musgrove: Oh boy, I haven't gotten to a lot of good questions. (And I have cowardly avoided some other questions about what's under the hood of the Xbox 360...) Alas, I have to go figure out how to set up a sentry gun, because I hear those robot spiders coming again.

If anybody out there manages to get an Xbox 360 tonight, email me and maybe we can test some of these games out online after T-giving. musgrovem (at) washpost.com

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