"Arcade is good for me now" - 26 December 2007
Well I've been a pretty hardcore gamer over the years and spent lots of time on Live.
Just moved house and have no phone line for a while so took the plunge with an Arcade and I'm so glad I did. (Left my other Xbox360 at the family home)
Though there is no harddrive the memory stick has ample space for save games as I won't be downloading etc for a good 12 months. I have already ordered a HDMI cable ready for my Samsung LCD and I've had no problems pulling my saved games over to the new console.... AND ITS SO MUCH QUIETER!!!
The 360 Arcade has everything I need and £10 has got me the HDMI cable I have used before. Perfect!
A brilliant purchase and such a good idea from Microsoft, not all of us can go online and don't need that huge hardrive and expense. If and when I do need it I can buy a harddrive easily enough so I'm very happy.
Definitely worth the money savings for more games, and thats what its all about :)
Can't stress enough how happy I am with the HDMI connection as standard and the lack of fan noise..... such an improvement!
A++++
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"What can I say?!" - 26 April 2008
Before anyone says I am a fanboy or anything else i wanted to say something, I own a ps3 and a 360 and am happy with both, i believe they both have good points and bad and personal preference is the key.
Recently my xbox 360 had decided it hated me after 13 months and packed in.
Refused to get my console repaired, lets face it, who knows when it will go again!
Begged my partner to Order me a 360 arcade while i was at work so i could get it before the weekend :P and had it out the box and set up in 2 mins flat when it got here, the included games are pretty good considering, but buy more believe me!!! have my hard drive from my old premium but im not using it, the missus has just ordered a arcade for our son so im gonna let him have it, he plays so much more than me, shame i have to work :)!
All in all i would recommend the arcade, yes i know it doesnt have a headset, it doesnt have a hard drive and only a composite av lead, but at £160 can anyone really say your getting ripped off?
In my case the premium/elite would have been a waste, i already have a hdmi cable, I have a wireless headset and am not worried about downloading off xbox live so its the perfect console for me, even if you dont have those things for a change i agree with microsoft, just buy what you want, when you want it, when you can afford it or whatever.
Take the plunge, its worth it, and at this price you can enjoy with a no guilt, enjoy!!!
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"XBOX 360 ARCADE - GREAT WINDOWS MEDIA EXTENDER!" - 30 July 2008
Regardless of its capabilities as a games console, the Xbox 360 Arcade is also the cheapest Windows Media Centre Extender on the market. And it does the job so well. If you have a Media Centre PC (XP Media Centre Edition or Vista Home Premium) and a home network, simply buy a 360 Arcade and network it anywhere in your house where you want to stream media from your Media Centre PC - including (if you have a TV card in your Media Centre PC) Live TV, Recorded TV, music, pictures, videos etc. In other words, all the functions of Windows Media Centre all around your house, only limited by the number of Xboxes you want to buy. I use one Xbox 360 Elite and two Arcades to stream Freeview TV and Media from the Media Centre PC all around the house. No need for HDTVs (or TV aerials) in the other rooms, just connect the 360 to your home network, an SVGA monitor and a pair of speakers and you're away. Such a CHEAP way to do something really cool with your Media Centre PC. The really nice thing for our family is that every 360 has access to the Recorded TV on the Media Centre PC - you record all the TV you want in one place, and then squirt it around the house as you want it.
Oh yes, you can play games on the 360 as well if you want to . . .
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"Excellent value when compared to earlier xbox 360 releases" - 12 December 2007
This review is for an XBOX 360 Arcade Console. Just a quick rerun of the past, the XBOX 360 is microsofts 7th generation console, which competes with the Sony Playstation 3 and the Nintendo Wii. There are 4 versions of the XBOX 360 out today: Xbox 360 Elite (Most expensive version at £300+ with same features as all other bundles, except HDMI and black console & accessories. Xbox 360 Premium (2nd most expensive version at £250, with chrome disc tray, 20GB HDD, wireless controller & headset included). Xbox 360 Arcade ( Least Expensive version at £190, same as premium except no chrome disc tray or 20GB HDD, but comes with HDMI not seen in the premium). DISCONTINUED Xbox 360 Core (Basically same as Xbox Arcade, except wired controller, no HDMI etc)
Firstly folks lets just reassure ourselfs what you'll actually be getting for £189.99, as apposed to the £250 Premium Package.
1. Xbox 360 console built on new 60/65nm (or whatever size) Processor, this runs much cooler, quiter than the standard 90nm processor seen in current £250+ Xbox 360 premium bundles, which are to this day prone to overheating known as "3 Red lights" Or in other words General Hardware failure meaning they have to be sent back to Microsoft for repairs, although Premium 360s built end of 2007 onwards have been built using newer 60/65nm processor chipset.
2. Wireless Controller included, exactly the same as whats included with the £250 Premium package.
3. Standard AV cable, exactly the same as whats included with the £250 Premium package.
4. 256MB Memory Unit, might not be the same as the 20GB HDD included with the Premium bundle, but the 20GB HDD can easily be purchased off ebay for £30, so no huge cost there.
5. 5 Free live arcade titles, whereas the Premium bundle has no included games.
6. THIS ARCADE 360 COMES WITH HDMI OUTPUT, Premium bundle has standard Hd/av component.
So if your unsure as to wether or not this is a good package, consider this for £190 you get a much more effecient 360 with games, memory, and even HDMI, whereas for a £250 premium bundle you only get 20gb hdd, overheating processor, and a headset.
In my situation, i used to have a Premium bunde but sold it, so im now looking to buy an XBOX 360 again. I already have my headset and 20GB HDD from my old system, so for 190 quid im getting brand new xbox with hdmi and better processor, its such a good deal! The only people who complain about this deal point out the fact that it doesn't have backward compatibility with original xbox titles, FYI this is a next gen console, if you wanna play old naff xbox games, go buy a bloody xbox. But in actual fact you can download an update from Xbox live to enable backward compatibility with the Arcade Version, so there.
This console is just as good as the more expensive console bundles, so if your not sure, £190 Arcade vs £250 Premium, this is a much better deal.
Recommended Accessories:
1. HDMI Cable (£10 Ebay).
2. Wireless Adapter (£50 Brand New, although a standard £5 ethernet cable works just as fine for IConnection to the Internet aka Xbox Live).
3. 20Gb HDD (£25-£35 Ebay).
4. Headset for online gaming (Only realistically necessary if you buy the above upgrades for online gaming, £10 Ebay).
Some of you might point out that if you were to buy all these upgrades, you would be spending just as much as if you bought a Premium bundle, which is true however you would then have a premium bundle BUT with HDMI output and a more effecient processor less prone to overheating, so it makes sense to buy this console wether or not you plan on buying the upgrades mentioned above.
QUICK NOTE TO CONFUSED PARENTS: This console has parental friendly settings to prevent younger console users from viewing material that you might not find appropriate, this is Microsofts main selling point actually for this console, as its aimed for younger audiences. These settings are easily applied on the console with the included instructions, I know as i used to own an XBOX 360 and its literally 2 minute task. If you are unsure about how to do anything, just google your problem as there are hundreds of forums for people like yourselfs who are having problems using thier XBOX 360 consoles. So don't be offput by all the flash & bang when you think of a newer, more complex games console...its still just as easy to use as any old thing! But if your having problems and cant find answers, leave a comment on this review and ill answer back on here as soon as i can!
Many thanks for reading, and hope this review helps those confused or simply wondering about wether or not to buy this console. In my opinion, worth every penny :D
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"Best console ive ever had!" - 8 January 2008
Got this and the wireless entertaintment pack as a xmas present and have to say its the best thing ever!
Even though the memory card is small its still fine for saving game files.
Its easy to use, the controllers are so comfortable to play with (gamecube controllers always made my hands fall asleep) its so easy to set up to your pc and stream music or movies from, go on xbox live which you get a free trial month of gold membership, so many great games to play, you can even rent movies on it. Its just the best piece of kit to ever enter my house.
The Wii now sits neglected as me and my boyfriend only play on this.
Its a little anoying you cant play xbox games without a hard drive but soon got over that by buying the 120gb one :) Plenty of space to download games and demos on now :D
If you're looking for a next gen console this is the thing to get! You will wonder how you ever played games without it :P
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"Arcade" - 2 April 2008
I have recently bought an XBOX 360 Arcade purely for the release of GTA4. I bought it as the minimum cost that would allow me to play the game I wanted. That in mind I was blown away by just how excellent the machine is. I got Halo 3 Free with my console and once I had bought my HD Cable I can clearly see what all the fuss is about. It blows away the graphics on my Wii (using component cable) and everything is just awesome. I love the wireless controller that allows you to turn the machine on and off and to navigate easily.
Watching DVD's is also simple and as the XBOX controller is wireless there is no need to buy a DVD remote.
Also the arcade games that come with the console are nothing to turn your nose up at. They are fantastically addictive with Luxor (very much like Bust-a-Move) being my personal favourite. Theres also the likes of pac-man on the disk and for some reason UNO. I dont understand the UNO inclusion its like jenga for the Wii, games like that are meant to be played with the actual cards with friends and family not on a console. Testament to how addictive some of these arcade games are is in the fact I have played arcade almost as much as Halo.
Many 'serious' gamers should steer clear of this release however as the lack of a hard-drive means you have much more limited functionality when compared to the full XBOX 360. Still for people like me who are buying the XBOX to play a few games and who do not need alot of storage or intend to download games through XBOX live the 360 Arcade should have you covered. The best priced new XBOX going should meet most peoples requirements.
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"Some clarification of the Arcade's features" - 20 September 2008
The Arcade is great value at £120. You get HD gaming, access to arguably the best online gaming system, a media extender, DVD player and more.
For those that are still a little confused about the different 360 models, here's some clarification: -
All new 360s are the same internally, so the graphics you get in games with this model are of exactly the same standard you'd get if you owned an Elite.
All 360s have a HDMI port, but only the Elite actually comes with the cable. There is no benefit in buying an expensive HDMI cable, because the signal is digital. I think I paid £4 for mine and it works perfectly.
The hard drive is only required to play 2 games offline - Football Manager 2006 and Final Fantasy XI. All other disc based games will play without a hard drive. Burnout Paradise requires a hard drive for online play. There may be others, but that's the only one I'm aware of.
If you buy a hard drive at a later date, it simply clips to the side of the console. It doesn't need to be fitted internally.
The official Microsoft wireless adapter is not the only option for wireless. There are third party options too, such as the adapter made by Belkin. If you have a laptop with wireless you can use that to connect, although it means having the laptop on while gaming. You can also use homeplugs. Obviously if it's convenient to use the supplied cable to connect the 360 to your router, that's the best option.
Hopefully someone out there will find this info useful. The 360 has some superb games available for it and at £120 delivered it really is a bargain.
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"Fun!" - 4 December 2007
I've had my 360 arcade for 2 days now and I really like it. You don't get a hard drive with it, just a 256MB memory stick but this is plenty of space for saving games. You only really need a hard drive if you want to go online or play original Xbox games on it, and I got the Arcade because I wasn't sure whether I wanted to do these things or not. If I decide I want to do lots of online gaming in the future, I can buy a hard drive for £50 (which is more or less the same as the difference between the cost of this and the pro)
Having said that, they could have given us a LITTLE bit more memory with it... they call it the 360 Arcade but the number of arcade games you can download onto that memory stick is very very limited. Even the Wii has 512MB, and Microsoft are meant to be all technomological next gen computer people and all that, so you might expect a bit more, even at this price. So that's a tiny niggle (half a star off), but you can always get more memory if you need it.
The only difference between this and the pro as far as I'm aware is the lack of hard-drive, and that there is no HDMI cable included with this, so it might not be the best option for hardcore gamers with nice big TVs and surround sound. I'd say it's a good option for a family/ kids/ budget console... you could call it Xbox 360: Wii version. And it comes with 5 arcade games, which is always good :)
I think the Xbox 360 Arcade may be less prone to overheating and a bit quieter than the pro and elite models, but don't quote me on that. Mine makes about the same amount of noise as a ps2, which isn't bad.
The second half-a-star-off is because it doesn't come with a wireless network adapter, which I kind of expected to be included because I have a Wii which can connect to a wireless network straight out of the box. With the Xbox 360 Arcade, you have to plug it in if you want to go online, which is ok for me because my tv is right next to my internet hub thingy, but it would be annoying if it wasn't. A separate wireless adaptor costs £50+. I don't know if this is included with the pro/ elite versions or not.
Other than that it's a great console with fun games and an affordable price tag, so four stars! Yay Microsoft!
*end uber review*
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"Xbox 360 with HDMI PORT!" - 6 January 2008
This is now the cheapest Xbox 360 that you can buy, however it does come guaranteed with a HDMI port so you can get the best possible connection to your HD ready TV. If you was to buy a premium online then it would not be guaranteed to come with this port, so your best connection would be to use the Component setup. If you dont plan to go online then this package is ideal, as you probably wouldnt need a hard drive. You do get a memory card to save your save game files, which will probably be enough for the everyday gamer. Also a good thing with this package, is that it is fully upgradeable so if you did want to buy a hard drive, 20gb or 120gb you just attach it on as normal. Same goes with a HD DVD drive which can also be attached and again with the best possible connection at present. Loads of decent games available and coming out for the 360, which cannot be said about other consoles!!! Alternatively you could buy a blu ray player, sorry I mean a PS3.....
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"Excellent" - 19 July 2008
Ok heres the truth...
When i bought this i had absolutely no intention of using XBOX LIVE, all i wanted out of this machine was to play Grand Theft Auto 4. So i purchased the arcade version, GTA4, and the XBOX 360 Component cables (so i could play in HD) and i was and still am over the moon. However after a while i wanted to play XBOX LIVE so i went onto ebay, purchased a 20gb hardrive for £16.99 and a headset for £10 which attached to the wireless controller provided in this package and i was away. So if you buy this you will have everything you need to play games right away including Halo 3, GTA4 etc... but if you want to go on XBOX LIVE and download content etc... go on ebay purchase a HDD and a headset and away you go.
£150 = XBOX 360 Arcade
£5.99= HD Conponent cable (only the standard one is provided with this)
£16.99 = 20GB Harddrive from ebay
£10 = Headset for XBOX LIVE
= 182.98 still far cheaper than the premimum and elite version
EXCELLENT, will get everyone off the ground, and if you want more from this package, simply upgrade, no need to go and sell this and buy premiumum packages etc... may i also add, this console comes with HDMI and when attached to HDTV, is simply breathetaking.
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