Introduction

As any frequent viewer to our boards at GameApex knows, I've been waiting a long time for the XBOX360; specifically, my XBOX360. Finally, a little over 3 weeks (12/12/05) after the launch on 11/22/05, and realizing that I had one of the few "defective" units, and subsequently waiting for DHL and Microsoft to give me a repaired system took a total of 5 days by the way. Super experience with the Customer Support at Microsoft, only was upset at DHL, but that is neither here or there, I have finally received a fully functioning and very capable system. I will tell you readers now, do not believe all the nay-say about the XBOX360, this system is amazing; simply amazing. I have never and I mean never, have had this much fun with a video game system since the Super Nintendo(SNES). It is as simple as that. This system, does everything that I require (play games), and so much more.

The XBOX360 has been in development for a little over four years, and was released by Microsoft on November 22nd, 2005 to a worldwide audience. The XBOX360 was first released on North American shores, then on the European front and finally to our fellow gamers in Japan. Undoubtedly a large task to undertake, however, even with "shortage" problems, I have to give Microsoft credit. They accomplished something that no other company; let me repeat that: no other company had ever tried before. Gamers all over the world have been able to enjoy the system at almost the same time (give or take a few weeks for the different launch dates). There has been no envying at our neighbors across the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean or likewise across the Atlantic for our European friends. Instead of having to wait for 3-6 months for each geographic zone to receive shipments, everywhere (but Australia/New Zealand, sorry guys) has received shipments just one week, to two weeks from each other. The worldwide launch was an amazing accomplishment, and Microsoft should be given credit for that.

However, any launch isn't without its own hang-ups and snafus. There is a problem with the amount of units that are currently available to consumers. Well, everywhere, but Japan. I however, don't know if this is a "fabricated shortage" conceived by Microsoft or if there really is a shortage and Microsoft is churning out machines as fast as possible (though, not as fast as the consumer base would like). Some systems do have problems (I initially received one of those systems, so I felt that pain), however, I do not believe that it is a wide spread problem. I truthfully believe Microsoft and their representatives that the percentage of total defective units is somewhere between 1% and 5%. In fact, at the EB Games that I received my XBOX360 from, I was the only customer to have to return my system to Microsoft. I have been able to get to know their staff at that particular store, and I have to believe that they are all around "nice guys" and wouldn't lead me astray. I believe I'm one of their "nicer" customers concerning this topic, so I have to believe what they tell me.

Some of the problems that systems are experiencing are "dirty disk errors," blue (or in this case, black) screens of death, freezing, and the deadly over heating system. At first it was believed to be the massive power "brick" (A/C unit) that has been overheating, but most publications now believe that to be a "false" glitch and that it is in fact the system that is overheating. Whether it is the CPU or GPU still needs to be determined, but more than likely it is something in the system that is overheating.

This, overheating issue, was the case with my system. After about 30 minutes of gaming, my screen would go "Nintendo Nostalgic" on me. Meaning, that the screen would become distorted, blocky, numerous lines, and very green. Think back to the days when your NES cartridge got "dirty" and the screen became all messed up, and you had to push (repeatedly) the RESET button, or take the cartridge out and "blow" into it, or even do the try to push the cartridge bay down and the power button "on" at the same time to "skip" the glitch (I know I did that last one a lot) to try to "fix" the problem. Well, I couldn't do that at all. I would turn off the system, and turn it back on, and would be able to play again, for about 25 minutes, than 20 minutes, than 15. Needless to say, I couldn't play properly in 15-30 minute increments. After, a stellar customer representative from the XBOX help line (1-800-4MY-XBOX) helped me with my system problems; my XBOX360 was packaged, shipped, fixed, and returned to me in less than a week. The only thing that held it up from getting back faster was that DHL did not mail my system when they said they would. They didn't mail it until the Monday after I gave it to them. I gave it to them on a Friday. I did, however, get my system back that Wednesday, so all was well. Well, enough about my woes lets get on with the system and about how kick-ass it really is!