Avian Gamers Network

I got a 360 yesterday... convinced my wife we needed an HD DVD player for our new big screen TV

I'm not gonna do XBOX Live right now b/c it would be tough for me to get an internet connection to where the TV is located...

With that said, I got Call of Duty 3 and Ultimate Alliance. Anyone have any suggestions for some good games I can rent? What are you all playing these days?

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TheMole
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You know it doesn't have an HD-DVD player built in? Just a DVD drive, and the HD player is an add on.
But I wouldn't get a HD DVD now anyway. BluRay is going to win and Microsoft will bring out a BluRay drive.

QFT. Not a good DVD player on the 360, and definitely not HD. Keep the 360 for its games tho!!

Marvel is lotsa button mashing fun. CoD3 is ok, but CoD2 and 4 (different developer) are far superior. Talon and I played CoD4 together yesterday and while we were a couple of the lesser players (kill-death ratios) it was still a blast.

Other great games:
- Rock Band
- Halo 3
- Assassin's Creed
- NHL 08
- Bioshock

Those are the ones I have picked up and played the last little bit and thoroughly enjoyed each of them.

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"I built me a bomb and dropped it on every MFer who got in my way!"

What?! I thought it had an HD DVD player in it... uggh.

Maybe i should take it back and get the PS3 with the blu-ray player in it...

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TheMole
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PS3 = meh Tho if you are only planning on getting a gaming system to have the added benefit of a HD movie source, PS3 is admittedly the better option right now.

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"I built me a bomb and dropped it on every MFer who got in my way!"

I've been trying to read comparisons of the 2 systems and am getting mixed reviews... what do you think is better about the 360?

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TheMole
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All depends how badly you want disc media. Digital download could be the mainstream in as little as a year or two (that's where Netflix is moving). Many think Microsoft backed HDDVD in order to make sure this format war was drawn out and not decided too early, so that BluRay wouldn't be the de facto choice before downloads became a reality.

But there are other options, for example get a BluRay drive for a PC and then stream the content through the 360 to the TV.

You can buy an HD DVD add on for the 360, however it looks like blu ray is winning over the key players in the movie industry right now.

Background:
I loved Sony and their PS and PS2. Loved them. Great hardware, never had a problem, and great games. Played some original xbox but never got into it b/c Sony had won me over.

Fastforward to the next gen era:
The 360 was first out the gate, and has most of its technical issues worked out. No HD movie capability unless you buy the HD-DVD peripheral, but gaming-wise it is unmatched. Just too many great 360-exclusive titles (Halo, Mass Effect, etc.) and its online functionality > PS3's. Sure its like $60 a year for Xbox Live, but here I think you get what you pay for. Very reliable connectivity and some really good Xbox Arcade titles (Catan, Carcasonne, Poker, Bomberman, etc.).

I dunno, the PS3 just does not impress me. Maybe it was that astronomical initial price that really put me off against it, and maybe it is too forward thinking for my needs. I don't need high def movies (have to pay at least $10 more than normal DVDs here). I just want a console that I can turn on, and play some quality titles, either myself or online with buds. I'd rather use a normal DVD machine to play movies on.

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"I built me a bomb and dropped it on every MFer who got in my way!"

Dude... stick with the 360. Seriously. I got mine and like you, I wasn't real motivated to hook up the Xbox Live, despite Angelus's whining. I now have a cord strung across my bedroom and refuse to move it because it is friggin awesome to play CoD4 on it. One of the best FPS games ever and it is a rush to play with 20+ people on a map.

I am extremely impressed with the innovation that Microsoft put into the details of the 360. For a great review of the 360, by our very own Madson, click here: http://www.avian-gamers.net/forums/view ... 323#109323

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"Perhaps the sentiments contained in the following pages, are not yet sufficiently fashionable to procure them general favor; a long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right, and raises at first a formidable outcry in defence of custom. But the tumult soon subsides." - Thomas Paine, Common Sense

No kidding! It is so awesome to get into a 48 player server - you really feel like you're a part of a team since with that many people you're bound to have company for a while.

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Liro
"The english language is not a wedding gown, it doesn't get better the more lace you add. It is instead a thong. Less is more." From /.
I need to remind myself of this regularly.

I actually find teaming is fairly important in CoD, especially if you move in small groups of 3-4. Just gotta watch for those damn random grenade tossers. But if you move as a group and cover each other you become a deadly force.

I still need to hunker down and really learn the maps. After not playing for a good while its tough recalling all the choke points and where snipers tend to camp.

May just create a private server and run around to check map nuances out. Then maybe invte Talon to snipe his ass.

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"I built me a bomb and dropped it on every MFer who got in my way!"

I stuck with the 360. Not gonna get XBOX live for a while though b/c I don't have a good way to get internet to my TV.

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TheMole
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I love the 360 for gaming. It's also my main DVD player, I think it looks fine on my 4year old 57" 720p rear projection. The hardware has had problems in the past (I've gone through 2 malfunctions), but the new 360's released recently seem to be performing cooler and quieter so the issues should be done.

I don't have a PS3 yet, but honestly, there are only a few titles that stand out that I'm even interested on the PS3. The ony exclusives that Sony has that I'm interested in are Resistance: Fall of Man, Drakes Fortune, and Rachet and Clank (I was interested in Heavenly Sword, but I've read it's short and just not that great. Still probably a solid rental). The rest of their line up hits (Assassins Creed, COD4, Rock Band) are cross-platform and look just as good on the 360.

This year Sony needs to pick up the pace. I think they will, but it's going to take more than MGS4 and FFXIII to get my gaming dollars.

My recommendations for games are

RPGs - Mass Effect, Oblivion
FPS - Halo 3, COD4, Bioshock
3rd Person - Asassins Creed
Other - Overlord, Rock Band

Mass Effect and Rock Band alone have been keeping me busy since mid November, and I'm not even close to wringing out all of the delicious gameply juices that they have to offer. I havn't even picked up COD4 or Asassin's Creed because I just don't have time yet.

As for HD-DVD vs. Blu-Ray, I wouldn't get either yet. My money is on Sony though. The discs are more expensive, but I think that they will win out over time. I'll buy a PS3 for the blu-ray when it drops below $300, but not before. Renting the HD movies costs the same and I don't buy them. Both Consoles have a HDMI out, (new 360's got had this feature quielty added, thanks to my hardware failures I have one with a HDMI out)

Don't let Microsoft fool you though, at the end of the day, the 360 and PS3 will cost you about the same. Xbox Live is $50 a year and the Playstation Network is free. I've already spent the $100 of the $150 I saved at retail for the service that would've been free. If it wasn't for the games I would've bought a PS3. In two years I will have spent more for a system with slightly inferior hardware.

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80S - Madson-(450 BS / 450 M)...........80H - Madera-(447 Eng / 412 Enc)...........80K - Madala-(450 Herb / 450 Skin)
65L - Madwyn-(430Ins / 329 Tail)........61M - Madran-(300 M / 250 Enc).............64P - Madmon-(315 M / 347 JC)

Mole, did you get Xbox Live yet?

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"Perhaps the sentiments contained in the following pages, are not yet sufficiently fashionable to procure them general favor; a long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right, and raises at first a formidable outcry in defence of custom. But the tumult soon subsides." - Thomas Paine, Common Sense

And Mads. Get your ass into CoD4. We have 15 year olds to slaughter!

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"I built me a bomb and dropped it on every MFer who got in my way!"

Nope. Not yet. Gonna have to wait a little while to get a wireless card.

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TheMole
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I borrowed it from a firend already. In the single player missions I'm running around some middle east city at night shooting anyone with a red hat.

It would suck to be a pizza hut driver with me around.

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80S - Madson-(450 BS / 450 M)...........80H - Madera-(447 Eng / 412 Enc)...........80K - Madala-(450 Herb / 450 Skin)
65L - Madwyn-(430Ins / 329 Tail)........61M - Madran-(300 M / 250 Enc).............64P - Madmon-(315 M / 347 JC)

Single player is for the noobs. Get online!

j/k - I love the SP campaign. I finished on medium, and have now gone back and am trying to complete on the uber-tough difficulty (veteran??). Last I recall I got through about 2 stages. Was going crazy trying to complete that tv station part in stage one. Think I died a good 50 times there. Oh yeah, I remember now, I just did the rescue that tank part. Another tough firefight there I tell ya.

But seriously, if you have some time tonight, hop online and group with Talon and I to check out the MP aspects. All I have to do for wedding stuff tonight is pick up my tux (as far as I know) so should have time to kill again.

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"I built me a bomb and dropped it on every MFer who got in my way!"

I'm working late tonight so I won't be able to get on.

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80S - Madson-(450 BS / 450 M)...........80H - Madera-(447 Eng / 412 Enc)...........80K - Madala-(450 Herb / 450 Skin)
65L - Madwyn-(430Ins / 329 Tail)........61M - Madran-(300 M / 250 Enc).............64P - Madmon-(315 M / 347 JC)

Woah woah woah... are you getting married?

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TheMole
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I rented Assassin's Creed this weekend, and, I must say, I'm loving it. Can't seem to put it down and my sleep is suffering! Those are both signs of a great game.

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TheMole
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What makes you think that???

I believe he just got off of a 7 day binge of watching Wedding Crashers and decided to spend a couple days just crashing Weddings.

lol.

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"Loose with Dignity"
Robert
Second President, Avian Gamers

DDO - Cannith - AlistairItor - Rogue/Ranger (5/3) - Main
DDO - Cannith - Guijanitor - Paladin/Rogue (4/1)
DDO - Cannith - RicochetItor - Rogue (5)

No, after getting married, that is NOW my next priority. Just gotta figure out who's to crash first!

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"I built me a bomb and dropped it on every MFer who got in my way!"