Microsoft Xbox 360 Wireless Controller

If you own an xbox, the choice here is fairly obvious. There isn't much to say other than if you don't have a wireless controller already, get one. If you only own a PC however, or play games on your PC as well as your 360 like I do, then things get a little more interesting.

With Xbox 360, Microsoft have further expanded upon the S-Type controller but have moved even closer to the Playstation design while also keeping true to everything that made the S-Type popular. Firstly, the black and white buttons have been removed and two shoulder buttons have taken their place. Similar to the Playstation controller, the Xbox 360 controller now has 4 buttons on the front, two control sticks, four main buttons and two system menu buttons. However, the 360 controller is dominated by a raised Xbox360 logo ball surrounded by the "ring of light". This button turns on/off the console and also brings up the Xbox360 interface blades at any time.

The main upgrade of the New Xbox 360 Controller however is the Transforming D-Pad. Able to change betwen something similar to the existing disc style to having the cross pad raising up. This gives you greater accuracy and response which is vital in retro-style and fighting games, something which the original Xbox 360 controller did not excel at. Giving you extra precision simply by turning the new D-Pad makes this controller an excellent all rounder, strengthening one of the areas the original controller was weakest in to make it ideal for any game. The controller also comes with a plug and charge kit, meaning that you can simply plug the cable into the controller to use it as a wired version while it charges. This lets you have uninterrupted use of your controller and also saves you from having to change the batteries constantly.

 

Summary: 
+ Most comfortable and reliable controller I've used.
+ Wireless, great range, good price on amazon.
+ Good battery life and auto-shutoff feature.
+ Great game & app support with little to no headaches or installs.

- D-Pad is nearly useless, but there are few games where this makes a difference, like fighting games.
- It can be hard to find the proper wireless receiver driver if you are running 64-bit Vista, but its out there if you search hard enough. 

Xbox 360 VS PS3

PS3 or Xbox 360? Which one is the most powerful console with the better games? Find it out here!

Performance: Reading the specifications PS3 is more noticeable. Actually, it’s quite inferior to the XBOX. Without getting into too numerous details, the three general-purpose CPU’s of xbox 360 are greater than SPU’s on the PS3.

To achieve the same result on PS3 is much more expensive. For this cause I think many games will have no choice but to run in non-HD resolutions on the PS3 version, use a lower quality Anti-aliasing technique, or do back buffer upscaling. The last result in all cases is going to be noticeably poorer image quality.

Another evident point is that right now the xbox 360 already has a very stunning line-up of titles on store tables; the PS3 just launched, and has virtually nothing of interest. As Well, many Xbox360 games are already discounted. PS3 games are all full price since it just launched.

The PS3 gets one built in (blu-ray). The xbox 360 provides HD-DVD as an add-on for $200. You probably don’t care about HD-DVD right now. But you will shortly (The quality between DVD and HD is comparable to to VHS vs DVD, if you have the right TV) so I indicate paying attention to the war that’s started out.If you rent a BLU-RAY DVD from Bockbuster, it won’t run in your XBOX 360 HD-DVD, and vice versa with the PS3.

Price: This is evident; the XBOX 360 core is only $299. The PS3 is around $499 for the 20GB version. It comes with a hard drive, but you don’t need a hard drive to delight a lot of great games on the 360 so I think it’s fair to compare both core systems.

Xbox 360 vs PS 3 – 2011 Update :

I’ve decided to make this update, as one of the guys who posted a comment, had a clean and good review, thanks “The Third Party” your comment was absolutely great :

“Graphics PS3 > XBOX 360

The PS3 has a Blu-Ray player not found in the XBOX 360, thus PS3 games are released on Blu-Ray disc, and being that Blu-Ray is the most modern form of compact disc (CD), you dont even need personal opinion to decide the better console. Though through my own personal experience, the PS3 is better.

Online PS3 > XBOX 360

The speed online between XBOX 360 and PS3 is relatively unnoticeable, and when it does come for free, ‘relatively unnoticeable is very good. However, if you want the absolute best and are not concerned about price, the XBOX might be a better choice. Unfortunately, due to the XBOX’s low price, it has a large majority of players on its servers who are rabble (low skill, loud mouth, low intelligence, and usually around 12, you can even guess this would be the case in the XBOX 360′s childish looking menu and avatars)

Controller PS3 > XBOX 360

I am 6’2, my hand is about 7-8 inches long from wrist to the end of my middle finger, so when I hold an XBOX controller, I have a hard time finding space for my support fingers (fingers not used to press buttons or triggers) while the PS3′s controllers is wider, and the bridge (area containing the Start, Select, and Home buttons) is dramatically thinner and more compact. This allows you to place your fingers in a variety of ways and positions, a crucial element for anyone who has adult sized hands and is going to play for several hours. Also, it’s lighter, the battery pack is internal and totally hidden, while the XBOX controller is about 1.5-2 times the weight, is so clunky it barely has handles, and has a very large external battery pack sitting right where I’d like to rest my fingers. The XBOX controller is modeled almost exactly after the PS controller, in that it has the same amount of buttons, in the same exact places (excluding the directional pad which trades places with the left analog stick) further proof PS controllers are better is that the original XBOX had only ‘bumpers’ and no triggers, the triggers that would be found on PS controllers were replaced by ‘Black’ and ‘White’ buttons found on the face of the controller, but these buttons were then replaced with triggers taken from the PS controllers design when the console moved into the Seventh Generation along with the PS3 and Wii. The last bit of reasoning, some players like to play using an alternative hand position, such as myself. On my right right hand, I use my middle finger to operate the triggers, while my index finger can rest on the Square/X button for smoother operation of the controller. This is easily accomplished with PS controllers due to its thin wide shape that has served as the base of controller design since the realease of Playstation One, though it is practically impossible on an XBOX controller due to its ‘fat’ and narrow design.

Games Library PS3 < XBOX

The XBOX takes the cake easily on this one, even diehard PS3 fans should be able to see this. Very few games are PS3 Exclusive, and they’re usually not very popular. However, a multitude of games can only be found on the XBOX 360, and a huge pool have expansion packs or add-ons that can only be found on the XBOX 360, such as Oblivion. While the Shivering Isles and Knights of the Nine can be found on PS3, Horse Armour, Mehrunes Razor and several other tasty add-ons are simply not available on PS3. For a Game Lover this spells disaster, and many people will switch (and have switched) to XBOX 360 in the pursuit of more in-game content. Another example are Halo, Gears of War, and Fable, which are only found on XBOX 360. The PS3 does have its own exclusives, but they cant pull it up to be worthy of beating te XBOX 360′s game library.

Community Size PS3 XBOX 360

The PS3 is a better All-Round choice for most people. A simple evidence is that the Playstation 2 was released in 2000, while the XBOX was released in 2001. Normally, this would mean the PS2 would become obsolete sooner, but it didnt. In any GameStop or EB Games you will find PS3 games, XBOX 360 games, Wii games, GameCube games, and PS2 games. Of Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft, Microsoft is the only company with a single console being represented. Of the three, Microsoft is the only company with no portable games (such as the PSP or Gameboy). And of the three, Sony is the only company with TWO consoles still active with new releases and decent sized communities (the PS2 is not yet considered obsolete by game providers and is the ONLY Sixth Generation Console with an active community and new release games).
However, it’s not that simple. Everyone is different, you have people who fancy Simple Structuring, which the XBOX provides, and people who appreciate a Complex System, such as the PS3, some people are more oriented towards offline and RPG games, which the XBOX delivers well, and some are more oriented toward competitive online and FPS (First Person Shooter) which is where the PS3 can deliver a more satisfying product. The bottom line is, no one syste is king, which is why they’ve been struggling for power for the last decade. I would personally recommend buying both if you can afford it, they are both excellent consoles and each have their Pros and Cons. I own both and like them both alot, and as ong as there are PS3 fans, XBOX will make better games, as long as there are XBOX fans, PS3 will make better games. Competition is the Mainstay inside video games, and its what makes Video Games great, and new, and different. So if you want to play Fable but love Playstation, buy an XBOX as well, because thats going to drive PS3 to greater heights in an effort to compete, and vice-versa. You want good video games in the future? Buy the games you want no matter the system, or you can pledge DieHard devotion, and pray for the competitions downfall, but you’ll only be destroying the market.”

Xbox 360 Just Dance 3 Review

Xbox 360 Just Dance 3 Review

Just Dance 3 is a music video game with Kinect support. This game series are published by Ubisoft. For the Just Dance 3, it was released on October 2011 worldwide.

Along with solos and duets, Just Dance 3 features quartets which allows 4 players to dance all together, as well as playlists that group songs together. Rewards can be unlocked by dancing, such as new songs, modes, as well as Dance Mashups which combine different dance routines from all three Just Dance games into one.

Letting go of your inhibitions can often be difficult--just ask a sober person at a karaoke bar--but doing so is a requisite for getting the most out of Just Dance 3. Its hilarious and often downright insane routines have you doing the jive bunny, playing air guitar, and jumping around like a complete loon to an eclectic selection of songs that are guaranteed to get you dancing. The series' transition to the Xbox 360 has been a smooth one, with crisp HD visuals that look great, and accurate motion tracking from the Kinect. Plus, a new levelling system, new modes, and the ability to record your own routines to send to friends mean there's more content to explore than ever before.

Even the most cynical of players should give Just Dance 3 a try--you might come away a little embarrassed, maybe even a little sweaty, but you'll have a huge smile afterward.


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Xbox Kinect Bundle and Games

Kinect Bundles and Games

 
Kinect comes available as a $149.99 standalone device, but should you want to purchase it along with an Xbox 360, there are two additional options. Microsoft sells a $299 bundle that pairs Kinect with a 4GB Xbox 360, as well as a $399 bundle that packages Kinect with a 250GB system. I like the flexibility here, as it gives gamers many options for getting in on Microsoft's motion action. You won't need an Xbox Live subscription to use Kinect, but you can use Kinect's motion navigation with several of Xbox Live Gold features, such as ESPN.

Kinect Adventures is Kinect's pack-in game, but there will be several other titles on store shelves at or near its launch including Dance Central (a pad-free take on Dance Dance Revolution), Kinectimals (an advanced spin on Nintendogs), Kinect Joy Riders (racing), Kinect Sports (the Microsoft equivalent of Wii Sports), Sonic Free Riders (racing), and Your Shape: Fitness Evolved (exercise). Granted, not many of these titles will appeal to the hardcore gamer, but Microsoft has marketed it toward families, so the titles' casual nature isn't very surprising.

Kinect Design, Setup, and Tutorial
The 1.3-pound Kinect is an all-black 2.8-by-11.1-by-2.8-inch (HWD) horizontal bar positioned on top of a motorized pivot that's designed to blend inconspicuously into your entertainment setup. Its face houses three sensors that are used to track players' movements and voice commands: a 640-by-480 RGB camera, a monochrome depth sensor, and a multi-array microphone. The back houses the lone connection cable, and air vents are built into the sides and bottom of the device to keep it cool during long play sessions. A power/USB cable is included for connecting Kinect to older Xbox 360 models.

Setting up Kinect is a simple affair: If you have the new Xbox 360 ($299.99, 4 stars), simply plug the device's sensor cable into the Aux port, which is easily identified by the orange stripe positioned above it. If you own an older Xbox 360, plug the sensor cable into the included Power/USB cable, and then plug one end of that cable into a USB port and the other into an outlet. When we connected Kinect to the new Xbox 360, it was instantly recognized and powered on without the need for AC power—the new Xbox 360 supplies enough juice to power the device. Note: Microsoft recommends positioning Kinect between 2 and 6 feet above the ground, and centered just above or below your television or monitor.

After powering on, the Kinect sensor came alive and immediately began scanning the environment,then locking the camera into a prime position. The Kinect then ran through a series of required tests, in which it checked the background noise level, speaker volume, and microphone calibration, the three components that power its voice command feature (more on that later).

A brief tutorial then showed me important gestures all users need to know to operate Kinect. First off, moving your hand so that the floating cursor is positioned over a game option makes a selection ring appear that assists in the confirmation process. Also, raising your right hand and waving it back and forth, for example, causes Kinect to recognize you, while positioning your right arm next to your body while holding your left arm at a 45-degree angle away from your body pauses games. These three gestures are universal, and work in any gaming scenario. Kinect's facial recognition can be used to log you into your Xbox account.

Stellar Motion Control (When You're Within Range)
Kinect comes packaged with Kinect Adventures, a collection of athletic titles that serve as a fun tech demo, like a more thematic version of Nintendo's Wii Sports. The most interesting of these six games is "Reflex Ridge," a two-player split-screen (player versus player or player versus Xbox) racing/obstacle title that has gamers speeding down a river on a raft. As your on-screen avatar moves forward, obstacles appear to slow your progress, so you have to leap, side-step, and duck objects. The motion tracking was surprisingly accurate in my tests; the instant I leapt, my avatar leapt. When I leaned left or right, my character leaned left or right in step. In fact, the only time I felt a disconnect between myself and my on-screen persona is when I had to jump up and down rapidly to increase the speed of the raft—occasionally a jump wouldn't register. Still, the overall experience was extremely impressive.

Even better, a second player can jump into the game at any time without the need for calibration or having to pause the game and dig through menus. When another person walked into Kinect's field of vision, "Reflex Ridge" automatically detected the new challenger and split the screen. I was floored by this, as it allowed a second player to jump in without breaking the flow of the game.

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