Random Gaming Thoughts

[RCBH928]

Finding an original xbox is annoyingly difficult. I recently dug out my OG xbox games (I had around 90) and have been focused on completing my xbox collection (not going for a full set, just some random odds and ends) but my xbox broke years ago, I have visited 3 local game stores and they both had every console except the xbox. I'm sure I will find one soon enough, especially as more and more stores open, but I am surprised I havent found one yet.

I always felt the oXbox is the ugly duckling of successful consoles, no one seems to have affection for it. Unlike people who are fond to their Dreamcasts or SNES. Also I think that the 360 success completely eclipsed it, and many of the oXbox games can be played on 360 and I believe X1 so it diminished its value. I feel many sent their consoles to the trash after the 360 was out. They did not seem to be built to last, more prone to failure. I am only going on feelings here from what I have seen. Other more experienced oXbox owners can share their thoughts.

[prfsnl_gmr]

The oXbox is a tank. It’s really, really reliable. Much more so than all but the last generation of 360s. Otherwise, I agree with everything you wrote there. I love my oXbox, but I don’t think many other people do.

[Markies]

Finding an original xbox is annoyingly difficult. I recently dug out my OG xbox games (I had around 90) and have been focused on completing my xbox collection (not going for a full set, just some random odds and ends) but my xbox broke years ago, I have visited 3 local game stores and they both had every console except the xbox. I'm sure I will find one soon enough, especially as more and more stores open, but I am surprised I havent found one yet.

You may have to go the eBay/Amazon route for your needs.

One of the retro game stores around here will take any system except the OG Xbox. They used to get them all the time and they are notorious for breaking all the time. I bought one several years ago and it worked for a while. Then, games started moving slow or just wouldn't be read, so I had to buy another.

I know a serious OG Xbox fan. He is a few games short of completing his XBOX collection and he has several systems in pieces in his house. Some games work with some systems and some games work with other ones.

The library is fairly fantastic, but I would say the hardware is rather hit and miss.

[RCBH928]

I too had an oXbox die on me, stopped reading discs and stuttered randomly AFAIK. Though It might be to the heavy use and abuse it got. One thing I like about the oXbox was that its looks and feel really captures the era of the 2000s, ps2 and NGC feel more timeless. I also do not get why the oXbox was so heavier and larger than the other 2 competing consoles.

I heard Xbox was capable for online gameplay, my question is did you just go online and started to play say like PC games now days or did you have to buy special hardware and go through specific setups?

[pook99]

It is weird how nobody seems to care about the OG xbox but you are right. If you want to collect for a system that is the one to do as most games are dirt cheap (under 10 dollars) the rare and "expensive" games tend to go for no more than 20-30 bucks, the only game I have seen that goes for more than that is stubbs the zombie which goes from 80-130.

It is a good system with a lot of great exclusive games and while the other xbox consoles have some backward compatibility with it there are tons of good games that are only playable on that system and with no emulator even close to being finished it is the only way to play some of the systems gems.

[isiolia]

I heard Xbox was capable for online gameplay, my question is did you just go online and started to play say like PC games now days or did you have to buy special hardware and go through specific setups?

There was no need to buy hardware as every machine had an ethernet port. Official online multiplayer/etc was through Xbox Live. The slight caveat there was that the service didn't debut until a year or so after the system came out. So, early games may have had direct support or unofficial support (like, Halo only had LAN play supported, but unofficial solutions to connect that over the internet existed). Once it really got rolling though, it was via Live, which got refined and expanded for 360.

I also do not get why the oXbox was so heavier and larger than the other 2 competing consoles.

Because instead of using specialized hardware, it used slightly custom version of off-the-shelf PC parts of the time. Even the DVD-ROM and so on are full size components.

[stickem]

Og xbox also had a wireless adapter similar to the 360's.

[RCBH928]

There was no need to buy hardware as every machine had an ethernet port. Official online multiplayer/etc was through Xbox Live. The slight caveat there was that the service didn't debut until a year or so after the system came out. So, early games may have had direct support or unofficial support (like, Halo only had LAN play supported, but unofficial solutions to connect that over the internet existed). Once it really got rolling though, it was via Live, which got refined and expanded for 360.

Because instead of using specialized hardware, it used slightly custom version of off-the-shelf PC parts of the time. Even the DVD-ROM and so on are full size components.

Yup, I remember when I saw the oXbox I thought to myself this is just a mini-PC with fans not a console, a console to me was a silent electronic hardware like a CD player or camcorder. Little did I know they were all computers they just didn't need fan cooling.

I am surprised Halo didn't have online gameplay built in since its published by Microsoft, surely they knew oXbox was going to have online as a feature. Maybe they thought we release this now and in the sequel we can use online play as a feature to increase sales. Maybe some developers thought console online won't pickup or wasn't going to increase sales so why invest money programming it in. I will be happy to hear from anyone here who experienced the "online scene" of the oXbox in early 2000, Dialup was still a thing.

[isiolia]

I am surprised Halo didn't have online gameplay built in since its published by Microsoft, surely they knew oXbox was going to have online as a feature. Maybe they thought we release this now and in the sequel we can use online play as a feature to increase sales. Maybe some developers thought console online won't pickup or wasn't going to increase sales so why invest money programming it in.

If you want to read on the development of Halo, there's the oral history over on Vice that's pretty substantial.

[Markies]

Today's GameFAQ's Poll Results...

Ancient?
Ancient??

I felt a little older after reading that...