Friday, March 29, 2024
HomeOpinionThe Next-Generation Console

The Next-Generation Console

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Xbox 360 Premium System: $399. Project Gotham Racing 3, Call of Duty 2, Perfect Dark Zero: $169.97. Two extra wireless controllers: $99.98. Paying Uncle Sam his dues: $48.50. The next generation console experience: Priceless?
As stiff as the prices are at retail, any economist would tell you the opportunity cost at this moment is much higher: an Xbox Premium package, as of Nov. 23, is selling by itself for more than $1,000 on eBay.
My friend offered to let me test his brand-new console at a friend’s house. When we arrived, I found myself playing a next-generation console on a ‘last-generation’ TV that must have been as old as I am.
While it did spoil the new high-end graphics, it also made me realize one important thing: nothing involving game play had actually changed.
That’s right, with all the hype the next-generation consoles have been given with their spiffy multiple processors and next-generation graphics abilities, I’m here to tell you that nothing has actually changed.
Oh, sure, the backgrounds look a lot more realistic, the character models look great, there’s improved online play and I found out that I can’t race a McLauren F1 for the life of me. But at the end of the day, the Xbox 360 feels and plays pretty much like the original Xbox