Xbox 360: Circling Farewell

[Neon Ignition]

So, though the Xbox 360 is still an active platform it's looking pretty likely that 2016 will effectively be its last year as a release platform for the most part. In a couple of weeks time it will reach its 10th anniversary and just before that Microsoft will be launching backwards compatibility on the Xbox One for over 100 games will hopefully more to come.

Despite some frustration on gamers minds due to how quickly and abruptly Microsoft pulled the curtain down on the original Xbox the 360 saw gamers accept the machine in much greater numbers. For roughly the first half of its lifespan it outsold the PS3 and it set the precedent for online console gaming as Xbox Live rapidly evolved in the early years.

A massive library grew and as the second half of its life came along Microsoft doubled down on its trinity of Halo-Gears-Forza franchises whilst launching the Kinect device which helped to keep sales healthy of the console.










So, it seems the right time to take a look back at Microsofts biggest console success to date in a similar fashion to the previous Summer of Dreamcast, Winter of Playstation 2 and Autumn of Nintendo threads.

Share your memories of a decade of Xbox 360, experiences of its games and (with the games still easily available and backwards compatibility about to launch) share any game revisits and thoughts of those games as you revisit them in this thread.

[charlesr]

I've been replaying Mirror's Edge and Skate. These games wouldn't look out of place if you released them as-is on current consoles.

Looking back at the games I've kept for it, they seem to be mostly multi-platform, or shmups. The 360 was the platform of choice for shmups, but this can't possibly have anything to do with its success. I also have a bunch of digital games and indie games. Beginning of the end for games being released without the need for constant updates. And as BF4 and Halo MCC proved, this is not good for gaming / gamers. Yes, the ability to add new content is great, but it is also being abused. Steam's Early Access tempted me with Dirt Rally and that has been a different experience, with almost everything working as expected months before release, so maybe it's a developer driven attitude. On the plus side, cheap games that I might not have experienced if I had had to bother buying them on disc.

Beat Hazard, Compromised, Gateways!, Gravitron360, Shoot1UP, Limbo, RezHD, Super Meat Boy.

Obviously the RROD was a problem - maybe contributing to overinflated sales figures? It hit me once, MS repaired it and then I modded it for better heat removal - now it pumps out huge amounts of heat through the back, but it's still going strong. Stupidly noisy, even with quiet fans.

Live was a revelation of online awesomeness, leaving everyone else struggling (or not bothering) to catch up. Somehow, the ease of use has been lost on the XboxOne.

[Yakumo]

The 360 is right up there with my favorite consoles of all time. My top 5 would be :

5. Sega Mega Drive
4. Sega Dreamcast
3. Nintendo Super Famicom
2. Microsoft Xbox 360
1. Sega Saturn

The 360 showed me just how wrong I was in buying a Wii. The 360 was the console that pulled me in to the next gen and I never regretted buying one.

[nakamura]

Xbox Live was great and I adore Forza Horizon but I find the system largely unappealing.
The controller is poor, the aesthetics are poor, as in the menus and overall green.

It does have a nice and varied library though. However a lot of the titles are personally not that appealing but that's not exclusive to Xbox, I find it the same on PS3 too.

I am enjoying my Xbox One immensely though. Much more than me Wii U.

[BaronSqwelch]

The 360 got me back into gaming, I'd become a ps2 pro evo player and nothing else.
Only bought one to have some HD content on my new TV too.

Online gaming was a whole new world, COD4 and Burnout Paradise were my most played games there...until Gears 3 horde mode took over my life.

The SNES will always be my favourite due to all the childhood memories attached but it is my number 2 console of all time.

[QualityChimp]

Anyone else not upgraded to One/PS4/WiiU and still regularly using their 360?

There's nothing on the new consoles I HAVE to play.
Witcher 3 looks great, but I've just bought Witcher 2 (which is still a great game) and have Skyrim untouched.
Fallout 4 will be great, but by the time I play it, the Ultimate edition will be out, DLC added, fan-made content available and glitches fixed!

Here's my list of games that I actually own but have yet to play properly. The ones in bold are ones that I've not played even once.
It's embarrassingly long and it's criminal I've yet to play some of these, but I keep buying bargains, despite never having the time to play them all!
I'm also very monogameous and will play one game to death before moving on. This tends to slow me down too.
I've got years of games to play still left in the 360!
[hide]

Borderlands

Borderlands 2

Ninja Blade

Saints Row 2

Saints Row 3

Ace Combat

Crysis

Crysis 2

Crysis 3

Undead Nightmare

GTAV

Alien Isolation

Front Mission Evolved

Syndicate

Prince of Persia

Armored Core For Answer

L.A. Noire

Brutal Legend

Alone in the Dark

Timeshift

Bayonetta

Episodes from Liberty City

Asura's Wrath

Vanquish

Fallout 3 + DLC

Fallout New Vegas DLC

Skyrim

Oblivion DLC

Import Tuner Challenge

Assassin's Creed Brotherhood

CoD Black Ops

Portal 2

Witcher 2

Aliens: Colonial Marines

Dark Souls

Mirror's Edge

Skate 3

Bulletstorm

Batman: Arkham City

Transformers: Devastation

Double Dragon Neo

Battlefield bad company

Castle crashers

Castlevania: SotN

Dark Siders 2

Darwinia+

Dishonoured

From Dust

Mafia 2

Monaco

Sniper Elite 2

Toy Soldiers + Cold War

F1 2013

Metro: Last Light

Gears of War: Judgement

FH2: Fast & Furious

Just Cause 2

Battlestations Pacific

Thief

Army of Two the Devil's cartel

Terraria

Super Street Fighter 4

Charlie Murder

The Crew

[/hide]
Then there's loads of other games I don't own but would still like to play like Rayman: Origins or Mass Effect.
On top of all that, I've only played a handful of PS3 games, so the likes of Uncharted, The Last of Us, Heavy Rain, Beyond: Two Souls, Motorstorm: Apocalypse, Infamous, Resistance, Killzone, God of War III, Journey or MGS 4 are all still waiting for me!

This is the hold that the previous gen, especially the 360, still has over me.

Seeing as we're talking about memories though, I love the 360 and it's possibly my favourite console.
I guess that's why the XBox One E3 reveal was so painful to watch. However, even with those transgressions and all logic saying the PS4 is a better console, the 360 experience has been so great, I see the One as a more enticing prospect.

Getting the console was really exciting as I got it on the day of launch, which I've never done before. I know a lot of its tricks had been done before, but, as with most innovations (like Apple's iPod and Edison's light bulb), it improved them. Wireless joypad, microphone and headset in the box, hard drive attachment and the ability to play people around the world with just a few clicks whilst in the comfort of your lounge.

There are too many great games to mention, but, for me, the console really shone when playing co-operatively.
Left 4 Dead 1 & 2, EDF 2025, GRAW, Minecraft, Crackdown, Dead Island, Dead Rising 2: OTR, Lost Planet 2, Insect Armageddon, Red Dead Redemption and Rainbow Six: Vegas were all a lot of fun and the human element brought excitement and laughs in every single one.

Co-op gamers seem to be a nice bunch, on average, so I've played online with some lovely people.

360 FTW!

[smouty]

I haven't upgraded and still now only use a 360 for my occasional gaming requirements.
I am looking at a couple of upcoming releases though such as Fallout 4 and the new Mirror's Edge so may be tempted.
Looking back on the 360 times I think it was nothing but brilliant. I've still my original two consoles (HDMI ones) which have never let me down. My favourite times were playing Borderlands online with the guys here such as Tickle and Fami
Too many excellent games to list but quite possibly the best catalogue of any console ever looking back even if a lot are multiplatform.

[EvilBoris]

There are a handful of games I missed on 360, but the chances are they will be one backwards compatible next week, so I can always visit them if I want.

Busy time of year for games, halo, ass creed, fallout 4 and tomb raider all within days of each other

[nakamura]

QC, as stated I'm no 360 fan but I'm really enjoying my One. I would say it would be a good upgrade for you.

[dataDave]

Anyone else not upgraded to One/PS4/WiiU and still regularly using their 360?

360/WiiU/3DS/PC here.

I'd stick with the 360 for some of those games in bold. I don't really need to mention which ones.

For Skyrim I'd build a PC for 500 quid. 400+ hours now and near level 28. Not one broken quest or glitched NPC so far.

Worry about Fallout 4 in a couple of years after the community has fixed it and made it into a good game.

[Nu-Eclipse]

I find the system largely unappealing.
The controller is poor, the aesthetics are poor, as in the menus and overall green.

This is pretty much how I feel about the 360.

I only really got one (as an Xmas gift) because my friends had one, so I'll give MS massive credit for setting the standard with online content and gaming for consoles with XBL - a standard (if we're honest) that has been matched, if not arguably bettered, by Sony with PS+.

Were it not for the fact that my 360 was my console of choice for beat-em-ups, I would've probably sold mine a while ago when it would've made me some money to do so. As things stand, mine is just gathering serious dust these days.

Can't see myself owning an XB1 or any future Xbox consoles for that matter. Never really connected with the brand in the same way that I have with Sony and Nintendo offerings.

[Nu-Eclipse]

[MENTION=345]Superman Falls[/MENTION], you do realise that this thread is technically PTE 101 minus the poll, right?

[speedlolita]

Anyone else not upgraded to One/PS4/WiiU and still regularly using their 360?

I've gone from PS3, PS4, Wii U and PC to PS3, 360 and PC in the last year. So glad I got another one - didn't realise how much I missed it until I booted up the 360 version of Bayonetta again. And then Martin sent me Forza Horizon and I fell in love with it again. Amazing console.

[EDDIE M0NS00N]

My favourite console of all time, next to the Dreamcast. The DC gave me some amazing games & the experience of playing against other online, which I will never forget. The 360 took that to the next level. I never needed a PS3. Everythin I wanted was on my beloved 360. I bought a PS3 almost 2,yrs ago 2nd hand & super cheap& have hardly touched it.
The 360 has had the most gaming I have ever done in my life, & I've still got loads of games I've yet to play on it. My GOW2 Console will never be sold either.

Thanks for the memories!!

[EvilBoris]

Definately up there with my favourite consoles ever (Ps2/Dreamcast/Gamecube)
Huge variety of games and loads of great improvements over the XBOX for online play. The start of Achievements and trophies and various other OS level features that are now standard.
Great games, great pad , great times