Customer Reviews

Xbox 360 Pro Value Bundle [Old Version]

5 star:		(127)
4 star:		(34)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(24)

 

 

Like the previous reviewer stated, this xbox 360 system is not the "Go Pro" version. Its the older premium system that was opened so that they could insert the 2 games and call it the holiday bundle. The box does NOT say "Go Pro". Stickers are added to the outside of the box to make it looks like the new "Go Pro" version....but it is not. The systems have a manufacture date of mid-August. If you don't mind getting an older system, then this system is for you.....but if you want the lastest system, look elsewhere!

First, I know that a large audience of gamers have had overheating issues with their Xbox 360s. However, I think I would be doing a disservice by downplaying the merits of this system.

What makes the Xbox 360 such a great experience is software and connectivity of the system. The Xbox live and marketplace service are wonderful features that allow you to easily and quickly play multiplayer games, as well as download game demos, movies, tv shows, etc. I especially enjoy the ability to download games before I decide to buy them.

The picture quality is amazing. Though people will argue that the only thing that matters is gameplay, I somewhat disagree. I think that incredible graphics and gameplay can help with immersing the player into the game world. A perfect example of this is Bioshock, which recently won "Game of the Year."

The negative aspects of the system are the following:
- Noisy system fan and disc drive
- Overheating issues (I have not experienced this, but I know that a lot of early adopters of the system were affected)
- No built in wireless
- Lacks the "party" titles of the Wii

Just a little background on my gaming habits: I've owned an Atari, Colecovision, Famicon, Sega Genesis, Xbox, PS2 and Wii. I also own a DS and a computer for some mild gaming. I have found the Xbox 360 to be my primary source of gaming at home (with the DS being my primary when I travel on business).

I initially thought that I would be satisfied with a Wii. Though I love the concept of the system, I have been itching for more involved and immersive gaming. After I finished Zelda and Metroid, I found myself wanting a bit more. The 360 has filled that void and has energized my gaming.

Obviously Xbox 360 has great graphics and games. I bought one here for my son's birthday. I ordered it with plenty of time to get here for his big day. I wrapped it up and gave it to him on his birthday. He hooked it up, started playing and about 10 minutes later, it stopped working. Whenever he tried to use it after that, he would get the 3 flashing red lights. I googled that and discovered that means "general hardware failure." If I would have bought this from a brick and mortar store, I would have been able to take it back that day. I called J&R, got an RA#, and spent another $17 sending it back to them. My son is obviously very disappointed. Hopefully, J&R will do a quick turn around and he'll have a working Xbox 360 soon.

I guess this is what the whole chipset argument is all about. The old chips in the Xbox 360 sold here are prone to this flashing red light of death. Reading around the internet, it seems to be some kind of over heating issue. I also came around a site where a guy who's Xbox 360 kept dieing out after a few minutes of play, who had his Xbox 360 past the return date, took it apart, added a new heat sink to the CPU, and apparently now it's working for him for a couple hours of play before overheating.

Congrats to all who haven't had their Xbox 360 die on them yet, my sympathy and understanding goes out to those who did, and good luck to you if you decide to get one of these Xbox 360s.

Confirmed: just got this Xbox 360 Pro Value Bundle from Amazon on 12/3, and it is lot 739 with a manufacture date of October - the newer Falcon motherboard & 65nm processor. Even with that, there is no tangible proof these systems are inherently more reliable - too early to tell. So, my conclusion is: The system is great, people. As so many others have said, it's very arguably the best gaming system out there (PS3 is great too, but hey- it really comes down to preferences). Very happy with my purchase, no 'red rings' out of the box, etc - even with the newer hardware revision now shipping, there aren't guarantees; just know that you definitely will have a chance of something going wrong. That's the reason for an extended 3 year warranty, which is a lot more than the PS3 or any other console. Would it be a hassle to send it back? Yes. But are there actually more people out there happily playing their 360 consoles than the ones here with horror stories? Again, yes. So get it already!

I just received my 360 today 1/4/08. I ordered it on 1/1/08 when the unit became "in stock" from amazon. The unit is old! manufacturing date of 11/4/06! the factory seal was broken on the box. needless to say this is going right back to amazon. I bought a new system and I expect it to be new. Disregard the rating since I didn't want to fault the xbox for something amazon did.
==========================================
UPDATE
==========================================
I kicked off the return/replacement process at amazon on 1/4/08. Amazon contacted me on 1/5 by email. They apologized for the condition for which the item arrived. They shipped a new 360 and did a ups pickup on the old system. No problems. I've always been happy with Amazon customer service. The new system arrived today 1/10/08. This system is newer and has the falcon chipset. manufacturing date 11-22-07. It also is in the "Go Pro" Box. Both box and power supply say 175W. I Don't know if this makes a difference but the first 360 was shipped out of MA. The newer "Go Pro" version was shipped out of KY.

EXTREMELY disappointed in Amazon to open up my XBOX 360 bundle package box to find that it is indeed an OLD system that was manufactured on 11/26/2006.. yes 2006! As well, this unit did not come with an HDMI port as described in the product description. I have already arranged for the system to be picked up and refunded. This is my first bad experience with Amazon.

This review is written by a corporate professional and x-warcraft addict.

I used to be heavily involved with PC games. After I got a social life and a female companion, I had to part with my gaming passion. Without any time to play long games (4+ hours straight) I realized I needed a quick fix from a console system. The last console I purchased was Sega. No, not Dreamcast, plain old Sega genesis!

I decided on the Xbox 360 just because everyone raves about the games. Upon receiving this bundle from Amazon, I was impressed. The packaging was a little rough, but the item came faster than anticipated. Fair trade.

The Console -
Looks wise, it's clean and contemporary just like the pictures depict. Being a PC guy I'm not used to using the WIRELESS controller to turn the x-box on and off. I quickly got used to it and absolutely LOVE it. The controller has an amazing reach. I was actually able to get up, walk into the kitchen to grab a beer and still use the remote to pause the game once it finished loading a race (Forza 2). I was really impressed with the graphics too and it wasn't utilizing the HDMI port, just the regular composite cords (Red, Yellow, White) on a cheap 24inch TV.


The games - Forza 2 is a great game for those of you into cars. Virtually every car is in there and it makes you work to unlock the cool ones. If you like to race, earn money to hop up your ride, and race again, you'll love Forza 2! It's not a ricer game, so don't expect to put some stupid Need For Speed body kit on the cars. This is a RACING game above all else, but allows superb and complex customization.

The Alliance game...I'm not impressed. It's kinda cheesy and made for younger kids. It's a great all around bundle for the family. This game just happens to be made for kids who want to mash a couple of buttons thoughtlessly. Good graphics nevertheless.

All in all, I'm very happy with my $345 dollar purchase. I have Amazon's credit card so I'll be receiving 1035 points. Combined with my other points from regular purchases, I'll be receiving a 25 dollar gift certificate to use towards a game. Very impressed.

My Xbox was manufactured in September or October of 2007. So it's fresh and updated if there were any. Pull the trigger and buy it already!

Microsoft has pulled a really dirty trick in that the A/V output cable that comes with this unit is too big to allow the connection of an HDMI cable and the supplied AV cable. The supplied AV cable connector actually overlaps the HDMI jack. This means that if you want to connect the HDMI directly to the TV and still run audio to a receiver or preamp you can't do it unless you hack the thing to pieces or buy another audio only adapter for $50. Really lame! If you are on the fence about getting the Elite model you may wish to go that route since both cables/adapters are included for $100 more :( It will really only cost you $50 more for the larger hard drive and the black console and remote if that matters to you and if you need separate audio and video connections as I do since the pro bundle will actually work out to be $400 anyway. I started with an arcade and have moved up to the Elite because the lower priced models really end up costing you more to make it work correctly :(

The Xbox 360 is good, but not perfect.
The 360 does several things right. Xbox Live is an interesting way of interfacing with the system. Many of the "must play" games are on the 360 and the graphics are truly next-gen.

Since people usually know why they want a system, here are my complaints:
My main issue is with the overall cost of maximizing your Xbox's potential. The Pro Value bundle comes with the system, one wireless controller, one wired headset, component cables and power adapter (with the brick) and a couple games that didn't interest me. First off, the wireless adapter (the only real viable wireless solution for the 360) adds 100 dollars to the cost of the system. Then if you were to want to add high def DVD capability, that would cost another 160 dollars. Those two items alone raise the price of the 360 to more than the top model PS3 (which has wireless/Blu-ray built in). Add the cost of Xbox Live Gold, Marketplace points, and additional controllers, it can get a little expensive. The better online service and game library make up for this, but time will tell whether the PS3 will catch up. Another minor (but semi-understandable) annoyance is the licensing costs for the Xbox that end up passing on to the customer.

As easy at it is to hate a Microsoft product, the 360 is a quality next-gen video game system. It has a lot you can't get anywhere else right now. Heard of Halo? Also, Xbox Live is a breeze and makes online gaming easy. I'll update the review if I get the hardware problems.

For those who are trying to determine whether or not they will receive the older chipset or the Falcon. I ordered the "Xbox 360 Pro Value Bundle" on 1/16, received 1/18.

My box says "Go Pro", lot 747, manufacturer date 11/22/2007, with the new chipset. A very pleasant surprise.

My rating is 4 stars instead of 5 only because I have had very unsatisfactory experiences with Xbox telephone support -- if your problem is rare and not covered by the basic problems that are part of their knowledgebase then you are basically screwed.

YMMV. Good luck!