Customer Reviews
What kind of poor loser are you? - By: kkbuster7, 19 Nov 2008 
to buy an arcade 360 console when you could get a 60GB model. It's not the console it's self which is poor it's the fact it has no hard drive. Without a hard drive it's only 1/4 of fun with why? X-box live it is such a big part of the console it takes gaming to a new level. With a x-box 360 hard drive you can have the new dashboard without a problem, you can download demos onto your hard drive, you can talk to friends online, you can download new levels where you can play against other players online, you can rent movies & there's more I can't think about from the top of my head but the message is this model's rubbish.
Buyer Beware - By: Mr. Stewart Morgan, 05 Nov 2008 
I purchased the xbox 360 core as a 40th birthday present for myself & have to admit I've thoroughly enjoyed the experience. However 18 months later I've just had the dreaded red ring come up on my console & unless I pay some dodgy website for a book or video to show me how to fix it myself, it is no better than a paperweight. There are some places that for a fee will collect my box repair it & send it back to me but with only a 90 day warrantee, me thinks that perhaps maybe a week later the same problem will happen again. You have been warned!!!
An excellent entry level 360 great for casual players, hardcore gamers however look a stage higher... - By: James Petford, 07 Oct 2008 
Well i myself have an 360 & i just adore it, with its large number of games on the market & excellent array of online features, this is truly a gamers console. Im not a fanboy slating the other consoles as i do own a wii aswell & i love that machine too.
This entry level xbox is the cheapest availible as it doesnt contain a hard drive, but you do get 256mb pak for your save data & is basically all you need if your not a download fanatic, like for casual gamers who only own a few titles will get plenty of mileage out of the small memory pak.
However if your more of a hardcore gamer i suggest you look into the next level xbox with the 60gb hard drive, as Halo 3 players for instance will need a hard drive for download expansions.
Included is a wireless controller to get you started, the AV cable to hook you up to the television & free arcade games to play with, meaning great value.
The actual machine is no less powerful than the others, its just that it dont include a hard drive, & the extras required to get online. Hence the Cheap price tag.
If you ever wanted to expand you can always get the hard drive, headset & so on seperately at another stage when you see fit anyway.
Needs hard drive for Xbox compatability - By: S. CUMMINS, 28 Sep 2008 The Xbox 360 arcade is OK, but I think a few things should be made clearer. Firstly, to have backwards compatability for XBox games, the 360 needs a hard drive which does not come with the Arcade. This means that it may be cheaper to buy a package that comes with a hard drive. Secondly, I find issues with the sound, especially via the HDMI connection. The way the connections are, you cannot have the picture going into one source & the sounds going into another source, unless you have bought the additional connector. All of this means that you may end up spending a lot more money to get even basic functionality.
Some clarification of the Arcade's features - By: S. J. Bluck, 20 Sep 2008 The Arcade is great value at £120. You get HD gaming, access to arguably the best online gaming system, a media extender, DVD player & more.
For those that are still a little confused about the different 360 models, here's some clarification: -
All new 360s are the same internally, so the graphics you getin games with this model are of exactly the same standard you'd get if you owned an Elite.
All 360s have a HDMI port, but only the Elite actually comes with the cable. There is no benefitin buying an expensive HDMI cable, because the signal is digital. I think I paid £4 for mine & it works perfectly.
The hard drive is only required to play 2 games offline - Football Manager 2006 & Final Fantasy XI. All other disc based games will play without a hard drive. Burnout Paradise requires a hard drive for online play. There may be others, but that's the only one I'm aware of.
If you buy a hard drive at a later date, it simply clips to the side of the console. It doesn't need to be fitted internally.
The official Microsoft wireless adapter is not the only option for wireless. There are third party options too, such as the adapter made by Belkin. If you have a laptop with wireless you can use that to connect, although it means having the laptop on while gaming. You can also use homeplugs. Obviously if it's convenient to use the supplied cable to connect the 360 to your router, that's the best option.
Hopefully someone out there will find this info useful. The 360 has some superb games available for it & at £120 delivered it really is a bargain.
