"Gamers all over likely are wondering whether they should purchase an Xbox 360 this holiday season? To be candid, ever since May at E3, I had my reservations about the Xbox 360. The videos of the games that were shown to me during the video game convention weren’t that spectacular. The rumored price of $400 wasn’t appealing, either.

When the Xbox 360 came in the mail last week, the first thing that gave me pause was that it was nearly 2 pounds and comes with a large AC adapter. It looks like something King Kong would use to fend off humans. In addition, the magazine reviews I’d read (aside from the always-gushing gaming magazines), were tepid and so-so.

One said you needed an HDTV to see any difference in graphics.
I’m not going to purchase a new TV just to play games, no matter how good the games are.

Also, it was noted that only about 200 Xbox games would be compatible with the Xbox 360. What about great games such as “Psychonauts” or “Destroy All Humans”? They don’t work.

When the Xbox 360 whirred and got going, I have to admit — I was stunned. The detail on “NBA Live 06,” “NHL 2K6” and “Kameo” looked amazing on my non-HDTV 32” Sharp. This made me want to play games I never really have explored or had an interest in. " [more]