My adventure into the world of Microsoft and the Xbox 360

So just how much did my “little adventure”  into the world of Microsoft and the Xbox 360 cost me this holiday season? I thought it would be a rather good idea to make a blog post about it, as it might be insightful or totally useless depending on how you look at it. The first section of the blog post is the absolute necessities that are needed to get your Xbox 360 up and running, while the second part will deal with the console exclusive games I have bought so far.

• Xbox 360 Pro 60GB Console: R2700

• HDMI Cable: R150 (If you have a high definition display)

• Charge Kit for controllers: R250

• Gold Membership to Live for 12 months: R410 (If you want to use the online functionality)

So if you are looking at just the basic setup it will be around  R3510 depending on the current exchange rate and what other financial conditions might come into play. And if you dont want to use the online functionality of LIVE then you can knock the R410 of that price giving you a respectable R3100. This makes it the second cheapest console to own in South Africa next the the Xbox 360 arcade, but then again you get a 60gb hardrive with the pro that gives you more functionality and is worth the extra cash.

Next up are the console games for the Xbox 360, take note though this will be different for each and everyone as tastes in games vary a lot. But I decided to go for all the console exclusive titles first as they are “usually” the high quality titles that show off what the console can do. Not to mention the fact that I am just a sucker for a good roleplaying game. Anyway here is my current list of six titles I have purchased so far for the console, and you don’t need to buy these games new you can also get them second hand and save a lot of money.

• Eternal Sonata: R399

• Gears of War: R249
  

• Blue Dragon: R449
  

• Lost Odyssey: R619
  

• Halo3: R499

• Gears of War 2: R699

Oddly enough I spent nearly the same amount on the games I purchased that on the  initial setup of the Xbox 360 conicidance or not? And yes I could have gotten second hand games but I prefer buying my games new and like I stated before it all boils down to personal preference. But if you are strapped for cash then second hand is the way to go. So after all is said and done how much did this “little adventure”  into the world of Microsoft and the Xbox 360 cost me? R6424 to be exact, which isnt that bad considering how much enjoyment I have gotten out of the console in the short amount of time I have owned it so far.