Is Forza 4 good enough to justify buying a XBOX?

[peterjford]

Well since my thread has by hijacked and turned into a PC vs. Console discussion I guess I will chime in. BTW, I am not complaining or blaming anyone, but I figured this was a good point to add to the discussion:

Well, given that I'm usually paying at 15 to 20 bucks more for a game on a console than the PC equivalent and I've gone through, say, 10 to 15 games in the last two years, that alone is enough to to close the gap between a PS3/Xbox360 and a decent gaming PC.

I get 1 or 2 games per year, so the price difference in games doesn't effect my decision. The fact that I buy so few games actually makes PC games even more cost effective since I already had a PC, but I really go into GT3 on a friends PS2, so I had to get a PS2. Then GT5 necessitated a PS3.

Also, as far as multimedia centers go... Well, a PC got more storage room, is compatible with basically every media format on the planet, is able to stream stuff without the usage of things like Netflix, can access internet radio and so and so forth.

I have a networked storage drive that both the PCs and PS3 can access, most of the time. The PC is easier to use with it.

If you know what you're doing, a PC is just about the best solution there is. Consoles, though, are the easy and fun way. That's why I prefer them and am willing to pay the price.

Back when I was flying aircraft simulators (Jane's Anthology, Jane's F-15, Jane's F/A-18) I had a PC set up for that and It was really nice, but as time marches on everything get outdated and I couldn't be bothered or afford to keep up.

Now that have the PS3, I have given up on keeping a gaming PC up to date. I now use a laptop running linux and I do sometimes use it for entertainment, but only play games on the PS3... unless I am feeling nostalgic for some original GT and pull out the PS2.

Back to the original topic: I am looking for a cheap XBox 360. Just hope I get one that lives long enough to get me hooked on Forza so I can justify getting a "New" one when I get rrod

 

[UKMikey]

Is it me or have Xboxes got a lot more reliable in the last three years or so? If so there should be plenty of late model 360s available secondhand I would've thought.

Any costing of a 360 should factor in the cost of an online subscription to Xbox Live. In the UK we're talking around £33-40 a year.

This may appear to contradict my earlier post, but Live isn't just about online racing. It's a requirement to access many of the best features of the game.

 

[doctorrg]

This may appear to contradict my earlier post, but Live isn't just about online racing. It's a requirement to access many of the best features of the game.

This use of "Live" just keeps confusing me, as for us, LIVE (Silver) is free. It's the Gold membership which costs money. Xbox LIVE is even advertised as a free service. Only if you want Gold level membership you'll have to pay. Is this different elsewhere? Hope this isn't too much off-topic, but it's been bugging me to see LIVE used synonymously with Gold, and therefore I had to wonder whether the naming is region-specific?

As for Gold being required in order to access many of the best features of the game, well, it depends on what one considers to be the best features, but for me, personally, it is totally true. I've spent more time in the Auction House and the Storefront than I have spent racing. And oh my God, how little idea I had just how invaluable the VIP status was going to be. It's what makes having Gold so much better. And to think I wasn't even going to get Gold due to the cost. That said, it does add to the cost, and needs to be factored in if you do want to enjoy Forza 4 to its full extent.

 

[UKMikey]

No sorry, I meant Xbox Live Gold. I tried to play Forza 3 on a Silver account and only experienced around half to two thirds of the game. As I understand it Forza 4 may be even more borked than 3 was for free account users.