XBox 360 Analysis
The folks at ArsTechnica have posted a pretty thorough analysis of the new XBox 360 that outlines several aspects of the newly launched console. If you've been wrestling with the idea of getting an XBox 360 now, or waiting to see what PS3 or Nintendo's Revolution look like this is certainly worth taking a look at.
Overall the 360 does just about everything right, and feels like a step ahead for console gaming in general. Having the Marketplace to sell independent games and classics is a great feature, and making those games playable on Xbox Live is the icing on the cake. Everything about the interface is well thought out, it's easy to spend hours just ripping CDs and seeing what the system can do other than game. I give the Xbox 360 a 9, but the Core System gets dropped down to a 6 because it's not nearly as compelling.
The bar has been raised in terms of console graphics and features. If this is the first shot in the next generation, Sony and Nintendo are going to have a lot to live up to.
