How would you change the Xbox 360?

Well, it's been almost a solid month since its release, and if you're lucky enough to have an Xbox 360 yourself, we'd like to pose the question to you: how would you change it?

• One version of the console, please!

• Next-gen optical drive

• Quieter fans

• DVI or HDMI output

• Built in WiFi and/or Powerline

• Extensible codec support (i.e. DivX, XviD, etc.)

• For those who've got the problem: no mo' overheating / crashing

• Get some on the shelves!

[AceMilo @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

The only thing besides what's been posted, is more games! I can't wait for rainbow six 4, ghost recon 3, gears of war, prey, etc.

[Tyler @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

Make the thing avalible so people can actually buy it. And also have better game support at launch.

[P. Jackson @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

I would have built it so it works! Rah. My power supply was so hot at one given time that my dog smelled it and yelped! Ridiculous.

[Harold @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

BUILT IN WI-FI!!! Why do they make you pay $100 for a stupid adapter?

[Joe @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

I'd have positioned it as a hi-def tivo replacement. Yeah I know they want you to buy a media PC...

[nyc @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

Better Games.

More RPGs, More Japanese Franchises, Less Sports, Less Movie Conversions, Less mindless mainstream gamer crap, more interesting cool games that push the boundaries of gaming to the next level in terms of GAMEPLAY rather than graphics.

Never gonna happen though. Not on this console.

[mkratty @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

deffo wifi
i feel its a bit of a rip off having to by a wireless adapter when there already using the same technology for the controller .and a few more decent games wouldnt go amiss

[Sat Nav @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

I'd make it available for purchase

[Tushar Dayal @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

Everything that number 6 said.

[Loudog121 @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

NO CORE SYSTEM!!!!

[JGEMBERTON @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

How about the ability to charge the Play n charge batteries without having to power on the main unit?

[pheen @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

Allow it to connect to non-Windows machines. I mean a hacked original Xbox can do, why limit the 360?

[el-indiano @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

convince me that it is a true, next gen console....whats innovative about it? true, it is hd, but a large hd set is too expensive now!

no great games, sacrificing content for better graphics on PG3 and Madden, not good.

why no blue-ray or hd-dvd drive?

why 2 versions of the console?

and the hype is really starting to piss me off...

convince me its not an xbox 1.5

[Rod @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

Proper HD. 1080P

[embassy @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

# 6 sounds like generic gamer nerd version 4.0

wat u jsut mentioned that u want LESS of are the main things that make MONEY...sports games...movie conversions and all that " mainstream crap" ...and " cool" games is based on interpretation cuz i think their are some pretty cool games out..and even cooler games coming out in the coming months...

[ChronoZaga @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

Black

[embassy @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

why do i have a feeling that this will be filled with post by people who dont even OWN or have barely even PLAYED the console...lol...

[Tabascork @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

FNA, Add a Geforce 7 GTX, Creative X-fi Fata1ity, 3.2GHz Pentium EX, a TV tuner, Bluray/DVD-RW, WiFi+Bluetooth,an Xbox 360 Emulator and call it a HTPC! Screw Sony for their lame updates while your at it.

[Peter @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

Give the Thing four wheels, a hemi, and a racing stripe, and I'll be on board to buy one

[Matt Dusza @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

A power supply thats not the size of my Gamecube

[Pat @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

I'd like it to not cost more to equip satisfactorily than my computer did, which by the way, looks and plays much better on an hdtv than the xbox 360 does. Kind of makes it a useless piece of hardware, unless you're into all of that media center crap.

[JS5981 @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

I think the thing that erks me the most is the requirement of Windows Media Center to stream videos and enjoy the full potential of its media capabilities. I just dropped a crapload of money for this system why should I have to pay to unlock its full potential....wait b/c it's Microsoft. That and I'd make the included headset feel a less cheaply made.

[Matt Crain @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

I'd love it if you could stream video from an XP machine (also a PSP or iPod), I also the larger codec support would be good too. It should come with optical audio cable with the real system. A more standardized price for the Live Arcade games. More free online downloadable content. Larger HDD. HD-DVD support (they better not add it later)

[reconfm @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

How about using HD-DVD technology, how do they expect to compete with the PS3 and BluRay, also regarding that rumor that Halo 3 will come in 4 DVDs, who wants 4 DVDs when there's HD-DVD or BluRay. Make the system available, more game varieties, built-in WiFi, Bluetooth for the wireless controllers, offer hard drives with additional capacity or allow external hard drives for game data storage. Smaller or built in power supply.

[XBOX360GUY @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

I just want a Harvest Moon game, a remake of MGS3 and FFX, a cheap 360 compatible Wifi adaptor, a web browser (IE 7 or Firefox) and Windows Mobile support.

[KC @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

My only real change would be to eliminate the worthless 'hater' Sony fanboys who constantly bash the thing because....well, just because.

[eric @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

I can't comment too muchon the console since I don't own one yet. I agree with a lot of you on here that are really irritated about microsoft not having enough units to meet demand.

[el-indiano @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

sorry got off on a rant..

lets make the xbox 1.5 better.
1. make it smaller (the power adapter is the size of a small loaf of bread)
2. wireless controllers (2) standard
3. only 1 version of the console
4. make is look less feminin (the original xbox looked like a brute, this one looks like a fairy)
5. obviously, hd-dvd or blue-ray drive
6. liquid cool the processors (apple does this on the new g5's and they are only running 2 chips)
7. kill the faceplate gimmick (why not sell it in different colors like nintendo does)
8. maybe get rid of the disc scratching feature, just a thought
9. better, innovative games
10. put some on the shelves!

[u07ch @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

Bigger controllers; i loved the original xbox controller , the new one feels like a toy. Hopefully it will be forthcoming; but the logi cordless controller for xbox 1 imo is far more comfortable; my fingers are longer than the controller which is just wrong.

It definately needs better games; its a disaster for me that ghost recon didnt come out this year.

Gotham in 720p is pretty amazing, 1080i (at least on my projector) isnt so hot. Need to try a dvd in it; but if it doesnt upscaling would be nice - its got the power to do a fairly good job at it ;)

The fact that i can plug my ipod in rocks; but why is there a 100 song limit on the playlist ? Why cant i skip a track whilst i am playing using the keypad rather than teh xbox button - i dont always want to listen to a podcast !

Incorporate the wifi, and include the charger / battery for the wireless controller in the complete pack.

Finally so i can put my xbox 1 in the skip; more games on the xbox 1 compatibility list. At the moment i only have gotham of the 360 games; which is pretty great, but the others really dont appeal to a recreational gamer like me.

[B @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

I'd make it look less like an ipod and more like a George Foreman grill.

[Russell Page @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

More Halo. Better Halo. Halo 3.

[XBOX360GUY @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

Also a TV tuner and the ability to record TV shows. That would kill Sony good!

Yes Yes!

[Nate Shaw @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

Add DivX / Xvid support

[el-indiano @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

ha, i bet you could use it as a george forman grill....it gets pretty hot!

[Adam @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

Two Words:

Rack Mount.

[Paul @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

How about the option to run it as a normal windows computer also...it has all the necessary parts. It might as well be multiple devices jammed into one.

[el-indiano @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

its all hype

until some really good games come out, its just a 400 dollar chunk of feminin looking plastic

[Anthony @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

Hmmm. Change the color. Silver or black, please. And no, front-mounted faceplates don't solve that issue. Also, the ability to charge rechargeable controller batteries without having to power on the system would be very nice. Oh, and this goes without saying, but while it is certainly an awesome system, it's still Xbox 1.5 and not Xbox 2.0, so a little more innovation and commitment to true next-generation technology (i.e. an HD optical drive) would have been appreciated. And finally, don't tell us this system is going to drown the Sony empire when you only ship 300,000 units domestically. A worldwide launch was cool in principle, but boy, does it suck in practice.

[mrdelayer @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

Make it not be fucking huge; that is, make it so it is not larger than my house. And integrate the massive power brick.

[Michael La Framboise @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

I find the 360 to be a piece of crap overall - other then the better graphics, I see no difference at all from anything else on the market...

But since this is a thread about the improvements...

First and foremost - that design is just plain ass ugly - I mean it looks like a atemp by dell to rip off an ipod...

Second of all, why in the name of hell is the power supply so huge and is outside of the box?

Third of all - built in WiFi - who the hell is gonna pay an additional 100 bucks to just get that crap - thats like selling a car w/o breaks or a steering wheel.

Also, as some people already said the games suck... I mean its the same crap year after year, just with improved graphics, but the gameplay itself stays at a premitive level...

Looks like Microsoft just trying to pull some crap out of their asses just to get to onto the market before the holidays, just to beat the PS3, and the Revolution - btw speaking of the Revolution, would much rather get that, then this piece of ugly crap.

[GeekAustin @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

How about charging less for the friggin games? Droppin' $60 is tough... It's almost like buying a GBA everytime I want a new game. Especially with how short the game time is... I could get more entertainment out of $60 worth of NetFlix!

[noimagination @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

I would have liked to see:
MS inovate the controller: I don't think the Nintendo way is the only way and maybey even offer a keyboard. I think that an updated eyetoy concept with an integrated rangefinder would have been awsome and doable (production cost under $15), they also would have been able to sell this as a cameraphone since it finally has the processing power to do good compression.
HDMI out: seems like it would have been obvious. (Comment: HD is too expensive? if you can afford an Xbox360, you can afford HD).
No "defining game": (as Halo was for Xbox 1.0).
Overheating power supplies: point to a rushed release (one that I think will cause problems when Sony and Nintendo hit the market after they solve those problems). Also potential housefires/lawsuits.
Targeted too much at an adult audience: There are parents that would buy an Xbox for thier 12 year old even at $500, but there are no games for a 12 year old. If you could sell games with real educational content you could win big. (no one is doing this)
They still haven't answered: how do we get women to buy our game system. They should have had a social game on release, or a diet and fitness-game like yourself fitness on release.

What they did right:
Comming out first by 4-7 months is very damn good.
Controllers: better than Xbox 1.0
Limiting supply: generating mindshare and hype. (it's not positive right now but it's getting in the news, in 6 months people will still remember "Xbox 360", but not the context)
Games LOOK awsome: that's a good start for the first generation of titles, look at PS2 games now and look at the ones that were released at launch, they've got plenty of headroom to get even better.
Sound: Dolby 5.1, good enough for almost everyone.

[petecchia @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

Have enough units to be available to all for launch, 250gb HD, VGA out for standard monitors, wi-fi built in, no core version, quieter, internet browser built in, headphone out on the controller.

[Jeff @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

I'm probably gonna repeat some stuff, but hopefully not all of this has been said:

* Make it look less like what I'd expect Bugs Bunny's home PC to look like. The concave shape is just really lame and gratuitous - form is not following function. And the hard drive really dirties up the look when it's attached. I realize MS solicited input from Japanese designers on this but they were clearly working from a flawed design brief from Microsoft.

* One version of the console - this needs to be reiterated over and over.

* HD-DVD drive - I don't expect them to go BD in league with Sony, but it needs to take a leap into the 21st century in terms of storage media.

* No freakin' power brick. Honestly, I would be happier with a bigger console - provided it was well-designed and better-looking than the current cartoonish Xbox 360 - than with this gigantic power brick that's apparently the source of so many problems.

* 1080p support

* HDMI output

* Quieter fans

* I predict that this will not be a popular position, but get rid of Xbox Live Silver. If you want to offer XBL as a subscription service like with the original Xbox, then fine, but I honestly think putting the impression forward of an always-online, always-networked console that you automatically have an online account with from day one is kind of intimidating to casual users. What if I just want to sit in a corner of my house and play games by myself or with a couple other people I have over? Obviously you can do that, but a lot of people I think just don't want to be bothered by the online thing. I guess I'm saying it should be "opt-in" whereas it's basically "opt-out" right now. If you want to play online you should need to go and seek it out.

It's probably more an issue with the marketing and PR than anything, though. Obviously you could just leave the ethernet cable disconnected and never have to worry about it. But MS just keeps hammering this always-online thing in every single PR communication they do; I think they need to relax a bit on that. It's going to be more of a real problem, though, if games start to really be designed around this whole "micropayment" thing.

Yes, I did say that would be an unpopular position around here. But I think most people here are probably pretty hardcore gamers.

Beyond that, the system just needs more, I don't know, something. It just doesn't feel like it's in a different class of system than the original Xbox. It's too incremental of an upgrade. It needs all the things that Sony and Nintendo are doing; a more innovative controller, better graphics, higher specs. I'm not a graphics whore but they're obviously trying to convince people to move from one generation to another and I'm not sure the 360 is really going to do that. It needs more to differentiate itself.

[Ric @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

1) Add an "Internet" blade to the interface, containing a web browser and an internet radio client.

2) UPnP media client support.

3) Write support for USB storage devices.

[Vasco @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

Make the Xbox 360 into an ACTUAL next-gen console.

I don't care what you all say. Deep down, inside of every one of us, we all know that this is just xbox 1.5 (or 1.8 if you really think its good. But still, it is nowhere near next-gen. Period.)

[embassy @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

just a couple of things
its cool u can open the disc drive and close it from the controller..BUT i dont know why u cant OPEN it AGAIN to change games...when a disc is in the drive there no remote open feature on the controller or on the screen...unless i just didnt see it...

also a larger externall HDD cuz i can see how that HDD will fill up in a few months

and yeh i think the play and charge should come standard with the premium..and also be able to charge while the system is off...


thats about it...and i dont see why people are complaining about the power supply like it actually has any real visual purpose...its a power supply for gods sake...

[el-indiano @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

First and foremost - that design is just plain ass ugly - I mean it looks like a atemp by dell to rip off an ipod... (exactly)

the reason ms came out so quickly with the new system was to snag as many sales they could before the new ps3 and revolution drop. they cant compete with ps3's hardware / nintendo's innovation and both systems great games

[Corbin @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

Just get rid of it. Take it off the shelves. Throw them all out. It's worthless. Why buy it? It's a very-limited gaming PC. It's made by Microsoft so it's a computer in a case that plays games. Why not spend a few more and get a computer that does a billion times more things? Where's the point in being able to connect it to your computer? How about, you just use your computer? Somebody please explain what the benifit of having another computer in a plastic box you plug into your tv? And i am looking for a serious response.

[el-indiano @ Dec 19th 2005 1:01AM]

im sure ms will come out with a updated xbox 360 in a year that has a hd-dvd drive, different case design and intigrated hard drive.

i just cant see it competing with the ps3 and revolution the way it is now