The Xbox was second to the market in this generation by a few days. Having
money in the bank to spare, Microsoft wasted no expense in releasing their first
home game system. Combining DVD playback (with a separately sold add-on), an
internal hard drive, and the most powerful sound and graphics chips on the
market, this is the system of choice for many people.
For the most part, this system is usually the recipient of the best
multi-system games. The graphics are usually kicked up, the sound is remixed
into the 5.1 Dolby Digital, and online play (via the Xbox Live service) is
generally the best here. It's also the only system that widely supports HDTV
signals. That doesn't mean there are no good exclusive games to go around
though. One look at games like Jade Empire, MechAssault, or the ever-popular
Halo, might be enough to make this a worthy purchase for you.
Problems include that otherwise excellent Xbox Live service. First, it's
broadband only so if you only have a dial-up connection, you will be unable to
use it. Secondly, it's not cheap, about $75 a year. There could be additional
costs as well to download extra features in games if you wish. Another downside
is the system itself. To call it big and bulky would be an understatement. While
the size is almost necessary (especially with the hard drive), making space for
it on your entertainment center could be difficult.