Xbox 360: Halo 3 anyone? It’s only the most popular game and you can’t play it unless you have an Xbox 360—and that’s just fine since it’s not a game meant for kids or young teens—see our review for details. Since its release in 2005, Xbox 360 has been the online gamer’s machine. Yes, it can hold your pictures and play your DVDs and your games (other consoles can, too), but the online component is huge. Included with the Xbox is a service that lets anyone create a “Gamertag” and gamer card to express their online identity, chat live with voice chat, and connect to the Xbox Live Marketplace to buy expansions, maps, and other digital goods.
Most gamers will want to pony up more money (games are in the $60 range) to subscribe to Xbox Live Gold, which adds online competition, game stats, and video chat/messaging. The console will set you back $300 for the basic model, and $450 for the higher-memory machine. Extra controllers cost $50 each. The most popular games include: Halo 3, Rock Band, and LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga. Unique to this console is the family movie-trivia game Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action.
Bottom line: The system will grow as your kids do. Just remember, though, that online gaming is really only good for teens and up.
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