apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I should test the XBox, because I have a boyfriend who would rather play Halo than hang out with me. Maybe if I learn to play I could actually spend a little time with him!

We really do spend time together. But wouldn't I be the best girlfriend ever if I got to lab test an Xboox 360? It would be even better if I could beat him at a few of his games!

i think i would be the best for this because i love video games and have time to play them. Another reason is that i know tech, i was the one who told palm to not put out the foleo.

I can provide the most comprehensive review of this Xbox 360 for several reasons. I have a state-of-the-art home theater in my apartment that has full Dolby Digital/DTS surround sound and also has HDMI capabilities. Having HDMI is important because that’s unique to this Elite version and provides the best possible audio/video connection. In turn, I could compare the HDMI output vs. the standard Component output that the regular Xbox 360 has since I have both available and tell everyone whether or not there truly is added value with that feature. I also have a flat-panel High-Def TV that I would use with this. This system has been known for its great graphics, so having a High-Def set is necessary in order to see what this thing can really do! This unit features a 120GB hard drive which I would use to try and store all of the music from my Ipod as well as High-Def movie trailers and pictures. I would comment on load times as well as audio/video quality and indicate whether or not there was any loss (or gain!) in the overall quality of these formats after moving them over to the Elite’s hard drive. Overheating of some of these units has been a common complaint from what I’ve read as well so I would comment on that as well. I would also purchase several different games to use with this which I could also review. Most notably, I would purchase the new Halo 3 which is all the rage these days and provide a short supplemental review of that as well. In addition, I would purchase an Xbox Live account (allows one to play their games online and download exclusive content/updates) and provide everyone on this site with a rundown on that experience. This would also allow me to test the headset which is included and talk to fellow competitors online. I would connect both wirelessly and with an Ethernet cable and explain the difference and whether or not there was any lag/signal loss with either connection. The 360 is also backwards compatible with older Xbox games from their first system. I have some of those and I would be able to see how they fare on this new and improved system. I also plan on linking this to my Windows PC Media Center and tinkering with all of those settings as well in order to let everyone know how this integrates with all of your other electronics. I have wanted the Xbox Elite for the longest time and would cover all the bases on this review and be absolutely thrilled if I were chosen for this!!!!!!!!!

Video games aren't toys. Video games are user engaging works of art. They invite the player to experience a new world where every minute detail, every second of audio, and every sprite or pixel are made to invoke emotions and excitement.

As a fine artist and art lover, its my job to notice and make sure every inch of every piece I create make sense and is aesthetically pleasing. Let me do the same for the 360.

After Boston wins the world series, I'll be on tv hiatus/hibernation. Give me something to do... We can even code name me XSoX360... I think its a wonderful idea.

All our friends have multiple gaming systems hooked to their HD-TVs with surround sound. We're a 2-engineer household with the same TV-surround sound set up but NOT A SINGLE GAMING SYSTEM. *gasp* How did this happen? We're not sure.

So, we'd definitely be able to give you a review from a fresh perspective, one that's not biased towards Sony or Nintendo. It would have to be an interesting console, yet intuitive to use, as we're not going to spend half an hour trying to find the Start icon. And, if the games are worth playing, you'll know by the fact that two non-gamers became addicted and are now hooked on the Xbox!

My previous qualifications -- http://www.engadget.com/bloggers/omar-mcfarlane

With that said, I enjoy this site as a supplement to the main AT site, but I feel there is so much more you guys could do. Any how, if you guys are need of an intern to flesh out some ideas, please don't hesitate. You should have my email.

Speaking from the tongue of a *cough* would-be professional gamer, I would take the time to cover the features found on the Xbox 360 (as compared to the PS3 or the Wii) as well as the features exclusive to the Xbox 360 elite - and I'd do so with no less attention than I would if I'd never previously played the Xbox 360. Y'see, as a graphic designer I have to be aware of details, much to my (sometimes) chagrin. I would analyze as many aspects of the Xbox as the (semi-)functional gray matter between my ears would consider. Some things I'd look at include:

- Physical differences between the 360 and contemporary console systems (i.e. hardware and aesthetics)
- Cross-platform support (such as HD players, backwards compatibility with their respective predecessors, etc.)
- Game library offered currently (as well as prospective third-party developers, new titles on the horizon, and reissues of previous titles)
- Compare online services (such as Live and PS3's Home)
- And, of course, the actual testing of all the categories

Obviously I'm the only candidate for the job (not really, but it makes me feel better to say so).

I can write a thoughtful and maybe even fun review, coming from this background:

I am an admittedly spotty video game player, but really enjoy them when I do play. As a fine artist and graphic designer, I appreciate good design and rendering and can speak to that element thoroughly in the review. And my take, as the less experienced gamer, could be interesting when contrasted with that of my partner, who loves video games of all kinds and plays them every day. We have in our so-called "man room" many systems spanning the decades, from old-school Nintendo to Sega consoles and a Nintendo Gameboy that I have to play with the lights on, to our most recent additions, the Nintendo DS Lite (a backlit screen, wow!) and Playstation 3, and enjoy them all.

We're both (though, again, he more so) audio/video snobs and have a great setup including a 37" flat screen HDTV with a dandy surround sound system on which to fully appreciate and judge the latest XBox, which I just happened to be admiring longingly at our local gaming store last week.

It is with confidence I say that I could write, with my partner's input, just the kind of review you're looking for – not too technical or stodgy, but one with good, useful information for anyone (including both newbies and experienced gamers!) considering making the investment into a new system.

Thanks for your consideration!

To flesh out my entry a bit more (if I need to log-in to comment, I should be allowed to edit it as well, no?), my review would include the following:

1. How the XBOX rates for both casual and hardcore gamers.
2. How well it integrates into a home network (Mac and WIN).
3. It's non-game related feature-set (downloadable movies/TV shows), streaming music--which ties back into 2.
4. The game available game library in comparison to Wii/PS3.
5. And I'd nit-pick other portions here and there like the noise the drive makes (or made), power consumption, the UI, etc.

Hmm...hope I didn't give away too much to the other contestants.

Give me a really good reason to get Guitar Hero III!

I've never owned a gaming system. I don't have a fancy home theatre set-up. I just want to check out the Xbox Elite and give my honest, non-technie, average person review.

Why I Should Have an X-Box:
Evidence in 3 Haiku


for many years gone
a microsoft embargo
let us blame windows

but there are zombies
Dead Rising X-Box only
you aim for the head

less work and more play
play station three cost too high
small black box of yay

Please send me a xbox 360 to review, because then my girlfriend will have even less sex with me. I can test it on her nice 40" HDMI ready LCD TV while she is sleeping.

My name is Sister Helga Obdonavich, and I am writing on the behalf of Billy Mudron, who is a member of the Make-A-Wish Foundation here at Portland Oregon's All Saint's Hospital.

Sure, little Billy Mudron may be a slovenly-dressed 31-year-old, *really* likes videogames and doesn't seem to be particularly ill, but that doesn't keep him from coming in here twice a week while retending that he has childhood luekemia just so he can play Halo for free with all of the real sick kids. So please, could you just give him the damned system so he'll leave us alone?

(Seriously though, with Mass Effect, Assassin's Creed, Rock Band and about a bazillion other 360 games hitting the streets in the next few weeks - to say nothing of recently-release tiles like Bioshock, Halo 3 and Beautiful Katamari already dotting the Xbox landscape - you'd have to be crazy *not* to try and be the most under-handed person in the universe in order to win this contest.)

Regardless, yeah, I don't have cancer. But I *am* surrounded by a bunch of friends who'd help me tear that system apart during the next few weeks (while playing many of those games mentioned above, no less), so at least you wouldn't end up with a review that just boiled down to "Hey, thanks for letting me win! The 360 is great! It sure is...um...black! See ya later!"

Hell, I'll even draw up my review in comics form:

http://excelsiorstudios.net/web-stuff/mw6.jpg

(And here's even more proof that I need to get outside more often, even if this has nothing to do with your contest aside from being about a pair of 360 games):

http://excelsiorstudios.net/web-stuff/bioshock2.jpg
http://excelsiorstudios.net/web-stuff/acbig_dark.jpg

Anyway, thanks tons, guys. Good luck choosing the winner!

I would be the best reviewer for the Xbox 360 for two reasons: I have experience with video game reviewing and I appreciate the costs – financial and otherwise – a game system like the 360 can have on an apartment owner.

I previously was a writer for a (now defunct) small circulation videogame review organization. I was in a group of friends that didn’t have constant enough contact for word-of-mouth recommendations, and so we passed along information about various videogames through reviews. By writing these reviews I became aware of and corrected a lot of “rookie mistakes” specific to videogame and technology reviews. It’s easy to be wowed by shiny graphics or a new feature, but I learned to look at long-term features like replay value and accessibility.

An Xbox 360 is a big purchase for a lot of small apartment owners. Plus, as a man who likes a “minimalist” design, I’m wary of anything that will clutter up an entertainment area. I’ll look not only at the value of the system relative to its price, but relative to its overall “fit” in an entertainment setup as well.

I am the most qualified to test and review an XBOX Elite for AT:Home Tech for two reasons. First, I love home technology. I have the home theater setup you would need to make a review valuable and put the XBOX Elite through its paces. I am also comfortable with using, evaluating, discussing and critiquing new products. Although I know the jargon and can rattle off specs and acronyms with the best of them, I’m also able to distill my experiences with technology into easy-to-understand, relevant descriptions. The best product reviews have to appeal to both tech-heads and weekend (Halo) warriors – and I know mine can do that.

Second, I enjoy writing. I have had great experiences writing for publication, competition and just for fun. They key with any good review is to pack a lot of information into a little space – and to avoid making the whole thing dense. I’m sure that with my appreciation of home technology and my experience in writing, I can take a great opportunity to test out the XBOX Elite and turn it into an outstanding review for AT:HT

I would really like to review this system for your blog.

I need to reclaim some of my lost dignity.
I have only ever played the Xbox 360 once in my life, and that was a couple of years ago while I was babysitting my brother's kids.

I was seriiously schooled by my 5-year-old niece (playing who knows what game.)

Taunts of "No Uncle Brett, this is how you do it..." and "You lost again." Along with a cutesy smile are all I remember of this tragic incident. While this was prob just a passing memory for her, I haven't played the 360 again since.

If you were to pick me to review this system, then I can already hear the montage music playing as a practice for hours, playing, fighting through the blisters and wrist cramps...carefully honing my skills...until the music stops and I'm finally ready for my big rematch.

On a more technical note...
Despite my shortcomings against my niece, I do have other gaming experience with the Nintendo Wii and played a lot of Atari, NES, Genesis and Duke Nukem when I was younger. I have the HDTV/audio setup to specifically take advantage of the special Elite hardware. I can borrow a bunch of games from friends and siblings to make sure that I test out the system with a variety of game titles. I can offer you a fun, comprehensive review of the system.

I am the obvious choice for the following reasons:

1. I work out of my away-from-home office only 2-3 days per week, so I have much time to devote to research.

2. My snark and wit provide for stellar review-making fodder.

3. I have very dexterous thumbs thanks to years of texting, so I'll be able to navigate the controllers with ease.

4. My decades (okay, two and a half of them) of near fan-girl like appreciate for video games, beginning with my very own childhood Atari 64, all the way up to spending a 35-year-old-living-in-mom's-basement amount of time usurping my best friend's Xbox provide me with a well rounded perspective and appreciation of the developments in video game console technology.

5. I just used the phrase, "...well rounded perspective and appreciate of the developments in video game console technology." I mean, really, there's nothing more deserving than that.

After staring at this blank comment box thinking of how to compel whoever’s voting to choose my plea over everyone else’s, allow me a minute or so to explain why this veteran gamer should…nay, *must be chosen to review this system. Having played videogames ever since I was old enough to wrestle away the NES paddle or Duck Hunt gun from the older kids, I have owned most gaming systems since. I have access to the PS3 as well as the Wii in order to compare the three most recent and popular systems on the market side-by-side. I can test multiple peripherals with this system (i.e. digital camera, Ipod, external 3rd party hard drives etc). In addition, I have Microsoft’s HD-DVD drive and could comment at length as to the effectiveness of that device and how it interfaces with this console. My review would encompass all areas of the Elite. I would provide a detailed, in-depth analysis of current software offerings, online functionality, console settings and everything in between while meeting any of the guidelines I am to follow. This console would become the centerpiece of my home theater arrangement, allowing me to comment on its effectiveness from both an audio (all dolby surround modes) and video (Hi-Def, 1080P) perspective. I would also walk potential users through the setup process right out-of-the-box in order to remove any guesswork for those interested in purchasing the system. Furthermore, I would customize all of my settings through the Xbox dashboard and share with users how to get the most out of their consoles from my personal experiences. Being no stranger to product reviewing and providing only the most comprehensive analysis possible, I am the perfect candidate for this task. Thanks in advance for your consideration!!

Choose me please. I am the best person(s) to review this because...

I am neither a tech junkie, nor a huge video gamer. The last video game system I owned was a Dreamcast (!!!). I am old enough to remember pong, but old enough to be out of touch with the latest in video gaming.

However. I do know what I like and don't like and so does my seven year-old son who is into anything that has to do with pushing buttons. We also just bought a flat screen HDTV, so it will be nice to utilize the widgets.

I'm good with follow-up, so I promise to write my review promptly and send it in before deadline. That's pretty important, too right?

"stefspets" please meet "aspectratio."

If you choose me I promise that my review will be far more interesting than this comment.

I haven't had a chance to play the Xbox 360. I occasionally go to my brother-in-law's house to play his PS3. He keeps pressuring me to get one, so that I can play with him online. The truth is I don't have the ends to pay for an expensive gaming system. My pregnant wife is due in a couple of months and the mortgage has been swallowing my paychecks. I had a PS2, but I dropped it while moving into our house. It would be nice to have a working gaming system in the house that both my wife and I can play/test. Otherwise, I'll keep writing to Santa and hope to get it for Christmas.

I feel deserving for a couple reasons. I work for a game company in San Francisco, but since my girlfriend and I recently started renting an apartment together and rent in the SF Bay Area is so expensive, I am spending my money on furnishing our apartment and paying rent. This means that I can't even play the games that I work on at home! I finally paid off my credit card debt earlier this month and a shiny new Xbox360 from my favorite design website would be the perfect celebration :). Hopefully you would find my review light, humorous, and similar in tone to the rest of AT.

We’ve looked high, and we’ve looked low.We’ve went from the NES, to the Genesis to the SNES. We've went to the Playstation, to the Nintendo64 to the GameCube, to the Playstation2, to the Xbox, to the Wii, to the DS, to the Playstation3…The search has been endless and exhausting. But like a rising black monolith the Xbox 360 Elite arrives (cue http://www.archive.org/details/also_sprach_zarathustra ). ALL HAIL. I dream of caressing the smooth black exterior and unleashing it's wonders upon my TV screen. Lets just hope the "Red Ring of Death" never rears its ugly head...

I have been playing video games since I was a kid on my dad's T.I. :) I have played or had almost every system that has come out. I know how to take them apart and repair them. I read up on the tech and specs for each system so that I know how it operates and what it can do :)

I also play a lot of video games! :) I would give this system a thorough workout and a knowledgable review :)

Hello my name is Levon I am 29 years old and this is my introductory paragraph. The reasons for testing the xbox elite home video game system are threefold. First of all I did all of my house work. Second of all my video game knowledge is the best of all of my friends, and finally third of all i am a good writer I can write pithy and am good with grammarlol. My thesis statement is that I will be a good reviewer for xbox elite if you give it to me (please!!!!!).

I want to talk to you about my house work ok because I have finished it. I finished it so I can playing with the xbox all I want and my wife wont be mad because the dishes are done. For example, I did the dishes OK and also i did the laundry and even folded them. If I wanted to I could eat off the floor and did this morning it was eggs it had no dirt on it because I cleaned it with pine sol so that shit is clean! In those ways and more, my house work is complete.

Finally I am the best with video game knowledge I have done nothing but play the video games since I was -1 years old that's right it's a negative number because when i was in my moms stomach still an egg i was playing pinball in those fallopian tubesLOL!!!!LOL!!!!!!! but seriously I know a lot I know how to do hadouken I got to the end of goonies2 in like 15 minutes I beat metal gear big boss is a bad guy!! These things are proof i know all about games and what are good games or whatever.

Finally I have to tell you that I am the best writer but dont take my word for it just take my WORDS. Get it? because i am writing and it makes me clever. My essay is in the proper 5 paragraph format unlike the other commentaries. I am good with grammar at school they called me the run-on video game master because of my brain twisting reviews of Harrier, Final Phantasy 2, and Kid Icarus. I know how to conjectuate all of my partciciples and whatnot.

Finally, in conclusion, I'd like to conclude that I have all the needed criteria to review your xbox360 elite edition especially because i have a space in my entertainment center and want free shit. Thanks for your consideration if you made it this far into my essay.

The Xbox 360 Elite needs to be reviewed by me. I have owned every gaming system for the past 10 years with the exception of this one. I cut my teeth playing Street Fighter II at my buddy’s house after school and spent countless hours back in the day shooting through the jungles of P.O.W on the original NES. I never left a soldier behind playing Contra either. I can offer a review that will appeal to multiple audiences. My review will fit the bill for those who are technologically literate as well as those who don’t know the difference between a power glove and power steering. My review will include but not be limited to the review of:

•Hardware: I will extensively review the Xbox Elite’s physical appearance in comparison to the regular version (this one is slightly smaller) and also provide analysis on load times and possible over-heating.
•Software: I have access to the latest titles. At least several hit titles will be briefly reviewed as well. I will also test DVDs and HD-DVDs in addition to the standard fare of videogames.
•Peripherals: I will test this unit’s integration with the optional HD-DVD drive, digital camera, Ipod and external hard drives.
•Audio: Will be testing in this in my main system, which features reference quality, Dolby surround sound.
•Video: My main system features a new Hi-Def display capable of outputting 1080P, which can fully utilize the HDMI functionality of this system.

I undoubtedly left out several other things I can offer you as a reviewer, unquestionably due to my excitement over the prospect of being the proud recipient of this wonderful console. Please choose me, you will not regret it! Thanks!

Not a single day goes by without undergoing a painful reminder of my misspent youth and undergraduate college career due to the constant assortment of video game consoles and accessories in my living room. The addictive nature of video games has made me squander away a scholarship to Columbia University and after being academically dismissed, I had to settle for a degree from UCLA. But I do not regret the countless Halo parties hosted in my dorm room into the wee hours of the morning, the amount of caffeinated beverages consumed while trying to beat the Dark Alliance RPG series, and the many calluses my thumbs had to endure from the button smashing hack & slack games. I do not consider participating in an activity in which I possess a passion for a "waste of my time."
I have invested almost all of my disposable income towards the purchase of a 52" plasma HD tv, sony surround sound speakers, playstation 3 (for the BluRay function), and even a gamers chair since I might as well be comfortable if I'm expected to be stationary for a minimum for 4-5 hours.
My next intended console was going to be an Xbox 360 since my friends highly recommend Gears of War and other FPS titles. I am not a recreational gamer. As I mentioned earlier, I have an inert passion for this activity that satisfies my hunger in life in lieu of the ubiquitous "drinking and clubbing" that people my age generally partake in.
I still hold wicked parties on weekends at my house for friends and co-workers and we would play Madden or the classic Halo series until it was time to go to church the next day.
I was willing to sacrifice the greater part of my life and opportunities for the love of video games, I think apartmenttherapy.com can rest assured that I will go above and beyond their expectations for a satisfactory review.

Damn, everyone deserves to win this thing. lol


My name is Sister djLucky Online, and I am writing on the behalf of Maximus, Apple and Kitty, who are members of the Make-A-Wish-And-Hope-It-Sticks Foundation here in Dallas Texas. As you see, these three wonderful creatures who live to love have made me a very happy person as long as I've lived with them and I believe NOBODY DESERVES THIS more than they do. They've made everyone who pets them very happy people. If not, then you could give it to my friend Osman, who's having a kid today or tomorrow, depending on when you read this. His myspace is: http://www.myspace.com/thegpking He's working nights and he hardly has any human interaction, so he really needs it. If not, you could give it to me, because I've a lot of time to spare and I'd leave less comments here during the day. I'm not black and poor, like the guy that got the Method giveaway. I'm not white like the guy with the state of the art entertainment system ( ArtDeco1930). I'm just a normal guy who'll give you DEAD HONEST opinions about every single detail you want without embellishing them. So if that's not good enough for you, F*** YOU. And if it is, then great. Email's Carlos@deliciousrepublic.com so there.

I think I would be best to review this gaming system because my wife and I just bought a house and we are now too broke to do anything besides sit around and do free things like play video games!

The Xbox has been reviewed numerous times elsewhere, so what is the purpose of reviewing it here now?

If you choose me, I will do my best to prove it's relevance via a fresh angle... approaching the review from a home design standpoint.

Best of all, if you pick me, I will sell my existing xbox and give the money to a charity of AT's choice. I don't need two xbox's, even if I would like this free upgrade. :)

In closing I'd like to say: NO WHAMMIES, NO WHAMMIES, NO WHAMMIES, STOP!

I would love to be the one chose to test it. I have been a video game geek since my first Atari 6400. But i am a frugal video game geek. We currently have a PS1 and a Nintendo 64. It is not that we do not have the funds to by a newer system nor that some of the new games don't look exciting to play, it is because we have not seen a bang for our buck out of them. So my review would not only contain the information that only a video game geek can provide but will also let everyone know if it is worth the final cost.

I don't have a nun speaking on my behalf, and I'm definitely not a candidate for Make-a-Wish, but I do have an HDTV I'd like to try this thing out on. I lost the game consoles in my divorce, and it would make my "video games ruined my marriage because all I do is play them and ignore my young, smart, pretty wife who is a fantastic cook and interior decorator" husband pea green with envy if I a) got one, b) reviewed it here and c) linked him to the page.

Pea green, I tell you.

Pick Me! Pick Me!

Although if I win, I will be giving this Xbox Elite to a couple so I will then be doing the review from their Living Room. They have a flat-screen whereas I only have a CRT, and the Elite is for those with the HDMI connection.

I can do a great review of the look and feel of the Elite. But what I really want to take advantage of (and review at their house) is using the 360 Extender capabilities of the 360 Elite. I've been telling them they could use an Xbox 360 to complete their "technology" and I'd love a chance to show them as well as write a review involving "360 Integration".

Oh I forgot, I'd hack the f*** out of this thing and then REALLY let you know what can be done with this puppy, also if it can be networked with an Apple computer and if it overheats like the rest of the older models (Yes, a Microsoft screw-up) I will SURELY let you know. Last time I touched a 360 was at Circuit city and the fans to cool it were mighty loud. Also I don't know if it was the crappy lcd tv they had it hooked up to, or it really has nasty graphics, but it looked more pixelated and lower end than a standard tv. Wonderful experience.

If you give me the XBox to test out it could quite possibly make me the coolest girlfriend ever. My boyfriends loves the Xbox system and this would be a way for us to have fun together and also test out the new system. I can assure you that I would be able to write an excellent review. I have lots of people that would be more than happy to help me test out the system and get lots of different opinions. Plus, if I get the XBox then I don't have to worry about tracking one down to give to my boyfriend for Christmas. :)

Having been sent home from work since Monday due to fires in OC, I've been cooped up in my 550 sq ft studio space.
My cat Bob is constantly meowing wanting to be outside. But
even just openning a window is out question due to smoke and ashes.

I can watch only so much of Price is Right with Drew Carey, Mauri Povich DNA and polygraph tests, and the Real Housewives of OC reruns. My only saving grace would be the Xbox 360 Elite. Besides, I'm using my old PlayStation 2 as a bookend anyway.

So please, APT staff, look into your tender heart and use the Xbox for higher purpose.

I am an amalgamation of the finer points from all the posts on here.

I believe there is nothing better in life then a cold beer and a a good video game.

My cellphone ringtone is the tune that calls the whirlwind that takes you to the fairy to replenish your hearts.

I know the difference between interlaced and progressive scan display format and what inputs/outputs optimize the signal recieved.

I spent an agonizing 4 months comparing reviews and prices of flat panel HDTVs that fit in my budget before deciding on the Samsung 4665F.

I have been hurt and betrayed by Tivo's non-transferral of Lifetime Service Subscription, and initiated a boycott at the start of this year. In retaliation they came out with the Series3 HD. I am considering going back for more. Clearly I am in an abusive relationship.

I can directly compare it to the PS3 because I own it.

And I'm a GIRL.

And I'm CUTE.

It doesn't get any better then this.

meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow. meow, meow meow meow meow. meow meow meow meow meow meow meow!

purrrrrrr
xoxo
madison and sophie

translation: please give the XBox to our mommy so she has something better to do than put us in sweaters!

I'll tell you why I should test this doohickey. I'm not the ordinary video gamer. In fact, the last time I owned a game system was a Super NES back in the early 90s, Street Fighter II being my favorite game. I haven't owned a game system since then, though I've played a friend's Wii and almost popped my shoulder "boxing".

I also work in highfalutin architecture firm in Boston, one of those firms that gives little free time and has me working 12 hrs a day on endless design variations, because you know, "design is never done".

After work I come home to a 2 month old infant daughter (holding as I type) who screams and cries at me because she hates me bottle feeding her. You see, she loves the real thing, but it's a habit my wife and I have to break if she'll ever survive daycare.

Speaking of daycare, we've committed to shelling out $2400 for this service starting in a few months. That's more then my mortgage! Our monthly finances fall $30 short of breaking even.

All this and why am I appropriate to receive then review this thing? Because I'm an average guy (perhaps your average reader), who's game enough to whoop ass in Street Fighter II, tech enough to know why a $50 HDMI cable is a rip, but real enough to let your readers know if the XBox is worth taking a few hours of time out of a busy week to actually play and enjoy.

My boyfriend should win because he was a huge gamer, and fierce with Halo 1 & 2. But because he's paying his way through college with tuition, books, room and board, he hasn't had the money to buy Halo 3. He represents the target consumer, young enough to play and review all different types of games while being on the verge of buying his first apartment/house where he will be thinking of utility versus design (from video game consoles to living spaces), while at the same time being mature enough to form a coherent, intelligent opinion of the console.

Thank you very much!

Come over here for a moment. Sit, please. Are you comfortable? Can I get you-- no? Alright, I'll start. About a year and a half ago-- actually, wait-- No, I should start at the very beginning. It began as a casual interest, a youthful fling, as so many sordid affairs do. I was young, inexperienced, a bright-eyed child with vast potential waiting to be exercised. My parents watched raptly as I held my future in my own hands, carving it, shaping it, realizing my destiny with every foot forward-- and as quickly as I began to grow and explore the world of opportunity before me, it was furiously snatched from my hands. All of my hopes and dreams evaporated, my innocence robbed...

Thank you Mario! But our princess is in another castle!

It started small, as it always does. "I'll do my homework later." I'd tell my parents, the concern in their eyes betraying their secret fear, "I just have one more level." Before long, I was spending hours each day worshipping before the dark altar that sat, monumental, above my television, feeding cartridges in and out. I was spiralling out of control. After awhile, the Nintendo wasn't working for me anymore. It wasn't good enough, I needed more. I sold everything I had, and stepped off the deep end. The Super Nintendo. This was a pattern that would become all too familiar for me. My gaming appetite was voracious, insatiable, and I moved from one to the next like a plague of locusts tracking through the wheat fields of America's heartland, consuming mindlessly. Super Nintendo. Nintendo 64. Playstation. Playstation 2. Xbox.

I was out of control. The regular genres weren't good enough for me. First-person shooters, role-playing games, side-scrolling platformers-- pedestrian. Soon I was buying games that I'd never even play, importing ridiculous titles from Asia-- farming simulators, romance and dating adventures, karaoke challenges, even strange cult titles with creative approaches to human anatomy, whispered about in underground forums and newsgroups. I was a collector.

Then, a year and a half ago, a new relationship in my life began. With a real person. A gorgeous woman who drove into my life like a reality-show intervention, prying my hands from the controller, peeling the tinfoil from my windows, re-introducing me to basic hygiene. I turned my life around for her, and when we moved in together, the games stayed behind... while my lust for them simmered just below the surface.

Now, here we are, today. Miles and months from the man I used to be, but the same. We're renovating our new house now, my girlfriend and I. In front of the raw walls, stacked on a makeshift credenza sits a brand-new high-definition television, wasted on cable shows and rented DVDs. It begs for a higher purpose, as I do. Give me the chance to dip a tentative toe back into the gaming pool. Let me engorge myself on eye-popping 1080p visuals and booming 5.1 surround and lightning-fast online play. I can think of no better charity than giving an addict the fix of a lifetime.

Plus, you'll get a kickin' rad review out of it-- no doubts. I look forward to fooling around with some new gear on my new TV.

There seems to be a myriad of good, rational reasons that eager posters have listed as the rationale for receiving this handsome offer. Ranging from lifelong gamers and addicts to girlfriends looking for together time (arguably quite precious).

But this offer doesn't seem to be just about the deserving attributes of bloggers, ( I too have been a proud owner of most major consoles since the NES ) or the ability to thoroughly enjoy what the 360 has to offer, who wouldn't?

The call for responses seems to be looking for someone who not only has the ability for poignant critique ( I am an art professor at a University in Wisconsin ), but also a card carrying member of nerd-dom with all the cred. that deserves ( my studio is adorned with a dozens and dozens of action figures and a few hundred LP's ).

With some literary wit, an interest in all things pop culture and the commitment to a well worded assessment of the system that will hopefully be arriving at my door, you have this candidate, ready to write.

Thanks for the consideration.

Mother of an 17year old son who loves video games. We play video games together sometimes and he always wins. If I win the x-box or have the opportunity to test it with him I'll be the winner. This would be a great bonding memory before he is off to college. Also, a great way to bring his gamer buddies over before they are off to the next phase of their lives.

Hey, why not me? Good question. I've seen all the systems from the first Pong home games up. I've got a lot of background in gaming therefore. I could bring a perspective to the review of an experienced gamer. Plus, I have an 9 year old son who would help me with this, so you would be getting two-for-one with this deal. After all, who better to share this experience with than a kid who plays with my old Sega Genesis as much as his old PSOne?

So what do you say? Wanna give us a chance? TIA.

I am unemployed and will be able to spend more time than anyone else with this Xbox and provide the best review!

- im a girl.
- im a nerd.
- im obsessed with interiors and all things tech.
- i LOVE video games.
- i LOVE writing.
- i LOVE writing reviews.
- i surprise most boys with my knowledge of video games (current and the old school ones) and can usually beat them (the boys...and the games)
- i already have several favorite games on the XBOX 360 as well as a list of other ones i want to check out.
- it'd definitely get my bf over to my house more often...
- if i won the XBOX, i'd donate my Playstation 2 with all the games to a children's charity, like a Women and Children's shelter or a foster home program...

hello there therapists, my wife sent me this link while i was snowed under at work and feeling that nothing could possibly dig me out. then i clicked the link and knew what was needed. what i need is to be shot in the head. that can only happen if i play halo 3. and that can only happen if i have this fabulous machine.

Because it's the devil in a box.

Plenty of AT gamers might give you a fun comparison of the Xbox 360 Elite to other gaming systems but there can be no doubt but that I will provide the most illuminating, objective and unbiased opinion of the Xbox 360 Elite, largely because I intend to objectively compare it to a host of other unrelated activities which it might replace.
I am totally prepared for this: I have a large color TV in my living room with great sound with no cable or antenna, so currently used only for DVDs. I have not played a home game system since Atari released the home version of Pong. I generally spend my evenings watching movies, cooking, reading, enjoying the company of friends, doing bookkeeping, and lounging about aimlessly. I have no objection to video games (or television for that matter), I have just never bothered to buy a game system – but the temptation is enormous – I used to love Robotron and Joust and I can’t wait to see what the fuss is about.
My approach: I will pick a few of the most popular games (based on a neighbor’s kid’s recommendations) and I will compare the performance of the machine and the fun of the games to the life I might be leading in their absence. I will play alone and I will play with friends. I will play both sober and with wine in hand. I will compare Guitar Hero to a boozy game of scrabble abandoned when someone bumps the board. I will compare Halo 3 to roasting beets on the grill beside fresh tilapia. I will compare Ghost Recon to running around Park Slope at 2am in the rain to find Haagen Dazs French Vanilla. In sum, I will evaluate the overall experience and entertainment value of the Xbox 360 against the many other activities it will be played in lieu of.
I don’t think it is fair to assume that the only comparators for a gaming system are other gaming or tech experiences. Give it to me and I’ll give you a holistic view of the Xbox 360 Elite like you’ve never seen.

It would be great if I could test this xbox 360 out for you. I've got a few reasons why I'm the right guy for the job.

I started gaming a long time ago with the original nintendo, and yes it's still hooked up to my tv. I played video games pretty much throughout my whole childhood but it kind of dwindled out over time. I now have a brother-in-law that is 5 years younger then me and really into video games. I don't get to see him much, but when I do, what do we do, we play video games. I sit there running around looking up at the sky, while he snipes me in the head, over and over. He plays pretty much 24/7, and I play a couple hours every once in awhile. So I need a way to get better. It would be kind of cool to play him online as well, since he's arond 500 miles away from me.

My other good reason is that I'm a recent graduate, and after searching all summer I recently got my first real job and moved 200 miles away from my previous school/home. Normally this isn't a problem for people, but the thing is my wife still lives 200 miles away from me, she had to stay for work for awhile. Oh yeah, forgot to mention, I'm a newly wed. So I got married 3 months ago, and my wife doesn't even live with me.

So what do I do? I goto work, I come home, make some dinner, watch a movie (I don't even have cable since we're paying for it in Michigan still, and I don't see paying for it twice), and go on your site.

Please give me something to occupy my time with until my wife can join me in my new home, and maybe if I practice enough I can last more then 5 mintues against her brother.

Thanks.

I'll be honest: Since I lost in a Tecmo Super Bowl nail-biter to my roommate Matt back in my freshman year (snapping like, a 500-game win streak and losing my title of "Weymouth 11th Floor SW Corner Ultimate Champion of the Universe"), video games haven't been my thing.

It's now been over 15 years, and I think I'm ready for a comeback...

My old roommate won't know what hit him when I show up at his house and paste a brutal beating on him with my Xbox skills, leaving his wife humiliated and children scarred for life. Take that, bitch!

Hey wait: do they make Tecmo Bowl for this thing?

If selected to receive this X-Box, I am reasonably certain that I won't use it for evil purposes unless forced to do so by circumstances beyond my control.

kthxbye.

I'm not a gamer at all and therefore would be the perfect tester. I could tell you how much it goes for on Ebay.

I'm clueless about any video game thats not original NES Tetris or Wii bowling. I can't tell you about all the hype surrounding the 360 or speak the technical jargon or rave about the graphics card things which do this and that.. but I CAN give a totally unbiased view of how the system ranks on my own scale of badassness. Furthermore, I just saw a trailer for this "Portal" game. I put it in quotes because I'm not quite sure exactly what it is, other than the fact that the music and video preview set my heart aflutter not unlike the first time I touched an iMac. Even MORE importantly, I see that Portal is available on PC (refer to said iMac. sigh.), PS3, and - here's where we get to the important part - XBOX 360! Divine intervention led me to putz around the web to watch the Portal trailer, then back here to AT (even though I know no new posts are made at this time of day) whereupon I discovered my destiny - an Xbox 360 tester! It's my fate!

Why should I win the XBox?
Because nothing would be sweeter than winning a contest on Apartment Therapy before my girlfriend does.
She teased me for months about building an arcade machine until we saw one just like it at The Conran Shop. Who's haute design now?
So, by choosing me as the winner of your contest you are not only rewarding this dashing young San Franciscan, you are rewarding the blossoming design trend-setter turned consumer electronics reviewer in all of us.
Viva La Pac-Man!

Pick me, please.
Here are a plethora of good reasons:

1. I promise not to eat it.
2. I promise not to let my cat eat it.
3. It's shiny.
4. I have previous experience with the 360, albeit, a white one.
5. I'm a home theater lunatic.
6. I frequently write my girlfriends papers for her, this leads her to good scores. If I were to write this review for you, you will get good page views.
7. Elmo.
8. I don't waste time pointing out needless information that 99% of readers don't know anything about, or want to know anything about.
9. I made this organized for you.
10. I love you.

If the original Xbox 360 was God's Christmas-2005 gift to gaming, then the Xbox 360 'Elite' must have come from God 2.0, and it's here to kick your ass, take down your name (on a piece of paper it keeps in its front shirt pocket), and embarrassingly pwn you in front of your little sister in every game from Barbie: Horse Adventure to Halo 3 and back again.

Let's run down the specs on this monster, listed above:

-It's Black, the color nature invented just for game consoles.
-It comes with a wireless controller (also black), because if I wanted to tether myself to a computer, I'd install a USB port in my hand.
-It has One Hundred and Freaking Twenty GB of hard drive space, which is at least more than Bill Gates ought to need.
-It has a black headset, which is convenient both because it matches the rest of the rig and it won't gradually yellow under the withering profanity you *will* be screaming through it when you are headshotting the noobs (in Barbie: Horse Adventure).
-And a bunch of cables that, I'll be honest, I don't really understand because I don't have a PhD in HDTV-ology, but you KNOW they're good because of they have letters like HDMI in them.

Put ALL of that together in a cardboard box, shake it up and down, give it to the UPS guy to kick into his truck and toss out the window through my screen door as he drives over my lawn, and what do you get?

Well, I like to think that if that should happen, you'd get a pretty good review of the Xbox 360 'Elite'.

Holy crap, its black! In addition to everything mentioned above it would be the last piece in my home entertainment puzzle. I have been holding out for a black Xbox to match my black Sony Bravia and black NAD stereo (as well as the black directv box.) Sign me up.

I've played, be it briefly, the 360, ps3 and the wii. My gaming experiance has certainly been casual to say the least. I've never really "marinated" myself hour after hour in the gaming world.

The 360 is more than just a gamers device. I wouldn't plan on basing my review on just games. My review would be on the system's performance, look, form and various functions in comparrison to current consoles and the previous xbox.

My commentary on the system wouldn't just be pros and cons but also what it lacks and where it can be improved with Microsoft's next version.

Because after the year I've had, there's no way Santa will be giving me an XBOX!

I guess you can say my husband and I are those you call "Hardcore Gamers" we are those people you think are ridiculous and foolish for waiting in line for several hours at Gamestop for midnight to arrive so we can get our hands on our reserved copy of Halo 3 (Legendary Package the game alone isn’t enough we want the sweet Spartan helmet as well!) which we anxiously waited for to come out. That same night we rushed home to save the world and played for several hours on our Xbox 360 Halo 3 limited edition console to finish the long awaited fight with the Covenant we had left off in Halo 2. I wish we had an Xbox 360 Elite to play on our 40 inch Sony Bravia High Definition TV which is hooked up to our sweet Pioneer XBox 360 surround sound, we bought. The HDMI cable system that comes with the Xbox 360 Elite would make a world of difference on the picture quality compared to our standard connection on our 360. It would be great to have a second Xbox 360 to play on and not have to split the screen and share it with my husband. We want "His & Hers Xbox 360's". I want to play Halo 3 as long as I damn well choose to and not have to get off cause my husband says its his turn to play. I will share tooth brushes but I’m not sharing Xbox! Sharing a 20 GB hard drive isn’t bad but having my own 120GB hard drive is even better for music and movies purchased on Xbox Live. But reality is we still have 2 accounts on the same Xbox 360 and only one account can play a ranked match at a time on the same system, at this speed I wont make Lt till next Halloween, damn you ranked matches!! So with that said please send me the Xbox 360 Elite AT I will gladly test and review the Xbox 360 Elite while I save the world once again on Legendary mode, got to get those achievements!
P.S. I love you Xbox 360 because you brought hope and meaning to my life when AT Chicago chose not post my Fall Colors Contest pictures. You were there to pick me up and Finish the Fight.

Puddin Pop

The thing I miss the most about my ex-boyfriend: when I moved out, I realized that all the gaming systems were his. So, technically, I own a half a dozen Xbox games, but I can't play any of them because I don't have anything to play them on!

so I can learn a new pastime besides surfing AT.

My apartment needs some therapy. If this Xbox is as "Elite" as they say, then I should be able to dispose of all the other game systems cluttering up my entertainment center, and thus establish a cleaner, more organized space.

Really though, I have been writing for various gaming websites over the last three years and have been an avid gamer since the age of two. This is the first console my wife has actually been interested in, and she's really excited about the prospect of "therapizing" the apartment.

When I first discovered the Warp Zone in Mario Bros. I said to myself, "Wow! A secret level! I wonder if anyone else knows about this? I've gotta tell my friends about this rad discovery." Turns out, I was THE LAST PERSON IN THE WORLD to find this magical land. The year: 2002. It was embarassing.

Please let me review the XBOX system so that this unfortunate event does not happen to me twice. (Okay, three times. Did you know that you can get extra lives in Mario Bros. by jumping multiple times on the turtle shell? Yeah, well, I didn't.)

AT Tech, I promise a thoughtful, well written, and ultimately helpful review.

While there are people who say they are graphic designers, artist, and general aesthetic enthusiasts, I believe I am the first industrial designer to give a pitch. Making beautiful consumer goods, including electronics, is kinda my passion.

Before I buy ANY product, I analyze and research it to exhaustion, and also I look for the little details that designers put in to add enjoyment, or the "wow" factor.

As a reviewer, I would not only consider my own experience, but also that of other target groups and age range. Also I will be able to compare it to other "next gen" systems, as I either have, or have access to a wii or PS3.

I am quite knowledgeable in the area of anthropometrics and ergonomics, as well as the evolution of product design from the Bauhaus to Deconstruction to Blobism movements.

I have had experience with interface design, both digital, and physical, and also look for ways to combine art and engineering.

Also as a designer, I am very excited about the digital community aspect of the Xbox 360. One of my personal goals is to constantly find ways to humanize technology, and to bring to people together.

I am also a huge videogame geek. I love playing games, especially quirky games like Katamari, Gem Fighter, Viva Piñata, or anything that is really cute. I suck at first person shooters, but always try playing the really gorgeous ones like Doom, Gears of War, and hopefully soon, Bioshock. I also like fighting games like Soulcalibur series, and the Guilty Gear series.

If you read the titles above, yes, I used to have a 360. Unfortunately I have been marked with the red ring of death, and was going to buy a new 360 elite to replace it. The release of rock band is looming near, and without a 360, our band, "The Meh Monocle," will be dashed before we even get one note out!

As for the screen and sound, I have a full Onkyo surround sound system, and if awarded with this sweet prize, I will use the money I saved from buying the system to buy a brand new 50" Panasonic plasma screen. What better way to get a great review than to have someone experience HD gaming for the first time ever?

We want one because my boyfriend may unjustly lose his job and he will need something to do. Also, he'll cry if he gets fired and I hate to see him cry. He's been very good to me.

progression: everyman.

1) 4th grade(nascency) = contra = summum bonum.

2) middle school(emergence/naiads) = sf2:ce/t = shoryuken.

3) high school (ascendancy) = doom2/quake = wasd abattoir.

4) college(sophistication) = radiant silvergun/katamari damacy =effulgence

5) now (deliquescence) = ??? = ascetics with only a coruscating xbox to free us from our adult and stakhanovite labors.

also I would scream "Headshot f4x0Rz!!!" into teh headset h311 yes.

(w/ deference to r.carver.)

You should go with me for this XBOX 360 Elite review mainly because I am definitely the most broke out of everyone commenting while also being one of the most educated to give a concise and entertaining review.

(you guessed it, Law school but not boring enough of a person to practice.)

Why pick me? Because I've been lurking on AT for about three years and this is the article to draw me out of the woodgrain and actually register an account.

Every day, "Ooo, what got posted in Kitchen?", " Why hasn't Chicago updated yet?" and " HOLY MOTHER OF SPUTNIK I NEED THAT PILLOWCASE". So much time and money, thrown into your site and products off it, making me a happier person with fantastic décor, stylish gadgets, and tasty treats. For shame, all of you.

Besides a snarky bastard, I am also a PS2 gamer girl to the core, and actually quite interested in the Xbox side to things since I've never actually used one. Male centric color scheme, over-sized controllers, red ring of death!? I've got the advantage of being biased and unbiased all in one review. I would do my research properly and write a charming yet insightful article like the good little AT member I now am.

That and if you pick me I'll make you cookies. Who doesn't like a good old fashioned bribe?

Here is why I want it:

1. I have been studying really hard for an exam at work and working 12 hours a day to switch jobs within the same company to follow my dreams and not screw people in my old department is over. Not seeing a extra penny because I am an idiot that can't negotiate more money (working on that). My exam is Nov 6, and I would love nothing more than to play video games for like a week straight.

2. The current video system I have is one of those plug in the tv kind. I got it in a stand at the mall. It's bright blue. I did get the special card that has a lot more games than the regular kind, but two weekend ago we went to my friends' house and play Mario in Super Nintendo and I was blown away by the graphics.

3. My little brother lives in FL and I live in NY. He is not a big snow kind of guy so he never visits, but he would come and visit me in the middle of a blizzard to play Xbox.

Here is why I should get it:

1. I am writing this after 3 hours of sleep (my average in the last couple of weeks are like 4.5 hours). If I have time, I can give you a really efficient review and who doesn't like efficient.

2. My husband and I are into video games and he is a big geek. His input will be very appreciated and incorporated.

3. I have a big hdtv, surround sound, the works. So the gaming experience will be amazing and I can write about it.

4. How do you feel about pie?...my cookies are so-so but I make a killer pie. Thanks for the idea sweettuesdayblue.

Hope you pick me. Hope you are all having a nice day.

My kids have been bugging me for a gaming system for over a year but I have dug in my heels and insisted on remaining low-tech. Usually they give up after awhile, but not on this one. They really, really want to join the 21st century. But day-um these systems have gotten expensive since the last time I looked! If I could get hooked up by y'all on the system I would actually be able to afford my mortgage payment too! The good news is there is plenty of us to chime in on the review. Gen-X mom, Old crabby dad, two kids, and 19 year old hip college student uncle. That's 5 reviews for the price of 1!

I should get to test the XBox because I broke my neck and have been unable to start school or get a job. I instead spend my time working on making our tiny house nicer to come home to for my fiance (small spaces need good design!). In that time I have refurbished a beautiful vintage Marantz amp to make it light up and digitized our music collection, among other things, but am now running short on projects. I can't drive.....

After a two months in a halo neck brace, I have another month to go and LOTS of time to thoroughly home test the XBox and features beyond just the games, like it's ability to stream music wirelessly from the home computer and play them from it's audio outputs through the home stereo, reducing the need for wires and excess audio components while maintaining sound quality. Also, I can see if my halo will improve the wireless range of the controllers.

Also, wearing a Halo neck brace gives me special insight on all things "Halo."

Video games were forbidden to me as a child. Winning the coveted Xbox 360 Elite would be sweet revenge and soothe old wounds.

The X-Box that can be reviewed is not the enduring and
unchanging X-Box. The reviewer that can be rewarded is not the enduring and unchanging reviewer.

Conceived of as having no reviewer, it is the Originator of Halo and Call of Duty; conceived of as having a reviewer it is the Mother of all boredom cures.

Always without anything important to do we must be found,
If its deep mystery we would sound;
But if anything important always must we do,
Its outer fringe is all that we shall see.

Under these two aspects, it is really the same; but as X-Box addiction grows, it receives the different names. Together we call them the Mystery. Where the Mystery is the deepest is the gate of all that is subtle and wonderful.

...So, I should review the X-Box.

Also, I will power it with switchgrass.

I would tell you how my life was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, how that was but one of a lifetime of instances of horrific abandonment and despair, and how only the XBOX can make me whole. Unfortunately, as a hedge fund manager I am very busy and in the time it would take for me to tell my tale of woe, I could have made $400 million, which is 800,000 XBOX units. That is enough XBoxes to turn every child in Ward 8 of New Orleans into a Brute-killing, trash-talking, Halo3 addict. Which in fact has inspired me to pledge to donate your prize XBOX to CHARITY -- once I become bored with it. As a Type-A ADHD child of Gen-X, that should take all of 2 days. So award me your prize, and (1) rid yourself of the Katrina guilt you so deserve, while (2) feeling so good about bringing joy to a billionaire hedge fund manager who SO needs to reconnect with the unwashed masses, in a way that only XBOX live can accomplish. DO THE RIGHT THING, AT. GIVE ME THE XBOX.
(Disclaimer: some statements contained above may not be true).

I don't not have the state-of-the-art HD television system these posters speak of. (Not the printed kind, but the commenting kind.) Nor do I possess the a girlfriend who will become jealous and fight for my attention against an inanimate object. I have not even a decent paying job with benefits. I have to pay for my own health insurance. I know. Scary!

These are not reasons that I should review this system. These are just ploys for your sympathy which I can tell is not working. I don't have lots of things.

But I do have one thing. Moxie. I know because yesterday a man on the street randomly approached me and said "You've got MOXIE kid! You got the goods!" The goods for what I wondered aloud. "Video game system reviews for Internet design sites," he replied and then continued to beg for change. It is possible that was a dream.

I have moxie and a background in journalism. This is why I would be perfect as one time freelance critic for Apartment Therapy: Home Tech. I am not a goldbricker, so my assignment will be delivered on time. It will be short. It will be sweet and as God as is my witness I will never be hungry again.

I love aparment therapy. Not in a romantic way but in a brotherly way. The kissing up isn't working either. Is it?

Ciao.

Wireless joysticks? No, no, no... That's just wrong. If you people want a true gaming experience come over to my place and spend an evening perusing through my floppy disk collection and enjoying the classic storylines of the always classic Commadore 64.

because i love home tech.

As a professional story teller I captivate my audience with tall tales, small tales and short stories from around the world. My process contains, but is not limited to, going through my extensive library of stories on a weekly basis. This stage is used in order to constantly "up my arsenal" of stories that will excite my audience and get them lost in the world I create for them. As it stands, Microsoft's latest device is a media machine and apparently my digital nemesis. Where I tell tales, the box puts the audience inside them. My understanding and use of audio and visual techniques in order to hypnotize the crowd is ultimately rivaled by this machine. I think my career and background is critical in getting a full understanding of what the 360 can do to and for an audience.

I've owned every Nintendo console but have never ventured to the other major console makers. I'm also a devoted PC gamer so I'd love to contrast the gaming experiences between the systems.

Also, because all your xBox are belong to me.

As an avid gamer, who wouldn't be delightfully squirming in anticipation for the release of what is claimed to be "the ultimate console"! In my eyes, game variety has always seemed to hold the Xbox back, but I've found my spirits rising considerably with the new variety of upcoming games such as Beautiful Katamari and Rock Band. Nothing less than the fairest review would be in order, and I would do so by judging it using every means at my disposal:

- Gamer expertise dating back to the dark ages of the Atari 2600 to today's revolutionary Nintendo Wii,
- A critical eye and attention to detail,
- Sharp, but tempered wit,
- And candid expression of the total experience.

I'd be paying close attention to the things that really make-it-or-break-it for the casual to the hard-core gamers: gameplay enhancements, graphics and audio quality, environmental aspects (aesthetic, noise, and temperature), comfort and usability, how it compares to its predecessors and other next-gen gaming systems, hardware upgrade usefulness and versatility, and overall enjoyment.

Some additional personal background:
In a previous life I was an environmental scientist, now turned web developer and designer. A particularly nice aspect of my job includes researching and reviewing the latest and greatest gadgets and technologies for application in enhancing the educational experience in higher education. I live and love design, reading, film, Japanese pop culture, and good food and wine. I obsessively rely on and greatly appreciate AT and its fantastic and collaborative community for home inspiration. It would be an awesome opportunity to contribute in an area for which I share a great passion!

Am I too late?

a) You should pick a female to review a video game because the industry seems a little out of balance on the male to female ratio.
b) You should pick me because I got a taste of the new Rock Band game after a 20 year hiatus from video games (Atari veteran) and I'll review with a very fresh perspective.

I'm not a "GAMER." I do not spend my weekends playing Halo. I do not have that "pasty glow" that true gamers possess. However, starting as a young girl, I have played hours upon hours of Mario Bros and Burgertime on NES, spent summer vacations trying to finish Wonder Boy and Sonic the Hedgehog on the Sega Genesis, engaged in long epic battles of Street Fighter with my brother, relished my DS Lite on long flights, profusely sweated to Dance Dance Revolution, and woken up with a carpel tunnel flare-up from an intense Wii session. I am currently anxiously awaiting the release of ROCK BAND, which is going to make my social life obsolete (at least for a couple of months).

As a 29-year-old single, professional girl living in New York City, most of my friends probably don't know I'm a casual gamer. I also feel like owning a XBOX will -- perhaps -- benefit my love life. I mean, isn't this a great pick-up line: "Hey, wanna come back to my place and play with my... XBOX?"

I'll be irresistible!

You should pick me (or rather, my family) because we will hit every demographic out there. I am a 43 year old mom, and I've been actively playing video games since the late 70's -- I actually had Pong in my house! All the other kids thought playing games on the tv was stupid. How times change.

I still play -- and have been wanting an Xbox to play the newest game in the Katamari franchise.

I also have two boys, 10 and 12, who play everything out there. And my husband, older than I, would love to try some of the more grown-up shooters out there for the Xbox.

We have a Wii and a PS2, so we have a point of comparison. In addition, we are a totally wired house (networked, hacked Tivos on the net, etc.) so we'd push that envelope too!

I am the best person to test this Xbox because I have an excellent home theater system (previously featured on this site!) on which to test it.

I am also a member of the Red-Ring-Of-Death club, having seen two 360s burn out on me. If I can't burn this one out, then you know it's good!

Perhaps most importantly, I will be getting the full instrument set of Rock Band when it comes out and will be able to post a follow up review the Xbox not only as a technical device but as the centerpiece to a "drink and rock out" party that I will host at my place.

Friends Home Technology = Home Tech

Max 360 Elite = Happy Time

My family should test it. My hubby, me and my two kids are all highly competitive and truly enjoy spending time together kicking each other's behinds. We're all very gamer savvy and would love to test this baby out. ;0)

please enter me thanks

Is it too late to register? The story of my life. Send me the xbox and I will write a review that will blow your boxers off. It will make you laugh. It will make you cry. I promise you the anti-cnet review.

So who the hell got this thing in the end? I know it wasn't me 'cause I didn't get no damn email.

It's a slim slice of the community pie that knows Xbox 360s support downloadable music and movies. Sadly, a large percentage of the Xbox-owning community is aware you can play DVDs on the thing, even fewer that an HDDVD drive is available for it.
A few more shockers: You can alter the soundtrack to your games, the ps3 doesn't have that kind of clout. And why do Ps3 ports of Xbox games look so awful? Two reasons, actually. Blu-ray is better for storage and worse for data retrieval, and the Xbox 360 has roughly twice the fill-rate as the PS3. That means twice as many pixels on the screen at any given moment.This means developers for the Sony platform have to compensate with all kinds of pixel shaders and what amounts to kind of a blurry make-up in order to operate at the same speed.
I'm no fanboy. I'm a hater-hater. I love my ps3. This begs the question of how I know so much about the Xbox 360. The answer is simple. Videogames bring stars to my eyes. They cause my wallet to open, and my dollar bills to float out and upward on currents of pure childish glee. I am the truest guitar hero, I am the savior of more universes than can be counted.
Gadgetry is a source of great sadness in the land of my credit cards. When I walk by the shelves of Best Buy imacs and the new Dell One and every videogame hops up and follows me, like Snow Whites Dwarves, to the entrance, scooting their cute little bottoms across the laser scanner and through the trickery of woodland critters convince my credit card to do the same.
I am not a poor man, I can indulge these occasional urges, but somehow the Xbox has escaped me. Too much developing technology came along and I somehow missed that boat. Well here I stand now, AT, at the shores of your mercy, and from the stern of the great and beautiful SS 360 many lovely maids are waiving their Marimekko scarves to this abandoned passenger. That is the ship of your mercy, AT, and I know that from its helm you can hear me weeping.

I would be a great tester for this product mainly because my boyfriend who still owns a Super Nintendo is still living in the 80's. We have played Xbox systems that friends have and love them, the Quality of the picture and the graphics of the games are amazing.

I own a Nintendo Wii and Playstation 2 so I have been eager to see for myself the hype on the Xbox and why most people prefer the Xbox system over the others.

So not only would I be testing it but my boyfriend as well. We also have friends like i said that have the Xbox so we would be able to connect online with them too and get the full effect of the game system. And what better way to spend the Hoildays this year with my boyfriend doing something we both love together, and in turn helping out being testers for you!

Please consider me, and help get my boyfriend out of the 80's of gaming technology! Thank you!