The Orange Box Review - Half Life 2, Portal and Team Fortress 2

[Jim Robbins]

With the Xbox360, it is what it is.

Yeah! That's the beauty of it! It is what it is! I don't have to keep dumping money into yet another graphics card. I don't have to spend hours of trouble shooting time. If the 360 or game needs an update, it just gets it when the unit or game starts up, and 30 seconds later, I am playing.

In truth, the controller does take some getting used to for FPS games. I was pretty much crap when I started. I am decent now. Not good enough to beat up on the teenage kids I know, but good enough to hold my own against my buddies.

It's nice that you can get better graphics incrementally on the PC platform, but I'll take it in chunks as new consoles come out. Again, I just spend too much time on a computer. (Dang it, look, I am on the thing again, just now! *laugh*).

I haven't upgraded my entire computer in like 2.5 years. I am stuck on my P4 3.4ghz machine. I have upgraded the Power Supply, so I could get a better video card, but it's still the biggest and best you can use on an AGP slot. *sigh* Still cost like $350. Dang, I could have used that toward an amp or something. See, the PC is still sucking down my money, even when I don't have the needed hardware to play the latest junk.

Anyway, off to the 360 to play some Halo or something... Later!

 

[Sheep]

Yeah! That's the beauty of it! It is what it is! I don't have to keep dumping money into yet another graphics card. I don't have to spend hours of trouble shooting time. If the 360 or game needs an update, it just gets it when the unit or game starts up, and 30 seconds later, I am playing.

Yeah, all at the expense of dumbing down the games so they can play on it. I hate it when a game for a console goes to PC, everything is dumbed down.

In truth, the controller does take some getting used to for FPS games. I was pretty much crap when I started. I am decent now. Not good enough to beat up on the teenage kids I know, but good enough to hold my own against my buddies.

Is there USB ports? Couldn't you hook up a USB Mouse + Keyboard?

I haven't upgraded my entire computer in like 2.5 years. I am stuck on my P4 3.4ghz machine. I have upgraded the Power Supply, so I could get a better video card, but it's still the biggest and best you can use on an AGP slot. *sigh* Still cost like $350. Dang, I could have used that toward an amp or something. See, the PC is still sucking down my money, even when I don't have the needed hardware to play the latest junk.

Anyway, off to the 360 to play some Halo or something... Later!

You're telling me! My Rig is still running an AMD socket A! 9800Pro Graphics card that's over-clocked, and a gig of ram. That is Pathetic in the computer world.

SheepStar

 

[Audioholics]

I pulled out my 9700Pro card the other day and then realized that since it's AGP it is basically useless to me except in the HTPC box which I don't use... I need to put that up for sale on the site... Tweaker's dream...

 

[Sheep]

I pulled out my 9700Pro card the other day and then realized that since it's AGP it is basically useless to me except in the HTPC box which I don't use... I need to put that up for sale on the site... Tweaker's dream...

OLLLLD school! A friend had a 9500pro and I remember thinking it was tight.

Good times.

SheepStar

 

[DTS]

"Is there USB ports? Couldn't you hook up a USB Mouse + Keyboard?"

Yes I there is a after market device that allows connected mouse and keyboard to the 360 for around $80. Thought about it about for Halo, but playing Half Life ep. 2 and Portal now on PC, which I prefer.

 

[Agoia]

The trouble is that the 360 forces software devs to not force you to upgrade every time they want a new engine. But I'm still a pc gamer all the way unless its a console only game. Controller for Forza, Halo... Mouse for World in Conflict, Cod4, etc... And pc games usually cost $10 less than 360 games because of M$'s stupid licensing for "genuine" software.

That said, I've only played TF2 on a friend's 360 copy so far, and the experience was so horrible I decided to just skip it for my pc collection. Not to mention the graphics.. that "beautifully inventive" visual style just reminds me of cartoony gamecube shooters, not the graphically stunning stuff I'd expect off a high-def console game.

So much better stuff has been coming out that its really a waste, and GOTY is going to be a heck of a competition, unless they cave to the same huge beef previously noted and/or just give it to Orange Box because its 5 games in one and Valve's already won it x# of times with HL2.

 

[Gasman]

Really? You don't think there is firmware updates for the consoles?

Agreed!!!!!
Yeah, the PS3 has had a ton of updates.

So what is the difference???

Computer gaming, IMO, is much nicer, faster, better graphics (by far), and is never stuck at 'what it is, is what it is.'

Have you guys NEVER heard of a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse?
I use mine at 20 feet away from the computer in another room.
(21 feet actually)
In other words, the computer never needs to be moved

Don't get me wrong, I have enjoyed many years of consoles (NES, SNES, PS, PS2, etc..).
But they are always behind, so I have stopped spending my money on them.

 

[powellm79]

What is sound mix/track supported on Orange box for PS3?. I do not seem to get Dolby/DTS 5.1, I can only get 7.1 PCM. My reciever is only doing 1.2 HDMI and I have a 5.1 setup with it. If I set PS3 to bitstream for BD/DVD audio out my reciever does not seem to recognize the codec and does not display anything.

I will settle for a 5.1 PCM but when I force PS3 to use only Dolby/DTS/PCM 5.1 I see the same problem in my reciever it does not understand the codec. Am I doing something wrong? Or Orange box supports some Dolby True HD stuff only?.

Any help is appreciated.

 

[Slowsupratt]

it's all about halo 3