Xbox 360 Dummy Guide for Christmas 2007
By: Ryan Thomas

Xbox 360 is still a hot Christmas item for many kids, and even adults. I'm going to try to explain everything you may need to buy for your Xbox 360, including the system itself. Microsoft has sold millions and millions of these gaming consoles, not to mention all the add-ons and Live memberships that you need in order to play the games. These add-ons may be confusing to some, in terms of what you do and don't need, in order to have fun playing.

There are currently three types of consoles available to us here in the USA.; arcade, premium and elite versions.  The three consoles are basically identical except for the hard drives. The hard drive is used to store game data and any downloads from Xbox Live. Basically, you would use the arcade version to just play games for fun without actually saving them. The premium version comes with a 20 Gigabyte hard drive which you can use to save many, many games and other things you download online. The elite version comes with a very large 120 Gigabyte hard drive. All three versions come with different combinations of peripherals such as a wireless controller, headset, free games, etc...; so please be sure to check out what actually comes with the Xbox you're looking to buy. If you're not sure which one to buy go with the premium version, as you can always buy a bigger hard drive later on (Christmas 2008?).

For a basic Xbox 360 setup you will need a few add-ons that may or may not come with the console. Again, check to see what is actually included with your console so you don't buy extra items your don't need. For one person you will need one wireless controller (most consoles already come with one), one headset, one Xbox Live gold membership and one play-and-charge kit for the controller. The headset is needed for most games online in order to talk and listen to other people that you are playing with. The Xbox Live gold membership is necessary to play online with friends, enter tournaments and download new stuff from Microsoft. The play-and-charge kit for the wireless controller is a necessity because if you run out of battery in the middle of a game you can just plug it in and continue playing while the controller charges, and of course it beats buying new batteries every week. If you have more than one child then you'll need to double everything, except the Xbox Live membership and the console itself.

There are many games out there that require additional items like a racing wheel, gloves and so on. These should be purchased on a game by game basis. Check each game as you buy it to find out if these extras are needed in order to play or not. You may also want to consider a wireless network adapter if you don't have an internet connection close to the TV. Be careful because the wireless adapters can be quite expensive!

There are also many extra items that you buy for your Xbox 360 that don't affect actual game play. Faceplates give your Xbox 360 an individualized look (kids may think it's cool). You can also buy things like controller skins for a better grip, an Xbox 360 cooler to make it run at a colder temperature (after all it is a computer!), game holders, and even bags so you can take to a friends house or keep it in your room.

I hope this article helps give you some insight on how buy an Xbox 360. If you still have no clue as to what's going on you may want to ask a kid, any kid, as they'll probably know.

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