Image courtesy Microsoft
On February 29, Microsoft began shipping out their limited edition Xbox 360 bundle. This package of joy includes an Xbox 360 4GB console that is glossy white in color, a Kinect sensor of matching color, a white Xbox 360 wireless controller and a copy of two Kinect titles: Kinect Sports and Kinect Adventures. The bundle also comes with a three month subscription to Xbox LIVE Gold. There is a special edition White Xbox 360 wireless controller that’s now available for purchase separately (if you feel like you need another controller).
I thoroughly checked out the bundle with family gaming in mind, and tried out the new system to check out what it does and doesn’t offer a household of beginner gamers. Aside from the new look, there has been no revolutionary change in configuration or performance, other than reducing the size of the hard drive and changing the color (chromatic opposite of the previous black 4 GB version). There did seem to be a noticeably louder “pling” sound when I turned the power button on and off. For gamers, storage is important. The hard drive records game data that tracks and highlights the games you play and how well you play them. Even our youngest, beginner gamers take an interest in their Achievements as they play. It’s all part of the game.
What I did confirm, however, in testing out new game trials (in addition to both Kinect games) is that this console is the ideal platform for beginner family gaming for one main reason: the size of the hard drive: 4 GB. The reason is that families with beginner gamers, kids who are just starting to play Kinect games for example, will not need excessive amounts of hard drive space. When children are just starting out, they will probably focus on gaining skills in just one or two games, which will minimize the amount of hard disk space they would require for their game data.
I’ll break down my usage on the new console for the past three nights (using the Xbox system-specific labels).
- Games and Apps: 240 KB
- Gamer Profiles: 2 MB
- Demos: 1.8 GB
- System Items: 152 MB
Now, there would still be 1 GB left on the console for game data. I downloaded the Mass Effect 3 Demo to see how much space it would take up. Obviously, without the Mass Effect 3 demo, there would be an additional 2.8 GB to apply to Kinect Sports and Kinect Adventures Achievements! In 3 nights of solid work with the games, we only used 240 KB on the console’s H/D. It will take a while to fill up the 4 GB that is available on this console with all your little gamers’ Achievements in playing these fun Kinect games.
I would recommend this console for families who are starting to test the waters of the great gaming universe. It’s a good beginning console for younger children who are finding their way with Kinect games before they take the plunge into trying out controller-specific games. The Xbox 360 Special Edition 4GB Kinect Family Bundle is available for $299.99. Happy gaming, kids!
