Dad’s Medium Gift
Microsoft Xbox 360
Ok, we lied. Our medium gift is really more like the "other, other" big gift. But, at about $400 it isn’t extravagantly priced, and considering its appeal, it could definitely keep more than one member of the household entertained for the next year (or much longer).
What’s so special about it?
Well, we must admit that the Microsoft Xbox 360 isn’t new this year. No, it launched in November of 2005, and immediately initiated a shopping frenzy. Like the consoles launching now, in 2005 the Xbox 360 was about as rare as the Dodo. It flew off store shelves on launch day, November 22, like a spooked pigeon (okay, enough bird imagery). Very few hardcore owners of the original Xbox - that’s the grittiest group of Halo freaks out there - were actually able to get their sore little thumbs on the machine before Christmas actually arrived.
That’s changed. In the past year, the system has become widely available, and so have a number of new games. If you’re wondering why we’d recommend a game system to a Dad, then you need only look at these games - let loose with some Gears of War, Call of Duty (2 or 3 or Perfect Dark Zero, and their artistry will let you know exactly what kind of console you’re getting with the 360. At its heart, Microsoft’s system is built for hardcore techies who have been around the video game universe for some time (and since video games have existed since the 70s, it isn’t hard to imagine a father playing them).
In addition, the 360 sports an internal DVD player (that can now be upgraded to the powerful HD-DVD for $200) and online capabilities. The latter is key for many old-time gamers, since that’s where they’ll be able to download the best titles from yesteryear, including Dig Dug and Doom.
Ok, it rocks. How much does it cost?
Like we said, most bundled Xbox 360s (that means they come with a couple of games and a short online subscription) will retail for $400 to $500. That’s a bit more than the (generally) kid-oriented Nintendo Wii and a lot less than the ultra-hyped Sony Playstation 3.
