Since completing my first full day with the Xbox 360 I wanted to post some early impressions:
My wife noticed how heavy the console is when she went to pick it up at CC. Compared to the slim PS2, the 360 weighs a ton.
I now understand why I’ve heard so many good things about the 360 controller. It feels well-made and solid. The D-pad isn’t that precise, but most games use the analog controls anyway and the shoulder buttons are great for racing games.
It’s going to take me a while to get used to the Xbox controller after using a Sony controller for 11 years.
The included headset is great considering that it’s free. I love that it plugs right into the wireless controller practically making the whole setup wireless. I’m quite satisfied with the setup and have no desire to buy a completely wireless headset.
The online voice sound quality is a small step below what I’m used to with PS2 online games.
The power brick is HUGE!!!
The console itself seems pretty quiet and hasn’t gotten too hot yet.
Xbox Live is awesome!!! I now see what everyone was talking about. I love how it’s so integrated into the system. I mentioned this to Ted last night, but I feel like a “virtual stalker” now that I can track what everyone on my friend’s list is doing or playing on their 360.
Xbox Live gameplay was smooth as butter last night while Ted and I played Forza 2 for about 1.5 hours. I love that you can chat across games too.
The graphics are very good but haven’t blown me away yet.
Games and Demos:
Forza 2: A lot of fun and great looking graphics. The only problem is that I’m terrible at it (Ted can verify that 
).
Marvel Ultimate Alliance: Decent graphics but nothing I’m interested in. This will become my son’s game.
NHL 08 (Demo): A lot of fun and nice graphics. The gameplay and controls are very smooth. This is be my first purchase for sure.
NCAA Football 08: Nice graphics and runs smooth. I need to adjust to the controls before I can get a true feel for the game.
March Madness 08: I actually enjoyed this quite a bit. I’ve always liked the “Live/arcadey” gameplay style of EA’s basketball games.
Lego Star Wars II: Not impressed at all. The graphics don’t look any better than my PS2 version hooked up to my HDTV through component cables.
MX vs ATV Unleashed: More of the same with slightly better graphics than the last-gen version.
Virtua Tennis 3: This was my surprise of the day. Beautiful graphics with easy and fun gameplay. This is another strong candidate for purchase.