I really haven’t been paying a lot of attention to the hype about Microsoft’s next console. My feelings for it are pretty much the same as the original Xbox: Halo is fun and all, but I won’t be buying one anytime soon. Ok, I realize there’s more to the Xbox (and it’s predecessor) than one successful game, but I just don’t care that much. I’ve never had the urge to buy an Xbox (or a Playstation for that matter).

Well, I decided I would learn a little bit about what the 360 is going to offer, so I spent the last hour or so reading James Ranson-Wiley’s impressions of the system and some of it’s games over at Joystiq. It seems to me there’s a mix of good and bad with the new console.

His impressions of the games were mixed. It sounds like they all look nice, but some lack the immersive environment he was looking for. I’m really not surprised that he doesn’t think Perfect Dark Zero will carry the Xbox launch. I really like the way he describes how the gameplay doesn’t really seem to be “next-gen.”

My hope for next-gen gaming is that character and environment interaction will become more seamless and intuitive—I want grass to move when I walk through it. PDZ does not feature next-gen gameplay. I understand a developer’s decision to leave out a “jump” action. It’s a design choice that, among other things, will help shape the multiplayer experience. But not being able to will Joanna over a knee-high crate is simply unacceptable.

A few other games look like bright spots, though. The description of Condemned sounds pretty cool, with the potential for an involving story. That’s something a lot of games seem to be missing. I don’t know about the graphic violence but the concept sounds intriguing. There’s also Kameo: Elements of Power from Rare. Who doesn’t like fun?

The part of this series of reviews I found the most interesting, though, where his thoughts on what makes Xbox 360 innovative and truly next-gen: it’s interface (and it’s potential).

The real Xbox 360 can only function when its hooked into the network, Xbox Live. If all goes according to plan, Microsoft has developed a system that will rank and categorize gamers like never before—and what’s so brilliant (or scary) is a user need simply to create a profile to initiate this process, that’s it. In effect, your Xbox 360 is always watching; it’s always cataloguing and taking notes. Theoretically, once it gathers enough information from you, if you do decide to make your experience Live, the system will have gathered enough information to group you with like-minded gamers, automatically. In addition, the options are there for you to fine-tune your preferences.

This is the most interested I’ve been in the 360. Making the console more powerful can only take it so far and that’s been a big factor in my indifferent attitude toward Microsoft’s and Sony’s offerings for the next generation of consoles. What he’s talking about is a totally new type of gaming community tailored specifically for each player and others like him/her. I really think there’s a lot of potential there.

A user comment from Gunnar sums up most of my thoughts pretty well.

I think this review, the whole series, was great. In fact it just may have brought me back to the XBOX 360 camp. This review, compared to many others seemed very real and seemed to try to present a decent non-bias. Perhaps the next gen of gaming isn’t actually graphics, but gameplay and the online community the 360 will have. If so…we all benefit.

I may not be part of the “Xbox 360 camp,” but I can see where the world of console gaming could benefit from what Microsoft is trying to create. If the interface is really the 360’s best selling point, why is it lost in all the hype about graphics, processing power, and wireless controllers? The real question remains: how many people will plug in and take full advantage of Xbox Live?

Currently Watching: Major League II