Buy Mad Catz Xbox 360 - Officially Licensed Modern Warfare 2 Combat

Customer Ratings:

After using the Mad Catz Modern Warfare 2 XBOX 360 controller (camo color) almost non-stop since Modern Warfare 2 released, I can say that I am happy with it overall. If you're a big fan of Modern Warfare 2, and can see yourself logging a ton of hours into the game, I can recommend the purchase. It comes with a bonus "combat case" that is basically a plastic case for the controller not very useful. It is possible to buy these controllers at Walmart without the combat case, for $5 cheaper (do it). If you already have plenty of 360 controllers, or are not a HUGE fan of the multiplayer, you should probably put your $50 towards another game, like the upcoming Left 4 Dead 2 or Assassins Creed 2. Even though I have a lot of cons below, I think the pros are mighty significant, and enough to give the controller 4 stars.

PROS

+This is the coolest looking controller I have ever seen. I has an awesome digital camo color on the front with a Modern Warfare 2 logo on top, and gray on the back. I dont care for the "snow" color, but I love the camo color. And as another nice touch when the controller is on, the analog sticks have a nice green backlight to them.

+It has "soft feel" plastic all around, so it feels great in your hands. The sides of the controller, where your palms are when you're holding it, have a grippy rubber material. It helps prevent the controller from slipping when your hands are sweating. Modern Warfare 2 is so intense, you will be sweating.

+The overall feel, build quality, materials, and presentation are great.

+There are 2 "combat" buttons on the back of the controller. The left combat button can be programmed to activate the left stick button, B, or A. The right combat button can activate RSB, X, or Y. I have the left combat button set to change my stance, and the right combat button set for reloading. This is an excellent idea, and it is nice to see some third party companies come up with some custom controller ideas for consoles. I hope a lot more custom controllers become available in the coming years.

CONS

-The biggest con: this controller is WIRED! Why on Earth would a controller for this generation of consoles would anyone be manufacturing a wired controller?! I was shocked when I first read about the controller. I am guessing Microsoft had some legal/proprietary issue with it, as the Modern Warfare 2 controller for PS3 is wireless. If the price were lower, I might be ok with this as I dont need to bother with recharging a battery, and the cord is very high quality and nylon-braided.

-The controller will cost $50 at a major retailer like Best Buy or Gamestop. As I stated above, if the controller were wireless I would be able to justify the cost. A wired controller for $40 is tolerable.

-This controller is made by Mad Catz, which has made some crummy third party peripherals before. Who knows if the analog sticks will start to wear out and become less precise, or the triggers wont work properly, or some other problem will arise months from now. The OEM 360 controller from Microsoft is so well constructed and durable. They last for years. Only time will tell how long this Mad Catz product will last, even though it seems to be very high quality.

-The controller feels a bit cramped and awkward with exteneded use. Maybe my hands are so used to the standard 360 and PS3 controllers, that any other design is just foreign to me. I dont mind the ergonomics of the controller, and after almost a week I have become used to the feel of the controller. But, I can see how some people would say the controller doesnt feel right in their hands.

-The triggers are pistol-grip style, meaning they are a little shorter and wider than the standard 360 controller's. I didnt like this at first because I thought my fingers would slip off of the triggers. So far, I havent had that problem. When you are moving your fingers quickly enough between the triggers and bumpers, your fingers might miss the triggers occassionally.

-I really dont like the design of the left and right bumpers. They are a much bigger, and completely flat, compared to the standard 360 controller. They also take a bit more force to "click" them. When I am trying to quickly throw a stun grenade around a corner where an enemy is hiding, or trying to quickly throw a Semtex (sticky) grenade at a guy with a riot shield, I feel like I have to be more deliberate and careful with my button press with my index finger.

-The combat buttons are too small, and tucked to far away into the ergonomic creases on the back of the controller. I dont find myself using the left combat button very often because of this. I do use the right combat button to reload every time. I dont find my thumbs leaving the analog sticks as often because of this, so the combat buttons are still useful, but could be dramatically improved.

Thanks for reading!

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

Hmm. I gotta tell you, I really wanted to like this controller. I really, really did. The mapping or the sprint and reload functions to extra buttons on the back is a great idea. Unfortunately, however, MadCatz implementation of this idea is a cheap, flimsy cash-in that you will be ultimately unhappy with.

Let me start with the good points (and there are only a couple), to get them out of the way. The "combat buttons" on the back are just a fantastic idea. They let you choose from some rather limited mapping options for some new buttons intended to be manipulated by your middle fingertips. I don't make much of an issue of the limitations to the mapping because, well, nobody has done it before and almost everyone that I can think of wouly map sprint to the left button (LB) and either reload (X) or switch weapons (Y) to the other. Being able to do all of these things without mucking up what you are doing with the sticks would have been great, but we will get to why it is not.

Second, the material it is made of is phenomenal. It is super comfortable and the raised grips on the sides give the controller a nice tactile feel and are not slippery at all, like the MS controllers tend to get.

Third, they look really cool. The backlighting and camo pattern is really slick.

Now, ON TO THE BAD!!!

First and foremost, the ergonimics are ATROCIOUS!!! It is so diffucult to manipulate the "combat buttons" that any benefit derived from their existance is completely outweighed by their difficulty of use. The L and R shoulder buttons are very difficult to get to. A huge hassle since the MS controller has them essentially resting under your finger and need only a slight roll or your knuckle to work. The wrist angle is all wrong. When you are using this controller you will feel like it wants your wrists to move in ways they should not. It is very uncomfortable once you have to start pressing buttons.

Second, the whole thing feels cheap. The D pad is muddy and has no tactile response at all. The triggers have not near enough travel or spring tension. The L stick button provides no feedback at all when the stick is pressed forward (which is the only time you would use it in this particular game).

Finally, and most unforgivably, it is CORDED!!! This is simply inexcusible. This may be MS telling them they cannot have some proprietary wireless tech or something, but it certainly is lame.

BOTTOM LINE: If you are a serious MW2 player you will look at this controller and want it. The features look really good on paper. Do not forget, however, that the stock controllers for the 360 are excellent. This is a great idea that falls completely flat in execution. Do not buy this thing. You will be disappointed (and your wrists will hurt).

Best Deals for Mad Catz Xbox 360 - Officially Licensed Modern Warfare 2 Combat

You can reload and crouch without leaving the joysticks, they were on to something very valuable here. Unfortunately, the controller lacks the ergonomic curvature of the stock controller; it is generally uncomfortable for me and it cramps my hands. The triggers are nice, but they have very loose springs, so it takes some acclimation. The L1/R1 buttons are big and cheap feeling. The joysticks don't have a distinctive click to them, so I'm not impressed with that either. Maybe worth it if you need another controller, but I wouldn't replace the stock one.

Honest reviews on Mad Catz Xbox 360 - Officially Licensed Modern Warfare 2 Combat

The material that covers this controller is quite nice and I'd like to see it on the standard 360 controller. Other than that, this controller is rather filled with negatives and at best plenty of indifference.

The first problem is the shape of the controller. The contours of the 360 are clearly designed for the human hand. Almost all of those contours are erased from the Mad Catz controller and you instead have what is essentially a very controller that is kind of like attaching handles to a rectangular piece of toast. It also feels much smaller than a regular controller and far lighter. Almost small enough and light enough to be on the verge of feeling not just poorly designed, but cheaply made.

The D-pad doesn't feel right. It feels "mushy". The ABXY buttons feel cheap and clanky. The triggers don't have the right "feel" when you pull them. They kind of have the same tactile "give" of the trigger of a cheap squirt-gun. Worse, they're kind of tiny and thin, which feels odd with your fingers wrapped over them. As if those aren't bad enough, the bumpers are horrendous. They're very large and entirely flat. Not curved around the corners of the controller like the standard controller. I can't see this feeling comfortable after long term use. I don't see why they needed to change the default setup of the triggers and bumpers at all.

The main point of those whole controller is the set of "extra buttons". These are on the back. The biggest problem I have with these? They're TINY. If you hold a controller as I and most people I've surveyed do, you will be pressing these (near the base of the back/inside bend of the controller) with your ring fingers. How tiny are they? They're basically 'reset' buttons. You know, the kind of button you would use the tip of a paperclip on to reset a consumer electronics product to its factory settings. I looked forward to using the extra buttons for quick MW2 knifing or sprinting. These are too inconvenient and small to use with length (for running) or agility (for knifing).

And of course, on top of all of this, it is a wired controller. Regardless of if that's a decision by Mad Catz or enforced by Microsoft it's still inconvenient.

I saw the negative reviews on this. And the more common "meh it's fine, but there's no point in bothering with it" reviews around the web. I really sold myself on the two extra programmable buttons, though. I sure was let down. Probably the most useless purchase I've made through all of December and will never be plugged into the console for use again.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Mad Catz Xbox 360 - Officially Licensed Modern Warfare 2 Combat

I've had this controller for a month now, and overall I'd give it 3.5 stars.

Pros -

Looks cool: The camo pattern and the lit thumbsticks fit the MW2 theme well.

Combat buttons: These are an interesting idea, and their usefulness will vary depending on the user. Especially nice if you don't like clicking the sticks to sprint and melee.

Triggers: They are curved to be more like a gun trigger. I prefer the feel of these to the stock MS triggers.

Cons -

Wired: This has pros and cons of its own, but in the end the price is a bit steep for a wired controller. At least the wire is of good quality.

Slippery thumbsticks: The sticks are extremely slick. My hands do not even get very sweaty but I'm constantly wiping off my thumbs to keep them completely dry so they don't slip. I've considered putting a piece of hockey tape on them to add some texture, but haven't tried it yet.

D-Pad: I didn't think it was possible, but this D-Pad is even worse than the MS one. It's sufficient to call in killstreaks and stuff, but very mushy and somewhat inaccurate.

Combat button placement: This is a con only because you can't use the combat buttons very well right out of the box. It takes some practice to adjust your hands in such a way that you can easily reach both of the buttons.

Combat button selector switch: They advertise "on-the-fly" map swapping for the combat buttons, but the switch is poorly designed for that. I don't ever change the mapping but if you plan to -during matches, good luck.

Combat case: If you get one with the combat case, the thing is completely useless. I don't know how they expect you to get the controller in there with the cord, but I could never get it to fit properly. Good for holding index cards though.

One final note that probably won't apply to most users is that if you plan to use this controller with surround headphones, you may run into some incompatibility. I use the Tritton AXPROs(great headset, probably the reason I do so well in MW2) and I had to turn the vibration function off because this controller sent feedback through the microphone every time it vibrated.

In the end, I would recommend this if you are one of those people that really hate pressing the sticks(I don't personally mind it) or if you need another controller and can find this for about $30.

Discount HDE Wireless Receiver compatible w/ Xbox 360 controller to PC

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $25.99
Sale Price: $12.99
Today's Bonus: 50% Off

These instructions are for Windows 7 64-bit specifically

Do not even take the disc they give you with the receiver out of the bag... it's worthless.

Google "xbox 360 controller pc driver" and the first hit should be a link to the official Microsoft page for the Xbox 360 Controller for Windows.

Under the Support tab you can download the official software, which does work with this HDE 360 Receiver and gives you the on screen display and shows your battery level remaining, etc, just like on the 360 console.

Once the official software has been installed...

Plug in wireless receiver to your PC

Open Device Manager

Right-click "Unknown device" > "Update Driver Software"

"Browse my computer for driver software"

"Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer"

Highlight "Show All Devices" > Click Next

WAIT... it may take a second to load if your PC is slow

Under Manufacturer select "Microsoft"

Under Model select "Xbox 360 Controller for Windows Version: 2.1.0.1349 [8/13/2009]"

Click Next

When you get prompted for the Update Driver Warning click "Yes"

When you right-click and open Properties on the receiver in Device Manager, open the Driver tab and you should see the following:

Driver Provider: Microsoft

Driver Date 8/13/2009

Driver Version: 2.1.0.1349

THAT was the key for my installation on Windows 7 64-bit, the default driver it was finding before was dated 2006 and did NOT work even though it did recognize the receiver.

Once your receiver is working, click the sync button on both the receiver and your wireless 360 controller and you should see a pop up from your System Tray about "USB Input Device" was detected... your controller is now synced.

If you open the Game Controllers menu under Control Panel you should now see the 360 receiver listed, and you can click Properties and verify visually that all buttons, thumb-sticks, etc are working properly and you can even perform calibration of the analog inputs should they need it but I wouldn't bother unless you notice an issue.

For $12'ish shipped this is an excellent value IF it keeps working long term I will be very happy. Microsoft did not stop making the official receiver, they just decided to stop selling it individually. You have to buy the bundle with a new controller, which was foolish of them in my honest opinion and why you see all these knock-off's online.

I had previously been using my PS3 controller on my PC via a software called "DS3 Tool" by "MotionJoy" which you can look up online as well... even works with BlueTooth supposedly. A good alternative if you already have a PS3 controller because no dongle is required and the "DS3 Tool" software is completely free.

I hope this review was helpful for anyone hesitant to give this a try or having issues with the receiver driver installation.

EDIT 01/06/13 I've been using it for a few months now with zero issues, thing works like a charm. Also thanks everyone for responding that these instructions were helpful, and I took note of some suggestions and modified the above instructions to reflect that the official M$ driver / software should be installed before you do anything.

I've been using this dongle to rock the new Steam Big Picture mode and it works perfectly... :)

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

Okay so there's a setup guide I'm going to tell you I learned from a review (I'm not stealing them I'm just re posting so new buyers can see.)

These instructions are for Windows 7 64-bit and also for Windows 8 64-bit specifically.

Do not even take the disc they give you with the receiver out of the bag... it's worthless.

Google "xbox 360 controller pc driver" and the first hit should be a link to the official Microsoft page for the Xbox 360 Controller for Windows.

Under the Support tab you can download the official software, which does work with this HDE 360 Receiver and gives you the on screen display and shows your battery level remaining, etc, just like on the 360 console.

Once the official software has been installed...

Plug in wireless receiver to your PC

Open Device Manager

Right-click "Unknown device" > "Update Driver Software"

"Browse my computer for driver software"

"Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer"

Highlight "Show All Devices" > Click Next

WAIT... it may take a second to load if your PC is slow

Under Manufacturer select "Microsoft"

Under Model select "Xbox 360 Controller for Windows Version: 2.1.0.1349 [8/13/2009]"

Click Next

When you get prompted for the Update Driver Warning click "Yes"

When you right-click and open Properties on the receiver in Device Manager, open the Driver tab and you should see the following:

Driver Provider: Microsoft

Driver Date 8/13/2009

Driver Version: 2.1.0.1349

THAT was the key for my installation on Windows 7 64-bit, the default driver it was finding before was dated 2006 and did NOT work even though it did recognize the receiver.

Once your receiver is working, click the sync button on both the receiver and your wireless 360 controller and you should see a pop up from your System Tray about "USB Input Device" was detected... your controller is now synced.

If you open the Game Controllers menu under Control Panel you should now see the 360 receiver listed, and you can click Properties and verify visually that all buttons, thumb-sticks, etc are working properly and you can even perform calibration of the analog inputs should they need it but I wouldn't bother unless you notice an issue.

My product came in the mail in about 3-5 days. Really fast and in perfect condition. It works perfectly with Steam Big Picture mode and flawless with XPadder. Be sure to give the original guide poster credit too!

Best Deals for HDE Wireless Receiver compatible w/ Xbox 360 controller to PC

Does not work in Windows 8, which seems to be a common complaint. After 2 hours of searching forums and continually deleting and reinstalling drivers, I'm officially done trying.

EDIT: Got it working under Win 8, 64-Bit, but it's still somewhat of a pain. Here are the steps:

1) Install Microsoft's 360 controller software. If you Google "microsoft 360 drivers" it will be the second hit from the top.

2) With receiver plugged in, go to Device Manager > Other Devices.

3) You should see an Unknown Device. Uninstall its drivers.

4) Unplug receiver, then plug it back in.

5) You should see the same Unknown Device reappear under Other Devices.

6) Update Drivers for Other Device.

7) Select "Browse my computer for device software" then "Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer"

8) Choose Microsoft as the manufacturer, then look towards the bottom of the list for "Xbox 360 Wireless Receiver for Windows" and install the software.

9) At this point (hopefully) you should be able to sync the devices together.

Note that if you disconnect the receiver you will need to redo the steps above. So yeah, I can confirm that it does work under Windows 8.

Honest reviews on HDE Wireless Receiver compatible w/ Xbox 360 controller to PC

I followed the instructions given by the customer review and it worked perfectly. I tried using the CD and the instructions that were included but they either didn't work or were too complicated. I just downloaded the software from the microsoft website and followed the instructions in the customer review and now it works perfectly.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for HDE Wireless Receiver compatible w/ Xbox 360 controller to PC

works great with windows 8. thanks to the summer steam sale, i've been buying a lot of games that support the xbox 360 controller, and this works great. installation was easy... just make sure you don't use the CD that was included and follow "Schmoofadoop" instructions in his/her review

Cheap Blur - Xbox 360

Customer Ratings:

I am not a major league gamer and I may very well be the worst online racer ever! But that doesn't stop me from trying new things. I used to be great at Gran Turisimo (sp?) on Playstation (not 2 but 1). The next racing game I tried was Burnout but I didn't have the internet. I was pretty good. But when I got my 360 and got online with the same game. I was ALWAYS in last place. Then Burnout Paradise came out and now I had to drive around a city. I like arrows and directions and a track, not free open space. I like arcarde, blowing stuff up and dodging things, taking shortcuts! This all come in BLUR. I bought split/second first because I didn't like the beta of BLUR, and that game is okay compared to BLUR. I got BLUR yesterday and became addicted. I haven't been addicted to a racing game since Burnout Takedown on PS2. I love the style of the game. It feels very sleek and the cars look amazing. The career mode I never really do because I always lose, but even with my horrible driving I came in first on some races. The games is so fluid in motion and easy to play that even when I came in last, I didn't mind pressing retry. The career seems like it will get more difficult, pitting you again 20 CPU drivers. But I was glad to see my ranking for career didn't really seem to effect my ranking online. I started out a rank 1 and ending in rank 4 in one hour (even when I lost I got points!). The one person talking was very nice and it seems less skill driving then good timimg and hopefully some good aiming. I don't know how to drift for anything on this game, just can't do it! But I still came in 1st once. I will stop rambling on and give some pros and cons.

Pros

1. Fluid motion

2. Powerups (all of them) are fun and usefull

3. No great skill needed

4. Style is top notch

5. Great looking cars

6. You can customize powerups (damage and such)

7. You rank online is seperate from career

8. Fun enough to press retry if you fail

9. Haven't tried this yet but Local multiplayers!

Cons

1. Hard as...to drift!

2. Too much down time to reset your car if turned around

3. This really isn't a con but (Hard to dodge the missle like fireball coming at your from behind!!!!!!)

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

This game is like super mario cart on crack! You have some of the same kind of weapons so it all feels really familiar and just as mario is completely fun. I've played the multiplayer a lot and the different kinds of races are all extremely fun not to mention that it seems like they have an endless amount of tracks! My friend and I were playing last night for about five to six hours straight and still didn't see all the tracks. Racing death match, derby death match, and regular racing. They are all amazing and fun, If you're here looking for a multiplayer splitscreen offline or online game that's not just a racing game and is fun you've found it. Buy it my friends, buy it.

Best Deals for Blur - Xbox 360

Cannot say bad things about this game, it is literally Mario Kart for adults. I feel like I'm playing an N64 with real cars, better graphics, and a lot more fun things involved.

Honest reviews on Blur - Xbox 360

This has been the biggest hit this Christmas besides Halo 4. We have three boys and a girl ranging in ages from 15 to 7. All four of them like to play together and dad likes to join in and help the youngest. They do say the cars are different from each other not just in body style but how they race. These differences often get the blame for losses rather than driver error! We don't have Wii and Mario Cart, but we think this is pretty close!

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Blur - Xbox 360

I love this game. It's like Mario Kart but without characters, and with realistic tracks/cars/etc. It's like other racing games, where you, well, race to the finish line, except you collect items to try to knock out your opponents. For example, you can drop mines on the track, and if someone hits one BOOM they get hurt pretty bad, and it sets them back (because everyone passes them). Lightening sets lightening fields on the track, which slows cars down if they run into them. And of course, there are healing and protection items you can collect to, to help yourself stay in the game. You can also play with up to four players (locally) and more online. It's a real fun game overall.

Modsticks Pro Xbox 360 Controller Analog Sticks (Light Blue) Reviews

Customer Ratings:

The idea and look of these is just AMAZING. They are easy to install and built well.

MAJOR PROBLEM

The tops of the joystics are absolutely horrible. Well i actually don't mind the left side but if you play duty then you might as well give up on the right side because your finger will not sit on it well and it will slide all around and do nothing but make you very very very mad.

My fix. I use to use Kontrol Freeks. I had one left over so i grabbed the bottom of the rubber near the upright of the KF with needle nose pliers. I pulled the rubber off the plastic very slowly. Then i pulled some cotton off some qtips and stuffed the rubber with it. Just enough to make sure that the rubber wouldn't float around loosely on the modstick. Then i pulled the rubber back over the top of the modstick and WOWWWWW perfect! Wow i'm good. Anyways i only need this modification on the right side and if you can manage the same mod then go for it. It's wicked nice being able to drop stick down a little more than KontrolFreeks. I actually die less now because not only am i more accurate but when you are lifted up as drastic as a kontrol freek then it actually takes more time to turn fastly because of more travel.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

I ordered at the Modstick website and they were quick with responses to my questions. The thumbsticks themselves are smooth and stylish adding more distance on the x and y axis for the xbox 360 controller. I have received numerous positive comments and expect orders for custom controllers using the Modstick Pro package over the next few months. There is currently no substitute for the Modstick Pro package. Modsticks Pro Set Xbox 360 Controller FPS Analog Gaming Mod Sticks Color Orange

Reviews of X-Plane 10 Global Flight Simulator (PC & MAC)

Customer Ratings:

SUMMARY

--------------

I've been using this product for the past two weeks, and have used both a mouse-yoke and a Saitek Pro Flight Yoke (PZ44). In short, X-Plane is a great simulator, built in a much more modern way code-wise than FSX (Microsoft Flight Simulator X); the flight model also performs better overall. It's not as "fun" as FSX and it's a bit less polished (development seems to be on-going), but it's a pleasure to fly in.

+ Excellent flight model (given good plane modelling)

+ Excellent terrain and road data

+ Professional software; same company makes a version approved for FAA simulator training (on approved hardware simulators)

+ Runs better than FSX

+ On-going development

Included aircraft modelled poorly; some are, frankly, atrocious

"bells-and-whistles" secenery poor to non-existant

Not game-like a la FSX; no real tutorials or "missions"

Clunky, technical interface

Some features are currently incomplete

DETAILED REVIEW

------------------------

If you install all the scenery at once, the install process will take ages. The total size of the whole shebang on-disk is around 55 gigabytes. I think, for me, that translated into an installation time over two hours. I assume most of that data are the extremely detailed wire-meshes of terrain and accurate road network data since 99% of the 3D scenery (buildings, trees, etc.) is autogen. Unlike FSX, the world, itself, can be pretty barren and you certainly won't see any landmarks (even such things as the Golden Gate Bridge are absent).

A few people's reviews seem to be commenting that the software runs slowly. This is true if you crank all the graphical settings up. However, the software's designed to be somewhat future-proofed, so we're not supposed to do that. If I set the graphics similarly in both X-Plane and FSX, I actually get slight better performance in X-Plane. X-Plane seems to be more graphics card-intensive than FSX, which is more CPU intensive, so that's a factor I kept in mind while jigging the settings.

Unlike in FSX, I needed to configure my Saitek Pro flight yoke and quadrant, manually assigning the levers and buttons to actions. Thankfully, that wasn't too hard (press a button, choose its function). Three minor issues: 1) I had to reverse the input for two of the levers (100% on the quadrant was registering as 0% in the software); 2) I still can't get my POV 8-way hatswitch to pan smoothly. The software registers it's directions as one of four button clicks, basically panning 25° with each click; 3) The red "cycle view" button on the yoke can't seem be made to work the same way as in FSX. None of these are major issues. Either they're caused by my own stupidity or diffences in the way FSX and X-Plane handle controller input.

The interface, itself, is a lot less user-friendly than FSX, but it's nowhere near unmanageable. You roll the mouse towards the top of the screen to expose a menu with dropdown lists, most of which lead to panels full of settings, and toggles, and guff like that. The whole thing has a very industrial feel to it, so I might not recommend it to people who aren't too comfortable with computers. If you're comfortable in the Windows classic Control Panel, you probably won't have too many problems with the interface.

The star of the X-Plane simulator is its simulation system. FSX uses look-up tables to run its simulation. This means that it will look-up how the plane has been calculated to act in the specific circumstance it's currently in. The look-up table system works well as long as the look-up tables are accurate and they've data on the current situation.

In contrast, X-Plane looks at how the forces of flight would affect the current shape of the plane. This gives very realistic results, as long as the aircraft is modelled correctly. Unfortunately, the included aircraft range from good to kind-of-atrocious. It seems like the X-Plane team recycled aircraft from earlier editions from what I have read. Certainly feels like it. A lot of them have low-resolution textures and simple modelling, which actually makes them fly oddly. Honestly, I spend most of my time in add-on third-party planes (mostly ones by Carenado, which are extremely true-to-life). Give it the correct data and X-Plane works wonderfully. Everything's just a bit more fluid and lifelike than FSX.

X-Plane is chiefly a simulator. It has no missions or any real tutorial. There are "senerios", such as fighting fires, landing on carriers, and landing space shuttles, but these aren't really fleshed-out missions like those in FSX. The ATC and AI flight isn't really finished yet, it seems. The software feels like a work-in-progress in terms of any sort of extra features on the whole. Updates have come every few months so far.

On the whole, am I happy with my purchase at 70-some-odd-dollars?

Yes, with reservations: 1) I had used the demo for two weeks before buying, so I understood what I was getting; 2) I had bought FSX at release, when it was roughly the same price as X-Plane 10; 3) I'm expecting it to improve with age as updates roll out 4) This is the first edition of X-Plane I've purchased and used.

If any of those things don't apply to you, either try out the demo or wait a few years. The price of the previous X-Plane version dropped significantly as it aged (and, probably improved). I don't see why X-Plane 10 would be any differnt.

Personally, after owning X-Plane 10 for about two weeks, I now prefer it over FSX. I still spend about 10% of my time in FSX, exclusively when I'm itching for missions or complex ATC. When I want to just have fun flying or want to try applying something I've read, I use X-Plane.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

As many have stated before, calling X-Plane 10 a game would be a mistake. What it really is varies from person to person, but to make anything out of it requires you to put some time into it. Expect to spend an hour or so setting everything up, getting the graphics settings just right, configuring your joystick and other equipment to work just right... But once you do...

I am in the process of getting my private pilot/single engine rating. I hit a spot in my training just after I solo'ed where my landings were completely horrible. I got tired of hearing everyone say 'ohh, well, any landing you walk away from is a good one.' I hit a plateau that many students apparently hit. For over a month I was drilling patterns over my local airport with my instructor in the right seat, and I just couldn't seem to get it.

I decided to use X-Plane to get better. I got it as a gift last Christmas and I had been flying it on and off since then. I modified my yoke to make it smoother in pitch. And then I started doing patterns at my "local" airport. Eventually I just saved the game when I was on short final because the level off and flare was what I was having trouble with. And after a couple of hours, I finally got the hang of it. Over 100 virtual landings and I finally was able to always put the plane down safely in a crosswind. It wasn't exactly the same as the real thing, but it was really close. And my next lesson, I did it with in a real Skyhawk too.

So for me, X-Plane isn't a game; it is a training aid. It's close enough to the real thing that I got something useful out of it. And one that has paid for itself many times over.

So, for the plus'es, very realistic to the point of getting real skill out of it (as long as you put the time into it). Good graphics and performance can had with a strong computer and some time dialing the settings in. A strong community with plenty of free add-on's. It runs on Linux in addition to PC and Mac!

There are some con's though. The GUI is a bit clunky (there really needs to be a UI outside of the sim so you can configure everything before it loads. That way you are not sitting there loading the game twice when you want to change something). Installing was weird; there was a note in the folder of disks saying 'do not use the installer on disk 1, download the installer from our website'. I did and everything worked, but it was still odd. It is hard on your computer; you need a good rig to turn on a lot of the eye-candy (and even then, you probably can't max it out). And to get the most out of it a good joystick or yoke, rudder peddles, and a TrackIR are highly recommended. Cities and towns at high altitudes don't look right to me. And finally, not all of the included aircraft are created equal; some are kind of rough graphics wise compared to others.

The cons to me are minor though. All in all, if you want a serious flight simulator and you have the hardware to use it, get this. If you are looking for a more casual sim, give Microsoft Flight a chance. A combat sim, Rise of Flight. But look no farther if you want to learn to fly.

PS: If you are thinking about upgrading from X-Plane 9, I would recommend that you do so. X-Plane 10's performance, especially at higher resolutions, is a lot better in 10 than in 9.

Best Deals for X-Plane 10 Global Flight Simulator (PC & MAC)

I really hesitated before buying this product, and for good reason. The reviews out there are absolutely terrible. I had thought after reading them that I was paying $80 for a piece of paper to make a paper airplane out of. Despite all the heresay, I decided to decide for myself and downloaded the demo. Best decision I ever made! Unlike a lot of people who own fs9 or fsx, I was looking for a flight SIMULATOR. Not a game. I have a yoke I use with X-plane and every time I use the simulator, I am astounded by how realistic the flight characteristics are. In fsx, I never felt as if I were flying, I felt like I was playing a game; and I was. Every burst of wind, bit of turbulence, even wake turbulence is modeled perfectly. The graphics are so-so, but was not a problem for me as I use it primarily as a simulator. The whole "plausible" world thing really looks good as does the rest of the scenery. It's neat to see semis on the highway while flying low and slow. I was wary at first, but I am kicking myself for not buying this sooner!

Honest reviews on X-Plane 10 Global Flight Simulator (PC & MAC)

After some miscommunication with a software problem, the problem was remedied. This is the best Flight Sim on the market. As a retired pilot , I have flown X-Plane 9 many hours and found it to be as real as it gets for a sim. I am looking forward to even better flying with X-Plane 10. I heartily recommend this for any person who wants to learn how to fly or is a student pilot. Wish this had been invented when I was learning!!!!!!! Well worth every cent spent!

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for X-Plane 10 Global Flight Simulator (PC & MAC)

It's a great simulator. I got it to save some money on flying lessons, but my graphics adaptor wasn't enough to handle the game. With the right computer, this would be awesome, but mine just couldn't handle it. If you're going to use xPlane, read the system requirements and opt for more!

Reviews of Official Microsoft Xbox 360 SLIM Power Supply AC Adapter (Bulk

Customer Ratings:

I was originally going to buy this since it's an 'Official' replacement. The reviews are good and I am guessing that many people were satisfied after they received their new power supply. I hated this price for just that piece of the xbox. Read somewhere that it was $35 from the Xbox site/microsoft store. Looking around, couldn't find just the individual piece. Eventually I came upon a link for ordering repairs/replacements from the Xbox service.

Finally, found the link to order the power supply for just $35.00.

I suggest that you just buy the item here to save the money. I posted up a link before but they removed it. Here it is again, I will try to keep it updated, just removed the spaces. myservice . xbox . com

You will have to register your product before you can order any of the pieces from xbox. Which was easy, it's right on the back of your xbox. After you buy this item from them it's a total of $38.15 due to taxes. Still a better deal.

Just a Note; It usually stops working because of the overheating and the failure of the fan inside the power bar. If you buy the special Torx bits to open it up and periodically clean out the product then it increases the longevity of it immensely.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

After searching for quite a while I found this power supply. I have no idea why microsoft makes the official ac power cord so hard to find. If you don't have the new xbox you can find the old cables at gamestop. Call ahead because they might even sell this new one, none of the stores in boston had one. This is no knock off product and its exactly what I wanted, beware of buying the adapters and fake models because they could ruin your xbox or be to loud.

Best Deals for Official Microsoft Xbox 360 SLIM Power Supply AC Adapter (Bulk

Considered purchasing this here but concerned about the price as well. Called Xbox support 800-469-9269 to check the price there. They base the order from the serial number on your Xbox system to ensure you are getting the correct power supply. Brick and cord are $35 including shipping. Careful!! Ordering directly from manufacturer this time was a MUCH better deal and I know I'm getting the right product.

Honest reviews on Official Microsoft Xbox 360 SLIM Power Supply AC Adapter (Bulk

The official XBOX website is selling the complete AC adapter (brick and cord) for $35, this is just the brick for $61.99. I almost got ripped off until i check the site to see if my Adapter was covered.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Official Microsoft Xbox 360 SLIM Power Supply AC Adapter (Bulk

Works like a charm. Was worried that it would be noisy, as reported by buyers of other brands, but this one works just like the original. It is very quiet and I am very happy!!!

Review of 60GB Hard Disk Drive for Xbox 360 Slim

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $99.95
Sale Price: $31.68
Today's Bonus: 68% Off

If you're like me, you bought one of the $200 4gb Xbox slims and are here searching for a hard drive. I've had mine now for 3 weeks, and it works awesome. Plus, it enables full usage of Halo: Reach so I can finally do co-op and firefight over xbox live. Get this and save some money instead of wasting it on one of those "official" Microsoft hard drives.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

I got exactly what I paid for and it arrived very quickly. I did not realize that generic hard drives do not play original titles prior to ordering it though. Someone who wants a hard drive for playing original x box titles should get a real hard drive. The one that I purchased does not, although it works perfectly and I will be ordering from this company again soon. Thank you

Best Deals for 60GB Hard Disk Drive for Xbox 360 Slim

I just received my HDD in the mail for my Xbox 360 4gb slim. I popped this into the slot and it works great! I would definitely recommend this to anyone who isn't looking to pay the $120 for the Microsoft HDD.

Honest reviews on 60GB Hard Disk Drive for Xbox 360 Slim

If you're like me, I have a 4gb Xbox Slim and could not play Battlefield 4, so I bought this and am now playing perfectly. I was expecting to receive it in 1 to 3 days, but ended up being 4. However, i easily opened the top part of my Xbox and popped it right in! It fits perfectly. Do not buy the $120 Microsoft Hard Drives. Buy this one and save tons of money.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for 60GB Hard Disk Drive for Xbox 360 Slim

I received my HDD a couple of days before the delivery date.

Very satisfied, it works and was easy to install! My Xbox 360 Slim has no problems.

Buy this to save money while getting good HDD space.

Cheap Skylanders Giants Battlepack #1 - Chop Chop - Dragonfire Cannon

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $24.99
Sale Price: $12.49
Today's Bonus: 50% Off

This is a fun add-on to Skylanders Giants, and includes a cool magic item and two enjoyable but not dominant characters, which I'll describe separately. First, though, a slight word of warning. While these three toys are compatible with the Skylanders Giants game, it does not include any actual "Giant" figures, just the three figures listed below. Also, unlike the Adventure Packs in the last game, this battle pack does not unlock a new playable level, just a new battle mode area for PVP fights.

1) Silver Cannon: This is a "magic item" that you can use in the game for approximately for approximately 45 seconds each time you play a level. (You will see a circle on screen winding down the time, and can remove and re-add the cannon until your time is up.) If you add it to the portal, a cannon will appear in game, follow your Skylanders around, and shoot blasts of flame at your enemies. It's helpful in the boss battles and is also just fun. Adding the cannon also unlocks a new PVP battle area. Note another store has the exclusive right to sell the limited edition version of this pack, which comes with a gold cannon instead of silver. I'm not sure what the difference is, if any.

2) Shroomboom: This is a new life skylander. He's not the most powerful, but he's very cute, so we've been playing him a lot. He shoots explosive mushrooms with his slingshot, and can raise a defensive ring of mushrooms to slow down enemies. As you power him up, he gets more mushroom abilities, like a different explosive mushroom and the ability to launch himself at enemies. As I said, he doesn't dominate, but he's cute. After upgrading, Shroomboom can hold down his z-button to continually spam the screen with "paratrooper" explosive mushrooms, which is different and actually sort of effective, assuming you can still see him well enough to avoid the enemies while you wait for them to blow up.

Note: Shroomboom is not currently for sale as an individual figure, but he is on the list to be released in a "lightcore" version later, so if you're planning to collect the lightcore figures, you might want to wait.

3) Series 2 Chop Chop: This is the updated version of one of the undead figures from the original game. As in the original game, he's a sword and shield wielding beast. He does reasonable damage and his shield can protects him from most threats. He's basically the same as Series 1, except that he has access to a "Wow Pow" in his case, an upgraded shield bash.

Lastly, although you can use Chop Chop in both Giants and Spiro's Adventure, the other two figures are only compatible with Giants. Enjoy!

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

My 5-yr-old son's been begging for this game for the past two Christmases and it doesn't disappoint. Being able to change characters mid-game by removing and replacing them on the pedestal is a nifty little idea. He absolutely loves it.

Best Deals for Skylanders Giants Battlepack #1 - Chop Chop - Dragonfire Cannon

The younger kids love this game and cannot get enough of swapping the players to make the game more interesting. Each character has a different skill/power and all of the them are helpful to get through the game.

Honest reviews on Skylanders Giants Battlepack #1 - Chop Chop - Dragonfire Cannon

Originally, we purchased this battle pack, simply for Chop-Chop, but since opening and playing with it, we have enjoyed all three pieces.

Shroom boom is pretty cool, with his "walls" to stand behind as he attacks.

The battle cannon is useful in long battles, or with bigger, more powerful characters that could take you out quickly, otherwise.

Chop-Chop is my fav though. I played with my niece's first, and then started looking for one of my own, and Amazon had this pack on sale, so we bought it! I enjoy using his attacks, and he looks fabulous in the Showtime Hat. ;)

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Skylanders Giants Battlepack #1 - Chop Chop - Dragonfire Cannon

This was a birthday gift for my grandson, that he requested and seems to just love. Enjoy this baby boy.

Buy Test Drive: Eve Of Destruction

Customer Ratings:

This is, without a doubt, the most enjoyable racing came I've played since the original "DESTRUCTION DERBY" for the PSone. I loved playing that game, because as the race progressed the track would become littered with the crushed hulks of the cars, black smoke belching from the engine. It was so much fun. And now this new "TEST DRIVE" game has the same insane fun factor and more cars, tracks, unlockables and bone-jarring crashes than any demoltion derby nut could want!

One thing I love about this game is that, unlike other racers, coming in first in the events is not what you need to do to advance through the game. You instead are rewarded for hitting your opponents HARD!!!! and/ or knocking them out of the race (called Kills in the game). The more crashes and kills you rack up, the higher your reputation rating goes. And that is how you unlock cars, tracks, video footage of real derby doings (those guys are nuts!!!), and feats ( such as being able to shoot live chickens out the front of your car that explode on impact sending chicken feathers all over and any unlucky opponent flying into the air or off a cliff ).

There is a large selection of cars and some fun, special vehicles like school buses ( almost indestructible, my favorite car in the game being the rainbow colored bus ), a mail truck, ambulance, taxi and a hearse complete with a coffin in the back ( the red one is called "The Dead Sled") .

The tracks are nice and the race events are way cool! There are so many different types of events, you'll never get bored. There are figure-8 jump races ( in the center there are jumps and the cars fly into the air often crashing with the cross traffic ), forward-backward races ( one lap driving forward, the next backward ), suicide races ( half the pack goes in one direction, the other half in the opposite direction causing many crashes and smashes ), flagpole races ( twice a lap you must drive around a flagpole before continuing ), demolition derbys, push-offs ( like the demolition derbies, only you get extra points for each car you knock out or push-out of the circle ), and on and on.

In action mode you can pick your car, how many races you want to do at one track (1,3,5,7) and which ones (very nice!) and then go out and run your opponents off the road!

In career mode you start out with a little junky car and not much cash. You must enter into events, earn reputation points and cash, buy new cars ( fasters and more durable ) and eventually become the top ranked driver. It is loads of fun, believe me. You will have a blast!

The graphics are quite nice. Doors fly open, hoods are torn off, cars burst into flames, black smoke billows out of their wrecked engines all to some fine haevy metal music.

I've been playing this game almost every day since I bought it and don't see myself growing tired of it anytime soon. In fact, as I buy new games to play, I believe that this will be one game I'll keep coming back to again and again for a crashing good time!

I know there are other really BIG racing games coming out soon (GT4, MIDNIGHT CLUB 3, NFS UNDERGROUND 2), but don't let that make you ignore this smaller title. I believe any car nut/ racing fan will really enjoy this game and have a good time for many hours. In short, buy it, you'll like it! I know I did. Can you tell? George Bauch.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

Alot of times i will have trouble getting into racing games due to 1 or 2 small things that make the game a drag... but this one i have beaten 3 times and still enjoy playiong it!!!!

The Cars are excellent (i love the hearse), Physics and Damage are amazingly realistic.... very cool unlockable Videos. Tons of diffrent race modes, and a Very good soundtrack!!!

The ONLY thing that i think is a little dissappointing is the fact that SOME of the event types are not playable in the Carreer mode (out of about 25 diffrent styles of events..only about 3 are NOT in the Career mode).

I recomend you pick up this game.. if you like racing, and like Demolition derby style play... You will love this game Beyond words!!!!

Best Deals for Test Drive: Eve Of Destruction

When I bought this game, I had little idea of the doors it was going to open to remind me of the vintage, small town demo derbys I went to during my childhood and teenage years. There's no NASCAR cars here or formula one racers, no modern driving techniques or special, millenium style scenarios. It's straight back to the small town, state fair, dirt track style demo derbies and races with 50's, 60's, and 70's Fords, Dodges, and Chevys spray painted with numbers and stripes and ready to hit the tracks for fender bender mayhem!

You also DON'T have to be a racing video game guru to win these races! There are playing levels from rookie to legend in this game. Even in the legend level, if you can steer and go around the track, handle basic racing strategies, you have a great chance of winning! Winning and racing are a hoot in this game with the addition of the announcer shouting your name as the winner or teasing you because you came in last!

The races are wildly entertaining, from demo derbies to figure 8 races to races I hadn't even thought of. The Gauntlet involves racing a hearse around the track five times while other drives try to wreck you. The Suicide Race is exciting while the other half of the cars come at you head on. Detention is absolute mayhem fun, driving a schoolbus trying to destroy the other cars on the track. Some races aren't exactly easy, The Whiparound Race isn't as easy as it sounds, but fun to try (I can only imagine how true drivers managed to turn around going full speed while racing). My favorites are the figure 8 jump race and the down to basics demo derby.

Replay action is awesome in this game. You can choose several options to view the race from many angles and it gives great opportunities to see how well you've done or witness better some of the spectacular crashes that can happen in this game.

There's a large selection of vintage cars to choose from. In career mode, it takes a bit more work to earn money to get them, but when you reach certain levels, it's fun to take the cars to the garage and "spray paint" them with your own names, logos, designs, and numbers. The special effects are also great, from the bursts of flames from the pipes protruding through the hoods to smoking engines to the banging sounds of cars crashing into each other.

I have spent countless hours playing this game and it's still fun. It takes me back to the carnival and fair days when I would sit and wait for the racing/demo derby to begin.

Whoever invented this game-a big handshake to you and THANKS for making life such great fun for demo derby enthusiasts!

Honest reviews on Test Drive: Eve Of Destruction

Among the various racing games I have played, this is easily one of the more fun games. I enjoy car racing games probably more than other types of games, and I have enjoyed games like Grand Turismo a lot. However, I think Eve of Destruction is probably the best and most gratifying video games I've played. Grand Turismo is a stellar game, but I did find that it was rather complicated, and it had a steep learning curve, and it took a long time to become even a modest player--but it is still a fun game (I would like to point out that I did cut my video game playing teeth on the old school nintendo, so it may take a dinosaur like me more time to master these new fangled video games that the kids these days love so much). Eve of Destruction was easy enough to master to make it fun from the start of play.

Basically the premise of the game is entirely built around demolition derby events. So, there are all these different types of races (like the Jump race or the figure 8 race) and then there are these other events (like the demolition derby, the gauntlet) where one doesn't race so much as just repeatedly drive one's own car into others' cars. Basically, in the various events, the more one hits other cars, the more points one earns; the more points one earns the more stuff gets unlocked. So, essentially, the more one hits the other cars during the game, the better the game gets. As I said, it's quite gratifying.

There are a good selection of different cars with different capabilities. Compact cars, muscle cars, cars that are designed either for speed or good handling or delivering/taking abuse (I prefer using the "Gladiator" which is somewhat like a late 1960s Dodge Charger). In the straight up action mode, one can choose from any number of cars, including 'specialty' cars like a school bus, police car or ambulance. Career mode is a lot of fun as well. One starts out with a crappy car, but once one enters events and earns money, one can buy upgrades or better cars while climbing the Eve of Destruction rankings.

The one criticism I have is that the game has an "announcer" which is fine, but he tends to repeat himself. The game also has music which I did not care for, but you can turn it off, so, I can't much complain about that. I guess you can also turn the announcer off, so maybe I don't have much room to complain about that either. Whatever.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Test Drive: Eve Of Destruction

this game is a awesome racing game its just so much fun, Ive beatin this game problley 8 times its that fun, I like how you get more noticed throught the whole story also. overall a VERY GOOD game!

Buy Borderlands 2 - 4 Pack

Customer Ratings:

I am happy they made a Borderlands II it's even better than the first. The "scenery" is fantastic and the gameplay smooth and exciting. Monsters that sustain damage even move and behave in a different manner. I give this game 5 stars! I have been playing since the game released and have found no bugs yet it's very stable.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

Love the story line, the dialog and the game play. It's a great game to play with your buddies. Well made game.

Best Deals for Borderlands 2 - 4 Pack

I was excited about this game for the longest time. Now that I've played it over and over again, I can honestly still say it's a great game.

Honest reviews on Borderlands 2 - 4 Pack

This is truly a great game, especially when it seems almost all the good multiplayer games are gone. I play this across continents with my friends overseas. Awesome.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Borderlands 2 - 4 Pack

Borderlands 2 is a really fun Co-op game and will keep you laughing about the whole way. If you can get 3 other friends to play it prepare you self for a good 10 ~ 12 hours of humorous game play.

Warning: The ending still sucks like in BL1.

Rating

----------------------

Gameplay: 9/10

Creativity 8.5/10

Graphics 8/10

Story: 7/10

Music 9/10

Voice-Acting 9/10

----------------------

Overall 8/10

Review of U.S. Army Universal Gaming Headset With 3D Effect for PS3/XBOX/PC

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $69.99
Sale Price: $54.48
Today's Bonus: 22% Off

Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program This makes my 5TH set of gaming headphones. Well 6 if you count a 25 year old Radio Shack pair..... After I retired, I became an old guy who spends sometimes 12-18 hours a day gaming. Why so much? I became disabled and it takes my mind of pain to some degree. I also find all that just a GREAT excuse to "play". How do these stack up to all my other headsets?

Well, for the most part I use my ASTRO Gaming A40 set. Now while it is "wired" it does have wires. Confused? Well so was I at first. To THIS headset. I have sets from the cheap & crappy to the best. This set falls right square in the middle. The ear cups are average in their comfort (to MY head anyway), the sound is average. I find the 3D effect just that. An EFFECT. Kind of cheesy to me after having HONEST surround sound for gaming....I hear no honest directional capability when listening for WHERE an enemy is while sneaking up on me. What I do hear is that it makes the sound (whatever it may be) just a bit more able to notice and at least is sort of an "alert" to pay more attention. But then, by the time it got my attention, I am dead so not much use unless you are into suicide :-)

The GOOD for me are:

1-Connects to any & all gaming platforms you may use. I have the PS3, PS Vita, XBOX and a gaming computer plus 2 laptops. You can get this to work on it all. This is a HUGE advantage.

2-Separate control for game and microphone.

3-ALL needed cables and connectors are INCLUDED. No running to some store to make it work!

4-Mic is removable

The BAD for me:

1-Individual setups and be a bit confusing UNTIL you get familiar when switching between platforms

2-14 feet of wire is nice, but for my very LARGE Big screen LCD, I NEED 18-22 feet (But that may not be the norm for most folks?)

3-Cost is a little high for AVERAGE sound, but then again you DO get all the needed wires & connections.

Who should buy this? Someone who needs one single headset for EVERYTHING you game on. Sometimes you just don't need the very best sounding, the absolute most comfy headset, or a completely different headset for EACH platform you game on. This may just be average in ALL areas, but this one single item will let you play on EVERYTHING and that is actually pretty huge when you think about it. You can't expect miracles, but you won't have to go buy 3 different headsets either!

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

Let me start by saying Ive never used any other headset besides the stock xbox 360 one.

I've been using this for a few weeks now and I must say, I'm not disappointed! It was easy to set up and sounds great. The 3D sound amplifies the effects (which is great for war games like COD and BF)

Pros.

Price!! No better headset for the price out there.

Sturdy

Separate volume controls for game sound and mic

Comfortable (and I wear a 7 5/8 hat)

Can be used for multi platforms

Block out most sound (some might see this as a con)

Cons.

Cord length

If your looking for a great gaming headset and don't want to spend $100, look no further!! I would recommend these to anyone

Best Deals for U.S. Army Universal Gaming Headset With 3D Effect for PS3/XBOX/PC

Like the title says this head set is Simply Amazing!!!

I read almost all the reviews for this head set and the thing I never really figured out was if the sound quality was similar to the Turtle Beach headsets or not. When I say this I mean that if I were to be able to tell if someone was walking up from my backside on my left. The answer is YES! I was playing MW3 and I could tell there was grenades being thrown and detonating to my right and then heard someone coming from to my left, and not just to my left but from the front left of me. So if you were hesitant to buy this because you didn't know if the sound quality is as good as Turtle Beachs, then go a head and buy it.

The 3-D effect is just amazing, at first I played MW3 with it off to test out the sound quality, I could easily predict where everyone was by their footsteps, but when I turned on the 3-d effect I could feel the grenade explode near me, I could hear the fire crackling and the flies buzzing. When turning on 3D i was afraid if I would be able to hear my teammates clearly because the game was so loud, but that wasn't a problem at all I could hear them clearly and the same goes for them as they could hear me clearly as well.

My problems are that the wire might be a little too short, if you have a home theater then you need will need to buy an extension chord. I sit 10 ft from my TV and xbox and the chord is hanging off the ground for a good twothree inches, but I don't really mind that...

Compared to the TBs X12s they, US ARMY headset, is most definetly heavier but you know what that just tells me this head set is sturdier... If you are wondering whether to buy this head set or the X12s then let me tell you, I wouldn't trade this headset in for an x12, because one the 3-d is so amazing, its universial, and the the drivers 1 40mm and 2 15mm drivers in each ear for the US army headset vs the X12s' 50 mm.

This is an easier decision for me.

So the only con for me is really the chord's size.

Honest reviews on U.S. Army Universal Gaming Headset With 3D Effect for PS3/XBOX/PC

Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program I got this headset just in time for Diablo 3... and have enjoyed it thoroughly. I just plug the green (earphones) and red (mic) jacks into the corresponding ports on the front of my computer, and I'm good to go.

SOUND QUALITY: these headphones sound great. My old headphones, Sennheiser HD 202 Dynamic Headphones (Old Version), worked great and had good quality, but I think these headphones are actually pump out audio that's just a little bit fuller.

NOISE REDUCTION: these actually don't work as well as my old headphones -I think because of the way my ears fit into the headset, I can still hear external sounds (like roommate watching TV) a little bit. Noise reduction isn't one of the advertised features on the listing page, so I guess this is no surprise.

MICROPHONE: my buddies online have no complaints re: my voice quality over the mic. I've used this for PC gaming chat and for Google Voice. Works fine. Mute switch is pretty standard.

BUILD QUALITY / AESTHETICS: bulky, solid, dorky-but-cool. These are big, heavy headphones and really do look/feel like something you'd be wearing in an old helicopter cockpit. The flexible mic is nice, and the headset has plenty of cable & head size adjustability to fit almost anyone and work with any room / computer / console setup.

OVERALL: I'd give these five stars, but it's sort of annoying that a headset this solid & bulky doesn't completely seal out external noises. My $20 pair of years-old Sennheiser headphones is superior to these in that regard... but aside from this rather minor annoyance (usually gamers aren't sitting in really noisy environments anyway), this is a great headset for console or PC gaming. I'd say better for PC, as many consoles now have wireless controllers / headsets that are more functional given the nature of console gaming.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for U.S. Army Universal Gaming Headset With 3D Effect for PS3/XBOX/PC

I got this for my son for Christmas 2012 and it has already stopped working. He really liked it until it stopped.

Everything works except he cannot talk to anyone. Have tried all settings/dials to no avail.

Emails 3 times. Got a response to first email wanting the order confirmation. Sent it ( 2 email) . Resent for 3 email ( over a week later).

Called the 1-888 number for some assistance, the person there says there is no phone customer support. Send an email. I said I did. He said to send one again. When I asked if I had to send emails for the next 20 years he said that they only offer email support so yes.

What a company.

Review of High Resolution Component Input VGA Box for Wii, Ps3, Xbox 360, PSP

Customer Ratings:

This is a great product to play your game system on a computer monitor. The picture is great. There IS background noise on the picture that might get a little annoying (I don't really notice it), however, for the price, you really can't ask for a more crisp picture. It's also much smaller than I expected, about 4" x 1.5" by 1". And once you've got it set up, it's extremely easy to use. That said, there are some important things to consider.

*****

THIS IS IMPORTANT: Your monitor MUST be able to run at 1600 x 1200 resolution. You must have a component cable for your system, not a composite. And you must set your system to 480p resolution for it to run. If you don't have ALL of this set up, the system WILL NOT RUN. You will get an image on your monitor telling you that it is out of range.

*****

I had to find this out the HARD way. When I bought the item I didn't have any of these things. Monitors that can run at 1600x1200 are NOT CHEAP but I managed to find a good deal (Less than $200) and had been looking to upgrade from my ancient CRT anyway. The component cable should only cost you about $5 if you don't have one already. The worst part was owning all these things and not knowing that I had to set my system at 480p. This item DOES NOT INCLUDE INSTRUCTIONS. I had to email the manufacturer (Hyperkin) to finally get an answer. Fortunately, they got back to me within two days which is relatively quick.

But after all of that trouble, like I said earlier, I couldn't be happier with what this little thing can do. After all that trouble setting it up, it's really easy to use and gets a great picture for a great price. I would have given it 5 stars if it had come with better instructions and if I had been properly warned of everything I would need to get it to work properly

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

This a dual review of sorts, as I am comparing the VGA 2000 to another product I purchased which I found dissatisfactory: the HD Box Pro.

I am a PS3/Wii owner and I'm too poor at the moment to buy myself a nice HDTV. Seeing as I have a 20 inch Viewsonic PC LCD monitor in my room which rarely ever gets used (since I primarily use my laptop) I figured I'd find myself a good VGA adapter and put it to some good use.

The VGA 2000 by Hyperkin was not my first choice when I was shopping around for VGA adapters. The first one I tried (and luckily did NOT pay full price for, more on this in a minute) was the HK-based HD Box Pro. I did a LOT of research, read a ton of reviews and figured it would do the trick. The HD Box Pro normally goes for almost $75 (that's the unit price including shipping) but I was lucky enough to find a guy getting rid of his on craigslist for $25. So, I picked it up.

Boy... I was glad I didn't pay full price for it.

The positives:

Comes with audio input/output ports so that you can actually use your monitor speakers if you got them (or just use an external audio source)

The unit has MANY different options to tamper with to fit your lcd tv/monitor just right (color, resolution, and aspect ratio)

It comes with a remote control so that you don't have to reach for the function buttons on the device itself.

Sounds great, doesn't it?

The negatives:

It DOES need an external power source (a/c adapter included).

Unfortunately for me, upon hooking my PS3 up to my LCD monitor with the HD Box Pro, the monitor was LITTERED with "static" lines. These lines only got worse with continuous usage.

Next, I tried to contact HD Box Pro support. After emailing them throughout the month of February with NO RESPONSE, I gave up. I had no choice but to find another option.

Then... I found the VGA 2000 here on Amazon.

After reading a decent amount of the other reviews here, I decided this might actually work (not to mention the price was right, being only about $25 including shipping)

One thing I noticed was the size of the VGA 2000 unit. If you have a cable box, it's about the size of a standard DVR remote. And, unlike the HD Box Pro, your audio cables MUST be plugged into an external source. Also, it's powered by USB, so your options are to either plug it into a USB port (cable included), or if you're like me, you can use an old cell phone USB charger as a power adapter.

Now, for it's actual performance...

The VGA does not have the customization options that the HD Box Pro has, but IT WORKS!! As for the resolution, it outputs at 720p max, but the picture is crystal clear with no degradation.

I have tried it with my Wii, PS3 and my Panasonic Blu-Ray player and everything works great.

So... take it from me. I've put in the time and money JUST to get my HD systems running on a decent monitor. And, once I DO get an HDTV, I will DEFINITELY use the VGA 2000 to plug my Wii into its VGA port (as I wouldn't need it with the PS3 since it's got an HDMI port).

Good buy! You won't be disappointed.

Best Deals for High Resolution Component Input VGA Box for Wii, Ps3, Xbox 360, PSP

i bought this to hook my roommates Wii up to my 19" widescreen Samsung SyncMaster 920nw monitor. after hooking everything up, even the desktop was poor quality. everything had a trail off to the right. I switched it to the Wii and got a message saying that it was an unsupported output and recommended 1440 x 900 at 60 Hz. thats EXACTLY what my monitor is set to. after hooking up the vga box i had the option to bump it up to 1600 x 1200, which is what the box outputs. i tried that and still got the error message. so unless you have a super high-reso monitor, dont buy this. and if you get a monitor with that high a resolution, just buy a 480 or 720p tv and save yourself the trouble of dealing with this box.

Honest reviews on High Resolution Component Input VGA Box for Wii, Ps3, Xbox 360, PSP

It works! My new DVD player uses my PC's flatscreen monitor as its monitor too. And I didn't have to kludge or solder anything at all.

I can use the switch button to flip back and forth between DVD and PC, which lets me pause a DVD and search the web to figure out some relatively obscure reference. (I did have to separately purchase a "USB Adapter" to plug into the wall and provide the power this unit expects to piggypback from the game console I don't have.)

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for High Resolution Component Input VGA Box for Wii, Ps3, Xbox 360, PSP

I purchased this to switch between my Dell Desktop and AppleTV. It works great with both SD and HD resolutions. In few cases, I get image shift....but I can go into the screen position settings in the TV and compensate.

For the money, it's worth it over the more expensive one's. AND it's USB powered, so I could have pluged into my ATV or Dell and it'll power on when one of those power on. Genius!

Best Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen - Xbox 360 Deals

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $29.99
Sale Price: $29.19
Today's Bonus: 3% Off

The Transformers video game for XBox 360 that was released with the first film was designed by Travelers Tails (company best known for Lego Starwars, Lego Batman, etc...). That game had many flaws in terms of control, overall simplicity, etc... It was a typical run-of-the-mil movie tie in game given little effort to work out the kinks or provide players with any depth of play.

This title is the first fruit from Activison's exclusive deal with Hasbro to bring TF console and PC games to market (there will be more time come and not all movie tie-ins either). While this game isn't perfect, it's a big leap forward in many areas. I'm written this review for those who've played the previous game, here's a short-list of what they've improved/fixed.

1. Melee combat is now challenging and viable. You can charge attacks, pull of combos, etc...

2. The targeting system is hugely improved. With primary and secondary weapons.

3. Once a Transformer has been unlocked (after using that Transformer in a mission) then that Transformer can be selected for any following mission (in other words, players aren't locked into playing a specific transformer for certain missions).

3. Each character has a unique ability (e.g. Rachet can heal, Bumblebee can stun).

4. Players earn points and can spend them on upgrades!

5. Vastly improved enemy AI (e.g. they transform and run evade when damaged then come back in).

6. On-line head to head multiplayer with different forms of combat (when you combine this with the improved melee and specialty abilities, it's quite nice)

I've only gotten about 1/4 of the way done with it, but it's almost as if Activision went down the list of players complaints and tried to make exactly the type of game we wanted. It's still a movie tie-in game in that you're playing out the movie, but it's done right.

Not sure what else I would add here. I suppose allowing two or more players to team up in the missions would be something to consider adding in the the next game, but overall this is quite nice. Kudos to the dev team!

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

I won't waste too much time repeating what others have said, so I'll keep it short. The game is certainly solid and fun. Being able to transform anytime and actually incorporate it into your attacks is a beautiful touch. The only bad thing is that when transformed into vehicle form, you MUST move, and don't have the ability to just sit there at a stop.

The game is pretty repetitive, the missions are basically the same--drive to this spot and fight a bunch of opposing transformers, mission over. But its fun for a few hours and is certainly worth the rental price.

Best Deals for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen - Xbox 360

There are multiple reasons why this game is better than the first. Firstly the game is more focused on gun combat than melee combat, secondly you can transform in mid-air using a new unique control, and thirdly new characters for each campaign and a variety of characters as well. Your enemy robots don't have their force field up everytime you fire your gun weapon unlike the first game, which spices up the destruction! This game is challenging and an AWESOME game to play!

Honest reviews on Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen - Xbox 360

Being able to play as a giant transforming robot, whether good or evil, is one of the many childhood fantasies many kids, and nerds, have had. Now you can play as the Autobots and Decepticons in "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen." The game is loosely based off of the movie but it takes you through a number of missions that aren't in the movie itself. Whether you're an Autobot or a Decepticon, you end up fighting some familiar Transformers on the other team. Some of the missions include: destroying the other team's army and protecting and/or leading the way for allies. It's straightforward, but it's so much fun if you're into Transformers or playing as over-sized characters.

The replay value in this game is a bit better than the first Transformers game. Sure you can still play as both Autobots and Decepticons, but the plethora of missions, unlockables, and achievements make this game one that you can keep coming back to. Not to mention there's a really fun online mode that was absent in the first game.

The controls are redone this time around and are better to handle. There is a slight learning curve if you were used to the controls on the first Transformers game, but it won't take you long; even if you're a novice to these games.

"Revenge of the Fallen" is probably the most fun I've had with a movie tie-in video game. Most video games, based directly off the films, are pretty bare bones and have little, to no, replay value. Not to mention some of them just aren't fun and the controls can be pretty shoddy (Jaws Unleashed anyone?). There are a lot of neat unlockables to be had here, including some G1 episodes. The collection of Autobot and Decepticon icons in each playable area can help you unlock gobs of achievements if you're into increasing your gamerscore.

In conclusion, it's a really fun game that will give you hours of game time. If you're into Transformers, or any sort of giant playable characters roaming around a cityscape, this game is for you. I recommend checking it out.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen - Xbox 360

This is waaaaayyy different from the previous Transformer game and also much better. Controls takes some getting used to, but thats what the training is for & once you have them down pack, you will have a good time with this one.