We all had them, the moments where we realized this could not have been possible on a last generation system. Things that amazed and astonished you so much, that you still remember it to this day (and will probably still remember it for years to come).


For me it came at E3 when Microsoft first presented the Halo 3 trailer back in 2006. I first heard about it at my work through Joystiq and was really excited by just the pictures they had (I couldn’t watch videos at work… I was sneaking it). Once my shift ended I rushed home and immediately turned my 360 on to download the trailer. Needless to say I very much enjoyed it, but it wasn’t just the trailer that had got me excited. You see, as soon as I had connected to live I was bombarded with messages and private chat invites about how awesome the trailer was, and when I opened my friends list up almost every single person was “downloading content from the xbox live marketplace” (t was sort of like that PS3 ad where you see all the kids looking up into the sky at the PS3 logo).

What made it next gen was only partially the Halo 3 trailer. Most of it came from how close I felt to the whole community. Unlike the original xbox days where to get your videos you would either need to buy OXM or see it through the web (which when you did watch them you felt cut-off from everyone else and it felt very personal), now I was watching an amazing new video at the same time as everyone else. That truly was a new experience that I believe could not have been matched on any other system or platform.

For me it was looking at the Oblivion screenshots and videos in the OXM disks and magazines.

I couldve freaking cried when i saw it lol. jk but it was still an amazing experience.

                                GEARS of WAR

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I reuse xbox repair boxes, alot.

I think Condemned was the first time I played a console game and felt like I was getting something more intense/more immersive than the previous generation gave me. Granted, I could have gotten that experience on a PC, but I don't know that the original Xbox could have pulled it off for me.

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KOXM podcasts | My Twitter feed

UT2003 was huge for me when it came out.... as well as doom 3 and half-life 2 in terms of graphics and next gen... they were all big steps forward

GRAW blew my mind when I got it shortly after I got my 360 on my birthday back in August.

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anaris82.1up.com
www.seasonedgamers.com

When I did voice chat when me and my friend were playing 2 different games!

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You guys are all stupid! I'm always right!

When I hooked up my hdtv and surround sound.  Then I played perfect dark back at launch.  That was next gen I say.

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removed

Seeing hundreds of zombies in dead rising

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My life be like ooh ahh

On my SIXTH xbox

Put up the peace sign put the index down

3/7 of the trl audience

I love how everybody has a completely different event...but everybody can point to one!

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KOXM podcasts | My Twitter feed

Funny thing is I remember each and every one of those things, and each one blew me away to some degree (PDZ still has some amazing explosions). I also remember first getting out of the imperial sewers in Oblivion and looking out into the landscape and how amazed I was at how big and pretty the world was.

actually, now that i think about it... i have to change mine, (i did it wrong anyways). i am going to say when i put pgr3 on Hd, my first game in HD.

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I reuse xbox repair boxes, alot.

I think the my next gen experience was running around cyrodiil and fighting the PLETHORA of creatures.

The whole game of Call of Duty 2. But the best part was during the Russian mission when you had to guard the outpost. Smoke greneades 100 feet in front of you, then a whole army of people yelling as loud as they can with their guns in the air, then coming to you, bullets from all directions, you shooting, not so much to guard the outpost, but to survive. That is next-gen.

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email: ccastillo93@gmail.com
most played game on Live: Halo 2 (now, till h3)
level in h2: 16 (of course will change)

My other wasn't as good. The Prey demo on the OXM disc. Sweet. On the ceiling shooting at the floor with someone else on the ceiling, shooting them, them falling to the floor. awesome.

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email: ccastillo93@gmail.com
most played game on Live: Halo 2 (now, till h3)
level in h2: 16 (of course will change)

My first next-gen experience solidified me wanting a 360. Playing Oblivion in the local Game Crazy pretty much showed me what i was going to be missing. Everything after that was sweet HDTV 720p history.

for me, it was when I played the call of duty 2 demo at wal-mart

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Deo Gratiam Habeamus

PGR3, graphics wise.

That game came for free with my 360 and still today, very little games have graphics equal or superior to this game.

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Executive producer of Fallout 3 Todd Howard: "[...]That's one area the 360 really excels--awesome development tools."

playing rainbow six! and seeing my face withe the armor and guns blazing! LoL

Hmm, this is a hard one . . .

Yes, I suppose it has to be Call of Duty 2 - probably the all-around most solid shooter for the 360 yet. The End of the Beginning was great - watching your ally kick open a door, only to see him riddled by the MG42 on the other side . . .

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What a nice contented world - let the banners be unfurled
Hold the Red Star proudly high in hand!

bump

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My life be like ooh ahh

On my SIXTH xbox

Put up the peace sign put the index down

3/7 of the trl audience

 JiveBrew wrote:

bump

Ha! Nothing like a 2 year bump, hmm?
Yep, seeing those Oblivion pics in OXM was unreal. My first next-gen experience was playing Kameo. That game had some beautiful scenery. Looked even better when I got my HDTV. ^_^

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|Tweet @Silvercube|
~ Xbox Care Bear ~

I would have to say Test Drive Unlimited. Driving around Oahu in semi realistic cars. I agree about once I used it on an HD TV, it changed the whole experience.

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MyTwitter.

my first real next gen experience came when you first get out of the sewers in oblivion.  you are just staring at this open world that is beautiful...that was the moment that i knew that i was going to spend alot of free time playing the crap out of next gen games.

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drum n bass 4 life

The first time my mind was blown by this current generation of consoles was when I hit the cover button on R6:Vegas.  Yeah, that was hardcore.  Most memorable would have been the several times in Mass Effect that blew me away, or, like everyone else has said, leaving the sewers in Oblivion.  I really didn't like Fallout 3 as much.  Just really didn't dig the shooting aspect. 

The first time I watched a conversation in Mass Effect.

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When I die, I want to go like grandpa, peacefully while I'm asleep. Not screaming like the other people in his car.

 Ezilylost13 wrote:

The first time I watched a conversation in Mass Effect.

WORD UP!!  I'm playing through that game again right now and it still blows me away!  It's how old now and still looks, plays, and sounds amazing!!!  That's the thing about Bioware's babies.  They age really well.  I could go back and play KOTOR or Jade Empire today and still love every minute of it.  I hate that I'm totally broke and will not be playing Dragon Age: Origins this year, or, even worse, Mass Effect 2 next year.  Lame!!

I just picked up Kotor off of Steam, My commutes are better now.

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MyTwitter.

That game contains what I consider to be one of the best twists in gaming, apart from the end of Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance 1.  Worst twist in gaming goes to Crackdown "Oh you thought you were helping, but you really just cleared the way for us!" Gimme a break.

Personally, the Orange Box with Portal was the first time I thought "Whoa, this is beyond what I thought for a game." But Mass Effect did that, too. And MW1. ... I think there's been about 3 mini-generations so far.

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If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion. -DL