Microsoft Xbox 360 Arcade console

By John Bugailiskis

“It’s supper time,” I yell upstairs, trying to break my two sons out of their TV trance. “Okay,” I say after nary an acknowledgement. “Looks like it’s just Mom and me for gaming night.”

In a flash the boys appear at the dinner table, ready to earn the right to play PAC-MAN Championship Edition, one of the family games that comes with the Microsoft Xbox 360 Arcade console.

What is it?

The Xbox 360 Arcade console has everything you need for family gaming night, right out of the box. The console comes with a wireless controller, a memory unit and five family friendly games — PAC-MAN Championship Edition, UNO, Luxor 2, Boom Boom Rocket and Feeding Frenzy.

How do I set it up?

When you turn on your Xbox 360, you’ll need to perform the initial setup.

• Select your language.
• Create your gamer profile, an identity that stores your date on the Xbox Arcade console and connects you to Xbox Live.
• Create an Xbox Live account (if you can plug your Xbox into your Internet connection).

Once you set up the console using the easy-to-use onscreen menus, you’ll be gaming in a matter of minutes.

Tip: I recommend buying an additional wireless controller so you can take advantage of the multiplayer games that come with the Xbox 360.

How do I personalize the experience?

The Arcade console comes with a free Xbox Live Silver membership, which allows you to download games, movies and TV shows. You can also text message and chat with other users.

To access your Live account, connect the Xbox 360 console to your broadband Internet connection and attach a storage device such as a hard drive or memory unit. Then personalize your gaming identity through your gamertag and gamer card and get ready to play with anyone, anytime, anywhere.

What else can I do with it?

Although I easily lose track of the time when playing, my wife keeps us all on schedule by using the console’s family settings. Enter the console menu and select Family Settings to set time limits, restrict game access and control DVD viewing, if you’re using the box as a DVD player. You can also use the Xbox to share digital pics and stream digital media from your MP3 player or Media Center PC.

When all the technical stuff is done, gather the family, grab the controller, and stay clear of the ghosts. Happy gaming!