Downloading game updates and patches for an offline console

I have an Xbox 360 and I am online with it. I'm picking up another Xbox 360 for my brother, which will be offline. So before I pass it over to him, I want to download any Xbox any updates, and I also want to download updates and patches for various games (Fallout 3, Skyrim etc), by putting my copy of each game in to run the game, and prompt the update download.

My question is, do you think I'll need to install the games as well (and then he would play the already-installed games using his discs), or can I just download the updates and patches for each game, which would create a folder for each game with the updates and patches inside, and then he can install the games himself later on with his copies of the games (which would save me some time)? I'm guessing that him installing the games later wouldn't overwrite the already-downloaded updates and patches?

The 360 can't hold all the updates forever if he continues to play more and more games overtime, it's a little known fact about how the hardware deals with updates.

So you can update his games, yes, but after a certain number of games he plays, it won't retain those updates.

Also, installs =/= updates. They are different.

I know installs are different to updates. I just didn't know if it was possible to download and install an update in anticipation of the game being installed. I think I'll just install the games and their updates, and then I'm assuming his copy of the game disc won't complain and will still play the game.

You should be fine just putting in your copies of the games and installing the necessary patches/updates, he can use his copies of the games to install to the HDD at a later time and they will work fine with the patches/updates that you yourself already pre-installed. As for what the poster above me said regarding updates, most of the games you listed such as Skyrim and Fallout make a seperate save file to the HDD for the patch/update and it is not saved to the flash memory. In layman's terms this basically means he can play as many games as he wants and the updates will not expire. I know that's at least how it works with a lot of newer games but a lot of the older games use flash memory updates which means the Xbox 360 console itself only holds around five patches/updates at a time before it starts deleting them to make room for new ones. Sorry if this is hard to understand, it's kind of a complex thing to explain, I hope I was of some help. :D

I know installs are different to updates. I just didn't know if it was possible to download and install an update in anticipation of the game being installed. I think I'll just install the games and their updates, and then I'm assuming his copy of the game disc won't complain and will still play the game.

ianpwilliams

His copies will never "complain" if he's offline.

As I said, those updates aren't permanent.

What do you mean when you say the updates aren't permanent?

Edit: Oh I know what you mean. Because the updates for many games are downloaded to the cache and not the hard drive. Microsoft really need to fix that. Updates for all games (not just some games) should be downloaded to the hard drive. Otherwise we're all going to end up with non-updated games whenever the Xbox 360 servers are closed down.

At least Fallout 3 GOTY and Fallout NEw Vegas Ultimate Edition (both of which need their updates) have updates on their discs, which you have to install in order to install the expansions.

I see there are ways to download Xbox 360 title updates to your PC, which apparently isn't illegal either (and so it shouldn't be). Might have to look into that. I'd be a lot happier if I knew I had title update backups. And it would make life easier when taking updates to the offline Xbox.