Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced
by Microsoft, and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox
360 competes with Sony’s PlayStation 3 and Nintendo’s
Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game
consoles.
Some major features of the Xbox 360 are its integrated
Xbox Live service that allows players to compete online,
download arcade games, game demos, trailers, TV shows
and movies and its Windows Media Center multimedia
capabilities. The Xbox 360 also offers region specific
access to third-party media streaming services such as
Netflix in the USA or Sky TV and BT Vision in the UK.
The Xbox 360 was officially unveiled on MTV on May 12,
2005, with detailed launch and game information divulged
later that month at the Electronic Entertainment Expo
(E3). The console sold out completely upon release in
all regions except in Japan, and, as of January 2010,
there are over 39 million Xbox 360 consoles worldwide.
The Xbox 360 is currently available in two
configurations—the “Arcade” and the “Elite”—each with
its own selection of accessories.
Overview
Xbox 360 Elite
The Xbox 360 Elite is the second most expensive
variation of the console. It includes a 120 GB hard
drive and a matte black finish. The Elite retail package
also includes a controller and headset that match the
system’s black finish, The initial release price was
$479.99 USD .The Elite was released in North America on
April 29, 2007, Europe on August 24, 2007, and Australia
on August 30, 2007. Early Elite models shipped using the
Zephyr motherboard, though later models used the Falcon
65 nm chipset instead. These Elites (and other Xbox 360
models using the Falcon) can be identified from earlier
versions by a re-designed power connector and a power
supply rated to 175 W. As of 2009, Elite models using
the Jasper chipset have become available. These can also
be identified by their power supply, which is rated at
150W and has a 12.1A 12v rail. Holiday 2008 consoles
were bundled with Lego Indiana Jones: The Original
Adventures and Kung Fu Panda. The Elite’s price tag was
cut from $449 to $399 on September 4, 2008. It currently
sells at
Discontinued models
Xbox 360 Core
• The Xbox 360 Core was an entry level Xbox 360.
The SKU was later replaced with the “Arcade”. It was not
originally available in Japan, but was later released on
November 2, 2006. The Core system came bundled with
composite video cables, capable of only SDTV
resolutions. It was however capable of the same HDTV
resolutions (up to 1080i) as the other models when
connected to a separately sold Component cable. In
October 2006, 1080p support was added for all models in
a system update, including the “Core” using either the
component cable, or the new VGA cable (although 1080p
via component was not widely supported by televisions).
It may also utilize a separately sold Xbox 360 hard
drive. Unlike all other SKUs, it shipped with a wired
version of the Xbox 360 controller, instead of the
wireless version found in other SKUs.
Xbox 360 Pro / Xbox 360 Premium
• The Xbox 360 Pro (sometimes referred to as
Premium and packaged as simply Xbox 360 with the
subheading “Go Pro”) included all the features of the
Xbox 360 Arcade and included a hybrid composite and
component cable with optional optical out instead of a
composite cable. This model also included a detachable
Hard Disk Drive (initially 20 GB, while later models had
60 GB) to store downloaded content, provide
compatibility with original Xbox games, and store game
data. The included hard drive came with game demos,
video clips and a free Live Arcade game, Hexic HD. In
July 2007, this version of the Xbox 360 began appearing
with the Zephyr motherboard (the motherboard used in the
Elite) which features HDMI 1.2 output and an improved
GPU heatsink. Although this package did include an HDMI
output, it did not come with an HDMI cable. Starting at
the end of September 2007, the newest systems were
shipped with the new “Falcon” motherboard. This
motherboard includes the new 65-nm CPUs, making them
quieter and cooler than the older systems. On August 1,
2008, the 20 GB version was discontinued and was
replaced by a 60 GB HDD model at the same price. Holiday
2008 consoles were bundled with Lego Indiana Jones: The
Original Adventures and Kung Fu Panda. Price cuts that
took effect on September 4, 2008 reduced the price from
$349 to $299.
Accessories
Many accessories are available for the console,
including both wired and wireless controllers,
faceplates for customization, headsets for chatting, a
webcam for video chatting, dance mats and Gamercize for
exercise, three sizes of memory cards, and four sizes of
hard drives (20 GB, 60 GB, 120 GB and 250 GB (currently
Japan only)), among other items, all of which are styled
to match the console.
Games
The 2007 Game Critics Awards honored the xbox 360
platform with 38 Nominations and 11 Wins – more than any
other platform. By March 2008, the Xbox 360 had reached
a software attach rate of 7.5 games per console—a record
for any console in history, in EU the rate was 7.0 while
its competitors were 3.8 (ps3) and 3.5 (Wii).
The Xbox 360 launched with 14 games in North America and
13 in Europe. The console’s best-selling game for 2005,
Call of Duty 2, sold over a million copies. Five other
games sold as well in the console’s first year in the
market: Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter, The Elder
Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Dead or Alive 4, Saints Row, and
Gears of War. Six games were initially offered in Japan,
and eagerly anticipated titles such as Dead or Alive 4
and Enchanted Arms .Games more suitable to the region
were planned or have since been released, such as
Chromehounds, Ninety-Nine Nights, and Phantasy Star
Universe.[92] Microsoft also had the support of RPG
developer Mistwalker, founded by Final Fantasy creator
Hironobu Sakaguchi. Mistwalker’s first game, Blue
Dragon. Blue Dragon became the best-selling Xbox 360
game in the region, with over 200,000 units. At E3 2007,
Microsoft announced that Disney movies would be coming
to Xbox 360 Live Marketplace. New trailers were shown
for Halo 3 and Halo Wars, as well as the announcement of
a Halo-themed Xbox 360. Demos were also displayed for
BioShock, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and Assassin’s
Creed. At E3 2008, Microsoft demonstrated a number of
titles for their 2008 line-up, including Fallout 3,
Gears of War 2, Fable II, and Resident Evil 5, among
other games. A television-style gaming feature known as
Primetime was shown with a game based on the game show 1
vs. 100 shown as an example, there were also hints at a
Big Brother type game and also a Deal or no Deal one.
Final Fantasy XIII was also announced to be released for
Xbox 360 in Europe and North America. E3 2009 saw the
exclusive announcements of Crackdown 2, Left 4 Dead 2
and Halo: Reach, as well as live demos for Halo 3: ODST,
Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Conviction and Alan Wake.
Metal Gear Solid: Rising was also unveiled, making it
the first Metal Gear game to appear on the Xbox 360.
Xbox Live Dashboard
When the Xbox 360 was released, Microsoft’s online
gaming service Xbox Live was shut down for 24 hours and
underwent a major upgrade, adding a basic
non-subscription service (Silver) to its already
established premium subscription-based service (which
was renamed Gold). Xbox Live Silver is free of charge
and is included with all SKUs of the console. It allows
users to create a user profile, join on message boards,
and access Microsoft’s Xbox Live Arcade and Marketplace
and talk to other members.[95] A Live Silver account
does not generally support multiplayer gaming; however,
some games that have rather limited online functions
already, (such as Viva Piñata) or games that feature
their own subscription service (eg. EA Sports games) can
be played with a Silver account. Xbox Live also supports
voice and video communication, the latter a feature
possible with the Xbox Live Vision; an add-on USB web
camera designed specifically for the Xbox 360. The
Gamercard of a player with a Silver account has a silver
trim, rather than gold.
Xbox Live Gold includes the same features as Silver and
includes integrated online game playing capabilities
outside of third-party subscriptions. Microsoft has
allowed previous Xbox Live subscribers to maintain their
profile information, friends list, and games history
when they make the transition to Xbox Live Gold. To
transfer an Xbox Live account to the new system, users
need to link a Windows Live ID to their gamertag on
Xbox.com. When users add an Xbox Live enabled profile to
their console, they are required to provide the console
with their passport account information and the last
four digits of their credit card number, which is used
for verification purposes and billing. An Xbox Live Gold
account has an annual cost of US$49.99.
Xbox Live Marketplace
The Xbox Live Marketplace is a virtual market designed
for the console that allows Xbox Live users to download
purchased or promotional content. The service offers
movie and game trailers, game demos, Xbox Live Arcade
games, gamertag images, and Xbox 360 Dashboard themes as
well as add-on game content (items, costumes, levels
etc). These features are available to both silver and
gold members on Xbox Live. Microsoft Points can be
obtained through prepaid cards in 1,600 and 4,000 point
denominations. Microsoft Points can also be purchased
through Xbox Live with a credit card in 500, 1,000,
2,000, and 5,000 point denominations.
Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade is an online service operated by
Microsoft that is used to distribute downloadable video
games to Xbox and Xbox 360 owners. In addition to
classic arcade games such as Ms. Pac-Man, the service
offers some new original games like Assault Heroes. The
Xbox Live Arcade also features games from other
consoles, such as the PlayStation game Castlevania:
Symphony of the Night and PC games such as Zuma. The
service was first launched on November 3, 2004,[107]
using a DVD to load, and offered games for about US$5 to
$15. Items are purchased using Microsoft Points, a
proprietary currency used to reduce credit card
transaction charges. On November 22, 2005, Xbox Live
Arcade was re-launched with the release of the Xbox 360,
in which it was now integrated with the Xbox 360’s
dashboard. The games are generally aimed toward more
casual gamers; examples of the more popular titles are
Geometry Wars, Street Fighter II’ Hyper Fighting, and
Uno.
On October 4, 2007, after the launch of Halo 3,
Microsoft stated that Xbox 360 sales had more than
doubled compared to the previous average. According to
the NPD Group, the Xbox 360 outsold the Wii for the
month of September in the United States, helped in part
by the spike in sales seen after the launch of Halo 3..
Through 2005, the Xbox gaming division had lost over $4
million. In the first seven months of 2008, the Xbox 360
has sold 154,000 units in Canada, being outsold by the
PlayStation 3 and Wii. The Xbox 360 has sold a total of
870,000 units in Canada as of August 1, 2008. In Europe,
the Xbox 360 has sold seven million units as of November
20, 2008, according to Microsoft. In Japan, the Xbox 360
has sold 866,167 units as of December 28, 2008,
according to Enterbrain. In the United Kingdom, the Xbox
360 has sold 3.9 million units as of June 27, 2009,
according to GfK Chart-Track.
On May 13, 2008, Microsoft stated that there will not be
a release of a newer version of the Xbox 360 in 2009.
Microsoft representative says, “While we [Microsoft]
don’t normally comment on rumors like this [release of
newer and smaller Xbox 360], we can tell you that we
have no plans to release a new console in 2009″.
On May 28, 2009, Microsoft announced that sales have
surpassed the 30-million unit-mark, stating that 2008
was Microsoft’s “biggest year in history” also due to
the increase of Xbox Live users.