| Xbox 360 | |
| Manufacturer: | Microsoft |
| Type: | Video game console |
| Generation: | Seventh generation era |
| Lifespan: | November 22 2005 (details) |
| Cpu: | 3.2 GHz PPC Tri-Core Xenon |
| Gpu: | 500 MHz ATI Xenos |
| Media: | DVD, DVD-DL, CD, Add-On: HD DVD |
| Unitssold: | Worldwide: 18 million (as of February 22 2008)[2] (details) |
| Storage: | 20 or 120 GB hard drive, 64, 256 or 512 MB memory cards |
| Controllers: | 4 maximum (wired or wireless or combination of either) |
| Connectivity: | 3 × USB 2.0, IR port, 100Mbit Ethernet |
| Onlineservice: | Xbox Live |
| Topgame: | Halo 3, 8.1 million (as of January 3 2008)[4] |
| Compatibility: | 465 original Xbox games (requires hard drive and the latest update) |
| Predecessor: | Xbox |
Xbox 360 is the second video game console to be produced by Microsoft, and was developed in cooperation with IBM @ Austin, ATI, and SiS. Its Xbox Live service allows players to compete online and download content such as arcade games, game demos, trailers, TV shows, and movies. The Xbox 360 is the successor to the Xbox, and competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles.
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). It is the first console to provide a near-simultaneous launch across three major sales regions (Europe, Japan and United States). The console sold out completely at release (with the exception of Japan) and, as of February 22 2008, 18 million units have been sold worldwide according to Microsoft.[1] The Xbox 360 comes in three different versions, the "Arcade" console, the "Premium" console, and the "Elite" console, each having its own set of included accessories and features. Another version of the Xbox 360, called the "Core" has been discontinued, but still can be found in some retail stores.
Known during development as Xenon, Xbox 2, Xbox FS,[5] Xbox Next, or NextBox, the Xbox 360 was conceived in early 2003.[6] In February 2003, planning for the Xenon software platform began, and was headed by Microsoft vice president J Allard.[6] That month, Microsoft held an event for 400 developers in Bellevue, Washington, to recruit support for the system.[6] Also that month, Peter Moore, former president of Sega of America, joined Microsoft. On August 12 2003, ATI signed on to produce the graphic processing unit for the new console, a deal which was publicly announced two days later.[7] The following month, IBM agreed to develop the triple-core CPU for the console.[6] Before the launch of the Xbox 360, several alpha development kits were spotted using Apple's Power Mac G5 hardware. This was due to the system's PowerPC 970 processor running the same PowerPC architecture that the Xbox 360 would eventually run under IBM's Xenon processor.
The Xbox 360 was released on November 22 2005, in the United States and Canada; December 2 2005, in Europe and December 10 2005, in Japan. It was later launched in Mexico, Colombia, South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Chile, India, Brazil, Poland, Czech Republic, and Russia. Microsoft has additionally announced official launches in: Hungary, Slovakia,[8] and the Philippines.[9] In its first year on the market, the system launched in 36 countries, more countries than any console has launched in a single year.[10] Due to its early launch, the Xbox 360 had a one-year lead on both of its competitors, Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii.
The Xbox 360 is available in three standard variants; the "Xbox 360 Arcade", the "Xbox 360 Pro", and the "Xbox 360 Elite".[11] A discontinued SKU, the "Xbox 360 Core", was replaced by the "Xbox 360 Arcade" in October 2007.[12]
At launch, the Xbox 360 was available in two configurations: the "Xbox 360 Pro" package, priced at US$399, and the "Xbox 360 Core", priced at US$299. The original shipment of the Premium version included a cut-down version of the Media Remote, but this was removed from later shipments. The Elite package was launched later at US$479, and the "Xbox 360 Arcade" replaced the "Xbox 360 Core" in October 2007 at US$279.
On a few occasions, Microsoft has produced special editions of the console, usually to coincide with the release of a major product. These special editions are typically custom-colored Xbox 360 models, and are produced in limited numbers.
Information in the table below is based on the latest specifications. Older packaging may not include all items listed.
| Features | Elite | Premium | Arcade | Core |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| In Production | ||||
| Suggested retail price [As of [[March 14]], 2008] | US $449.99 GB £259.99 €369.99 | US $349.99 GB £199.99 €269.99 | US $279.99 GB £159.99 €199.99 | US $279.99 GB £199.99 (until discontinuation) |
| Appearance | Matte black, chrome trim | Matte white, chrome trim | Matte white | Matte white |
| Included storage | memory unit | |||
| Controller | Matte black wireless | Matte white wireless | Matte white wireless | Matte white wired |
| Ethernet cable | ||||
| Xbox 360 Headset | ||||
| Included HD video cables | HDMI 1.2 (HD) Component/Composite (HD/SD) | Component/Composite (HD/SD) | Composite (SD) | Composite (SD) |
| HDMI ports | ||||
| Xbox Live membership | ||||
| Bundled games | Hexic HD | Hexic HD | "Go Play" package: Boom Boom Rocket, Feeding Frenzy, Luxor 2, Pac-Man Championship Edition, UNO | Region specific |
On the day of the Xbox 360's release, Microsoft's online gaming service Xbox Live was shut down for 24 hours and went through 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.[31] A Live Silver account does not generally support multiplayer gaming; however, some games that have rather limited online functions already, (such as Viva Pinata) 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.[32] The Gamercard of a player with a Silver account has a silver trim, rather than gold.
Xbox Live Gold has 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.[33] 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, C$59.99, GB£39.99, or €59.99. As of July 11 2007, Xbox Live has over 7 million subscribers.[34]
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. A hard drive or memory unit is required to store products purchased from Xbox Live Marketplace.[35] In order to download priced content, users are required to purchase Microsoft Points for use as scrip;[36] though some products (such as trailers) are free to download. Users are able to view items available to download on the service through a PC via the Xbox Live Pipeline website.[37] An estimated seventy percent of Xbox Live users have downloaded items from the Marketplace.[38]
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On November 6 2006, Microsoft announced the Xbox Video Marketplace, an exclusive video store accessible through the console. Launched in the United States on November 22 2006, the first anniversary of the Xbox 360's launch, the service allows users in the United States to download high-definition and standard-definition television shows and movies onto an Xbox 360 console for viewing. With the exception of short clips, content is not currently available for streaming, and must be downloaded. Microsoft has also announced that its Microsoft TV service will add IPTV functionality to the console, giving users the ability to stream 2 simultaneous HD and 2 simultaneous SD channels.[39] Movies are also available for rental. They expire in 14 days after download or at the end of the first 24 hours after the movie has begun playing, whichever comes first. Television episodes can be purchased to own, and are transferable to an unlimited number of consoles. Downloaded files use 5.1 surround audio and are encoded using VC-1 for video at 720p, with a bitrate of 6.8 Mbit/s.[40] Television content is offered from MTV, VH1, Comedy Central, Turner Broadcasting, and CBS; and movie content is Warner Bros., Paramount, and Disney, along with other other publishers.[41]
After the Spring 2007 update, the following video codecs are supported:
As a late addition to the Fall Xbox 360 update which was launched on the 4 December 2007 25 movies were added to the European Xbox 360 video market place on the 11 December 2007 and cost 250 Microsoft points for the SD version on the movie and 380 Microsoft points for the HD version of the movie.[42]Xbox Live members in Canada featured the ability to go on the Xbox Live Marketplace as of December 10, 2007 with around 30 movies to be downloaded for the same amount of Microsoft Points.
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 and PC games such as Zuma. The service was first launched on November 3 2004,[43], 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 , Street Fighter II' Hyper Fighting, and UNO.[44]
The Xbox 360 supports videos in .wmv-format, as well as high-definition .wmv-videos, H.264, MPEG-4, and PlaysForSure WMV videos.
The Fall 2007 dashboard update added support for the playback of MPEG-4 ASP format videos.[45]
The Xbox 360 also supports audio playback, with music player controls accessible through the Xbox 360 Guide button. Users may play back their own music while playing games or using the dashboard, and can play music with an interactive visual synthesizer.
The Xbox 360 can also display pictures and perform slideshows of photo collections with various transition effects. Users can also play audio in the background while viewing a slideshow.
Music, photos and videos can be played from standard USB mass storage devices, Xbox 360 proprietary storage devices (such as memory cards or Xbox 360 hard drives), and servers or computers with Windows Media Center or Windows XP with Service Pack 2 or higher within the local-area network in streaming mode.[46][47]
This is possible with video files up to HD-resolution and with several codecs (MPEG-2, MPEG-4, WMV) and container formats (WMV, MOV, TS).[48]
In the UK the Xbox 360 will be enabled to download and display BT Vision video content. [49]
The Xbox 360's graphical user interface GUI is the Xbox 360 Dashboard; a tabbed interface that features five "Blades" (formerly four blades), and was designed by AKQA. It can be launched automatically when the console boots up without a disc, or when the disc tray is ejected. However, the user may choose to launch a game automatically if a disc is inserted. A simplified version of it can also be accessed at any time via the Xbox Guide button on the gamepad. This simplified version shows the user's gamercard, Xbox Live messages and friends list. It also allows for personal and music settings, in addition to voice or video chats, or returning to the primary Dashboard from the game.
Since the console's release, Microsoft has released several updates for the Dashboard software. These updates have included adding new features to the console; enhancing Xbox Live functionality and multimedia playback cabilities; adding compatibility for new accessories; and fixing bugs in the software. The latest Dashboard update, revision 2.0.6683, was made available on December 4, 2007.
Microsoft XNA is a set of tools and technologies that includes XNA Studio, which provides versions of key production tools such as asset management, defect tracking, project automation and work lists. These tools are designed to work together to automate common development tasks and present interfaces tailored to the different functions within the team. Microsoft XNA also includes other components such as the XNA Framework and XNA Build.
Anyone can develop a game using XNA Game Studio Express, an IDE for homebrew developers, which was initially released in beta form on August 30 2006. A second, near feature complete beta version was released on November 1 2006.[50] The final feature complete version, 1.0, was released on December 11 2006.[51] For a US$99/GB£65 yearly subscription fee users can join a "creators club" which lets them transport code onto their 360 and share their content with others. In the UK, there is also a 4 month subscription to the "Creators [sic] Club" which costs £30 GBP.
Backward compatibility on the Xbox 360 is achieved through software emulation of the original Xbox. Emulated games are rendered in 720p, 1080i, or 1080p HD resolution with anti-aliasing enabled rather than the Xbox standard of 480p[52] (anti-aliasing is also applied when the output resolution is 480p.) However there are also games that do not perform well in emulation; these often exhibit a lower framerate on the Xbox 360,[53] as well as various sound bugs and occasional gameplay glitches. A hard drive and the downloading of an emulation profile is needed in order to play original Xbox games. Updated emulation profiles are automatically obtained through Xbox Live, or alternatively they can be burned to a CD with files downloaded from Xbox.com, or by ordering a free update disc from Microsoft. A full list of backward-compatible games is maintained at Xbox.com.
The current U.S. list includes 464 games as of the November 2007 update; fewer titles are backward compatible in European and Japanese markets, with 295 and 101 titles respectively. Microsoft originally stated that they intend to release more emulation profiles as they become available, with a goal of making the entire Xbox library playable on the Xbox 360. They have since made multiple statements indicating that this may never be complete though the rate of updates to the backwards compatibility list still continues steadily.[54]
At 2008's CES, Albert Penello, the Xbox 360's group marketing manager, said that "engineering work around bringing out new titles" is "winding down".[55]
As part of the December 4 2007 dashboard update, a new feature, called Xbox Originals, was launched allowing users to download original Xbox games directly to their Xbox 360. The games have not been altered in any way, except that any demos and game previews have been stripped out. As of December 2007, all titles are available for 1200 Microsoft Points (US$15) each.[56]
The games available from the launch of the Xbox Originals are: , Fable, , Psychonauts, Fusion Frenzy, Indigo Prophecy, and . Videos previewing the service had shown as a title, and though it was not included at launch, it became available on January 14 2008.[57]
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.[58] Five other games sold as well in the console's first year in the market: Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter,[59] ,[60] Dead or Alive 4,[61] Saints Row[62] and Gears of War.[63] Only six games were initially offered in Japan, and eagerly anticipated titles such as Dead or Alive 4 and Enchanted Arms were not released until several weeks after launch. Games more suitable to the region are planned or have since been released, such as Chromehounds, Ninety-Nine Nights, and Phantasy Star Universe. Microsoft-backed Mistwalker has since released Blue Dragon in the region, and currently has two other Japanese-style games in development, Lost Odyssey and Cry On. On October 19 2006, with over 10,000 pre-orders, a limited-edition Blue Dragon bundle sold out in Japan on the first day. The pack, priced at JP¥29,800 includes the Xbox 360 core system with a copy of Blue Dragon, along with a table calendar, Blue Dragon faceplate, and five miniature character figures. At the Lepzig game convention in 2007, Microsoft revealed details of Project Gotham Racing 4, Rock Band, Tom Clancy's EndWar, Dark Sector, FIFA 08, Call of Duty 4 Modern Warfare and Tony Hawk's Proving Ground.
E3 2006 was the first large-scale show after the console's launch and the first trailer for Halo 3, the sequel to the original Xbox's best-selling game, was shown there. Fable 2 was also shown, along with Alan Wake, Mass Effect and Too Human. Bill Gates spoke of plans to integrate several Microsoft services into one entity with Live Anywhere. Shadowrun was the first game announced to be compatible with Live Anywhere. Several games originally released on PC have also been released on the Xbox 360, such as F.E.A.R. and Quake 4. Grand Theft Auto IV was shown and will be the first title in the series to be released for the Xbox 360 the same day as its PlayStation 3 counterpart. At X06, Microsoft announced several new titles, along with information on future releases. Splinter Cell: Conviction, set to release after Splinter Cell: Double Agent, was announced to be exclusive to the Xbox 360, as were BioShock and Banjo-Kazooie 3. At the event, Halo Wars was also announced, along with an untitled Halo project. In addition, Microsoft published sequels to some of its more successful franchises on the original Xbox, such as Forza Motorsport 2, Project Gotham Racing 3 & 4, and Fuzion Frenzy 2. They have published original games based on new IPs, such as Viva Piñata and Gears of War.
The main unit of the Xbox 360 itself has slight double concavity in matte white or black. It features a port on the top (when vertical, left side when horizontal) to which a custom-housed hard drive unit can be attached in sizes of either 20 or 120 GB. Inside, the Xbox 360 uses the triple-core IBM designed Xenon as its CPU. Graphics processing is handled by the ATI Xenos which has 10 MB of embedded eDRAM. Its main memory pool is 512 MB in size.
On February 22, 2008, Toshiba announced that it will discontinue manufacturing HD DVD equipment, which affects the Xbox 360, as it supports HD DVD format. According to Toshiba, this will help settle the war between HD DVD and Blu Ray formats.[64]On February 26, 2008, the price of the HD DVD player for the Xbox 360 dropped from $129.99 to $49.99. This comes just two days after Microsoft confirmed that they would no longer produce the HD DVD player.[65]
Many accessories are available for the console, including both wired and wireless controllers, faceplates for customization, wireless steering wheel for a realistic of playing a racing game, headsets for chatting, a webcamera for video chatting, Dance Mats and Gamercize for exercise, an HD DVD player (now discontinued[66]), three sizes of memory cards, and two sizes of hard drives (120GB and 20GB), among other items, all of which are styled to match the console.
The Xbox 360 can be subject to a number of technical problems. Since the console's release in 2005, the product earned note in the press questioning its reliability and failure rate of the early consoles.[67][68][69][70]
To aid customers with defective consoles, Microsoft has extended the Xbox 360's manufacturer's warranty to three years for general failure errors. [71]
Since these problems surfaced, design modifications have been made to the console to improve reliability. All consoles manufactured after June 2007 have extensive revisions from the earliest units. Modifications include a reduction in the number, size and placement of components, including modifications to the mounting methodology,[72] and a second GPU heatsink to dissipate more heat.[73]
In February 2008 a 3rd Party Warranty firm, SquareTrade, made a press release concerning the 1040 Xbox 360 customers they had sold warranties. They found that 171 consoles (16.4%) were returned under warranty as "disabled", of those 60% were reported as general hardware failure.[74][75]
The Xbox 360 began production only 69 days before launch.[76][77] As a result, Microsoft was not able to supply enough systems to meet initial consumer demand in Europe or North America.[78] Many potential customers were not able to purchase a console at launch. Forty thousand units appeared on eBay during the initial week of release; this was 10% of the total supply.[79] By year's end, Microsoft had shipped 1.5 million units, including 900,000 in North America, 500,000 in Europe, and 100,000 in Japan.[80]
At E3 in May 2006, Bill Gates announced that Microsoft would have a head start of 10 million units by the time Sony and Nintendo entered the market.[81] Microsoft later specified that goal and estimated shipments of 10 million units by the end of 2006,[82].
Cumulative sales from the system's launch until June 30 2007 were predicted to reach 12 million units, down from 13 to 15 million units estimated earlier. Being released one year ahead of its competitors, the Xbox 360 was the market leader throughout the first half of 2007. However on September 12, 2007, it was reported by the Financial Times that the Xbox 360 had been surpassed by the Wii in terms of worldwide console sales.[83] On October 4, 2007, soon after the launch of Halo 3, Microsoft stated that Xbox 360 sales had more than doubled compared to the previous average.[84]
Based on figures from October 19 2007, the Xbox 360 outsold the Wii for the month of September in North America, helped in part by the spike in sales seen after the launch of Halo 3, which sold 3.3 million copies in the U.S. in a 12-day period.[85] The Xbox had sales of 528,000 units for September, while the Wii had sales of 501,000 units.[86]
However, despite these sales figures, Microsoft's gaming division is losing money. Through 2005, the Xbox gaming division had lost over $4 billion.[87] However, Microsoft expects the console will start making money in 2008.[88] The losses are due to the market strategy of selling consoles below cost in order to obtain market saturation and gain profits on software and peripherals that have a much higher profit margin.[89][90] Also notable is that Microsoft has taken a charge of $1 billion dollars on its June 2007 Income Statement to account for the cost of replacing bricked Xbox 360s.[91]
As of January 1 2008, the Xbox 360 has sold 9.15 million units in the United States according to the NPD Group and 548,308 in Japan according to Enterbrain. In Europe, the Xbox 360 sold 2 million units in 2006 and 1.9 million in 2007 according to estimates by Electronic Arts.[92][93]
On February 13 2008, Microsoft announced that the Xbox 360 suffered shortages in the US in January 2008, which may continue into February.[94][95][96] Prior to the release of the NPD Group's video game statistics for January 2008, the Xbox 360 has been in second place behind the Wii in US sales in most months since the Wii and PS3 were released, according to data by the NPD Group.[95]