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Xbox 360

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Xbox 360 logo
Xbox 360 logo
Xbox 360 system and controller
Xbox 360 system and controller

Xbox 360 is Microsoft's successor to their Xbox video game console previously refered to during development as "Project Xenon". The console is expected to be released in November of 2005 in the U.S., and the launch in Europe is expected only a few weeks later. The Xbox 360 will compete for marketshare against the PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Project Revolution. The Xbox 360 was officially unveiled on MTV on May 12, 2005, a week before E³.

Significantly, the Intel processor of the Xbox has been replaced by the IBM PowerPC architecture as the basis for the platform, due to its reduced heat output, improved performance and reduced latency.

In March 2004, Microsoft announced a new game development software strategy dubbed "XNA", believed to be for the Xbox 360.

Confirmed specifications

According to the official Xbox website [1], the final specifications are:

Custom IBM PowerPC-based CPU

  • 3 symmetrical cores at 3.2 GHz each
  • 2 hardware threads per core
  • 1 VMX-128 vector unit per core
  • 1 MB L2 cache
  • CPU Performance
    • 115.2 GFLOPS
    • 9 billion dots per second
    • 500 Million Polygons per second (transform & lighting) (Microsoft figure)

Custom ATI Graphics Processor

  • 500 MHz
  • 10 MB embedded DRAM
  • 48-way parallel floating-point shader pipelines
  • unified shader architecture

Memory

  • 512 MB GDDR3 RAM
  • 700 MHz DDR
  • Memory Bandwidth
    • 22.4 GB/s memory interface bus bandwidth
    • 256 GB/s memory bandwidth to EDRAM
    • 21.6 GB/s frontside bus

Audio

  • Multichannel surround sound output
  • Supports 48khz 16-bit audio
  • 320 independent decompression channels
  • 32 bit processing
  • 256+ audio channels

Controller

File:360controller.jpg
Xbox 360 controller
  • Each controller has 4 numbers around the X Jewel, which light up to designate what controller "port" you are currently using.
  • There is a new "Live Button", which allows you to instantly bring up the Xbox Live menu.
  • The Black and White buttons have been moved to above the left and right triggers.
  • The system will support 4 wireless controllers
  • There are 3 USB ports for wired controllers (2 in front, 1 in back)
  • Wired controller cords are 9 feet long and breakaway
  • The XBox 360 emblem (which replaces the jewel on the old controller) can be pressed to bring the XBox 360 out of sleep mode.

Xbox Live Subscriptions

  • Universal Features
    • Free Xbox Live weekends
    • Access to MMOs (additional fees may apply)
    • Avatar for your gamer profile (1)
    • Motto for your gamer profile (1)
    • Personalized look for the Xbox system guide (1)
    • Offline achievements (1)
    • Online achievements
    • Access to other players' gamer cards via Live
    • Cumulative gamer score (1)
    • Location/language profile (1)
    • Reputation
    • Recent players list
    • Free and premium download game content
    • Free and premium downloadable movies, music, tv
    • Downloadable demos/trailers
    • Microtransactions
    • Custom playlist in every game (1)
    • Play music from portable devices (1)
    • View images from digital camera (1)
    • Stream media from Windows XP (1)
    • Interactive screen savers (1)
    • Track information for CDs (1)
    • Communicate with voice, video or text
      • (1) Also available offline
  • Gold Service Features
    • Seamless transition to Xbox Live account from Xbox to Xbox 360
    • Multiplayer online gameplay
    • Enhanced matchmaking using cumulative gamer score, reputation, location/language profile and skill level.
    • Gameplay style profile (casual, competitive, etc.)

Media

  • Support for DVD-video, DVD-Rom, DVD-R/RW, CD-DA, CD-Rom, CD-R, CD-RW, WMA CD, MP3 cd, JPEG photo CD
  • All games supported at 16:9, 720p and 1080i
  • Anti-Aliasing support will be required in every game
  • Customizable face plates to change appearance
  • 3 USB 2.0 ports
  • Support for 4 wireless controllers
  • Detachable 20GB drive
  • Wi-Fi ready (Xbox 360 consoles will automatically detect and link with other Xbox 360 consoles within range)


Marketing

File:Mtv-xbox-360-unveiling.JPG
MTV's Xbox 360 TV special hosted by actor, Elijah Wood.

The marketing for Xbox 360 began on March 14, 2005 with the opening of an Alternate Reality Game and viral marketing website called Ourcolony.net. Through March and April the website would give challenges to its community and if they were solved would give out a reward, usually a picture of the system or an obscure screenshot from a launch game.

The official unveiling of the system occurred on Thursday, May 12, 2005 on MTV in a program hosted by Elijah Wood that was recorded on May 5. It was also broadcast in the following countries and local times:

Country/Region Airdate
North America Thursday, May 12, at 9:30pm EST
Japan/Asia Friday, May 13, at 11:30
France Friday, May 13, at 19:00
Germany Friday, May 13, at 19:00
Netherlands Friday, May 13, at 19:30
Italy Friday, May 13, at 23:30
Poland Friday, May 13, at 21:00
Portugal Friday, May 13, at 20:00
Romania Friday, May 13, at 20:00
Scandinavia Friday, May 13, at 22:00
Spain Friday, May 13, at 21:30
U.K./Ireland Friday, May 13, at 20:00
Australia Friday, May 13, at 19:00

Rumors

  • The Xbox 360 will be priced at $299 U.S. when released.
  • The central "X" button on console's controller is confirmed by one US developer to be the "Xbox 360 Button", providing one-click access to Xbox menus during gameplay, DVD, CD and other media playback - aligning it with the "interactive" button on traditional set-top boxes. [2]

References

See also

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