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The Xbox 360Bryan Haynsworth
1. Introduction to the Xbox
2. Hardware, Software, and Accessories
3. Xbox Live
4. Technical Problems
5. Sales and Competitors
1. Introduction to the Xbox
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The Xbox 360 is the second video game console made 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.
A prominent feature of the Xbox 360 is its integrated Xbox Live
service that allows players to compete online and download content
such as arcade games, game demos, trailers, TV shows, and movies.
Major features of the console include its Windows Media Center
multimedia capabilities, mandatory support of high definition in all
games, and movie rentals and game downloads from its online
marketplace.
The Xbox 360 was officially unveiled on MTV on May 12, 2005, with
detailed launch and game information divulged later that month at E3.
The console sold out once it released in all regions except in Japan,
and, as of August 2009, over 31 million units have been sold
worldwide. The Xbox 360 is currently available in two configurations,
the Arcade and the Elite, and each has its own selection of accessories.
2. Hardware, Software, and Accessories
The main unit of the Xbox 360 itself has slight double concavity
in matte white or black. The official color of the white model is Arctic
Chill. 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, 60 or 120 GB. Inside, the Xbox 360 uses the triple-
core IBM designed Xenon as its CPU, with each core which is able to
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simultaneously process two threads, and can therefore operate on up
to six threads at once. Graphics processing is handled by the ATI
Xenos, which has 10 MB of eDRAM. Its main memory pool is 512 MB in
size.
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 three sizes of hard
drives (120 GB, 60 GB, and 20 GB), among other items, all of which are
styled to match the console.
The Xbox 360's original graphical user interface was the Xbox
360 Dashboard; a tabbed interface that featured five "Blades"
(formerly four blades), and was designed by AKQA. It could be
launched automatically when the console booted without a disc in it, or
when the disc tray was ejected, but the user had the option to select
what the console does if a game is in the tray on start up, or if inserted
when already on. A simplified version of it was also accessible at any
time via the Xbox Guide button on the gamepad. This simplified
version showed the user's gamercard, Xbox Live messages and friends
list. It also allowed for personal and music settings, in addition to voice
or video chats, or returning to the Xbox Dashboard from the game.
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On November 19, 2008, the Xbox 360's dashboard was changed
from the "Blade" interface, to a dashboard reminiscent of that present
on the Zune and Windows Media Center, known as the "New Xbox
Experience" or NXE.
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 capabilities, adding compatibility for new
accessories, and fixing bugs in the software. The latest Dashboard
update was made available on November 17, 2009.
3. Xbox Live
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 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
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1.5 million units, including 900,000 in North America, 500,000 in
Europe, and 100,000 in Japan. 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. Microsoft later specified that
goal and estimated shipments of 10 million units by the end of 2006.
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 home console sales.