Microsoft Xbox 360

Full specifications
for Microsoft Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel - wheel and pedals set

Manufacturer: Microsoft Corp.
Part number: 9Z1-00001

General
Packaged quantity                                    1
Compatibility                                            Game console

Miscellaneous
Compatible Game Consoles                     Microsoft Xbox 360

Input Device
Input Device:Connectivity                        Wireless
Technology   
Features                                                   Force feedback

Expansion / Connectivity
Slot(s)                                                       None

Microsoft’s first venture into the console business with the Xbox was a learning experience for the company, and there’s no greater evidence than the evolution of the system’s controller. The original Xbox controller was an oversize mess, with oddly shaped and placed buttons. Roughly halfway through the console’s run, the original controller was replaced with the Controller S, the smaller alternative created for the Japanese launch. Heralded as one of the best controllers ever created, Xbox fans wondered how Microsoft could improve upon its design as it set out to create the official wireless controller for the Xbox 360. Here’s the answer.

Read the rest of this entry »

Microsoft Xbox 360 Elite

The Xbox 360 was the first of the “next-gen” videogame consoles to hit the market in the fall of 2005. By the time the PlayStation 3 and the Nintendo Wii hit stores–a full year later–the 360 had not only established itself as a top-tier game console, it was well on its way to becoming a full-service digital entertainment media hub for the living room, with built-in support for high-def TV and movie downloads as well as Vista-friendly media streaming. While Sony and Nintendo struggled with their respective launch issues–just as Microsoft had toiled 12 months earlier–the Xbox 360 has cruised to the No. 1 spot on the home console charts, with more than 10 million units sold worldwide.So what does Microsoft do for an encore? Release a slightly upgraded Xbox 360, of course. The $480 Xbox 360 Elite is black instead of white, includes a 120GB hard drive (six times as capacious as the previous 360’s, twice as big as the PS3’s), and sports an HDMI output for easier hookups to HDTVs. The question for current and prospective gamers: Is the Elite worth the extra $80? For anyone who owns the existing Xbox 360, the answer is probably no–the HDMI connector is more a convenience than a necessity, and the larger snap-on hard drive will be available to existing 360 users as a standalone $180 accessory. Moreover, there’s certainly a tinge of disappointment that the Elite’s higher price tag doesn’t deliver a few more bundled features in the box–the Wi-Fi adapter and the HD DVD drive still need to be purchased separately, for instance. In other words, the Xbox 360 Elite is just a warmed-over version of the previous model that doesn’t deliver any groundbreaking, PS3-killing features.

That said, the Xbox 360 currently has a larger and more impressive library of games, and until the PS3 can offer some compelling alternatives–and I have no doubt that eventually, it will–the Xbox 360 remains the better option. And if you’re going with the 360 for the first time, you might as well spend that extra $80 and get the Elite.

Read the rest of this entry »

Microsoft Xbox 360 (20GB)

Console and PC gamers have long been divided into two camps. Sure, there are those of us who play on multiple platforms, but hard-core PC gamers tend to be, well, hard-core PC gamers and eschew “mainstream” console games, while committed console gamers can sometimes be heard bashing PC gamers as elitist nerds. While there’s nothing wrong with drawing your own distinction, what’s clear–at least for the moment, anyway–is that Microsoft’s Xbox 360 makes the line between PC and console gaming a lot fuzzier. Yes, this is a console, with game controllers and A/V cables that are designed to interface with your TV–preferably of the HD variety–but Microsoft has essentially packed a high-end PC gaming rig into a relatively small box that fits into any A/V rack or cabinet. That the Xbox 360 also has a user interface that rivals TiVo’s in terms of slick presentation and ease of use, plus a host of digital media and networking features, helps elevate the already-good Xbox experience to a whole new level. Naturally, the 360 is not without its flaws. Many titles simply rehashed their PC or console counterparts, and we’re only now seeing developers shift focus away from the PlayStation 2 and Xbox1 and creating truly next-gen looking games, such as Gears of War. While Microsoft continues to amass a good library of games, it now has to contend with Sony’s PlayStation 3 and Nintendo’s Wii. But the $400 Xbox 360 has a major price advantage over the PS3, at least through the end of 2006–it is $100 to $200 cheaper than Sony’s device (the PS3 is available in $500 and $600 versions), and it will be widely available (PS3s will be in short supply until early 2007). Moreover, the $200 HD-DVD accessory and high-def media downloads (both available in November) makes the Xbox 360 a credible HD movie box. With a year’s head start, an excellent mid-range price, and a great library of games, the Xbox 360 is the yardstick against which the new Sony and Nintendo consoles will be measured in 2007–and beyond.

Read the rest of this entry »