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The new Xbox 360 system places players at the center of powerful next-generation games and entertainment experiences. The elegant design features a breakthrough wireless controller and an array of Faces, interchangeable faceplates that let gamers personalize their console. The unveiling spotlighted some of the groundbreaking games in development for the new Xbox 360 system, advancements for the Xbox Live service the only unified console gaming service and new digital media experiences that only Xbox 360 can deliver.
“With the first generation of Xbox, our ambition was to change the way people think about video games,” said Robbie Bach, chief Xbox officer at Microsoft. “Starting today with Xbox 360, our ambition is to transform the way people play games and have fun.”
Xbox 360 will unleash the greatest game lineup in the history of video games when it launches in North America, Europe and Japan this Christmas holiday. The games that captured the color, drama and fun of high-definition gameplay at the MTV unveiling included 2K Sports’ “NBA 2K6”; Activision Publishing Inc.’s “Call of Duty 2” and “Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland”, along with id Software’s “QUAKE 4”; Electronic Arts’ “Madden NFL 06,” “Need for Speed Most Wanted” and “Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 06”; Majesco Entertainment’s “The Darkness”; Microsoft Game Studios’ “Perfect Dark: Zero,” “Kameo: Elements of Power,” “Project Gotham Racing 3” and “Gears of War”; THQ Inc.’s “Saint’s Row”; and Ubisoft Entertainment’s “Ghost Recon 3.”
The Platform and Partners Power the Portfolio
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Xbox 360 ignites a new era of digital entertainment that is always connected, always personalized and always in high definition. It is the only system designed with a singular platform vision that combines the most-powerful hardware with intelligent software and services advancements.
Every Xbox 360 game is designed for high-definition, wide-screen televisions. Regardless of the television Xbox 360 connects to, gamers will experience smooth, cinematic experiences that far exceed anything they’ve seen or felt in games before. And these experiences are never more than a click away. The Xbox Guide Button is the launch pad that connects gamers to their games, friends and music from the wireless controller.
With more than one teraflop of system-floating point performance, a three-core PowerPC-based CPU for the most-advanced artificial intelligence and physics processing, a custom ATI graphics processor, and more than 512 MB of memory for the ultimate in visual fidelity, the Xbox 360 hardware is a perfect blend of power, elegance and balance. Xbox 360 also features software so smart it remembers what gamers have achieved, continually evolving and enhancing the game experience. When the system is combined with unrivaled Microsoft XNA software development tools, game creators can produce truly believable, thriving worlds.
Fabled game studios such as BioWare Corp., Bizarre Creations Ltd., Bungie Studios and Rare Ltd., as well as legendary Japanese game creators Hironobu Sakaguchi, Tetsuya Mizuguchi, and Yoshiki Okamoto, are harnessing the powerful Xbox 360 platform to create exclusive games for Microsoft Game Studios. Equally commanding, game-changing publishers such as 2K Games, Activision Publishing Inc., Capcom Co. Ltd., Electronic Arts, Tecmo Inc., Namco Hometek Inc., Rockstar Games, SEGA of America Inc., THQ and Ubisoft Entertainment just to name a few are flocking to Xbox 360.
“Xbox 360 marks the beginning of a renaissance in video games,” said Don Mattrick, president of Worldwide Studios for Electronic Arts. “The unbelievable Xbox 360 games in development at Electronic Arts will accelerate the industry’s mission to make video games the pre-eminent form of all entertainment.”
“With Xbox 360, a new chapter in video game history is being written,” said Kathy Vrabeck, president of Activision Publishing. “The platform liberates us to achieve new levels of graphics and gameplay so our audiences connect emotionally with more riveting stories, more believable characters and more open, living worlds.”
Xbox Live: New Levels of Service Get Everyone in the Game
Connect Xbox 360 to a broadband connection and get instant access to Xbox Live Silver, available for no monthly service charge with an Xbox 360 system. Players can express their digital identity through their Gamer Profile; connect with friends anytime, anywhere through Xbox Live voice chat; send and receive text and voice message; and access Xbox Live Marketplace to download demos and trailers along with new game levels, maps, weapons, vehicles, skins, classic arcade and card and board games, community-created content, and more to the detachable Xbox 360 hard drive all right out of the box at no extra cost. Composed of user-generated information such as Achievements (rewards players have earned in games), Gamerzone (style of play), and a custom-created Gamertile (a visual icon to represent the gamer online), the Gamer Profile makes it easy to connect with the Xbox Live community.
Gamers who subscribe to the premium service, Xbox Live Gold, can experience the thrill of multiplayer online gameplay. Gamer Profiles will provide a foundation for intelligent matchmaking, so players of similar skill levels and interests can quickly and easily connect, and the Xbox Live Camera peripheral will let gamers add their faces into games and see their friends while they play. Other Xbox Live Gold features for premium members include video messaging; online tournaments and ladders; and exclusive, original programming such as playing with celebrities online and joining sponsored tournaments to win prizes. And all Xbox 360 owners new to Xbox Live will kick-start their experience with a free month of the full subscription service, which will let them experience the full power of Xbox Live.
Unlock a New World of Digital Entertainment
With Xbox 360, gamers are always on. At its core, Xbox 360 is an amazing game machine with a wide selection of titles. But it is also an entertainment system that lets people power new experiences. Every Xbox 360 system has built-in progressive-scan DVD movie, CD music and photo playback support. The integration of Xbox Live into the system lets players receive game invitations from friends while they’re watching movies or listening to music. And every MP3 player, digital camera and Windows XP-based PC with a Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0 port can plug right into an Xbox 360 system to stream music and photos.
In addition, with built-in Media Center Extender functionality in every system, Xbox 360 players can access recorded TV and digital movies, music, video and photos stored on Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005-based PCs through any Xbox 360 system in the house.
Xbox 360 also opens the door to incredible, new high-definition entertainment. In addition to optimizing all Xbox 360 games for high definition, Xbox 360 will stream high-definition TV and movies stored on Media Center PCs starting this holiday season. As high-definition entertainment becomes more pervasive, Microsoft will offer more ways to experience HDTV and movies in any room in the house, any way people want it. Whether it’s by the dropping of an optical disc in a drive, streaming to Xbox 360, or through broadband distribution, Xbox 360 will let players choose how to light up their high-definition content.
“Xbox 360 is a revolution that promises to ignite new levels of creativity, community and competition,” Bach said. “Tonight’s unveiling is a signal to the world that the next generation of gaming is here.”
Xbox 360 Specicifactions :
CPU
3 symmetrical cores running at 3.2 GHz each
2 hardware threads per core; 6 threads total
1 VMX-128 vector unit per core; 3 total
128 VMX-128 registers per hardware thread
1MB L2 Cache
9 billion dot product operations per second
Custom ATI GPU:
500 MHz Clock Speed
10 MB embedded DRAM
48-way parallel floating-point dynamically-scheduled shader pipelines
Unified shader architecture
500 million triangles per second polygon performance
16 gigasamples per second pixel fillrate using 4X MSAA
48 billion shader operations per second
Memory:
512 MB GDDR3 RAM
700 MHz DDR
Unified memory architecture
22.4 GB/s memory interface bus bandwidth
256 GB/s memory bandwidth to EDRAM
21.6 GB/s front-side bus
Overall System Floating-Point Performance:
1 TFLOP
Storage:
Detachable and upgradeable 20 GB hard drive
12X dual-layer DVD-ROM
Memory unit support starting at 64 MB
Input/Output:
Support for up to 4 wireless game controllers
3 USB 2.0 ports - 2 front concealed under flap, 1 rear - compatible with all USB devices
2 memory unit slots
Digital Media Support:
Support for DVD-Video, DVD-ROM, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, CD-DA, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, WMA CD, MP3 CD, JPEG Photo CD
Stream media from portable music devices, digital cameras, Windows XP PCs
Rip music to Xbox 360 hard drive
Custom playlists in every game
Windows Media Center Extender built in
Interactive, full screen 3D visualizers
HD Game Support:
All games supported at 16:9, 720p and 1080i, anti-aliasing
Standard definition and high definition video output supported
Multichannel surround sound output
Supports 48 KHz 16-bit audio
320 independent decompression channels
32-bit audio processing
Over 256 audio channels
Optimized for Online:
Instant, out-of-the-box access to Xbox Live features, including Xbox Live Marketplace for downloadable content, Gamer Profile for digital identity and voice chat to talk to friends while playing games, watching movies or listening to music
Built in Ethernet Port at rear of console
Wi-Fi Ready: 802.11 A, B and G
Video Camera Ready
Wireless Controllers:
'Black' & 'White' buttons moved to shoulders of controller; now known as 'Bumpers'
'Expansion Jack' & 'Audio Jack' located at the bottom of controller
Found at the top of controller is the 'Charge Port,' where the 'Play-Charge' recharging cable is connected
Jazz:
Stands vertically or horizontally
Interchangeable faceplates to personalize console to owners tastes
In addition to summoning the Xbox Gamer Guide and the Xbox System Guide, Xbox Guide Button on controller and DVD remote lets gamers turn their systems on and off while kicking back on the couch
'Ring of Light' on console and controller communicates different events to player with varying patterns and colours, such as a new Xbox Live game invite being sent; many more cool actions displayable
Xbox Live For The Next Generation
Increased Flexibility
Xbox Live, Silver - No monthly subscription required
Xbox Live, Gold - Standard monthly subscription required
Benefits of Xbox Live, Gold
Unified Service Approach
Xbox Gamer Guide that provides a consistent interface across all experiences
Access to other players' Gamer Cards via Xbox Live
Xbox Guide Button for fast access to the Guide and online features
Personalized game play settings
Seamless transition of Xbox Live account from Xbox to Xbox 360
Xbox Live Online Game Play
Access to MMOs (additional fees may apply)
Free Xbox Live weekends
Multiplayer online game play
Xbox Live Gamer Profile
'Gamertile' personalized image for your gamer profile
Personalized 'Motto' for your gaming profile
Personalized look for the Xbox System Guide
Collection of offline achievements
Collection of online achievements
Personalized 'Gamertag'
Xbox Live Intelligent Matchmaking
'Gamer Score' - Part of Gamer Profile: cumulative score of all of achievements. Can be used for quick comparison with other gamers
'Location/Language' - Part of Gamer Profile: identifies your location and preferred language
'Reputation' - Part of Gamer Profile: rating provided by community that indicates how you are perceived by other players
Enhanced matchmaking using above elements of gamer profile
Choice of matchmaking based on either skill level or social play
Opportunity to provide feedback on other players and affect your likelihood to match with them in the future
'Gamerzone' - Part of Gamer Profile: indicates style of social gaming you prefer - relaxed/casual, competitive, etc.
Xbox Live Community
Friends List; online presence
Recent Players List
Ubiquitous voice chat in game
Ubiquitous voice chat out of game
Xbox Live Marketplace
Credit card no longer required for Xbox Live access
Free and premium downloadable game content
Free and premium downloadable movies, music and TV
Downloadable game trailers/demos
Microtranscations
Xbox Live Message Center
Game Invites
Friend Invites
Text and Voice Messages
Service/System Messages
Digital Media Experiences
Custom playlists in every game
Play music from portable music devices
View pictures from digital cameras
Stream Media from connected Windows XP PC
Windows Media Center Extender built in
Interactive, full screen 3D visualizers
Track Info for CDs (Offline & Online)
Parental Controls
Game play based on game rating (e.g. ESRB)
Managing Friends List
Sharing profiles and/or viewing other profiles
Communicating via voice, video, and/or text
Presence
Ability to purchase premium content in marketplace
Ability to play multiplayer online
Benefits of Xbox Live, Silver
Unified Service Approach
Xbox Gamer Guide that provides a consistent interface across all experiences
Access to other players' Gamer Cards via Xbox Live
Xbox Guide Button for fast access to the Guide and online features
Personalized game play settings
Xbox Live Online Game Play
Access to MMOs (additional fees may apply)
Free Xbox Live weekends
Xbox Live Gamer Profile
'Gamertile' personalized image for your gamer profile
Personalized 'Motto' for your gaming profile
Personalized look for the Xbox System Guide
Collection of offline achievements
Collection of online achievements
Personalized 'Gamertag'
Xbox Live Intelligent Matchmaking
'Gamer Score' - Part of Gamer Profile: cumulative score of all of achievements. Can be used for quick comparison with other gamers
'Location/Language' - Part of Gamer Profile: identifies your location and preferred language
'Reputation' - Part of Gamer Profile: rating provided by community that indicates how you are perceived by other players
Xbox Live Community
Friends List; online presence
Recent Players List
Ubiquitous voice chat in game
Ubiquitous voice chat out of game
Xbox Live Marketplace
Credit card no longer required for Xbox Live access
Free and premium downloadable game content
Free and premium downloadable movies, music and TV
Downloadable game trailers/demos
Microtranscations
Xbox Live Message Center
Game Invites
Friend Invites
Text and Voice Messages
Service/System Messages
Digital Media Experiences
Custom playlists in every game
Play music from portable music devices
View pictures from digital cameras
Stream Media from connected Windows XP PC
Windows Media Center Extender built in
Interactive, full screen 3D visualizers
Track Info for CDs (Offline & Online)
Parental Controls
Game play based on game rating (e.g. ESRB)
Managing Friends List
Sharing profiles and/or viewing other profiles
Communicating via voice, video, and/or text
Presence
Ability to purchase premium content in marketplace
For those stuck offline
Unified Service Approach
Xbox Gamer Guide that provides a consistent interface across all experiences
Xbox Guide Button for fast access to the Guide and online features
Personalized game play settings
Xbox Live Gamer Profile
'Gamertile' personalized image for your gamer profile
Personalized 'Motto' for your gaming profile
Personalized look for the Xbox System Guide
Collection of offline achievements
Collection of online achievements
Xbox Live Intelligent Matchmaking
'Gamer Score' - Part of Gamer Profile: cumulative score of all of achievements. Can be used for quick comparison with other gamers
'Location/Language' - Part of Gamer Profile: identifies your location and preferred language
Xbox Live Marketplace
Credit card no longer required for Xbox Live access
Digital Media Experiences
Custom playlists in every game
Play music from portable music devices
View pictures from digital cameras
Stream Media from connected Windows XP PC
Windows Media Center Extender built in
Interactive, full screen 3D visualizers
Track Info for CDs (Offline & Online)
Parental Controls
Game play based on game rating (e.g. ESRB)