The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced 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, movie rentals and game downloads from its online marketplace and the ability to watch movies on the (now discontinued) HD DVD format via an add-on drive.
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). The console sold out completely upon release in all regions except in Japan, and, as of October 2009, nearly 34 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.
Overview
Development
Known during development as Xenon , Xbox 2 , Xbox FS , Xbox Next , or NextBox , the Xbox 360 was conceived in early 2003. In February 2003, planning for the Xenon software platform began, and was headed by Microsoft's Vice President J Allard. That month, Microsoft held an event for 400 developers in Bellevue, Washington to recruit support for the system. 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. 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 cores of the Xenon processor were developed using a slightly-modified version of the PlayStation 3's Cell Processor PPE architecture. According to David Shippy and Mickie Phipps, the IBM employees were "hiding their work from Sony and Toshiba."
Launch
Main article: Xbox 360 launchThe Xbox 360 was released on November 22, 2005, in the United States, Mexico and Canada; December 2, 2005, in Europe and December 10, 2005, in Japan. It was later launched in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, and Russia. In its first year on the market, the system launched in 36 countries, more countries than any console has launched in a single year.
Retail configurations
Current models
The Xbox 360 is currently available in two standard variants; the "Xbox 360 Arcade" and the "Xbox 360 Elite." A discontinued SKU, the "Xbox 360 Core," was replaced by the "Xbox 360 Arcade" in October 2007. The 60 GB version of the Xbox 360 Pro was released on August 1, 2008. At launch, the Xbox 360 was available in two configurations: the "Xbox 360" package, priced at US$399 or GB£280, and the "Xbox 360 Core," priced at US$299 and GB£199. The original shipment of the Xbox 360 version included a cut-down version of the Media Remote as a promotion. The Elite package was launched later at US$479. The Pro package was discontinued and marked down to US$249 on August 28, 2009 to be sold until stock ran out, while the Elite was also marked down in price to US$299.
Xbox 360 Arcade
The Xbox 360 Arcade is the entry level for the Xbox 360. On October 23, 2007, it replaced the "Xbox 360 Core" and maintained the price of $279.99. It was publicly revealed (though it was available in stores far earlier) by Microsoft's president of Entertainment Devices division Robbie Bach to the Financial Times on October 18, 2007, and officially announced on October 22, 2007. It includes a wireless controller, composite AV cable, HDMI 1.2 output, an internal 512 MB memory chip (units released prior to summer 2009 had 256 MB internal memory while those prior to fall 2008 included a 256 MB memory unit), and 5 Xbox Live Arcade titles: Boom Boom Rocket , Feeding Frenzy , Luxor 2 , Pac-Man Championship Edition , and Uno on a single disk, which also includes a "Welcome Video" and several game trailers/demos. Like its predecessor the "Core" it does not include a hard disk drive, which is required for Xbox software backwards compatibility. Holiday 2008 consoles were bundled with Sega Superstars Tennis . With the September 4, 2008 price cuts, the Arcade fell from $279 to $199. In the UK, with the 2009 Elite price drop and discontinuation of the "Premium" Pro bundle, the Arcade price rose from £129.99 to £159.99
Xbox 360 Elite
The Xbox 360 Elite is the second most expensive variation of the console. It includes a 120 GB hard drive and a matte black finish. The Elite retail package also includes a controller and headset that match the system's black finish. The initial release price was $479.99 USD, C$549.99, £299.99, and AU$729.95. The Elite was released in North America on April 29, 2007, Europe on August 24, 2007, and Australia on August 30, 2007. Early Elite models shipped using the Zephyr motherboard, though later models used the Falcon 65 nm chipset instead. These Elites (and other Xbox 360 models using the Falcon) can be identified from earlier versions by a re-designed power connector and a power supply that runs at 175w. As of 2009, Elite models using the Jasper chipset have become available; these are identified by a 12.1V power supply. Holiday 2008 consoles were bundled with Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures and Kung Fu Panda . The Elite's price tag was cut from $449 to $399 on September 4, 2008. It currently sells at $299.99 USD.
The Xbox 360 Elite has also been configured with a 250 GB hard disk drive and 2 wireless controllers on special limited editions of the console. The 250 GB Elite retails at US$399.99, UK£249.99 and AU$599.00 as of 10 November 2009. A Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 bundle includes a special limited edition console design and a flat black finish. The other bundle will include a standard Elite finish and the game Forza Motorsport 3
Discontinued models
Xbox 360 Core
- The Xbox 360 Core was an entry level Xbox 360. The SKU was later replaced with the "Arcade". It was not originally available in Japan, but was later released on November 2, 2006. The Core system came bundled with composite video cables, capable of only SDTV resolutions. It was however capable of the same HDTV resolutions (up to 1080i) as the other models when connected to a separately sold Component cable. In October 2006, 1080p support was added for all models in a system update, including the "Core" using either the component cable, or the new VGA cable (although 1080p via component was not widely supported by televisions). It may also utilize a separately sold Xbox 360 hard drive. Unlike all other SKUs, it shipped with a wired version of the Xbox 360 controller, instead of the wireless version found in other SKUs.
Xbox 360 Pro / Xbox 360 Premium
- The Xbox 360 Pro (sometimes referred to as Premium and packaged as simply Xbox 360 with the subheading "Go Pro") included all the features of the Xbox 360 Arcade and included a hybrid composite and component cable with optional optical out instead of a composite cable. This model also included a detachable Hard Disk Drive (initially 20 GB, while later models had 60 GB) to store downloaded content, provide compatibility with original Xbox games, and store game data. The included hard drive came with game demos, video clips and a free Live Arcade game, Hexic HD . In July 2007, this version of the Xbox 360 began appearing with the Zephyr motherboard (the motherboard used in the Elite) which features HDMI 1.2 output and an improved GPU heatsink. Although this package did include an HDMI output, it did not come with an HDMI cable. Starting at the end of September 2007, the newest systems were shipped with the new "Falcon" motherboard. This motherboard includes the new 65-nm CPUs, making them quieter and cooler than the older systems. On August 1, 2008, the 20 GB version was discontinued and was replaced by a 60 GB HDD model at the same price. Holiday 2008 consoles were bundled with Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures and Kung Fu Panda . Price cuts that took effect on September 4, 2008 reduced the price from $349 to $299. The Xbox 360 Pro will, following its discontinuation, retail for $249.99 until it sells out.
Comparison of features
Information is based on current specifications for standard packages. Older or holiday packages may differ from current configurations.
All Xbox 360s come with free Xbox Live Silver membership and a one-month trial of Xbox Live Gold membership (only new accounts are eligible).
All Xbox 360s are backwards compatible with supported Xbox titles as long as they have an Xbox 360 HDD attached. This can be purchased separately for the Core/Arcade pack.
All hard drives (included with a console or bought separately) come with the Xbox Live Arcade game H
Xbox 360 Core System Console - Yahoo! Shopping
Shopping is the best place to comparison shop for Xbox 360 Core System - Console. ... Ok,so this is it.The X-Box 360.So,I was thinking the 300 one would be ok,but I ...
Xbox 360 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Xbox 360 Core [32] was an entry level Xbox 360. ... only difference being the color scheme of the Xbox 360 console ... Over 31 millions X-box 360's sold". GameSpot. 2009-08-27.
Specifications for Xbox 360 Console: Memory, CPU | Xbox Support
Get technical specifications for the Xbox 360 console including ... 310 x 80 x 260 mm (12 x 3 x 10 in) Mass (approximate): ... 2 hardware threads per core (6 hardware threads total)
Xbox.com | Xbox 360 - Xbox 360™ Elite System
With three powerful core processors and full surround sound, the console redefines what games look like, sound ... Xbox 360 Headset (black): Now available in black, the headset lets ...
Xbox 360 Console Core System (Includes: Xbox 360, wired controller and ...
As the Xbox 360 Core Console will soon be retiring, why not try the Xbox 360 Arcade Console instead? ... x box i.e., each product must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...
Xbox.com | Xbox 360 Consoles - Xbox 360 Arcade System
Play together today with Xbox 360 Arcade, including the Xbox 360 console, wireless controller, and memory unit for game saves. Get ready for fun right out of the box with five Xbox ...
Xbox 360 Console (20 GB Hard Drive): Amazon.co.uk: PC & Video Games
Product Dimensions: 38.1 x 38.1 x 14 ... the first "next generation" games console to hit the market. It has three powerful core ... Xbox 360 console: Sexy styling that packs a punch ...
Amazon.com: Xbox Core Console USM: Video Games
Xbox 360 Modern Warfare 2 Limited Edition Console 4.9 out of ... 4.0 out of 5 stars xbox core console I had recently purchased an ... 5.0 out of 5 stars the joy of x-box Thank you for ...
Xbox 360 Console
Xbox 360 Console - large collection of xbox 360 ... like 360 Core, 360 Arcade, Xbox 360 premium or Pro and Xbox 360 Elite. The Xbox 360 Console has attributes of 83 x 309 x ...
Microsoft XBOX 360 Core Console + 2 Game Titles Free X-Box 360 Game ...
Microsoft XBOX 360 Core Console + 2 Game Titles Free - Buy and Compare Latest Microsoft XBOX 360 Core Console + 2 Game Titles Free X-Box 360 Game Consoles at cheap price from ...