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XBOX 360 by Jeb Haught When Microsoft entered the hardware wars a few years ago with the XBOX, skeptics were surprised that sales of Microsoft's first console quickly rose to surpass that of Nintendo's GameCube. Although the XBOX took a distant second place behind Sony's PlayStation 2, Microsoft was not discouraged. Instead, they decided to let loose the first salvo in the next generation console battle by unleashing the XBOX 360 a full six months to one year before the competition's hardware sees the light of day.
Sporting three symmetrical 3.2 GHz CPUs, a custom ATI graphics processor, 512 MB of 700 MHz GDDR3 ram, and multi-channel surround sound output with over 256 channels, the XBOX 360 is akin to a mini-desktop computer. In fact, it is more powerful than the majority of modern PCs in people's homes. Every game on this console will be available with support for both 720p and 1080i high definition output on a 16:9 scale. Of course, standard definition is also available on TVs using a 4:3 format. In addition to gaming, the unit can stream media from the Internet and download music or images from devices connected to one of its USB ports (most people will find the ability to connect an Ipod or PSP to a Microsoft product to be very surprising). If a Windows Media PC is in the household, the XBOX 360 can connect to it and download music, display images, or play movies that are saved to the PC's hard drive. Unfortunately, no other types of PC can offer these extras, so they can only be used by people who already have a Windows Media PC or plan to purchase one. Each XBOX 360 supports up to four wireless controllers. Although they look similar to the XBOX Controller S, they have been redesigned. To begin with, the hard-to-reach white and black buttons have been moved to a new location above the left and right triggers. There are no gaping holes for the memory unit or headset jack since memory units have been moved to the console itself and the headset jack has been moved to the bottom of the controller. The new controller is a bit smaller than the Controller S, which makes it feel very comfortable. Two tiers of XBOX Live online service are available with the XBOX 360. The first is free and offers connectivity to the XBOX Live marketplace, a gamer profile, and voice chat with other XBOX Live members. The second tier is similar to the current XBOX Live service and lets members download game content as well as play games with others from around the globe.
With all of this talk about the hardware, I am sure that you want to hear about the games available on the XBOX 360. Over twenty titles will be available at launch, with many more to come soon afterwards. Some of them, such as Condemned: Criminal Origins, Kameo: Elements of Power, and Call of Duty 2, are XBOX 360 exclusive and really put the extra hardware to good use. However, many launch titles are multi-platform and add nothing more than a slight graphical polish to differentiate them from their brethren on less powerful machines. While the XBOX 360 doesn't offer the same graphical leap as was seen from the PS1 to the PS2, there are plenty of subtle details that enhance the gaming experience. These details include: realistic lighting effects, real-time shadows, bump mapping, normal mapping, environments full of objects, many more characters on-screen, and much more! Add realistic physics engines, great sound effects, and an unmatched online component to the cyber mix and the result is worth sinking your teeth into. I would suggest getting an XBOX 360 only to those who are truly hardcore gamers. Casual gamers won't be able to justify the money spent on a new machine if they already own an XBOX. Before you make your decision, it is important to keep in mind that most people who criticize the XBOX 360 are comparing third generation XBOX software to first generation XBOX 360 software, which isn't really fair. After three years, developers have squeezed all the power possible out of the XBOX, but are just beginning to realize the potential of the new console. This means that games will continue to look and play better as time passes. Personally, I really enjoy gaming on the XBOX 360 more than my other consoles, but I want to play more exclusive games. It will be interesting to see what titles are released to compete with the PS3 next holiday season (Halo 3 anyone?). |
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