XBox 360

The Xbox 360 is the second video Game console of Microsoft, developed in co-operation with IBM, ATI, Samsung and SiS.

It is the first console of seventh generation with being left in the competition with the PlayStation 3 Sony and the Wii of Nintendo. It is available in white since the November 22nd 2005 in North America, the December 2nd 2005 in Europe and the December 10th 2005 with the Japan. It is available since the August 24th 2007 in Europe, in a called version improved Xbox 360 Elite of black color which has of a Hard drive of 120 Go and a catch HDMI. A port HDMI equips now the versions premium outgoing with factory.

Xbox 360 is partially compatible with the plays Xbox. This compatibility requires obligatorily a Hard drive, in order to store there the patchs necessary to the operation of the Xbox plays. These plays will profit from a graphic improvement.

Launching

Exit one year before competition, Xbox 360 marks the entry in the era of the High-definition and the wireless telegraphy (for the levers). Eager to take a maximum in advance vis-a-vis its Sony direct competitor, Microsoft decides to leave its console as soon as possible, and not to miss the festivals by end of the year. Exit in November 2005 in the United States, then in December in Europe and in Japan, Xbox 360 carries out the first world launching of a console in the history of the video game. This exit knew some nuisances, like stock shortages in the United States and in Europe, accompanied by late restockings. The Japanese public reserved a very icy reception with the machine of Microsoft (less than 40.000 consoles sold during December). This failure with the country of the Rising sun can be explained by a too Western game library.

Specifications

Processor: Xenon (IBM)

Instruction sets (POWER),
3 cores ( EPP =PowerPC Processing Element) superscalaires two ways, 2 Thread S by core (SMT two ways)
execution in the order as at the beginnings of data processing (as for the CONCEALMENT)
of mask of level 2
165 million transistors
3,2 GHz, engraving 90 Nm (passage to the 65 Nm planned for the second Quarter 2007)

A EPP:

1 unit for the entireties (ALUMINUM)
1 FPU (floating)

MT G 2, 222

1 unit load-blind
2 units VMX-128 bits with 128 registers
of mask L1

Xbox 360 can carry out 6 simultaneously threads. Two of the three cores are used for the procedural geometry, left compression making it possible to obtain a good level of quality of texture in spite of the low memory size (even English article at the end of the page). This causes moreover a saving in band-width memory.

Graphics card: Xenos (ATI)

500 MHz
48 Pipeline S of Pixel shader in parallels
Architecture shader unified
500 triangle million/seconds
96 billion operation shader/seconds
of EDRAM

The GPU of Xbox 360, whose code name is Xenos, is resulting from a very new architecture, new on PC. Contrary to the conventional graphics chips which have Pixel and treatment units distinct Vertex, they are unified on the Xenos, which allows a modulation of the use of this one according to the need. Shader Core (graphic heart), engraved in 90 Nm, does not comprise less than 232 million transistors and the EDRAM 150 million transistors approximately.

Memory

GDDR3 @ 700 MHz divided with the CPU
Band-width of 21,6 Go/s

Accessories

Reader DVD 12x, compatible DVD-Video, DVD-Romanian, DVD-R/RW, CD-DA, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, WMA CD, MP3 CD, JPEG photo CD
Support HDTV (720p, 1080i and 1080p, Format 16/9), Antialiasing
interchangeable Frontage
3 ports USB 2.0 (2 with front, 1 with the back)
Hard drive removable (20 Go or 120 Go Xbox 360 Elite) available in pack Premium
Adapter WiFi in option (79 €)
2 sites Memory card (64 or 512 Mo)
Levers without wire

Packs

; Version Arcade with 279 € It replaces the core system

a lever without wire
a Silver access to the Xbox Live, as well as a one month offer for Xbox Live Gold.
standard cables AV
the presence of a port HDMI
a memory card of 256 Mo approximately
Plays xbox live arcade (of which Uno and CAP Man)

; Been worth version pack with 349 € It replaces the premium pack

a removable Hard drive of 20 Go.
a lever without wire of a range of 10 meters and a 30 hour endurance.
a helmet to communicate on Live.
the cables HD-AV and sector.
a cable Ethernet cross RJ-45.
a Silver access to the Xbox Live, as well as a one month offer for Xbox Live Gold.
a port HDMI
the plays Viva Piñata and Forza motorsport 2 included

; Version limited Halation 3 to 399 €

a console Xbox “Green Spartan and Or”, equipped with a port HDMI.
a removable Hard drive of 20 Go.
a lever without wire matched, of a range of 10 meters and a 30 hour endurance.
a helmet to communicate on Live.
the cables HDMI, HD-AV and sector.
a cable Ethernet cross RJ-45.
a kit Play' Does not charge.
Of the images of players and a topic Halation 3 exclusive.

; Version Elite with 449 €

a removable Hard drive of 120 Go.
a black lever without wire of a range of 10 meters and a 30 hour endurance.
a port HDMI
an optical adapter RCA/
a black helmet to communicate on Live.
the cables HDMI, composite HD-AV and sector.
a cable Ethernet cross RJ-45.
a Silver access to the Xbox Live, as well as a one month offer for Xbox Live Gold.
the console is of black color.

Price drops were confirmed by Microsoft for the U.S.A and for Canada, the Core version drops by 20$ (279$), the Premium version drops by 50$ (349$), and the Elite version drops by 30$ (449$). This fall is effective starting from August 8th, 2007 (the prices indicated are Net of tax). These price drops were confirmed for the Europe and will be effective on August 24th, 2007, that is to say the same day as the publication of the Elite version on the European market. All the prices posted above are the same ones for Europe except for the fact that they are in € and not in $, and are this time including all taxes.

Accessories

removable Hard drive 20 Go or of 120 Go: the Rétrocompatibilité partial of the plays XBox allows. Space usable is of 13 Go for the 20 Go and 105 Go for the second.

Memory card 64 Mo including 51 Mo usable or 512 Mo for the safeguards.

Helmet Xbox Live to communicate on the Xbox Live. Will undoubtedly also be used in certain plays for the voice recognition. A mini helmet wireless telegraphy using radio technology 2,4 Ghz was born in the current of the month of December 2006 in Europe.

Kit Play' Does not charge. Allows to reload a lever Xbox 360 without wire in the course of play.

telegraphic Lever or without wire.

Adapter wireless networking Wifi to connect the console to a network Wifi, without using of cable Ethernet. It connects on a Port USB dedicated located at the back of the machine.

Reader external HD-DVD for reading films in high-definition. The fact that this reader is optional comes to reinforce the probability that it will not read plays on HD-DVD. The reader is delivered with a remote control and the HD-DVD of King Kong for one limited time.

Receiving Xbox 360 without wire for Windows. This receiver makes it possible to use to 4 levers without wire, 4 headphones Xbox Live without wire as well as other accessories without wire, to come, simultaneously on a PC under Windows XP or Vista.

Flying without wire for the sets of automobile races. Price: 129€ with the play Project Gotham Racing 3. The plays 100% compatible with the wheel are: Need for Speed™ Carbon, Project Gotham Racing® 3 (that sold with the wheel manages the return of force, contrary to the marketed version with share), Test Drive® Unlimited, Forza Motorsport™ 2.

XBOX Live Vision Camera (webcam 640 X 480 pixels, 30 images/s, 1.3 mégapixels)

Plays supporting Xbox Live Vision (Videoconference only): Bankshot Billiards 2, Battlezone, Hardwood Backgammon, Hardwood Hearts, Hardwood Spades, Uno, Texas Hold' EM Play using Xbox Live Vision as controller: TotemBall, Pinball FX Plays proposing to integrate its face: Tom Clancy' S Rainbow Six: Vegas, World Series off Poker, Pro Evolution Soccer 2008

Functions multi-media

Posting of photographs directly since a APN.

Reading of files multimedia (photographs, music, vidéos) since a computer provided with a Media Center platform, since CD, an unquestionable DVD, key or hard drive USB, a PSP, a Reader MP3 or of very other Peripheral portable external.

The operating system is Multitâche, making it possible for example to listen to music while playing or while being in the interface of the console

Audio

MP3,
ACC (not protected)

Video

WMV9,
MP4,
MP4/AVC

External reader HD DVD for Xbox 360

Microsoft proposes, since November 2006, an accessory allowing to read HD DVD on its console XBox 360 for the sum of 179 €; Microsoft not wanting to impose a format HD to the players.

Equipped with an interface USB 2.0 this reader manufactured by Toshiba can also be used on a PC based on Windows Vista or Windows XP, but however requires the use of a compatible software of decoding HD DVD.

However its characteristics moves away it from the readers line entries, the console XBox 360 not having HDMI at its exit. However this problem is solved, indeed Microsoft left a new version its console, XBox 360 Elite, integrating a port HDMI, officially left on April 26th, 2007 into the USA and on August 24th to Europe. Moreover all the packs outgoing of factories since November 2007 propose from now on a port HDMI of series.

To be able to benefit from Full HD which this reader offers, it is necessary to use the Components cables provided with the console or to buy the cable VGA which is marketed around 25 €.

Xbox Live

Almost all the plays Xbox 360 are compatible Xbox Live, the service of online game.

Xbox Live is the service of online game created by Microsoft and which is used to connect its video game console Xbox to Internet. It left at the end of 2002 to the the United States America then in March 2003 to Europe. It makes it possible to the players of the whole world to be connected to Internet and thus to be able to clash on all the plays compatible Xbox Live. Xbox Live can also be used for Télécharger contents (free or paying) to add with the plays which allow it. For example, to add new cars for sets of automobile races. Xbox Live also adds an important component to the online game, namely that you can dialog with your adversaries thanks to a Microphone-helmet which thus makes it possible to speak strategy with your team-members and even of speaking with your adversaries. A variation of Xbox Live, XSN, makes it possible as for him to have a world classification on a range of plays of sport Microsoft stamps.

With the arrival of Xbox 360, Live is declined in 2 versions: “Gold” and “Silver. ” The access “Silver” is free. It makes it possible to download no-claims bonus, demonstrations. It is also used as vocal cat. The subscription “Gold” allows as for him, in addition to the functionalities of the “Silver”, to play on line.

Creation of Gamercards: it is about an indentity card on Live gathering your Statistiques, your reputation, your list of plays… They make it possible to store and share your information, even if one decides to change the pseudo one (Gamertag).

Functionalities on xbox 360

Online game with the players of the world;
additional Remote loading of contents;
Possibility of creating tournaments;
Possibility of being made a list of friends which allows you, inter alia, of finding people with whom you were of course;
One can also create clans of players;
Communication with the other players in real-time thanks to the helmet provided to the purchase of a pack Xbox Live;
Classification of the best players for all the compatible plays Xbox Live;
Achats on Market Places;
Creation of Gamercard by pseudo: Reputation, friends, scores, last played games, image of the player.
improved Dashboard: follow-up improved of his/her friends (date of the last connection, gamercard);
Gamercards are accessible since Internet (Xbox.com/fr-fr)
Possibilité of playing in Wifi

The Market Xbox Live

The Market Xbox Live places at the disposal of the different players contained. It is thus possible to download the following contents:

Of the additions for the already had plays
Of the vidéos (and soon of films)
Of the demonstrations of plays
Of the visual topics for the console
of the images for the profile of the player.
DDs plays Xbox Live Arcade is also available, of which a part are republications old sets of arcades, and for certain playable now on Live.

The Live Anywhere

The service Live Anywhere was created by Microsoft to make interact Xbox 360, the mobile phones equipped with Windows Mobile and the computers equipped with Windows Vista. This service is a footbridge for Xbox Live in order to be always connected to its list of friends, to receive its messages and invitations on any products caused at any time.

Play together on Xbox 360 and PC

One of the large innovation of Live Anywhere is the possibility for the players of clashing on the same play while playing on Xbox 360 and PC. The two platforms are completely compatible with the arrival of Windows Vista and the plays as Shadowrun are especially developed to benefit from it.

Of your Telephone in your PC or Xbox 360

Windows Mobile applications will be developed to make it possible to the players to continue their experiment of plays in their mobile. For example, in Forza Motorsport, one will be able to modify his car on his telephone and to then play with on his Xbox 360.

History

Code name during the development of the console was “Xenon”. Several names were advanced before official name is announced:

Xbox 2
Xbox Next
Xbox 360

The official presentation took place the May 12th 2005 on MTV.

Compatibility

Xbox 360 is partially compatible with the plays Xbox. This compatibility requires obligatorily a Hard drive, in order to store there the patchs necessary to the operation of the plays Xbox. With the launching of the console, the console emulated 213 plays for the North America, 156 for the Europe and only 12 for the Japan. According to Microsoft, only the most popular plays will be compatible, such Halo and Halo 2 .

It is possible to update the list of compatibility using new patchs downloadable, either while passing by the Xbox Live, or by engraving oneself CD to be inserted in the console, or by ordering it from Microsoft.

See the List of compatible Xbox plays on Xbox 360.

Lastly, it is possible to play on the Xbox Live or in LAN with the plays Xbox. Thus, a player of Halo 2 out of Xbox 360 can play very well on the Xbox Live with somebody having a Xbox.

Reliability

From its exit, Xbox 360 is prone to a certain number of engineering problems. Retailers report rates of return under guarantee from 25 to 33%, whereas the average of the sector ranges between 3 and 5%. Microsoft initially minimized the problems but in July 2007, Peter Moore, Vice-Président of division interactive Video games of Microsoft, an open letter published announcing an extension of 3 years guarantee in the event of general material breakdown (announced by three twinkling red lights) on any console Xbox 360.

Plays

Plays with launching

These plays belong to the line up console during its launching.

See also List of plays to the launching of video game consoles for more details.

All the plays Xbox 360

Linux for Xbox 360

A price will be granted to that which would manage to make function Linux on Xbox 360. Thus the XboxLinux project was put at the day.

See too

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