Xbox 360 Laid Bare

The MTV specials may have been a disaster for most hardcore gamers, but at least Microsoft did get some real information out there via the good old written word. Official hardware shots and details inside.

After months of teasing and some apparently deliberate leaks, Microsoft officially debuted the successor to the Xbox, to be known as Xbox 360, during an MTV special that aired on Thursday in North America. A castrated version of the show with almost all the game footage removed was also shown in Europe on Friday. To fill the information void, we've come bearing the official word from Microsoft - no MTV pollution here.

As it turns out, most of the rumours and leaked information that have hit the Internet over the past fortnight have proven to be right on the money.

First, the system name - the official name of the Xbox progeny will indeed be Xbox 360, chosen, if you believe the rumours, so as not to have an Xbox 2 appearing inferior to a PlayStation 3. And 360 degrees is also one revolution - a serendipitous jab at Nintendo, whose next console is codenamed Revolution.

The final Xbox 360 hardware

The hardware design, worked on by two top design houses in Japan and America, is more streamlined than before, with a white casing and a large power button, named the Ring of Light. Gone is the primarily black box and in comes something that won't look out of place in any modern entertainment system - which just so happens to be the Xbox 360's main goal.

"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 revolutionize the way people think about fun."

The Xbox 360 controller, also white, comes in two flavours: wired and wireless. The four main face buttons from the Xbox controller remain but the Start and Back buttons have been moved to the centre, and the triggers have been redesigned "for ease of use". The wireless controller has a 30-foot range and will last for about 40 hours off two AA batteries. The rumble feature of the controller has also been overhauled and now allows for three levels of rumbling. It hasn't been explicity stated but we presume the wireless controllers come as standard.

The main addition to the controller is the large, Xbox 360 logo in the centre, which is actually the Xbox Guide button. This button gives you instant access to the Xbox 360 front-end, allowing you to check for messages, view your system information or game history or get on to Xbox Live or the Xbox Live Marketplace.

The Xbox Guide button also comes on the new remote control unit, so you can check if someone's looking to play against you while you're watching a DVD or listening to music. And at last, the controller and remote control will both be able to turn the Xbox 360 on or off, so you never have to leave the couch again.

You'll be able to track all your in-game accomplishments and
track your game playing habits using the new front-end

Customisation has been a central talking point in the run up to Xbox 360's debut, not only in games, but also of the hardware itself. Microsoft will sell a range of faceplates that allow you to trick out your Xbox 360 to make it look exactly how you want it to. These will snap on to the face of the console, much like the faceplates used for mobile phones.

There are big changes in store for Xbox Live in the next generation. As rumoured, Xbox Live has been split into two levels of service: Silver and Gold.

Silver, as you probably guessed, is the standard service. This free service allows you to send and receive voice and text messages and share information about your gaming tastes through the Game Guide, which features a personalised picture of you, your gaming history and achievements and a summary of the types of games you like.

The Gold service, which will require a subscription fee, gives you all of this and access to online gaming. Xbox Live Gold also has more advanced communication options, allowing you to use the Xbox Live Camera to leave video messages or to include your face on the screen while you're playing games.

Communication, via text, voice or video, is a key
component of Xbox Live

The major change with Xbox Live is that it's included as a core element of the Xbox 360 experience, which means that if your console is connection to a broadband connection, you're always only one button press away from getting online, whether you're watching a movie or listening to music.

Xbox 360 expands Microsoft's reach into your digital life by including support for Window Media Center Edition PCs, allowing you to access high-definition recorded TV, movies and other content stored on your PC through the Xbox 360's USB 2.0 connector.

The console also doubles as a progressive scan DVD player and will hook up to digital cameras and MP3 players, so you can collect all your photos and music in one place. And if you're not impressed with the music in Xbox 360 games, you'll be able to use you own instead, as all games will support custom playlists.

All this media has to be stored somewhere, though, which is why Xbox 360 will support a detachable hard drive. This will initially only come in a 20GB size, but the detachable construction means that upgrading as bigger drives are released is made easy. The console also has slots for two 64MB memory cards, which will lets you collect and move around your game saves and your gamer profile.

Even with all this information, though, there are still key questions that remain unanswered, such as the exact launch date (Microsoft has only said Xbox 360 will be out by Christmas) and the launch price. The company will hold its annual pre-E3 conference on Monday in Los Angeles, and we'll be there to bring you all the information.

If you missed the European run of the special, MTV will be airing reruns throughout the weekend. We'd suggest you give it a miss though. If you've read this far you're better informed and all you're missing is performances by Snow Patrol and The Killers. If you feel like watching Xbox 360-related video, why not check out those in our earlier update.

Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games