Xbox 360

Launch
Main article: Xbox 360 launch

The 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.

The Xbox 360 is 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 will be marked down to US$249 on August 28, 2009 and will be sold until supplies last, and the Elite will be marked down in price to US$299.
Xbox 360 Core box


* The Xbox 360 Core (discontinued) was an entry level Xbox 360. The "Core" is no longer produced, having been replaced by the Xbox 360 Arcade.It was not originally available in Japan, but was later released on November 2, 2006.The Core system came bundled with composite video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, but newer models with lot number 0728 or greater have an HDMI 1.2 output. The Core may output HD signals up to 1080p when connected to separately sold HDMI, Component, or VGA cables. It may also utilize a separately sold 20, 60 or 120 GB 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.

The Xbox 360 Arcade[18] 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)[18] 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.[13] It includes a wireless controller, composite AV cable, HDMI 1.2 output, an internal 256 MB memory chip (units released 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.Holiday 2008 consoles were bundled with Sega Superstars Tennis.With the September 4th, 2008 price cuts, the Arcade fell from $279 to $199.

* The Xbox 360 Pro (discontinued)[26] (sometimes referred to as Premium and packaged as simply Xbox 360 with the subheading "Go Pro") includes all the features of the Xbox 360 Arcade and includes a hybrid composite and component cable with optional optical out instead of a composite cable. This model also includes a detachable 60 GB Hard Disk Drive (previously a 20 GB HDD) to store downloaded content, provide compatibility with original Xbox games, and store game data. The included hard drive comes 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 does include an HDMI 1.2 output, it does not come with HDMI 1.2 cables.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 Xbox 360 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.Internet speculation has shown that Microsoft intends to phase out the Xbox 360's $299 Pro model and lower the price of the Elite unit to $299, based on photographs from GameStop employees listing the Elite and Arcade as the only available models of the Xbox 360, with no Pro in sight. On August 28, 2009 Microsoft will cut the price of the system to $249 and they will be sold until supplies are exhausted.

*The Xbox 360 Elite is the 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 US$479.99,C$549.99,£299.99, and AU$729.95. The Elite was released in 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, and further reduced to $299 on August 28, 2009. However, the $299 package no longer includes games or an HDMI cable.The Xbox 360 Elite has also been configured with a 250GB hard disk drive on special limited editions of the console. The first 250GB Xbox 360 was announced for Modern Warfare 2.

On a few occasions, Microsoft has produced special editions of the console, usually to coincide with the release of a major product. These special editions are typically custom-colored Xbox 360 models, and are produced in limited numbers.

* At the E3 2007 press conference, Microsoft announced the Halo 3 Special Edition console, released September 16, 2007. It sports a Halo 3 theme on the console, wired headset, wireless controller, and play and charge kit. Other than the unique "Spartan green and gold" color scheme, exclusive dashboard theme and downloads, and an HDMI port,its features were identical to those of the Xbox 360 system at the time.It is priced at US$399.99 and £279.99 (the original price of the Xbox 360).


* To promote The Simpsons Movie, Microsoft created a specially designed, yellow Xbox 360 console.The configuration was based on the Xbox 360 package of the time, the only difference being the color scheme of the Xbox 360 console and wireless controller. The consoles were to be given out to winners of drawings taking place between July 18, 2007 and July 27, 2007, in which a name was randomly drawn each day in the "10 Days and 10 Chances to Win" sweepstakes.100 consoles were produced in total.

* A Resident Evil 5 bundle containing a red Xbox 360 Elite console was released on March 13, 2009.The bundle also contains a red, wireless controller and a black, wired headset.


* On September 15, 2009 Microsoft announced a special 250GB hard disk limited edition version of the Xbox 360 for Modern Warfare 2. The unit is highlighted by special game product branding and includes two wireless controllers and a headset. This was the first Xbox 360 announced to come with a 250GB hard drive.

The main unit of the Xbox 360 itself has slight double concavity in matte white or black. The official color of the white model is Arctic Chill. It features a port on the top when vertical (left side when horizontal) to which a custom-housed hard drive unit can be attached in sizes of either 20, 60 (August 2008 onward) or 120 GB. Inside, the Xbox 360 uses the triple-core IBM designed Xenon as its CPU, with each core capable of simultaneously processing two threads, and can therefore operate on up to six threads at once.Graphics processing is handled by the ATI Xenos, which has 10 MB of eDRAM. Its main memory pool is 512 MB in size.

Many accessories are available for the console, including both wired and wireless controllers, faceplates for customization, headsets for chatting, a webcam for video chatting, dance mats and Gamercize for exercise, three sizes of memory cards, and three sizes of hard drives (120GB, 60GB, and 20GB), among other items, all of which are styled to match the console.

Project Natal is the code name for a "controller-free gaming and entertainment experience" for the Xbox 360. It was first announced on June 1, 2009 at the Electronic Entertainment Expo.
Project Natal combines a RGB camera, depth sensor, multi-array microphone and custom processor running proprietary software to track full body movement while responding to commands, directions and even a shift of emotion in the voice.

Other impressive features: Project Natal is not light-dependent, and can recognize a user by looking at their face. The voice recognition tools are claimed to "understand" what a user is saying, allowing users to call up games and more.

Naturally Project Natal is being talked about as a Wii killer, particularly by those who have never really embraced the Wii. But it's not a Wii killer, and there's a key reason why: games. Wii succeeds due to its emphasis on casual gaming; while Project Natal might open the door for more casual gaming on the XBox 360, there's a long way to go. However in fine fashion something should be killed, and in this case it's the Playstation. Why buy an overly expensive Playstation 3 when you can buy an XBox 360 which also offers a somewhat Wii like experience?

When the Xbox 360 was released, Microsoft's online gaming service Xbox Live was shut down for 24 hours and underwent a major upgrade, adding a basic non-subscription service (Silver) to its already established premium subscription-based service (which was renamed Gold). Xbox Live Silver is free of charge and is included with all SKUs of the console. It allows users to create a user profile, join on message boards, and access Microsoft's Xbox Live Arcade and Marketplace and talk to other members.A Live Silver account does not generally support multiplayer gaming; however, some games that have rather limited online functions already, (such as Viva Pinata) or games that feature their own subscription service (eg. EA Sports games) can be played with a Silver account. Xbox Live also supports voice and video communication, the latter a feature possible with the Xbox Live Vision; an add-on USB web camera designed specifically for the Xbox 360.The Gamercard of a player with a Silver account has a silver trim, rather than gold.

Xbox Live Gold includes the same features as Silver and includes integrated online game playing capabilities outside of third-party subscriptions. Microsoft has allowed previous Xbox Live subscribers to maintain their profile information, friends list, and games history when they make the transition to Xbox Live Gold. To transfer an Xbox Live account to the new system, users need to link a Windows Live ID to their gamertag on Xbox.com.When users add an Xbox Live enabled profile to their console, they are required to provide the console with their passport account information and the last four digits of their credit card number, which is used for verification purposes and billing. An Xbox Live Gold account has an annual cost of US$49.99, C$59.99, NZD 90.00, GB£39.99, or %u20AC59.99. As of May 14, 2008, Xbox Live has over 20 million subscribers.

The Xbox 360 is subject to a number of technical problems. Since the console's release in 2005, users have reported concerns over its reliability and failure rate.

To aid customers with defective consoles, Microsoft has extended the Xbox 360's manufacturer's warranty to three years for hardware failure problems that generate a "General Hardware Failure" error report. A "General Hardware Failure" is recognized by three quadrants of the ring around the power button flashing red. This error is often known as the "Red Ring of Death".In April 2009 the warranty was extended to also cover failures related to the E74 error code. The warranty extension is not granted for any other types of failures that do not generate these specific error codes.

Since these problems surfaced, Microsoft has attempted to modify the console to improve its reliability. Modifications include a reduction in the number, size, and placement of components, the addition of dabs of epoxy on the corners and edges of the CPU and GPU as glue to prevent movement relative to the board during heat expansion,and a second GPU heatsink to dissipate more heat.It is now clear that these modifications have not only been exclusive to consoles repaired by Microsoft but to new consoles as well.

Combined, these issues can render your Xbox useless and prompt the display of the Xbox 360 red ring codes.

1 Red Light Error

The 1 red light error is another common code found on the Xbox 360 console. This code signifies numerous things, each indicated by a unique code displayed on the TV screen. E74 is perhaps the most common code found, though many others exist. E74 specifically refers to a malfunction in the AV (audio video) aspect of the console. Microsoft recommends first troubleshooting the AV cable, which is sound advice, if for no other reason than to eliminate the cable as a possible cause.

However, the code is rarely caused by a faulty AV cable. More frequently, the issue can be traced directly to the same factors that induce the 3 red light error. If the GPU chip has begun to work free from its mounting on the motherboard, it can cause several different AV errors.

4 Red Light Error

Another code that the Ring of Light can display is the 4 red light error. This involves all of the LEDs illuminating and flashing red on the console. This code means that the Xbox cannot detect the AV cable. Sometimes this is due to an incorrect cable connection at the back of the console. However, it can also be caused by the issues affecting the motherboard and GPU chip.

2 Red Light Error

The two red light error is the final code that the Ring of Light can display. This code is somewhat different than the others, in that it indicates overheating, directly. This code is frequently caused by incorrect placement of the console or by problems stemming from the power supply. For instance, if the console is placed on a soft surface, or one or more of the vents is blocked, the interior of the console can overheat quite rapidly. Power supply problems can also cause the unit to overheat. If your power supply indicator light is amber or red, the "power brick" is either drawing insufficient current for proper operation or is overheating due to inadequate ventilation.