The Evolution of Video Gaming (Part 12)

To finish up "The Evolution of Video Gaming", the next few of blogs (parts 12, 13, 14) will be talking about today's video gaming consoles. I will be going in to detail about what makes them so good and comparing them to each other. There are three BIG video gaming systems out there right now.

The first system would be the XBox 360. This is Microsoft's second video gaming console to be produced after the original XBox was made in 2001. The XBox 360 was first unveiled on MTV in May of 2005. It was later released to the public in November 2005. The system was produced by Microsoft but in cooperation with several other companies such as IBM, ATI, SiS. This system allowed for you to play and compete online. It also allowed you to download different content such as arcade games, game demos, TV shows, movies, movie trailers, and more. At release, the system was COMPLETELY sold out in all regions except Japan. The system was released in 36 different countries. This was the most ever by for a video game console. It was also released a year before its competition thus making its popularity grow faster and bigger.

Many people haven't heard of all the variations of the XBox 360. There were four but then one got discontinued. The first would be the XBox 360 Core. This was an entry level XBox 360 system. The "Core" system came bundled with composite video cables and capable of only SDTV resolutions. Newer models could output HD signals when connected to a separately sold HDMI, Component, or VGA cables. It could also utilize a separately sold 20 to 120 GB hard drive. Unlike all the other XBox 360 versions, the Core was shipped with a wired controller instead of the wireless controller found with all the other systems. The XBox 360 Core was discontinued and replaced by the XBox 360 Arcade.

The XBox 360 Arcade was released in 2007 replacing the XBox 360 Core. It included a 256 MB memory system, composite AV cable, HDMI 1.2 output, a wireless controller, and 5 XBox Live Arcade titles. The 5 XBox Live Arcade titles were Boom Boom Rocket, Feeding Frenzy, Luxor 2, Pac-Man Championship Edition, and Uno. All of these were on a single disc. Microsoft says that with the Holiday 2008 consoles there will be an addition game bundled in the package. The game added is Sega Superstars Tennis.

The XBox 360, which was commonly called the Premium or Pro, was another version. This included all the same features as the XBox 360 Core and included hybrid composite and component cable. It includes a detachable 20 GB hard disc drive that was used to store downloaded content and sotre data. This also allowed for old XBox games to be played on the system. It began appearing with the Zephyr motherboard (used in the XBox 360 Elite) in 2007. This featured HDMI 1.2 output and an improved GPU heat sink. At the end of 2007, the newest systems were being shipped with the new "Falcon" motherboard. This motherboard included the new 65-nm CPUs which made them quieter and kept them cooler.

The XBox 360 Elite is the most common on the XBox consoles. It has combined a bit of all of these other consoles in it. It replaced the XBox 360 Premium/Pro. Although it is the most expensive of the versions, most people would say that it is worth it. It included a 120 GB hard drive and a matte black finish. Newer editions of the Elite come in a white version. The retail package included an HDMI 1.2 cable, a wireless controller, and headset that match the system.

The initial price of the XBox 360 Elite in the U.S. was $479.99. The Elite now ranges in price from $299.99 to $399.99 depending on the size of the hard drive. The XBox 360 Premium ranged from $249.99 to $299.99 and the XBox Arcade sells for $199.99.

Special versions of the XBox 360 Elite were made such as the Halo 3 version. This version was released in 2007 when Halo 3 was released. It had Halo logos and colors all over the console and the controller. Another special version was a "Simpsons" version. It was made to help promote the new movie. This was a yellow console with the Simpsons on it and a yellow controller. Although this was only released in a drawing and for only 10 days.

As you can see Microsoft's XBox 360 was and still is a very popular gaming system. It had record sales, selling 22 million as of September of 2008. This system will be compared to Sony and Nintendo's system in the next blog.