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A Brief History of the XBox 360
It has been called many things. Revolutionary. Slick. A home wrecker. Widow maker.
Of course, the subject at hand is the one and only XBox 360!
Many people own one. Some, more dedicated, gamers own multiple consoles. Parents will rush department stores to buy XBox 360 games for their kids. Nationwide tournaments have cropped up around specific games played on the XBox 360 console. The console allows you to do anything from fighting in the UFC to racing a stolen car – for which you will never go to jail, because this is all virtual. But how, exactly, did the XBox 360 come about?
The Beginning
The XBox 360 is the console that took the place of the original XBox. Its main competition? PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii – two other major players in the seventh generation of consoles. The console itself had a variety of names during its development. Some possibilities included XBox Next to NextBox, and even Xenon. However, XBox 360 seemed to be a bit more easily marketed, and thusly the name stuck.
First ideas for the 360 came about in 2003, with planning beginning in Februrary of 2003. Throughout the rest of 2003, many higher ups in the gaming industry signed on to help with the development of the 360. Sega’s former president signed on early in the project, and ATI developed the graphics processing unit later that year. Prior to release, even Apple got in on the action, as several Alpha development kits were caught using the PowerMac G5 hardware.
Launch
November 22, 2005 was the release date for the XBox 360 in the United States. Fans everywhere rushed out not only to buy the console, but also to buy XBox 360 games, which were already being released in a small flood. Two versions were available upon original launch, the XBox 360 package or the XBox 360 Core package. Several other packages have come along since then, to include the Elite model.
But gamers around the world are getting ramped up yet again as Microsoft plans to release yet another version of the XBox 360. This one with the more simple name of XBox 360 S. But don’t let the release of a newer version dictate whether or not you buy XBox 360 games. You will still be able to play all the same games on the XBox 360 S. This isn’t like the change from XBox to XBox 360. So go on out and buy XBox 360 games – buy some for your friends, too. You’re all certain to be gaming to your heart’s content now that you know where your XBox 360 came from.
Xbox 360 – Project Natal
Microsoft’s Project Natal has been the subject of much speculation since its first announcement at E3 2009. The technology is being developed with hopes that it will eliminate the need for a controller in future generations of consoles. Bits and pieces of information being released occasionally reveal that, in addition to removing controllers from games completely, Project Natal is also working to blur the line between the games and real life.
With the eventual release of Project Natal the Xbox itself will take a completely new turn as well, adding features such as “Image Importing,” where you can scan an object onto the Xbox for use in certain applications and games. Facial and voice recognition create a more personal link between you and your system, revolutionizing the way we look at our Xbox Live accounts.
Outside the gaming spectrum, the new Xbox 360 is shown with other perks that are sure to please anyone. Among these features is a communication channel, complete with voice and video. Many smaller software is included that will turn your Xbox from a gaming console into an advanced networking hub.
This is all made possible with the Project Natal sensor bar, a piece of hardware that includes an RGB camera and depth sensor for motion capturing and a multi-array microphone for voice recognition. The technology is powerful enough to track four people simultaneously, keeping the multiplayer experience at its best.
The hardware, according to Microsoft, will be compatible with all preexisting Xboxes, so there is no cause for worry about having to buy an entire new console. Microsoft VP Shane Kim asserted that Microsoft believes that Project Natal will extend the Xbox 360’s lifespan well past its Sony and Nintendo counterparts, expecting the next full console release in 2015, if not later. Hopefully Microsoft’s expectations are met and Project Natal will be more than enough in lieu of a brand new system.
Project Natal is believed to be released sometime in late 2010. However, Microsoft has given no official release date for the new hardware.
For more information, visit Xbox’s official Project Natal page: http://www.xbox.com/en-US/live/projectnatal/,
or Project Natal’s Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/xboxprojectnatal.
Eric Hudson