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`FORTUNE: Review of the Xbox 360 - Nov. 17, 2005
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`Playing for keeps
`Microsoft kicks of the holidays in high definition with its $400 Xbox 360.
`November 17, 2005: 4:02 PM EST
`By Peter Lewis, FORTUNE senior editor
`
`NEW YORK (FORTUNE) - Microsoft's got
`game. After plunging an estimated $4 billion
`into the development and marketing of its
`Xbox videogame console, the centerpiece of
`its strategy to expand from the office to the
`living room, Microsoft has taken the wraps off
`its next-generation game box, the Xbox 360.
`And judging from the features Microsoft has
`packed into the new box, it's clear the
`company is playing for keeps.
`Despite a relatively steep pricetag of $400 for the
`complete hardware package, an initially sparse
`selection of new games at a typical hit of $50
`each, requirement of a broadband Internet
`connection, and online fees that can be as much
`as $8 a month, we expect the Xbox 360 to be the
`techie toy of choice for garners this holiday
`season.
`The $400 Xbox 360 "premium" bundle includes
`the completely redesigned game console; a
`wireless controller; cables for attaching the Xbox
`360 to a TV set; a removable 20GB hard disk; a
`headset; customized face plates; a monster-size
`AC power adapter; and a free pass for a basic
`subscription to Xbox Live, the online gaming
`network that is rapidly setting Xbox apart from its
`main rival and the market leader, the Sony
`PlayStation 2.
`Microsoft will also offer a basic Xbox 360 system
`for $300, consisting of just the console itself, a
`wired controller, and the basic Xbox Live service.
`However, the experience of using the full system
`is so compelling that most consumers are likely
`to opt for the premium package.
`
`https://money.cnn.com/2005/11 /17/technology/xbox_fortune_112805/
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`Microsoft's Xbox 360, which
`hits stores Nov. 22.
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`Good, but not great.
`For another viewpoint, read
`CNN/Money's Chris Morris
`on the Xbox 360.(See
`column)
`• Want an Xbox 360? Good
`luck.
`
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`1014/22, 10:30 PM
`FORTUNE: Review of the Xbox 360 - Nov. 17, 2005
`To recoup its investment -- $4 billion is a big ante
`even for a company with $40 billion in cash --
`Microsoft has to sell its Xbox 360 as not just a
`hard-core gaming machine for testosterone-
`addled men 18 to 34 years old but also as a
`family entertainment and communications center
`for boomers, soccer moms and casual garners.
`To broaden the appeal of the 360, Microsoft is
`going from wild to mild. The first-generation
`Xbox, introduced four years ago, was big and
`black and brutish and boxy, just the sort of
`design that would appeal to boys who like to
`blow things up. The new Xbox 360 design is
`more Martha Stewart. That's not to say Ms.
`Stewart doesn't like to blow things up; perhaps
`she does.
`But the new machine is an upright tower with
`gentle curves and pale plastic. Microsoft says the
`design is "more Porsche than Hummer," but I find
`it more ho-hummer, even with the giant, toxic-
`green, eyeball-like power button that's one of the
`few design holdovers from the original.
`Microsoft is also boosting the mildness quotient
`with an emphasis on classic arcade and parlor
`games, offering alternative amusements to
`people who don't care to wallow in bone-
`crunching sports games or screeching, spark-
`spewing race games. Puzzles, poker and other
`card games, billiards, and similar family fare will
`be available either free or for a nominal sum,
`probably somewhere in the $10 range.
`To appeal to nongamers, the Xbox 360 can also
`be used as an adjunct to the home entertainment
`system, playing audio CDs and serving as a
`progressive-scan DVD player, for those times
`when separating monsters from their intestines
`becomes tedious.
`Connected to any TV -- ideally a high-definition, widescreen digital set A the 360
`becomes a digital hub for the family room. Three USB 2.0 connection ports allow
`users to attach digital cameras, portable MP3 music players (including the Apple
`iPod), or even a Microsoft Windows Media Center PC. Plug in your iPod and use
`your own favorite music as a soundtrack to an Xbox 360 game instead of the one
`on the game disc. (Just don't expect to play any songs you've purchased through
`the Apple iTunes Music Store, because Apple has not given Microsoft a license
`for Apple's copyright-protection system.)
`If the Media Center PC is in the other room, an optional Wi-Fi adapter or an
`Ethernet cable can pull music, photos, home movies, and other Windows Media
`files from the computer to the Xbox for display on the big-screen TV. Setting up
`such a networked system is always tricky, however, even for experienced techies,
`and rigging this one up may cause them to want to blow something up.
`
`Video game guide 2005
`Xbox? PlayStation?
`Nintendo? CNN/Money tells
`you the best choices for all
`the systems. (full story)
`
`Turning bytes into bling
`There's real money to be
`made selling goods in the
`imaginary worlds created by
`online games. (Full story)
`
`https://money.cnn.com/2005/11 /17/technology/xbox_fortune_112805/
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`1014/22, 10:30 PM
`FORTUNE: Review of the Xbox 360 - Nov. 17, 2005
`And that, of course, is where the Xbox 360 really shines. In the process of giving
`me thumb calluses while I tested new games like Perfect Dark Zero, Call of Duty
`2 and Project Gotham Racing 3, the Xbox 360 revealed itself to be the most
`powerful and immersing gaming console available today.
`All new Xbox 360 games are high-definition, showing individual blades of grass
`rippling in the wind, beads of sweat on an athlete's face, and blood spatters in
`exquisite detail, accompanied by 5.1-channel surround-sound audio. The
`enhanced realism comes from the Xbox 360's custom-designed IBM PowerPC
`processor and ATI graphics chip, which together deliver near-cinematic quality.
`Microsoft chose to support the 720p (720 lines scanned progressively) high-
`definition video standard instead of the more advanced 1,080p level announced
`by Sony for its PS3. All I can say is that 720p looks pretty darned good.
`Microsoft also chose a standard-definition DVD player for the Xbox 360, a
`conservative move, given that high-definition DVD players are expected to start
`arriving soon. (The PS3 will feature a high-definition DVD drive.) But Microsoft
`reserved the option to add a high-def DVD player once a technical standard for
`those next-generation DVDs has been resolved.
`The Xbox 360 carries interaction among players to new levels. There's a tiered
`pricing system for Xbox Live, with online subscriptions ranging from free for the
`basic Silver level to $50 or more per year for Gold and Premium Gold levels,
`which include multiplayer online gaming and the ability to buy virtual gear for
`virtual characters using real money. Players can enter tournaments, compete for
`prizes, challenge other players in ranking ladders, and build a global reputation.
`Only a few of the most popular first-generation Xbox games will be playable on
`the new console, which means either keeping an older Xbox attached to the TV
`along with the new one or buying new versions of your favorites. The Xbox 360
`also falls short, ironically, in integration with other Microsoft products and services
`like MSN's music store and Hotmail e-mail. Perhaps that's not bad. The first time
`an Excel spreadsheet or PowerPoint presentation tries to sneak onto my TV
`screen, I'm ripping out the wires. Let's not forget that the Xbox 360 was built
`primarily for fun and games. And with its powerful new hardware and endless
`expansion possibilities through Xbox Live, it's the only game in town this holiday
`season. im
`
`More Technology
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`https://money.cnn.com/2005/11 /17/technology/xbox_fortune_112805/
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`1014/22, 10:30 PM
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`FORTUNE: Review of the Xbox 360 - Nov. 17, 2005
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