XBox 360 – Strongest Console Ever Made or Not?

Microsoft has released a lot of information on there next generation console, the XBox 360, and it is really gaining hype. When XBox 1 released it packed a lot of power, that dominated every console that came out along with it. With all of that being just great, the weight of the system was very heavy, and the controller was big enough to give you carpel tunnel syndrome. Microsoft wanted to make an improvement on that, and they did just that. The system really isn’t that big, and the controller gives the gamer comfort, and flexibility all in one. I happen to be a big Nintendo fan, but with this system making a release around the same time Nintendo decides to release theres, this could be a big competitor to that and the Sony PS3. Whether this system releases before or after Nintendo and Sony, it will still be a huge competition for everyone.

Of course hardware is going to be XBox 360’s biggest feature, but will it be the strongest? Microsoft of course is going to hope for the best, and prepare for the worst, as Sony’s PS3 is taking a top look on the hardware pole. It is still too early to tell, but it is going to be close… The industrial design of the XBox 360 is very different from its predecessor, and that makes it more of a threat to other systems, as XBox 1 was very heavy. It kind of looks like a wireless router, but a little bigger. Microsoft stated that XBox 360 represents a dramatic leap forward in high-definition gaming and entertainment. When they said that, high definition is what caught everybody’s attention, since now a days high definition TV’s are the only thing being made. The XBox 360 will feature three symmetrical cores running at 3.2 GHZ each, which is very powerful. In fact, it is so powerful that most computers don’t even run at that speed. Running at 9 billion dot product operations per second, the graphics engine will support very powerful looking games, and fast framing on all games. The ram is stated to be 512 MB with a 700 MHZ GDDR3 bus backing it up. A 20 GB hard drive will come with the XBox 360, with it being detachable, and upgradeable also. XBox Live will be included out – of – the – box, so users will be allowed to play along with other players with a broadband connection. DVD media will be included, along with download-able music capable of being stored on the hard drive. XBox 360 will also support interchangeable plates that will allow you to customize your XBox 360 to the fullest. With all of this being very nice, you can expect it to be very expensive. Having strong hardware costs a lot of money, and although Microsoft has the dough, they need to make money also, so expect the XBox 360 to be around 400 – 600 dollars. I will estimate 550.00.

XBox Live peripherals include a XBox Live camera, a XBox 360 headset, Wireless Network Adapter, XBox 360 Wireless Controller, and the normal XBox 360 controller. While these are only pre releases, they are all very very nice. When you can fully customize XBox Live to be a personal space to meet and greet other people then Microsoft wants to make the XBox an entertainment machine along with being a gaming monster. With the XBox Live camera, gamers can video message, and chat with other video messengers, along with allowing you to put your face on characters in games. With next – generation online motion – detection – enabled games, the Camera puts you the gamer entirely in the game and in control of the on – screen characters over XBox Live. While this was stated on XBox’s website, I had to integrate it into this article. The XBox Live Headset also allows you to talk to other people along with playing with them also. So if you are playing a strategic shoot em up like Ghost Recon you can talk strategy with your partners, while playing a long with them and others. This was allowed on XBox 1, but expect this next generation Headset to be even better than the first. The Wireless Network Adapter allows more ease when you’re playing online games. You don’t have to worry about wires, and the quality of gaming is much more advanced. With these released peripherals, you can expect the XBox 360 to be packed with a lot of entertainment.

As we go back and talk about the hardware part of consoles, you would think Microsoft would have the top hardware on the market. This is what makes this times console war interesting because Sony wants to be the big dog in the hardware department. Now I have said this before and will say it again, I am afraid it is going to take more than hardware to win this years console war, but Sony has both that and the library. XBox is looking to be an overall entertainment machine, and if I know Bill Gates he will make his machine strong enough if he can. All three systems are going to be very close in hardware, so it is going to be software that will win this year. That is my opinion.

The XBox’s gaming library isn’t very big, but it does pack some huge titles, like Halo, and Ninja Gaiden. With Rare joining Microsofts side, you can expect a lot of titles to be released for the XBox 360. I can only imagine a Halo 3, and a 2nd Ninja Gaiden for the XBox, as the first Ninja Gaiden was amazing. Madden 2006 which will be a multi-platform game, looks very nice on the XBox 360, and with Microsofts advanced graphic technology, and high – definition capabilities, it will look even better. Like I said before, the gaming library isn’t huge, but look for Microsoft to expand and produce many more titles for the XBox 360.