The 360 Experience
Personalization is the key to the Xbox 360 Experience. The Xbox 360 places players at the center of their gaming experiences and features wireless controllers and an array of Faces, interchangeable faceplates that let gamers personalize their console.
Every Xbox 360 game is designed for high-definition, wide-screen televisions. Regardless of the television Xbox 360 connects to, gamers will experience smooth, cinematic experiences. And these experiences are never more than a click away.
The Xbox Gamer Guide is an entertainment gateway that instantly connects you to your games, friends, music, movies, and downloadable content. Available at a touch of the Xbox Guide Button, the Xbox Gamer Guide gives you instant access to the experiences and content you want, from the gamer card of the player that just invited you to play online to new downloadable content for the game currently running.
At its core, Xbox 360 is a game machine with a wide selection of titles. But it is also an entertainment system that lets people power new experiences. Every Xbox 360 system has built-in progressive-scan DVD movie, CD music and photo playback support. The integration of Xbox Live into the system lets players receive game invitations from friends while they?re watching movies or listening to music. And every MP3 player, digital camera and Windows XP-based PC with a Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0 port can plug right into an Xbox 360 system to stream music and photos.
In addition, with built-in Media Center Extender functionality in every system, Xbox 360 players can access recorded TV and digital movies, music, video and photos stored on Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005-based PCs through any Xbox 360 in the house.
In addition to optimizing all Xbox 360 games for high definition, Xbox 360 will stream high-definition TV and movies stored on Media Center PCs at launch. As high-definition entertainment becomes more pervasive, Microsoft will offer more ways to experience HDTV and movies in any room in the house, any way people want it. Whether it?s by the dropping of an optical disc in a drive, streaming to Xbox 360, or through broadband distribution, Xbox 360 will let players choose how to light up their high-definition content.
?Xbox 360 is a revolution that promises to ignite new levels of creativity, community and competition,? Bach said.
?Xbox 360 marks the beginning of a renaissance in video games,? said Don Mattrick, president of Worldwide Studios for Electronic Arts. ?The unbelievable Xbox 360 games in development at Electronic Arts will accelerate the industry?s mission to make video games the pre-eminent form of all entertainment.?
Xbox 360 gives you access to the games you want to play, the people you want to play with, and the experiences you crave?when and where you want them.
In Control: 360
The Xbox 360's controller will be wireless out of the box. The design is similar to the current Controller S, but with a few changes. The black and white buttons found on the current controlers are gone and have been replaced with two additional shoulder triggers -- bringing it a little more inline with Sony's Dual Shock.
At the center of the controller is what could aptly be described as the "Home" button; which allows players to quickly jump to the Xbox 360 dashboard to check messages or for new content and go back to the game just as fast.
The controller will also feature a "Power On/Off" switch, allowing players to turn the system off with a touch of a button (since we all know getting off the sofa to turn off the system is a chore).
