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{{Infobox CVG system| title = Microsoft XBox {{Infobox CVG system| title = Microsoft Xbox
|logo = ] |logo = ]
|image = ] |image = ]
|manufacturer = ] |manufacturer = ]
|type = ] |type = ]


|generation = ] |generation = ]
|life span = ], ] (])<br />], ] (])<br />], ] (]/]) |lifespan = ], ] (])<br />], ] (])<br />], ] (]/])
|CPU = 733 MHz ] |CPU = 733 MHz ]
|media = ], ] |media = ], ]
|online service = ] |onlineservice = ]
|units sold = ] (Q2'06){{fact}} |unitssold = ] (Q2'06){{fact}}
<!-- See discussion - http://money.cnn.com/2006/03/17/technology/ballmer_fortune/ is not confirmation of 24 million units sold --> <!-- See discussion - http://money.cnn.com/2006/03/17/technology/ballmer_fortune/ is not confirmation of 24 million units sold -->
|topgame = '']'' |topgame = '']''
|successor = ] |successor = ]
}} }}
The ] '''XBox''' is a ] ] first released on ], ] in ], then released on ], ] in ], and on ], ] in ]. The XBox was Microsoft's first independent venture into the video game console arena, after having developed the operating system and development tools for the ], and having collaborated with ] in porting ] to the ] console. Notable launch titles for the console include '']'', '']'', '']'' and '']''. The ] '''Xbox''' is a ] ] first released on ], ] in ], then released on ], ] in ], and on ], ] in ]. The Xbox was Microsoft's first independent venture into the video game console arena, after having developed the operating system and development tools for the ], and having collaborated with ] in porting ] to the ] console. Notable launch titles for the console include '']'', '']'', '']'' and '']''.
==History== ==History==
===Development=== ===Development===
]'' magazine.]] ]'' magazine.]]
The XBox was initially developed within Microsoft by a small team which included ], a game developer and ]. The rumors of a video game console being developed by Microsoft first emerged at the end of 1999 following interviews of ]. Gates said that a gaming/multimedia device was essential for multimedia convergence in the new times of ] entertainment. On ], ] the "XBox Project" was officially confirmed by Microsoft with a ]. <ref>"", Xbox.com, ], ]. Retrieved ], ].</ref> The Xbox was initially developed within Microsoft by a small team which included ], a game developer and ]. The rumors of a video game console being developed by Microsoft first emerged at the end of 1999 following interviews of ]. Gates said that a gaming/multimedia device was essential for multimedia convergence in the new times of ] entertainment. On ], ] the "X-box Project" was officially confirmed by Microsoft with a ]. <ref>"", Xbox.com, ], ]. Retrieved ], ].</ref>


Some see the XBox as a way to capitalize on the growing video game market, noting that the PC market growth was stagnating after the ]. According to the book '']'', by ] and ], the remarkable success of the upstart ] ] worried Microsoft in late 1990s. The growing video game market seemed to threaten the ] market which Microsoft had dominated and relied upon for most of its revenues. As well, a venture into the gaming console market would also diversify Microsoft's product line, which up to that time had been heavily concentrated into software. Some see the Xbox as a way to capitalize on the growing video game market, noting that the PC market growth was stagnating after the ]. According to the book '']'', by ] and ], the remarkable success of the upstart ] ] worried Microsoft in late 1990s. The growing video game market seemed to threaten the ] market which Microsoft had dominated and relied upon for most of its revenues. As well, a venture into the gaming console market would also diversify Microsoft's product line, which up to that time had been heavily concentrated into software.


XBox presented a standardized alternative to the near-endless variety of end-user configurations on the PC. The XBox even brought high-end gaming technology to the mainstream, sporting a top of the line ] equivalent graphics processor, a built-in Ethernet adapter, and ] 5.1 sound in hardware. Xbox presented a standardized alternative to the near-endless variety of end-user configurations on the PC. The Xbox even brought high-end gaming technology to the mainstream, sporting a top of the line ] equivalent graphics processor, a built-in Ethernet adapter, and ] 5.1 sound in hardware.


===Software=== ===Software===
:''See also: ]'' :''See also: ]''
The XBox launched in North America on ], ]. The greatest success of the XBox's launch games was '']'', which was critically well-received and one of the best-selling games of the year. ''Halo'' still remains the console's standout title. Other successful launch titles included '']'', '']'' and '']'' ). However, the failure of several first-party games (including '']'' and '']'' ) damaged the initial public reputation of the Xbox. The Xbox launched in North America on ], ]. The greatest success of the Xbox's launch games was '']'', which was critically well-received and one of the best-selling games of the year. ''Halo'' still remains the console's standout title. Other successful launch titles included '']'', '']'' and '']'' ). However, the failure of several first-party games (including '']'' and '']'' ) damaged the initial public reputation of the Xbox.
]'', proved to be a great success for the XBox and ]]] ]'', proved to be a great success for the Xbox and ]]]
Although it enjoyed strong third-party support from its inception, many early XBox games did not take full advantage of its powerful hardware, with few additional features or graphical improvements to distinguish themselves from the PlayStation 2 version, and this negated one of the XBox's main selling points Lastly, Sony countered the XBox by securing PlayStation 2 exclusives for highly anticipated games such as the ] and '']''. Although it enjoyed strong third-party support from its inception, many early Xbox games did not take full advantage of its powerful hardware, with few additional features or graphical improvements to distinguish themselves from the PS2 version, and this negated one of the Xbox's main selling points Lastly, Sony countered the Xbox by securing PlayStation 2 exclusives for highly anticipated games such as the ] and '']''.


In 2002 and 2003, several releases helped the XBox to gain momentum and distinguish itself from the PlayStation 2. The ] online service was launched alongside pilot titles '']'', '']'' and '']''. Several best-selling and critically-acclaimed titles for the XBox were published, such as '']'', '']'', and '']''. ]'s exclusivity deal with ] was amended to allow '']'', '']'' and its ] to be published on the XBox. In addition, many other publishers got into the trend of releasing the XBox version alongside the PlayStation 2 version, instead of delaying it for months. In 2002 and 2003, several releases helped the Xbox to gain momentum and distinguish itself from the PS2. The ] online service was launched alongside pilot titles '']'', '']'' and '']''. Several best-selling and critically-acclaimed titles for the Xbox were published, such as '']'', '']'', and '']''. ]'s exclusivity deal with ] was amended to allow '']'', '']'' and its ] to be published on the Xbox. In addition, many other publishers got into the trend of releasing the Xbox version alongside the PS2 version, instead of delaying it for months.
]'' was released in ] to much critical acclaim]] ]'' was released in ] to much critical acclaim]]
In 2004, '']'' set records as highest grossing release in entertainment history as well as being a successful ] for the online service. That year, Microsoft and ] reached a deal which would see the latter's popular titles enabled on ]. In 2005, the long-awaited XBox console-exclusive '']'', '']'', and '']'' were released. Games that sell over 400,000 units in their first 9 months are designated as ] and have their retail prices dropped. Later on, if they continue to sell well, they become designated as Best Of ] and undergo yet another price drop. In 2004, '']'' set records as highest grossing release in entertainment history as well as being a successful ] for the online service. That year, Microsoft and ] reached a deal which would see the latter's popular titles enabled on ]. In 2005, the long-awaited Xbox console-exclusive '']'', '']'', and '']'' were released. Games that sell over 400,000 units in their first 9 months are designated as ] and have their retail prices dropped. Later on, if they continue to sell well, they become designated as Best Of ] and undergo yet another price drop.


===XBox Live=== ===Xbox Live===
On ], Microsoft launched its XBox Live online gaming service, allowing subscribers to play online XBox games with (or against) other subscribers all around the world and download new content for their games to the system's ]. This online service works exclusively with a ] Internet connection. Approximately 250,000 subscribers had signed up within 2 months of Live's launch . In July 2004, Microsoft announced that XBox Live had reached 1 million subscribers, and only a year later, in July 2005, that membership had reached 2 million. An XBox Live Gold subscription (which affords the user the most features of any membership) currently costs US$50 a year (roughly US$4 a month). On ], Microsoft launched its Xbox Live online gaming service, allowing subscribers to play online Xbox games with (or against) other subscribers all around the world and download new content for their games to the system's ]. This online service works exclusively with a ] Internet connection. Approximately 250,000 subscribers had signed up within 2 months of Live's launch . In July 2004, Microsoft announced that Xbox Live had reached 1 million subscribers, and only a year later, in July 2005, that membership had reached 2 million. An Xbox Live Gold subscription (which affords the user the most features of any membership) currently costs US$50 a year (roughly US$4 a month).


===Market share=== ===Market share===
<!--Do not change this section without using the talk page first. Otherwise it will be considered vandalism.--> <!--Do not change this section without using the talk page first. Otherwise it will be considered vandalism.-->
Some critics were initially concerned that the XBox would allow Microsoft to extend its dominance of the ] software market to consoles. However, as of ], estimates show the XBox's share of the worldwide console market is only moderately ahead of the ] and far behind the ]. According to company documents, Microsoft has shipped 22 million consoles to retailers worldwide at the end of FY 2005 . Although ahead of the Game Cube's 20.61 million , this was far behind the PlayStation 2's 100 million shipped . Some critics were initially concerned that the Xbox would allow Microsoft to extend its dominance of the ] software market to consoles. However, as of ], estimates show the Xbox's share of the worldwide console market is only moderately ahead of the ] and far behind the ]. According to company documents, Microsoft has shipped 22 million consoles to retailers worldwide at the end of FY 2005 . Although ahead of the GameCube's 20.61 million , this was far behind the PlayStation 2's 100 million shipped .


The XBox has enjoyed its greatest success in North America, where an estimated 13.5 million units have been sold and where it managed for a month to outsell the PlayStation 2 . In ], the XBox's market share is currently ahead of the Game Cube, but is still behind the PlayStation 2. The Xbox has enjoyed its greatest success in North America, where an estimated 13.5 million units have been sold and where it managed for a month to outsell the PS2 . In ], the Xbox's market share is currently ahead of the GameCube, but is still behind the PlayStation 2.


The XBox has sold poorly in ] mainly because Microsoft was unable to enlist enough local developers to cater to Japanese interests. The large size of the hardware itself did not endear itself to the size-sensitive Japanese consumers. It is estimated about 450,000 units have been sold in Japan . The Xbox has sold poorly in ] mainly because Microsoft was unable to enlist enough local developers to cater to Japanese interests. The large size of the hardware itself did not endear itself to the size-sensitive Japanese consumers. It is estimated about 450,000 units have been sold in Japan .


Microsoft has invested billions of dollars into the XBox internal documents and received back billions of dollars in sales. Overall though XBox division has lost $4 billion from 2001 to 2005. In particular, the Xbox hardware itself is a ], since the console was sold at a loss even at its debut price. The losses deepened when sales of the XBox increased and when the price was reduced successive times to compete with PlayStation 2 . Microsoft predicted that it would not make a profit on the XBox for at least 3 years. This prediction turned out to be correct; Microsoft Game Studios, Microsoft's game division in charge of XBox development, had its first profitable quarter reported in January 2005, thanks largely to the success of Halo 2 . Investor relations documents says that in the end of 2005 Microsoft lost more than 1 billion dollars . The XBox project never gave an annual profit to Microsoft according to these documents. In return for the money lost, though, the XBox gained name recognition and a dedicated fan base. Microsoft has invested billions of dollars into the Xbox internal documents and received back billions of dollars in sales. Overall though Xbox division has lost $4 billion from 2001 to 2005. In particular, the Xbox hardware itself is a ], since the console was sold at a loss even at its debut price. The losses deepened when sales of the Xbox increased and when the price was reduced successive times to compete with PlayStation 2 . Microsoft predicted that it would not make a profit on the Xbox for at least three years. This prediction turned out to be correct; Microsoft Game Studios, Microsoft's game division in charge of Xbox development, had its first profitable quarter reported in January 2005, thanks largely to the success of Halo 2 . Investor relations documents says that in the end of 2005 Microsoft lost more than 1 billion dollars . The Xbox project never gave an annual profit to Microsoft according to these documents. In return for the money lost, though, the Xbox gained name recognition and a dedicated fan base.


==Hardware== ==Hardware==
The XBox was designed to take advantage of a slowdown in the saturated PC gaming market and incorporates a built-in Ethernet adapter. Also, the console cost as much as the high-end ] video card alone in 2001, while having comparable graphics processing power (the XBox's NV2A graphics chipset is a derivative of the ] 3). Nonetheless, most of these features were not fully exploited in its first year of launch, notably the lack of ] online multiplayer. The Xbox was designed to take advantage of a slowdown in the saturated PC gaming market and incorporates a built-in Ethernet adapter. Also, the console cost as much as the high-end ] video card alone in 2001, while having comparable graphics processing power (the Xbox's NV2A graphics chipset is a derivative of the ] 3). Nonetheless, most of these features were not fully exploited in its first year of launch, notably the lack of ] online multiplayer.


The XBox was the first console to incorporate a ] drive, used primarily for storing game saves compressed in ] archives and content downloaded from XBox Live. This eliminated the need for separate ] (although some older consoles, such as the Turbo CD and Sega CD had featured built-in battery backup memory prior to this). Most of the games also use the hard drive as a disk cache, for faster game loading times. Some games support "Custom soundtracks," another particularly unusual feature allowed by the hard drive. An Xbox owner can rip music from ] to the hard drive so players can play their custom soundtrack, in addition to the original soundtrack of XBox games that support such a feature. The Xbox was the first console to incorporate a ] drive, used primarily for storing game saves compressed in ] archives and content downloaded from Xbox Live. This eliminated the need for separate ] (although some older consoles, such as the TurboCD and Sega CD had featured built-in battery backup memory prior to this). Most of the games also use the hard drive as a disk cache, for faster game loading times. Some games support "Custom soundtracks," another particularly unusual feature allowed by the hard drive. An Xbox owner can rip music from ] to the hard drive so players can play their custom soundtrack, in addition to the original soundtrack of Xbox games that support such a feature.


Although the XBox is based on commodity ] hardware and runs a stripped-down version of the ] ] using APIs based largely on ] 8.1, it incorporates changes optimized for gaming uses as well as restrictions designed to prevent uses not approved by Microsoft. A similar approach (PC hardware, stripped-down Windows) was used by the ] entertainment system. The XBox does not use ] due to Microsoft internal politics at the time, as well as limited support in Windows CE for DirectX. Although the Xbox is based on commodity ] hardware and runs a stripped-down version of the ] ] using APIs based largely on ] 8.1, it incorporates changes optimized for gaming uses as well as restrictions designed to prevent uses not approved by Microsoft. A similar approach (PC hardware, stripped-down Windows) was used by the ] entertainment system. The Xbox does not use ] due to Microsoft internal politics at the time, as well as limited support in Windows CE for DirectX.


The XBox itself is much larger and heavier than its contemporaries. This is largely due to a bulky tray-loading ] drive and the standard-size 3.5" hard drive. Because of this, the XBox has found itself a target of mild derision, as gamers poke fun at it for things like a warning in the XBox manual that a falling XBox "could cause serious injury" to a small child or pet. However, the XBox has also pioneered safety features, such as breakaway cables for the controllers to prevent the console from being yanked from the shelf. The Xbox itself is much larger and heavier than its contemporaries. This is largely due to a bulky tray-loading ] drive and the standard-size 3.5" hard drive. Because of this, the Xbox has found itself a target of mild derision, as gamers poke fun at it for things like a warning in the Xbox manual that a falling Xbox "could cause serious injury" to a small child or pet. However, the Xbox has also pioneered safety features, such as breakaway cables for the controllers to prevent the console from being yanked from the shelf.


The original game controller design, which was particularly large, was similarly often criticized since it was ill-suited to those with small hands. In response to these criticisms, a smaller controller was introduced for the Japanese XBox launch. This Japanese controller (which was briefly imported by even mainstream video game store chains, such as ]) was subsequently released in other markets as the "XBox Controller S", and currently all XBox consoles come with a "]", while the original controller (known as Controller "0" or "The Duke") was quietly discontinued. The original game controller design, which was particularly large, was similarly often criticized since it was ill-suited to those with small hands. In response to these criticisms, a smaller controller was introduced for the Japanese Xbox launch. This Japanese controller (which was briefly imported by even mainstream video game store chains, such as ]) was subsequently released in other markets as the "Xbox Controller S", and currently all Xbox consoles come with a "]", while the original controller (known as Controller "0" or "The Duke") was quietly discontinued.


Several internal hardware revisions have been made in an ongoing battle to discourage ] (hackers continually updated ] designs in attempt to defeat them), cut manufacturing costs, and to provide a more reliable DVD-ROM drive (some of the early units' drives gave Disc Reading Errors due to the unreliability of the Thomson DVD-ROM drives that were used). Several internal hardware revisions have been made in an ongoing battle to discourage ] (hackers continually updated ] designs in attempt to defeat them), cut manufacturing costs, and to provide a more reliable DVD-ROM drive (some of the early units' drives gave Disc Reading Errors due to the unreliability of the Thomson DVD-ROM drives that were used).


However, later generation of XBox units that used the Thomson TGM-600 DVD-ROM drives and the Philips VAD6011 DVD-ROM drives were still vulnerable to failure that rendered the consoles either unable to read newer discs or caused them to halt the console with an error code usually indicating a PIO/DMA identification failure, respectively. These units would not be covered under the extended warranty. However, later generation of Xbox units that used the Thomson TGM-600 DVD-ROM drives and the Philips VAD6011 DVD-ROM drives were still vulnerable to failure that rendered the consoles either unable to read newer discs or caused them to halt the console with an error code usually indicating a PIO/DMA identification failure, respectively. These units would not be covered under the extended warranty.


===Detailed specifications=== ===Detailed specifications===
*CPU: ] 733 ] ] Mobile Celeron/Pentium III hybrid (]). The part number and cache size indicate a Celeron, but the FSB speed and 8-way associative cache match that of the Pentium III. *CPU: ] 733 ] ] Mobile Celeron/Pentium III hybrid (]). The part number and cache size indicate a Celeron, but the FSB speed and 8-way associative cache match that of the Pentium III.
**Intel ] instruction set **Intel ] instruction set
**]: ]. 4 ] ] numbers in one instruction. **]: ]. Four ] ] numbers in one instruction.
***Theoretical maximum 4 ]/cycle (2.9 gigaFLOPS for Xbox) ***Theoretical maximum 4 ]/cycle (2.9 gigaFLOPS for Xbox)
***Pentium III had ] that lessened real-world SSE throughput. ***Pentium III had ] that lessened real-world SSE throughput.
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*Dimensions: 320 &times; 100 &times; 260 milimeters (12.5 &times; 4 &times; 10.5 in) *Dimensions: 320 &times; 100 &times; 260 milimeters (12.5 &times; 4 &times; 10.5 in)


===XBox and DirectX=== ===Xbox and DirectX===
Microsoft's set of low-level ]s for game development and ] purposes, ], was used as a basis for the XBox. Microsoft's set of low-level ]s for game development and ] purposes, ], was used as a basis for the Xbox.


===Microsoft and Nvidia chip pricing dispute=== ===Microsoft and Nvidia chip pricing dispute===
In ], Microsoft and Nvidia entered arbitration over a dispute on the pricing of Nvidia's chips for the XBox.<ref name=eetimes-chip-dispute>"" eetimes.com ], ]. Retrieved ], ].</ref> Nvidia's filing with the ] indicated that Microsoft was seeking a US$13 million discount on shipments for Nvidia's fiscal year 2002. Additionally, Microsoft alleged violations of the agreement the 2 companies entered, sought reduced chipset pricing, and sought to ensure that Nvidia fulfill Microsoft's chipset orders without limits on quantity. The matter was settled on ], ], and no terms of the settlement were released.<ref>"" eetimes.com ], ]. Retrieved ], ].</ref> In ], Microsoft and Nvidia entered arbitration over a dispute on the pricing of Nvidia's chips for the Xbox.<ref name=eetimes-chip-dispute>"" eetimes.com ], ]. Retrieved ], ].</ref> Nvidia's filing with the ] indicated that Microsoft was seeking a US$13 million discount on shipments for Nvidia's fiscal year 2002. Additionally, Microsoft alleged violations of the agreement the two companies entered, sought reduced chipset pricing, and sought to ensure that Nvidia fulfill Microsoft's chipset orders without limits on quantity. The matter was settled on ], ], and no terms of the settlement were released.<ref>"" eetimes.com ], ]. Retrieved ], ].</ref>


==Special limited editions== ==Special limited editions==
{{main|XBox special limited editions}} {{main|Xbox special limited editions}}


==Official XBox accessories== ==Official Xbox accessories==
===Audio/video connectors=== ===Audio/video connectors===
*Standard AV Cable: Provides ] and ] or ] to TVs equipped with ] inputs. Comes with the system. European systems come with a RCA jack to ] converter block in addition to the cable. *Standard AV Cable: Provides ] and ] or ] to TVs equipped with ] inputs. Comes with the system. European systems come with a RCA jack to ] converter block in addition to the cable.
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*Advanced SCART Cable: The European equivalent to the Advanced AV Pack, providing a full RGB video SCART connection in place of ], RCA composite and stereo audio connections (composite video and stereo are still provided by the cable, through the SCART connector, in addition to the RGB signal), while retaining the TOSLINK audio connector. As Europe has no ] standard, no High Definition cable is currently provided in those markets. *Advanced SCART Cable: The European equivalent to the Advanced AV Pack, providing a full RGB video SCART connection in place of ], RCA composite and stereo audio connections (composite video and stereo are still provided by the cable, through the SCART connector, in addition to the RGB signal), while retaining the TOSLINK audio connector. As Europe has no ] standard, no High Definition cable is currently provided in those markets.


Numerous unofficial third-party cables and breakout boxes exist that provide combinations of outputs not found in these official video packages; however, with the exception of a few component-to-VGA converters and custom-built VGA boxes, the 4 official video packages represent all of the XBox's possible outputs. This output selectivity is made possible by the XBox's SCART-like AVIP port. Numerous unofficial third-party cables and breakout boxes exist that provide combinations of outputs not found in these official video packages; however, with the exception of a few component-to-VGA converters and custom-built VGA boxes, the four official video packages represent all of the Xbox's possible outputs. This output selectivity is made possible by the Xbox's SCART-like AVIP port.


===Networking=== ===Networking===
*Ethernet (XBox Live) Cable: A ] cable for connecting the XBox to a broadband modem or router. Note that while there is an "official" XBox 'System Link' cable (a crossover cat5e cable with one of the wires switched), any PC Ethernet cable can be used in the normal way treating the XBox as an NIC, eg. an XBox-XBox connection requires a crossover cable, whereas an XBox switch connection requires a straight-through cable. *Ethernet (Xbox Live) Cable: A ] cable for connecting the Xbox to a broadband modem or router. Note that while there is an "official" Xbox 'System Link' cable (a crossover cat5e cable with one of the wires switched), any PC Ethernet cable can be used in the normal way treating the Xbox as an NIC, eg. an Xbox-Xbox connection requires a crossover cable, whereas an Xbox-switch connection requires a straight-through cable.
*XBox Wireless Adapter: a wireless bridge which converts data running through an Ethernet cable to a wireless (]) signal to connect to a wireless LAN. While the official Wireless Adapter guarantees compatibility with the Xbox, almost any wireless bridge can be used. *Xbox Wireless Adapter: a wireless bridge which converts data running through an Ethernet cable to a wireless (]) signal to connect to a wireless LAN. While the official Wireless Adapter guarantees compatibility with the Xbox, almost any wireless bridge can be used.
*XBox Live Starter Kit: A subscription and installation pack for the ] service, as well as a headset (with monaural earpiece and microphone) that connects to a control box that plugs into the top expansion slot of a controller. The headset can in fact be replaced with most standard earpiece-and-microphone headsets; headset specialist ] produce various officially-licensed headsets, including a special-edition headset for '']''. *Xbox Live Starter Kit: A subscription and installation pack for the ] service, as well as a headset (with monaural earpiece and microphone) that connects to a control box that plugs into the top expansion slot of a controller. The headset can in fact be replaced with most standard earpiece-and-microphone headsets; headset specialist ] produce various officially-licensed headsets, including a special-edition headset for '']''.
*System Link Cable: A ] ] for connecting together 2 consoles or a Cat 5 straight through cable used in conjunction with an Ethernet hub for connecting up to 4 consoles, for up to 16 total players. This functionality is similar to ]'s ] for ]. *System Link Cable: A ] ] for connecting together two consoles or a Cat 5 straight through cable used in conjunction with an Ethernet hub for connecting up to four consoles, for up to 16 total players. This functionality is similar to ]'s ] for ].


===Multimedia=== ===Multimedia===
*XBox Media Center Extender: A kit that allows XBox to act as a Media Center Extender to stream content from a ] PC. It can also be used for DVD playback. *Xbox Media Center Extender: A kit that allows Xbox to act as a Media Center Extender to stream content from a ] PC. It can also be used for DVD playback.
*DVD Playback Kit: Required in order to play DVD movies, the kit includes an ] remote control and receiver. DVD playback was not included as a standard feature of the XBox due to licensing issues with the ] format that would have added extra cost to the console's base price. By selling a DVD remote separately, Microsoft was able to bundle the cost of the DVD licensing fee with it. Although there is nothing to prevent the XBox from acting as a ] DVD player, Microsoft chose not to enable this feature in the XBox DVD kit in order to avoid royalty payments to the ]-holder of progressive scan DVD playback. Later, as the price of the XBox dropped, the DVD remote was bundled. *DVD Playback Kit: Required in order to play DVD movies, the kit includes an ] remote control and receiver. DVD playback was not included as a standard feature of the Xbox due to licensing issues with the ] format that would have added extra cost to the console's base price. By selling a DVD remote separately, Microsoft was able to bundle the cost of the DVD licensing fee with it. Although there is nothing to prevent the Xbox from acting as a ] DVD player, Microsoft chose not to enable this feature in the Xbox DVD kit in order to avoid royalty payments to the ]-holder of progressive scan DVD playback. Later, as the price of the Xbox dropped, the DVD remote was bundled.
*XBox Music Mixer: A utility software bundled with a ] that connects to an adapter that plugs into the top expansion slot of a controller. Provides a music player with 2D/3D visualizations as well as basic ] functions. It also allows users to upload pictures in ] format (to create slide shows) as well as audio in ] and ] format (for karaoke or a game's Custom Soundtracks feature) from a ] machine running the . *Xbox Music Mixer: A utility software bundled with a ] that connects to an adapter that plugs into the top expansion slot of a controller. Provides a music player with 2D/3D visualizations as well as basic ] functions. It also allows users to upload pictures in ] format (to create slide shows) as well as audio in ] and ] format (for karaoke or a game's Custom Soundtracks feature) from a ] machine running the .


===Controllers and removable storage=== ===Controllers and removable storage===
] ]
]. This ] brand controller blows air onto the player's palms.]] ]. This ] brand controller blows air onto the player's palms.]]
* The XBox controller features 2 ]s, a digital pad, 2 Analog triggers, a Back button, a Start button, 2 accessory slots, and 6 8-bit Analog action buttons (ABXY, Black, and White). The precise layout of the controls differs between the 2 variations of controller. * The Xbox controller features two ]s, a digital pad, two analog triggers, a Back button, a Start button, two accessory slots, and six 8-bit analog action buttons (ABXY, Black, and White). The precise layout of the controls differs between the two variations of controller.
**Standard XBox Controller (AKA "Controller O" or "The Duke"): Originally the normal XBox controller for all territories except Japan, this has since been quietly discontinued and replaced in XBox packs by the Controller S. It is considered to be bulky. The black and white buttons are located above the ABXY buttons, and the Back/Start buttons are located between and below the d-pad and right thumbstick. **Standard Xbox Controller (AKA "Controller O" or "The Duke"): Originally the normal Xbox controller for all territories except Japan, this has since been quietly discontinued and replaced in Xbox packs by the Controller S. It is considered to be bulky. The black and white buttons are located above the ABXY buttons, and the Back/Start buttons are located between and below the d-pad and right thumbstick.
**Controller S: A smaller, lighter XBox controller. Once the standard XBox controller in Japan (codenamed "Akebono"), it was released in other territories by popular demand, and eventually replaced the standard controller in the retail pack for the XBox console. The white and black buttons are located below the ABXY buttons, and the Back/Select buttons are similarly placed below the left thumbstick. **Controller S: A smaller, lighter Xbox controller. Once the standard Xbox controller in Japan (codenamed "Akebono"), it was released in other territories by popular demand, and eventually replaced the standard controller in the retail pack for the Xbox console. The white and black buttons are located below the ABXY buttons, and the Back/Select buttons are similarly placed below the left thumbstick.
*Memory Unit: An 8 MB removable ] ] onto which game saves (zip archives in reality) can either be copied from the hard drive when in the XBox Dashboard's memory manager or saved during a game. Note that some recent games (e.g. '']'' and '']'') do not support this accessory as a cheat prevention measure. This system has been defeated by the XBox hacking community, who have developed tools to modify savegames to work in a different console, though some unique technical information concerning the recipient XBox must be known. It is also possible to save an XBox Live account on a memory unit, making it possible to share it with another XBox owner, assuming both have access to XBox Live. *Memory Unit: An 8 MB removable ] ] onto which game saves (zip archives in reality) can either be copied from the hard drive when in the Xbox Dashboard's memory manager or saved during a game. Note that some recent games (e.g. '']'' and '']'') do not support this accessory as a cheat prevention measure. This system has been defeated by the Xbox hacking community, who have developed tools to modify savegames to work in a different console, though some unique technical information concerning the recipient Xbox must be known. It is also possible to save an Xbox Live account on a memory unit, making it possible to share it with another Xbox owner, assuming both have access to Xbox Live.
*Logitech 2.4 GHz wireless controller. Approved by Microsoft for wireless gameplay with XBox. *Logitech 2.4 GHz wireless controller. Approved by Microsoft for wireless gameplay with Xbox.


==Modding the XBox== ==Modding the Xbox==
The popularity of the XBox inspired efforts to circumvent the built-in hardware and software security mechanisms, a practice informally known as ]. The popularity of the Xbox inspired efforts to circumvent the built-in hardware and software security mechanisms, a practice informally known as ].


There are now sites that offer to modify the software on XBox consoles for free. Modding an XBox in this manner may void its warranty, as it may require disassembly of the console. Having a modified XBox will also disallow it from accessing XBox Live as it contravenes the XBox Live license agreement. However, as mentioned below &ndash; most mod chips have a disable mechanism; often built into the on/off switch, or in concert with the eject switch. So as long as the player is playing on XBox Live with original legal games, the Live service will continue to operate normally with the mod in the off state. There are now sites that offer to modify the software on Xboxes for free. Modding an Xbox in this manner may void its warranty, as it may require disassembly of the console. Having a modified Xbox will also disallow it from accessing Xbox Live as it contravenes the Xbox Live license agreement. However, as mentioned below &ndash; most mod chips have a disable mechanism; often built into the on/off switch, or in concert with the eject switch. So as long as the player is playing on Xbox Live with original legal games, the Live service will continue to operate normally with the mod in the off state.


===Electronic=== ===Electronic===


One of the main reasons that the XBox modding community was able to thrive is that on the motherboard of the XBox there are 12 LPC points which were used by developers for readouts when testing games. These holes allow modchips to access the bios and flash chip from the motherboard, and made it possible to produce solderless adapters needing only one wire to connect to the motherboard. Another contributing factor was the XBox's built in hard drive, which facilitated the installation of software modifications in modified XBox consoles. One of the main reasons that the Xbox modding community was able to thrive is that on the motherboard of the Xbox there are 12 LPC points which were used by developers for readouts when testing games. These holes allow modchips to access the bios and flash chip from the motherboard, and made it possible to produce solderless adapters needing only one wire to connect to the motherboard. Another contributing factor was the Xbox's built in hard drive, which facilitated the installation of software modifications in modified Xboxes.


The original hard drive can be replaced with a larger one. XBox games can then be copied from their DVDs to the hard disk using programs such as DVD2Xbox, PxHDDLoader, and most of the alternative dashboards; and then played directly from the hard drive. This allows the user to spare game disks from scratching and allows for faster load times. This process does require a modded XBox using one of the alternative dashboards, and is used by scrupulous users to eliminate load times or leave their games in storage, and by unscrupulous users to play illegally copied games (see Legal Issues). The original hard drive can be replaced with a larger one. Xbox games can then be copied from their DVDs to the hard disk using programs such as DVD2Xbox, PxHDDLoader, and most of the alternative dashboards; and then played directly from the hard drive. This allows the user to spare game disks from scratching and allows for faster load times. This process does require a modded Xbox using one of the alternative dashboards, and is used by scrupulous users to eliminate load times or leave their games in storage, and by unscrupulous users to play illegally copied games (see Legal Issues).


Most early XBox mods required opening the case, which voids the XBox's warranty. Also, most internal hardware modifications render an XBox unable to participate in XBox Live, which has forced many modders to use a switch that turns on and off their modifications or Softmods(see "Software Modifications"). As of November 2004, Microsoft has implemented new ways to ban Xboxes with hard drive modifications from the XBox Live service. One such successful use of Live to discourage modding was when the hit game ] was released, and many owners of modded consoles found out that they were permanently banned from the Xbox Live service. This resulted in the creation of On-Off switchable modchips (or add-ons) and XBox Live friendly softmods from XBox hacker community. Most early Xbox mods required opening the case, which voids the Xbox's warranty. Also, most internal hardware modifications render an Xbox unable to participate in Xbox Live, which has forced many modders to use a switch that turns on and off their modifications or Softmods(see "Software Modifications"). As of November 2004, Microsoft has implemented new ways to ban Xboxes with hard drive modifications from the Xbox Live service. One such successful use of Live to discourage modding was when the hit game ] was released, and many owners of modded consoles found out that they were permanently banned from the Xbox Live service. This resulted in the creation of On-Off switchable modchips (or add-ons) and Xbox Live friendly softmods from Xbox hacker community.


===Cosmetic=== ===Cosmetic===
Beyond the more technical electronic modifications, it is also possible to modify the XBox aesthetically. These modifications range from the simple, such as replacing the console's green decorative "jewel" with a custom-designed one, to the complex, such as full resprays of the XBox's plastic casing. Beyond the more technical electronic modifications, it is also possible to modify the Xbox aesthetically. These modifications range from the simple, such as replacing the console's green decorative "jewel" with a custom-designed one, to the complex, such as full resprays of the Xbox's plastic casing.


===Software modifications=== ===Software modifications===
Software modding is much less intrusive, and only involves running software ]s to trick the XBox into running ] program code. This allows a user to run an alternate ] such as ], ], ] or ] and in turn makes playing original (free) home-brew games or various older games through ]s (eg. MAME-X) and ] (eg. FCE Ultra) possible. This is especially attractive as the XBox is designed to output to TVs, and high-quality ] and ] sticks are available for it. Software modding is much less intrusive, and only involves running software ]s to trick the Xbox into running ] program code. This allows a user to run an alternate ] such as ], ], ] or ] and in turn makes playing original (free) home-brew games or various older games through ]s (eg. MAME-X) and ] (eg. FCE Ultra) possible. This is especially attractive as the Xbox is designed to output to TVs, and high-quality ] and ] sticks are available for it.


Beyond gaming, a modded XBox can be used as a media center with the ] software (XBMC) allowing the playing of DVDs without the DVD ]/remote and ] of music and video files from the hard drive or from another computer over a network. A modded XBox can even be configured into a computer running ], ], or ] ]s. Beyond gaming, a modded Xbox can be used as a media center with the ] software (XBMC) allowing the playing of DVDs without the DVD ]/remote and ] of music and video files from the hard drive or from another computer over a network. A modded Xbox can even be configured into a computer running ], ], or ] ]s.


Recently, the ] for the older Samsung SDG-605B optical drives was successfully hacked to allow backups to play (not unsigned code) without the use of a soft or hard mod. Recently, the ] for the older Samsung SDG-605B optical drives was successfully hacked to allow backups to play (not unsigned code) without the use of a soft or hard mod.
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In July 2005, a 22 year old ] graduate was convicted under the ] for modifying Xboxes and selling them with an upgraded 200 GB hard drive, which was pre-loaded with 80 games. This was the first conviction of its kind in the ]. (The Directive makes it illegal to circumvent copy protection systems on hardware including video game consoles). It is the first conviction since the Directive was enacted in October 2003 in the UK. He was sentenced to 140 hours community service, ordered to pay £750 costs at a court in ], ], and his computer equipment was confiscated. In July 2005, a 22 year old ] graduate was convicted under the ] for modifying Xboxes and selling them with an upgraded 200 GB hard drive, which was pre-loaded with 80 games. This was the first conviction of its kind in the ]. (The Directive makes it illegal to circumvent copy protection systems on hardware including video game consoles). It is the first conviction since the Directive was enacted in October 2003 in the UK. He was sentenced to 140 hours community service, ordered to pay £750 costs at a court in ], ], and his computer equipment was confiscated.


An unambiguously legal way of modding the XBox is ] to enable the installation of Linux, or other operating systems designed for PCs, without hacking any of Microsoft's copy-protection components. This effectively turns the Xbox into a standard PC, making the matter of copy protection for copyrighted Xbox games irrelevant. Although a standard PC with the same specifications as the XBox is relatively inexpensive. An unambiguously legal way of modding the Xbox is ] to enable the installation of Linux, or other operating systems designed for PCs, without hacking any of Microsoft's copy-protection components. This effectively turns the Xbox into a standard PC, making the matter of copy protection for copyrighted Xbox games irrelevant. Although a standard PC with the same specifications as the Xbox is relatively inexpensive.


The top on the original motherboard (pre 1.6) can be legally flashed with the cromwell bios, with or with out opening the XBox. The cromwell bios only runs Linux. The top on the original motherboard (pre 1.6) can be legally flashed with the cromwell bios, with or with out opening the Xbox. The cromwell bios only runs Linux.


==Price history== ==Price history==
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'''''Oceania''''' '''''Oceania'''''
*AU$699 ] (], Launch Price) (Quickly dropped to $399 to compete with launch of Nintendo Game Cube) *AU$699 ] (], Launch Price) (Quickly dropped to $399 to compete with launch of Nintendo GameCube)
*AU$399 ] (2004) *AU$399 ] (2004)
*AU$299 ] (2005) *AU$299 ] (2005)
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*¥16,800 ] (] ]) *¥16,800 ] (] ])


Of note is the high European launch price. As with many games consoles (for example, the PlayStation and PlayStation 2), the XBox was launched with a price in GBP equal to its US price in USD (in this case, $/£299), and this price then converted for the rest of Europe. Obviously, ignoring the GBP-USD exchange rate in the way gives the impression of a 100% mark-up for Europe. However it seems that, while Microsoft is continuing to ignore exchange rates, for the ] they have used the ] (whose value is much closer to that of the ] than the ]) as the price basis for Europe i.e. €/$399.99 and then converted into other currencies. Of note is the high European launch price. As with many games consoles (for example, the PlayStation series), the Xbox was launched with a price in GBP equal to its US price in USD (in this case, $/£299), and this price then converted for the rest of Europe. Obviously, ignoring the GBP-USD exchange rate in the way gives the impression of a 100% mark-up for Europe. However it seems that, while Microsoft is continuing to ignore exchange rates, for the ] they have used the ] (whose value is much closer to that of the ] than the ]) as the price basis for Europe i.e. €/$399.99 and then converted into other currencies.


With a price-dropped PlayStation 2 and a comparatively inexpensive Game Cube as competition, many users were naturally reluctant to invest in the console. Microsoft countered with a £100 price drop (and its equivalent in the rest of Europe) some scant months after launch. To avoid frustrating early adopters, they offered a bundle containing 2 games and one controller for free to any purchaser who could provide a sales receipt showing the original higher price. With a price-dropped PlayStation 2 and a comparatively inexpensive GameCube as competition, many users were naturally reluctant to invest in the console. Microsoft countered with a £100 price drop (and its equivalent in the rest of Europe) some scant months after launch. To avoid frustrating early adopters, they offered a bundle containing two games and one controller for free to any purchaser who could provide a sales receipt showing the original higher price.


By ] ] Microsoft reported a 4 billion dollar loss in selling the XBox gaming systems. By ] ] Microsoft reported a four billion dollar loss in selling the XBox gaming systems.


==XBox 360== ==Xbox 360==
:''Main article: ]'' :''Main article: ]''
NVIDIA ceased production of the XBox's GPU in August 2005, which almost certainly marks the end of XBox production and the quick release of the XBox 360 featuring a new GPU from NVIDIA's rival ]. NVIDIA ceased production of the Xbox's GPU in August 2005, which almost certainly marks the end of Xbox production and the quick release of the Xbox 360 featuring a new GPU from NVIDIA's rival ].


When equipped with a removable hard drive add-on, the XBox 360 supports ] (more than 200 games at US launch) through emulation. Emulation adds support for higher screen resolution (i.e. games originally presented in ] rendered at ] like ] are rendered at ] on the XBox 360) and anti-aliasing. These emulators are periodically updated to add compatibility for older games and are available for free through XBox Live or as a file download to be burned to a CD/DVD from the XBox web site. As the architectures are entirely different between XBox and XBox 360, software emulation is the only viable option for compatibility without including processors from the original XBox, unlike the ] and ] which do contain processors from their previous respective platforms to achieve backward compatibility. When equipped with a removable hard drive add-on, the Xbox 360 supports ] (more than 200 games at US launch) through emulation. Emulation adds support for higher screen resolution (i.e. games originally presented in ] rendered at ] like ] are rendered at ] on the Xbox 360) and anti-aliasing. These emulators are periodically updated to add compatibility for older games and are available for free through Xbox Live or as a file download to be burned to a CD/DVD from the Xbox web site. As the architectures are entirely different between Xbox and Xbox 360, software emulation is the only viable option for compatibility without including processors from the original Xbox, unlike the ] and ] which do contain processors from their previous respective platforms to achieve backward compatibility.


==References== ==References==
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{{Dedicated video game consoles}} {{Dedicated video game consoles}}
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==External links== ==External links==
* *
* - Tunneling software for XBox and PSP games which allows online play for games designed to work only on a LAN. * - Tunneling software for Xbox and PSP games which allows online play for games designed to work only on a LAN.
* - Allows free online XBox functionality as well as Game Cube, PlayStation 2 and recently Sony PSP and Nintendo DS all from a single application * - Allows free online Xbox functionality as well as GameCube, PS2 and recently Sony PSP and Nintendo DS all from a single application
* *
* - Play almost any kind of video and audio formats with a modded XBox * - Play almost any kind of video and audio formats with a modded Xbox
* *


{{Microsoft products}} {{Microsoft products}}


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Revision as of 19:56, 1 July 2006

Microsoft Xbox
[REDACTED]
File:Xbox 01b.jpg
ManufacturerMicrosoft
TypeVideo game console
GenerationSixth generation era
LifespanNovember 15, 2001 (US)
February 22, 2002 (JP)
March 14, 2002 (IE/UK)
Units sold24 million (Q2'06)
MediaDVD, CD
CPU733 MHz Intel Coppermine Core
Online servicesXbox Live
Best-selling gameHalo 2
SuccessorXbox 360

The Microsoft Xbox is a sixth generation era video game console first released on November 15, 2001 in North America, then released on February 22, 2002 in Japan, and on March 14, 2002 in Europe. The Xbox was Microsoft's first independent venture into the video game console arena, after having developed the operating system and development tools for the MSX, and having collaborated with Sega in porting Windows CE to the Sega Dreamcast console. Notable launch titles for the console include Halo: Combat Evolved, Amped, Dead or Alive 3 and Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee.

History

Development

File:Full9 11.jpg
The Xbox was featured on the cover of the November 2001 issue of Wired magazine.

The Xbox was initially developed within Microsoft by a small team which included Seamus Blackley, a game developer and high energy physicist. The rumors of a video game console being developed by Microsoft first emerged at the end of 1999 following interviews of Bill Gates. Gates said that a gaming/multimedia device was essential for multimedia convergence in the new times of digital entertainment. On March 10, 2000 the "X-box Project" was officially confirmed by Microsoft with a press release.

Some see the Xbox as a way to capitalize on the growing video game market, noting that the PC market growth was stagnating after the dot-com bust. According to the book Smartbomb, by Heather Chaplin and Aaron Ruby, the remarkable success of the upstart Sony PlayStation worried Microsoft in late 1990s. The growing video game market seemed to threaten the PC market which Microsoft had dominated and relied upon for most of its revenues. As well, a venture into the gaming console market would also diversify Microsoft's product line, which up to that time had been heavily concentrated into software.

Xbox presented a standardized alternative to the near-endless variety of end-user configurations on the PC. The Xbox even brought high-end gaming technology to the mainstream, sporting a top of the line GeForce 3 equivalent graphics processor, a built-in Ethernet adapter, and Dolby Digital 5.1 sound in hardware.

Software

See also: List of Xbox games

The Xbox launched in North America on November 15, 2001. The greatest success of the Xbox's launch games was Halo: Combat Evolved, which was critically well-received and one of the best-selling games of the year. Halo still remains the console's standout title. Other successful launch titles included NFL Fever 2002, Project Gotham Racing and Dead or Alive 3 ). However, the failure of several first-party games (including Fuzion Frenzy and Azurik: Rise of Perathia ) damaged the initial public reputation of the Xbox.

Halo: Combat Evolved, proved to be a great success for the Xbox and Microsoft Game Studios

Although it enjoyed strong third-party support from its inception, many early Xbox games did not take full advantage of its powerful hardware, with few additional features or graphical improvements to distinguish themselves from the PS2 version, and this negated one of the Xbox's main selling points Lastly, Sony countered the Xbox by securing PlayStation 2 exclusives for highly anticipated games such as the Grand Theft Auto series and Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty.

In 2002 and 2003, several releases helped the Xbox to gain momentum and distinguish itself from the PS2. The Xbox Live online service was launched alongside pilot titles MotoGP, MechAssault and Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon. Several best-selling and critically-acclaimed titles for the Xbox were published, such as Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell, Ninja Gaiden, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Take-Two Interactive's exclusivity deal with Sony was amended to allow Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and its sequels to be published on the Xbox. In addition, many other publishers got into the trend of releasing the Xbox version alongside the PS2 version, instead of delaying it for months.

File:Ninjagaiden220.jpg
Ninja Gaiden was released in 2004 to much critical acclaim

In 2004, Halo 2 set records as highest grossing release in entertainment history as well as being a successful killer app for the online service. That year, Microsoft and Electronic Arts reached a deal which would see the latter's popular titles enabled on Xbox Live. In 2005, the long-awaited Xbox console-exclusive Doom 3, Half-Life 2, and Far Cry Instincts were released. Games that sell over 400,000 units in their first 9 months are designated as Platinum Hits and have their retail prices dropped. Later on, if they continue to sell well, they become designated as Best Of Platinum Hits and undergo yet another price drop.

Xbox Live

On November 15, 2002, Microsoft launched its Xbox Live online gaming service, allowing subscribers to play online Xbox games with (or against) other subscribers all around the world and download new content for their games to the system's hard drive. This online service works exclusively with a broadband Internet connection. Approximately 250,000 subscribers had signed up within 2 months of Live's launch . In July 2004, Microsoft announced that Xbox Live had reached 1 million subscribers, and only a year later, in July 2005, that membership had reached 2 million. An Xbox Live Gold subscription (which affords the user the most features of any membership) currently costs US$50 a year (roughly US$4 a month).

Market share

Some critics were initially concerned that the Xbox would allow Microsoft to extend its dominance of the PC software market to consoles. However, as of February 2005, estimates show the Xbox's share of the worldwide console market is only moderately ahead of the Nintendo GameCube and far behind the PlayStation 2. According to company documents, Microsoft has shipped 22 million consoles to retailers worldwide at the end of FY 2005 . Although ahead of the GameCube's 20.61 million , this was far behind the PlayStation 2's 100 million shipped .

The Xbox has enjoyed its greatest success in North America, where an estimated 13.5 million units have been sold and where it managed for a month to outsell the PS2 . In Europe, the Xbox's market share is currently ahead of the GameCube, but is still behind the PlayStation 2.

The Xbox has sold poorly in Japan mainly because Microsoft was unable to enlist enough local developers to cater to Japanese interests. The large size of the hardware itself did not endear itself to the size-sensitive Japanese consumers. It is estimated about 450,000 units have been sold in Japan .

Microsoft has invested billions of dollars into the Xbox internal documents and received back billions of dollars in sales. Overall though Xbox division has lost $4 billion from 2001 to 2005. In particular, the Xbox hardware itself is a loss leader, since the console was sold at a loss even at its debut price. The losses deepened when sales of the Xbox increased and when the price was reduced successive times to compete with PlayStation 2 . Microsoft predicted that it would not make a profit on the Xbox for at least three years. This prediction turned out to be correct; Microsoft Game Studios, Microsoft's game division in charge of Xbox development, had its first profitable quarter reported in January 2005, thanks largely to the success of Halo 2 . Investor relations documents says that in the end of 2005 Microsoft lost more than 1 billion dollars . The Xbox project never gave an annual profit to Microsoft according to these documents. In return for the money lost, though, the Xbox gained name recognition and a dedicated fan base.

Hardware

The Xbox was designed to take advantage of a slowdown in the saturated PC gaming market and incorporates a built-in Ethernet adapter. Also, the console cost as much as the high-end GeForce 3 video card alone in 2001, while having comparable graphics processing power (the Xbox's NV2A graphics chipset is a derivative of the GeForce 3). Nonetheless, most of these features were not fully exploited in its first year of launch, notably the lack of Xbox Live online multiplayer.

The Xbox was the first console to incorporate a hard disk drive, used primarily for storing game saves compressed in zip archives and content downloaded from Xbox Live. This eliminated the need for separate memory cards (although some older consoles, such as the TurboCD and Sega CD had featured built-in battery backup memory prior to this). Most of the games also use the hard drive as a disk cache, for faster game loading times. Some games support "Custom soundtracks," another particularly unusual feature allowed by the hard drive. An Xbox owner can rip music from standard audio CDs to the hard drive so players can play their custom soundtrack, in addition to the original soundtrack of Xbox games that support such a feature.

Although the Xbox is based on commodity PC hardware and runs a stripped-down version of the Windows 2000 kernel using APIs based largely on DirectX 8.1, it incorporates changes optimized for gaming uses as well as restrictions designed to prevent uses not approved by Microsoft. A similar approach (PC hardware, stripped-down Windows) was used by the Tandy VIS entertainment system. The Xbox does not use Windows CE due to Microsoft internal politics at the time, as well as limited support in Windows CE for DirectX.

The Xbox itself is much larger and heavier than its contemporaries. This is largely due to a bulky tray-loading DVD-ROM drive and the standard-size 3.5" hard drive. Because of this, the Xbox has found itself a target of mild derision, as gamers poke fun at it for things like a warning in the Xbox manual that a falling Xbox "could cause serious injury" to a small child or pet. However, the Xbox has also pioneered safety features, such as breakaway cables for the controllers to prevent the console from being yanked from the shelf.

The original game controller design, which was particularly large, was similarly often criticized since it was ill-suited to those with small hands. In response to these criticisms, a smaller controller was introduced for the Japanese Xbox launch. This Japanese controller (which was briefly imported by even mainstream video game store chains, such as GameStop) was subsequently released in other markets as the "Xbox Controller S", and currently all Xbox consoles come with a "Controller S", while the original controller (known as Controller "0" or "The Duke") was quietly discontinued.

Several internal hardware revisions have been made in an ongoing battle to discourage modding (hackers continually updated modchip designs in attempt to defeat them), cut manufacturing costs, and to provide a more reliable DVD-ROM drive (some of the early units' drives gave Disc Reading Errors due to the unreliability of the Thomson DVD-ROM drives that were used).

However, later generation of Xbox units that used the Thomson TGM-600 DVD-ROM drives and the Philips VAD6011 DVD-ROM drives were still vulnerable to failure that rendered the consoles either unable to read newer discs or caused them to halt the console with an error code usually indicating a PIO/DMA identification failure, respectively. These units would not be covered under the extended warranty.

Detailed specifications

  • CPU: Micro PGA2 733 MHz Intel Mobile Celeron/Pentium III hybrid (Coppermine Core). The part number and cache size indicate a Celeron, but the FSB speed and 8-way associative cache match that of the Pentium III.
  • Unified Memory Subsystem: Total (shared) Memory: 64 MB DDR SDRAM running at 200 MHz, supplied by Hynix or Samsung depending on manufacture date and location
    • Theoretical Memory Bandwidth: 6.4 GB/s
  • Graphics Processor: 233 MHz custom chip developed by Microsoft and NVIDIA (approximately equal to a GeForce 3 in capability). Enhanced vertex processing with 2 vertex shaders, and more flexible pixel shading than DirectX 8.
    • Theoretical Geometry Rate: 115+ million vertices/second
    • Theoretical Particle Performance: 125 M/s
    • Pipeline Configuration: 4 pixel pipelines with 2 texture units each
    • Theoretical Pixel Fill Rate: 932 Megapixels/second (233 MHz x 4 pipelines)
    • Theoretical Texture Fill Rate: 1,864 Megatexels/second (932 MP x 2 texture units)
    • Simultaneous Textures: 4
    • Compressed Textures: Yes (6:1 through DDS)
    • Full Scene Anti-Aliasing: Yes
  • Storage Medium: 2-5x DVD (XFAT), 8 gigabyte hard disk (new consoles contain a 10GB physical hard drive, though it is formatted to only use 8GB, uses XFAT), optional 8MB memory card for savegame transfer
  • Audio Processor : NVIDIA MCPX (a.k.a. Soundstorm NVAPU)
  • Broadband Enabled: Yes (10/100base-T ethernet)
  • DVD Movie Playback: Yes (separate DVD Playback Kit/Remote required or by modding the Xbox and running DVD-playing homebrew software)
  • Maximum Resolution (2x32bpp frame buffers +Z): 1920(vert.)x1080(horiz)
    • Note: NTSC (Non-HD) TV's have less than 500 horizontal lines. PAL TV's have less than 600 horizontal lines.
  • EDTV and HDTV Support: 480p/720p/1080i (see game boxes for supported resolutions).
  • Controller Ports: 4 proprietary USB ports
  • Weight: 3.86 kilograms (8.5 lb).
  • Dimensions: 320 × 100 × 260 milimeters (12.5 × 4 × 10.5 in)

Xbox and DirectX

Microsoft's set of low-level APIs for game development and multimedia purposes, DirectX, was used as a basis for the Xbox.

Microsoft and Nvidia chip pricing dispute

In 2002, Microsoft and Nvidia entered arbitration over a dispute on the pricing of Nvidia's chips for the Xbox. Nvidia's filing with the SEC indicated that Microsoft was seeking a US$13 million discount on shipments for Nvidia's fiscal year 2002. Additionally, Microsoft alleged violations of the agreement the two companies entered, sought reduced chipset pricing, and sought to ensure that Nvidia fulfill Microsoft's chipset orders without limits on quantity. The matter was settled on February 6, 2003, and no terms of the settlement were released.

Special limited editions

Main article: Xbox special limited editions

Official Xbox accessories

Audio/video connectors

  • Standard AV Cable: Provides composite video and monaural or stereo audio to TVs equipped with RCA inputs. Comes with the system. European systems come with a RCA jack to SCART converter block in addition to the cable.
  • RF Adapter: Provides a combined audio and video signal on an RF connector.
  • Advanced AV Pack: A breakout box that provides S-Video and TOSLINK audio in addition to the RCA composite video and stereo audio of the Standard AV Cable.
  • High Definition AV Pack: A breakout box, intended for HDTVs, that provides a YPrPb component video signal over three RCA connectors. Also provides analog RCA and digital TOSLINK audio outputs.
  • Advanced SCART Cable: The European equivalent to the Advanced AV Pack, providing a full RGB video SCART connection in place of S-Video, RCA composite and stereo audio connections (composite video and stereo are still provided by the cable, through the SCART connector, in addition to the RGB signal), while retaining the TOSLINK audio connector. As Europe has no HDTV standard, no High Definition cable is currently provided in those markets.

Numerous unofficial third-party cables and breakout boxes exist that provide combinations of outputs not found in these official video packages; however, with the exception of a few component-to-VGA converters and custom-built VGA boxes, the four official video packages represent all of the Xbox's possible outputs. This output selectivity is made possible by the Xbox's SCART-like AVIP port.

Networking

  • Ethernet (Xbox Live) Cable: A Cat 5 cable for connecting the Xbox to a broadband modem or router. Note that while there is an "official" Xbox 'System Link' cable (a crossover cat5e cable with one of the wires switched), any PC Ethernet cable can be used in the normal way treating the Xbox as an NIC, eg. an Xbox-Xbox connection requires a crossover cable, whereas an Xbox-switch connection requires a straight-through cable.
  • Xbox Wireless Adapter: a wireless bridge which converts data running through an Ethernet cable to a wireless (802.11b or 802.11g) signal to connect to a wireless LAN. While the official Wireless Adapter guarantees compatibility with the Xbox, almost any wireless bridge can be used.
  • Xbox Live Starter Kit: A subscription and installation pack for the Xbox Live service, as well as a headset (with monaural earpiece and microphone) that connects to a control box that plugs into the top expansion slot of a controller. The headset can in fact be replaced with most standard earpiece-and-microphone headsets; headset specialist Plantronics produce various officially-licensed headsets, including a special-edition headset for Halo 2.
  • System Link Cable: A Cat 5 crossover cable for connecting together two consoles or a Cat 5 straight through cable used in conjunction with an Ethernet hub for connecting up to four consoles, for up to 16 total players. This functionality is similar to Sega's DirectLink for Sega Saturn.

Multimedia

  • Xbox Media Center Extender: A kit that allows Xbox to act as a Media Center Extender to stream content from a Windows XP Media Center Edition PC. It can also be used for DVD playback.
  • DVD Playback Kit: Required in order to play DVD movies, the kit includes an infrared remote control and receiver. DVD playback was not included as a standard feature of the Xbox due to licensing issues with the DVD format that would have added extra cost to the console's base price. By selling a DVD remote separately, Microsoft was able to bundle the cost of the DVD licensing fee with it. Although there is nothing to prevent the Xbox from acting as a progressive-scan DVD player, Microsoft chose not to enable this feature in the Xbox DVD kit in order to avoid royalty payments to the patent-holder of progressive scan DVD playback. Later, as the price of the Xbox dropped, the DVD remote was bundled.
  • Xbox Music Mixer: A utility software bundled with a microphone that connects to an adapter that plugs into the top expansion slot of a controller. Provides a music player with 2D/3D visualizations as well as basic karaoke functions. It also allows users to upload pictures in JPG format (to create slide shows) as well as audio in WMA and MP3 format (for karaoke or a game's Custom Soundtracks feature) from a Windows XP machine running the Xbox Music Mixer PC Tool.

Controllers and removable storage

Controller S
There are several controllers and accessories not licensed by Microsoft. This Nyko brand controller blows air onto the player's palms.
  • The Xbox controller features two analog sticks, a digital pad, two analog triggers, a Back button, a Start button, two accessory slots, and six 8-bit analog action buttons (ABXY, Black, and White). The precise layout of the controls differs between the two variations of controller.
    • Standard Xbox Controller (AKA "Controller O" or "The Duke"): Originally the normal Xbox controller for all territories except Japan, this has since been quietly discontinued and replaced in Xbox packs by the Controller S. It is considered to be bulky. The black and white buttons are located above the ABXY buttons, and the Back/Start buttons are located between and below the d-pad and right thumbstick.
    • Controller S: A smaller, lighter Xbox controller. Once the standard Xbox controller in Japan (codenamed "Akebono"), it was released in other territories by popular demand, and eventually replaced the standard controller in the retail pack for the Xbox console. The white and black buttons are located below the ABXY buttons, and the Back/Select buttons are similarly placed below the left thumbstick.
  • Memory Unit: An 8 MB removable solid state memory card onto which game saves (zip archives in reality) can either be copied from the hard drive when in the Xbox Dashboard's memory manager or saved during a game. Note that some recent games (e.g. Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball) do not support this accessory as a cheat prevention measure. This system has been defeated by the Xbox hacking community, who have developed tools to modify savegames to work in a different console, though some unique technical information concerning the recipient Xbox must be known. It is also possible to save an Xbox Live account on a memory unit, making it possible to share it with another Xbox owner, assuming both have access to Xbox Live.
  • Logitech 2.4 GHz wireless controller. Approved by Microsoft for wireless gameplay with Xbox.

Modding the Xbox

The popularity of the Xbox inspired efforts to circumvent the built-in hardware and software security mechanisms, a practice informally known as modding.

There are now sites that offer to modify the software on Xboxes for free. Modding an Xbox in this manner may void its warranty, as it may require disassembly of the console. Having a modified Xbox will also disallow it from accessing Xbox Live as it contravenes the Xbox Live license agreement. However, as mentioned below – most mod chips have a disable mechanism; often built into the on/off switch, or in concert with the eject switch. So as long as the player is playing on Xbox Live with original legal games, the Live service will continue to operate normally with the mod in the off state.

Electronic

One of the main reasons that the Xbox modding community was able to thrive is that on the motherboard of the Xbox there are 12 LPC points which were used by developers for readouts when testing games. These holes allow modchips to access the bios and flash chip from the motherboard, and made it possible to produce solderless adapters needing only one wire to connect to the motherboard. Another contributing factor was the Xbox's built in hard drive, which facilitated the installation of software modifications in modified Xboxes.

The original hard drive can be replaced with a larger one. Xbox games can then be copied from their DVDs to the hard disk using programs such as DVD2Xbox, PxHDDLoader, and most of the alternative dashboards; and then played directly from the hard drive. This allows the user to spare game disks from scratching and allows for faster load times. This process does require a modded Xbox using one of the alternative dashboards, and is used by scrupulous users to eliminate load times or leave their games in storage, and by unscrupulous users to play illegally copied games (see Legal Issues).

Most early Xbox mods required opening the case, which voids the Xbox's warranty. Also, most internal hardware modifications render an Xbox unable to participate in Xbox Live, which has forced many modders to use a switch that turns on and off their modifications or Softmods(see "Software Modifications"). As of November 2004, Microsoft has implemented new ways to ban Xboxes with hard drive modifications from the Xbox Live service. One such successful use of Live to discourage modding was when the hit game Halo 2 was released, and many owners of modded consoles found out that they were permanently banned from the Xbox Live service. This resulted in the creation of On-Off switchable modchips (or add-ons) and Xbox Live friendly softmods from Xbox hacker community.

Cosmetic

Beyond the more technical electronic modifications, it is also possible to modify the Xbox aesthetically. These modifications range from the simple, such as replacing the console's green decorative "jewel" with a custom-designed one, to the complex, such as full resprays of the Xbox's plastic casing.

Software modifications

Software modding is much less intrusive, and only involves running software exploits to trick the Xbox into running unsigned program code. This allows a user to run an alternate dashboard such as UIX, Avalaunch, Evolution-X or UnleashX and in turn makes playing original (free) home-brew games or various older games through arcade emulators (eg. MAME-X) and console game emulators (eg. FCE Ultra) possible. This is especially attractive as the Xbox is designed to output to TVs, and high-quality controllers and arcade sticks are available for it.

Beyond gaming, a modded Xbox can be used as a media center with the Xbox Media Center software (XBMC) allowing the playing of DVDs without the DVD dongle/remote and streaming of music and video files from the hard drive or from another computer over a network. A modded Xbox can even be configured into a computer running Linux, FreeBSD, or Microsoft Windows CE operating systems.

Recently, the firmware for the older Samsung SDG-605B optical drives was successfully hacked to allow backups to play (not unsigned code) without the use of a soft or hard mod.

Legal Issues

In July 2005, a 22 year old Cambridge University graduate was convicted under the EU Copyright Directive for modifying Xboxes and selling them with an upgraded 200 GB hard drive, which was pre-loaded with 80 games. This was the first conviction of its kind in the UK. (The Directive makes it illegal to circumvent copy protection systems on hardware including video game consoles). It is the first conviction since the Directive was enacted in October 2003 in the UK. He was sentenced to 140 hours community service, ordered to pay £750 costs at a court in Caerphilly, Wales, and his computer equipment was confiscated.

An unambiguously legal way of modding the Xbox is replacing the whole motherboard to enable the installation of Linux, or other operating systems designed for PCs, without hacking any of Microsoft's copy-protection components. This effectively turns the Xbox into a standard PC, making the matter of copy protection for copyrighted Xbox games irrelevant. Although a standard PC with the same specifications as the Xbox is relatively inexpensive.

The top on the original motherboard (pre 1.6) can be legally flashed with the cromwell bios, with or with out opening the Xbox. The cromwell bios only runs Linux.

Price history

North America

Europe (prices include tax)

UK

Oceania

  • AU$699 AUD (26 April, 2002, Launch Price) (Quickly dropped to $399 to compete with launch of Nintendo GameCube)
  • AU$399 AUD (2004)
  • AU$299 AUD (2005)
  • AU$235 AUD (2006)
  • NZ$499 NZD (3 October, 2002, Launch Price)
  • NZ$399 NZD (2003)
  • NZ$349 NZD (2004)
  • NZ$299 NZD (2004 Q2)
  • NZ$249 NZD (2004 Q4]] [[2005)

Japan

Of note is the high European launch price. As with many games consoles (for example, the PlayStation series), the Xbox was launched with a price in GBP equal to its US price in USD (in this case, $/£299), and this price then converted for the rest of Europe. Obviously, ignoring the GBP-USD exchange rate in the way gives the impression of a 100% mark-up for Europe. However it seems that, while Microsoft is continuing to ignore exchange rates, for the 360 they have used the euro (whose value is much closer to that of the U.S. dollar than the pound sterling) as the price basis for Europe i.e. €/$399.99 and then converted into other currencies.

With a price-dropped PlayStation 2 and a comparatively inexpensive GameCube as competition, many users were naturally reluctant to invest in the console. Microsoft countered with a £100 price drop (and its equivalent in the rest of Europe) some scant months after launch. To avoid frustrating early adopters, they offered a bundle containing two games and one controller for free to any purchaser who could provide a sales receipt showing the original higher price.

By September 15 2005 Microsoft reported a four billion dollar loss in selling the XBox gaming systems.

Xbox 360

Main article: Xbox 360

NVIDIA ceased production of the Xbox's GPU in August 2005, which almost certainly marks the end of Xbox production and the quick release of the Xbox 360 featuring a new GPU from NVIDIA's rival ATI.

When equipped with a removable hard drive add-on, the Xbox 360 supports a limited subset of the Xbox's library (more than 200 games at US launch) through emulation. Emulation adds support for higher screen resolution (i.e. games originally presented in anamorphic widescreen rendered at 480p like Halo 2 are rendered at 720p on the Xbox 360) and anti-aliasing. These emulators are periodically updated to add compatibility for older games and are available for free through Xbox Live or as a file download to be burned to a CD/DVD from the Xbox web site. As the architectures are entirely different between Xbox and Xbox 360, software emulation is the only viable option for compatibility without including processors from the original Xbox, unlike the PlayStation 2 and Game Boy Advance which do contain processors from their previous respective platforms to achieve backward compatibility.

References

  1. "Microsoft unveils Plans for X-Box Videogame System Designed for Future-Generation Game Experiences", Xbox.com, March 10, 2000. Retrieved March 10, 2000.
  2. "Microsoft takes Nvidia to arbitration over pricing of Xbox processors" eetimes.com March 29, 2002. Retrieved June 29, 2006.
  3. "Microsoft and Nvidia settle Xbox chip pricing dispute" eetimes.com February 6, 2003. Retrieved June 29, 2006.


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