Hardware, peripherals and integration
Hardware
Much has been written about the two versions of the Xbox 360 that will be available on launch. Microsoft have now revealed a few more details about these packs and other hardware too.
The Xbox 360 has robust software features allowing people to make mistakes with the hardware without totally ruining the system or their experience. For example, depending on how a developer designs the game, if a controller is unplugged, the game may just pause with a pop-up appearing in game to tell you just that. This is optional to turn off, but handy if you wonder why the game has suddenly paused when the missus started hoovering, trailing controller wires behind her…
The Xbox 360 also manages its data robustly, allowing users to whip the HDD out with minimal data loss. Pulling the HDD out at any time will not corrupt the disk or lose any data on it as the file allocation table is briefly written to once data transfers are complete. Whilst shifting data the Xbox 360 uses what Microsoft have called a ‘transaction model’. Pull the drive before the transfer is complete and the data being lost just isn’t present on the drive. You will have lost that data but at least you have inadvertently wiped your HDD.
The console itself can be turned on and off using the Media Remote, or even one of the wireless controllers, but the remote might well be a limited time bundle with the ‘Deluxe’ Xbox 360 pack. The Xbox 360 senses when it is either upright or laying on its side, so the fabled ‘Ring of Light’ changes appropriately.
The ‘Ring of Light’ shows which controllers are active, going clockwise from top left and around, but this also carries on into the software, so it can show which controller has pulled up the Guide in the middle of a movie or just as you were going for the ultimate frag… which means in a four player game you can lean over and beat up your mate for ruining the flow. At this time, the Xbox 360 supports 4 players, but MS said that any developer wanting to go for more than four would be helped by Microsoft to do just that.
For those of us who hate virtual keyboards, the Xbox 360 will support USB keyboards, but you won’t be able to actually use the keyboard for gaming. It will be for inputting text only, which is handy for chatting in something like an MMPORPG, or text chat over LIVE, (if available).
For wireless networking, there will be a USB networking adapter which, Microsoft say, will be roughly the size of a pack of cigarettes. We were unable to ascertain whether this was a pack of ten or twenty and whether they were the long ‘100s’ or the stubby Embassy No 1’s…
If you’re looking for and RGB output cable, you won’t find one in the box. Regardless of which Xbox 360 pack you buy, the RGB cable will only be available separately for £17.99… and no, your old Xbox cables won’t work on the Xbox 360.
Finally, anyone who is running Windows Vista on their PC will be able to plug Xbox 360 peripherals into their PC and use them on that as well. And, for the gamers, Microsoft are asking all developers working on Xbox 360 titles to ensure that their games support HDTV… so that means 720p, 16:9 aspect ratio and 2x AA with an absolute minimum of 15 frames per second… hmmm.
