It only took Microsoft Corp. two tries to get it right in the video game console business.
The new Xbox 360 is a stylish, powerful improvement over the previous model that largely fulfills the company’s promise of making a next-generation game system that can serve as an entertainment hub.
There are two configurations of Xbox 360, but I can only recommend the pricier $399.99 version. It includes a remote control, a headset enabling you to chat with buddies in online multiplayer games, a comfortable wireless controller, and most importantly, a 20-gigabyte detachable hard drive.
For $100 less you could buy the basic “core system” sans a hard drive, but it’s not a very good value.
Not only do you lose out on the disk storage, you get a controller that’s tethered to the system. There’s no remote, headset or other accessories that would easily top $100 if purchased separately.
Regardless, you’ll have to buy the games separately – neither system includes any beyond a few demos and the simple board and puzzle games you can download via a robust, much-improved Xbox Live multiplayer gaming network.
For a system that so seamlessly melds the worlds of online and off-line gaming, Wi-Fi should have been included; instead it’s an extra accessory.
At the console’s heart is a 3.2 gigahertz IBM-designed PowerPC microprocessor with three cores – or tiny computing engines – that run simultaneously. The unit has 512 megabytes of memory, eight times more than the original Xbox, as well as a custom graphics chip.
The machine’s power was evident the moment I turned it on, and the graphics are the best looking I’ve seen on any platform.
“Project Gotham Racing 3” captures the blurred sensation of barreling down race tracks with fluid photorealism. It’s like watching a real race on television but you’re actually controlling the outcome.
I was also able to play older-generation games such as “Halo 2” without a hitch using software emulation. I was unable to transfer my saved games, though, so I had to start all over.
Xbox 360 uses a simple, easy-to-navigate interface called Dashboard to switch between games, online play and other functions. It’s far superior to what’s out there on other consoles.
Four tabs on the screen’s sides each manage a different function:
One handles your Xbox Live account, another is for setting parental controls, sound and video options and a third is for non-game media.
The fourth tab manages games and is also where you can play and buy Xbox Live Arcade games, which tend to be casual games such as “Bejeweled” or retro hits such as “Joust.”
(A no-frills “silver” service is free, while “gold” memberships cost $69.99 for 12 months, $39.99 for three months).
Transferring my old Xbox Live account to the 360 was simple but disconcerting. For security reasons, Microsoft barred me from using the online service on my old Xbox after I had upgraded.
The media tab offers the most tantalizing peek at how the 360 goes beyond video games. After downloading and installing a special software patch on my home computer, I was able to wirelessly access MP3 music files on my PC and play them on the 360.
I pulled up some vacation photos in much the same way. The device also supports movies if you have a computer with the Windows XP Media Center Edition operating system (I don’t).
Though it’s more than double the price of older consoles, there’s a lot of value in the Xbox 360. In fact, it reminds me more of a PC than a video game console, just a whole lot cheaper.
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