The XBOX 360 FAQ

Here is the Xbox 360 FAQ I started about a year ago on myBB !

http://mygaming.co.za/forum/attachme...2&d=1315658800

1. Who is the company that makes the Xbox 360?

Microsoft Corporation is the developer of the Xbox 360 videogame and entertainment system.

2. Who designed the Xbox 360?

The Xbox 360 videogame and entertainment system was designed by Microsoft, in conjunction with two of the most innovative design firms in the world: San Francisco-based Astro Studios and Osaka, Japan-based Hers Experimental Design Laboratory Inc; which worked together to craft a sleek, stylish system that conveys the very essence of the Xbox 360. In addition, Microsoft chose IBM, ATI and SiS at its technology partners for the design of the Xbox 360 hardware.

3. What does the “360” stand for?

Microsoft’s main objective when designing the Xbox 360 was to “create a living entertainment experience powered by human energy.” The idea is to create a gaming platform that offers players unique experiences that will differ based upon an individual’s playing style and their decisions rather than the game itself, thus making the gamer the center of the entire experience and letting everything associated to revolve around them.

4. What is the capacity of the hard drive?

The Xbox 360 HDD siizes vary from is 20, 60 ,120 GB (now discontinued) & Most Recently 250 GB.

5. Is the Xbox 360 HDD internal?

The X360 HDD is detachable and upgradeable. on the Original 360's its externally mounted and on the 360s models it slots into the console so in essence its internal !

6. What disc formats does the DVD drive support?

The DVD drive supports for DVD-Video, DVD-ROM, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, CD-DA, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, WMA CD, MP3 CD, JPEG Photo CD.

7. What about HD-DVD and Blu-Ray?

The Xbox 360 has a standard 12X DVD-9 (dual layer) drive and it had a HD-DVD drive addon.

8. What is the The Guide?

http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/picture....pictureid=1260

The Guide is an entertainment gateway that instantly connects players to the Xbox 360 experience: your games, your friends, your music. It is a brand new interface designed exclusively for the Xbox 360 that can overlay on top of any content that is being played on the Xbox 360; whether that is a game, a DVD movie, a picture or a music visualization. There is no need for the user to leave a game or any other content being played on the Xbox 360 to access The Guide. You can receive game invites from friends while playing games, watching movies, or listening to music.

9. What is The Ring of Light?

Divided into four quadrants, the glowing Ring of Light is a system that combines hardware and software features into one entity, that together with the Xbox Guide Button on the controller, connect you to your games, digital media, and Xbox Live. The Ring of Light will also indicate such items as player specific notifications and is fully programmable by developers for possible use in games.

10. What is Xbox Live Marketplace? The Xbox Live Marketplace is a one-stop shop to download new game trailers, demos, and periodic content, plus new game levels, maps, weapons, vehicles, skins, and more. Accessible to everyone who establishes a broadband connection with their Xbox 360, Xbox Live Marketplace lets you personalize and extend your experience, on demand.

11. What OS does the Xbox 360 use?

The Xbox 360 uses a custom operating system. It resides on a 16 MB file system and has access to a maximum of 32 MB of the system's memory. Updates are mandatory if the user signs into Xbox Live. The current version of the Xbox 360 system software is 2.0.13599.0, released July 19, 2011

Original Blade System (Nov 2005 - Nov 2008)
http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/picture....pictureid=1188

NXE (Nov 2008)
http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/picture....&pictureid=785

12. Why was the Xbox called a “videogame system” and now the Xbox 360 is being referred to as a “videogame and entertainment system”?

The Xbox videogame system was Microsoft’s first foray into the videogame industry. Microsoft had to avoid its PCish look and prove it was serious about his home console. Now that Xbox is an established player in the industry, Microsoft is extending the entertainment capabilities of the Xbox platform by incorporating a vast array of new features related to digital entertainment.

The X360 is an integrated music, picture, games, and movie center. You can use the Xbox Live Camera to video chat or send video messages to friends across the globe via Xbox Live. You can also connect to a Windows XP Media Center PC and stream recorded television, videos, movies, music, and photos from the MCPC straight to the Xbox 360.

You can connect your portable music device to enjoy your favorite music while playing a game or chatting with friends online.

You can enjoy and share your digital photos with friends and family.

You can keep in touch with instant messaging via Windows Messenger and Xbox Live.

13. Is the Xbox 360 a computer?

The 360 it is not a PC in the sense of PC as a productivity tool. However, its hardware capabilities and technical specifications make the 360 as powerful as most desktop PC's available on the market currently.

14. Is the Xbox 360 a Media Center PC?

No, however it can connect to a Windows XP or vista Ultimate MC PC to stream content, but it is more of a Media Center PC amplifier/extender than a Media Center PC substitute.

15. What are the physical dimensions of the Xbox 360?

The Xbоx 360 weights 7.7 pounds (3.5 kg) and is: 12.15 in (309 mm) wide x 3.27 in (83 mm) high x 10.15 in (258 mm) deep.

16. If the Xbox 360 System doesn’t come with a hard drive, nor a memory unit, how would I save games?

To save games you need the Xbox 360 hard drive or an arcade model which has a built in 4gig of flash memory. original pre arcade 360 core models requires a memory card for saves though

17. I have seen a black Xbox 360, what is that ?

That black Xbox 360 was originally referred to as the Elite (the top model of all the 360's) currently all xbox 360's are black except limited edition models which are usually a different colour

18. Why does the Xbox 360 HDD costs 10 times more than a PC HDD of the same size?

The 360 HDD is a 2.5” HDD, similar to those found in notebooks. The HDD that you buy for your PC are 3.5”. Considering that notebook parts are always more expensive than desktop PC components, it is reasonable that the 360 HDD costs more than a desktop PC HDD of the same size.

19. Will the Xbox 360 work on any TV ?

Yes, the 360 will work on any TV. Even if the 360 has been designed to play games in HDTV 720p (1280x720) mode with 5.1 surround sound, the 360 will also work with regular TV that has NTSC or PAL and stereo audio capabilities.

20. Xbox 360 is supposed to be a digital media hub, Can it play Divx or Xvid content? My current DVD player can but what about 360?

yes. Xbox 360 consoles connected to Xbox live are able to download the 7mb media update.

21. How many Xbox 360 variations are there ?
There are currently 2 360 SKU's in circulation, the budget model called the 360S 4 Gig AKA arcade which replaced the original arcade model, the 360S 4 Gig has no HDD but comes with 4 gig flash memory internally and the 360S 250 has a 250 GB HDD. Initially the elite was the only variation which came with HDMI but since the discontinuation of the original Xenon Design 360's all models come with HDMI 1.2 as standard.

22. What is Xenon, Zephyr, Falcon, Opus, Jasper & Valhalla ?
Xenon is the original xbox 360 design (xenon was also the code name of the xbox 360 during development) the xenon models had 90 nm GPU and CPU processors and did not come with an HDMI port (xenon's were discontinued due to their large amounts of heat produced which resulted in high failure rates of consoles), the xenon model was fitted with an HDMI port and Bigger heatsinks which resulted in the Zephyr xbox 360's, initially only the elite models were zephyr xbox's but the final iteration of the core and early premiums also had zephyr mainboards. The Zephyr models was replaced with Falcon 360's in late 2007, all falcon 360 have hdmi 1.2 ports, 65 nm CPU's and 90 nm GPU's, improved cooling and the falcon models are also able to upscale dvd's from internally, Falcons can be identified from earlier versions by a re-designed power connector and a power supply that runs at 175w. The motherboard layout is also different. The replacement for the falcon models are the Jasper design which come's with a 65 nm CPU and GPU, The Opus 360's are refurbed Xenon models but fitted with the 65 nm CPU from the Falcon models (Opus models have been nicknamed the zombie 360's). The current design of the xbox 360 is the valhalla design which uses less power than previous models and is fitted with a combined GPU/CPU which reduced production cost and it also runs quieter and cooler than even the Jasper models. Valhalla 360's have a 45 nm processor and feature redesigned internal architecture which allows for around 30% more space than previous motherboards.

23.What's the easiest way for South Africans to buy MS points to use on the Xbox Live Marketplace?

Register on www.gamepointsnow.com wait a week for a confirmation letter and receive point codes delivered to your email when purchased. Payment are made via Paypal or Google Checkout.

24.What connection do I need to play on Xbox Live?

384k or 512k for joining in other people's games but to be able to host, a 4Mb line is needed. 3G and HSDPA are also fine for Live but have inferior latency to ADSL.

25.Can I stream media to my 360?

Yes. The 2 most popular pieces of software (if you dont have media center edition of xp or vista, 7 ultimate) that are used to stream audio and video to the 360 are WMP11 and TVersity. Both work great and there are guides all over the net on how to set up streaming to the 360. Links will be provided soon.

26. What is RROD?
RROD is the term referred to when the xbox 360 displays 3 flashing lights in the ring of light on the console, RROD usually indicates a "general hardware failure" (often referred to as a "red ring of death" or "Red ring of Doom) many sources claim that the RROD occurs due to the warping of the 360 mainboard as a result of high heat. many people have fixed their rrod consoles through replacing the Xclamps and overheating the GPU or wrapping a towel around the console and overheating it. Doing any of these is not recommended as it will void the warranty on your console and most are just temporary fixes. The current Xbox 360 S model indicates system overheating when the console's power button begins to flash red, unlike previous models where the first and third quadrant of the ring would light up red around the power button if overheating occurred

An Xbox 360 that's RROD
http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/picture....&pictureid=784

27. Are there any special Edition 360's ?
Yes.On a few occasions, Microsoft has produced special editions of the console, usually to coincide with the release of a major product. These special editions are typically custom-colored Xbox 360 models, and are produced in limited numbers. There was the Halo 3 Special Edition of the console, released September 16, 2007. It sports a Halo 3 theme on the console, wired headset, and wireless controller, and play and charge kit. Other than the unique "Spartan green and gold" color scheme, exclusive dashboard theme and downloads, its features where identical to that of the Premium systems. To promote The Simpsons Movie, Microsoft also created a specially-designed, yellow Xbox 360 console. This configuration was also based on the Xbox 360 Premium, with the only difference being the color scheme of the Xbox 360 console and wireless controller. Microsoft also produced a limited edition Dark knight 360 also based on the Premium model and was only available in certain Asian countries.

The limited edition Dark knight 360
http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/picture....pictureid=3729

28. What CPU does the Xbox 360 use ? is it a PC CPU like the Original Xbox ?
NO. The Xbox 360 CPU, internally codenamed "Waternoose" by IBM and "XCPU" by Microsoft is based on IBM's PowerPC technology, consisting of 3 independent cores on a single chip. Each of the cores has two symmetric hardware threads (SMT), for a total of six hardware threads available to games. The cores of the Xbox 360 CPU are slightly modified versions of the PPE in the Cell processor which was designed specifically for the PlayStation 3.

The processors are labelled "XCPU" on the packaging and are manufactured by Chartered. Chartered reduced the fabrication process in 2007 to 65 nm, thus reducing manufacturing costs for Microsoft.

The Xbox 360 S introduced the XCGPU, which integrates the Xenon CPU and the Xenos GPU onto the same die, and the eDRAM into the same package. The XCGPU follows the trend started with the integrated EE+GS in PlayStation 2 Slimline, combining CPU, GPU, memory controllers and IO in a single cost-reduced chip. It also contains a "front side bus replacement block" that connects the CPU and GPU internally in exactly the same manner as the front side bus would have done when the CPU and GPU were separate chips, so that the XCGPU doesn't change the hardware characteristics of the Xbox 360.

XCGPU contains 372 million transistors and is manufactured by GlobalFoundries on a 45 nm process. Compared to the original chipset in the Xbox 360 the combined power requirements are reduced by 60% and the physical chip area by 50%.

The name "Xenon" was repurposed from the code name for the Xbox 360 in early development.

29. Can I run Homebrew applications on my Xbox 360 ?
Yes and No. The xbox 360 cannot run homebrew applications due to the implications of piracy, if people we're able to create homebrew applications then they might create programs to emulate other consoles such as those from rival competitor's or they would create HDD loaders for games etc. Microsoft learned from this during it's original xbox thus with the xbox 360 they have created a hardware level DRM system which restricts the console from running unsigned code, the only Legal xbox 360's that can run unsigned code are the dev kits which the developer's have. currently hackers use a method known as Jtagging to run Homebrew software on their consoles however the risk involved is too great for most people to try as it is illegal, voids the warranty on your console and you can face an 8000 year ban on Xbox Live.

30. When is the xbox 360 being replaced ?
No one knows exactly but rumours circulating the internet are that Microsoft have already started provisional development of the successor to the 360. Current speculation from the industry is that microsoft will replace the xbox 360 during 2012-2013 which will effectively give it a 7-8 year lifespan. microsoft has indicate however that the 360 will be supported well into 2015, probably not as a primary console but it will still have software support from them.

Microsoft contstantly redesigns and streamlines the software of the 360 dubbing it NXE (New Xbox Experience)

http://mygaming.co.za/forum/attachme...4&d=1315658958

The NXE dashboard Shown @ E3 2011

which according to industry analysts indicate that Microsoft is still willing to support the 360 as it's primary console for the next possible 4-5 years.

31. My xbox wont work and why is the ring of light flashing on my xbox ?

If there is a problem with the Xbox360 The LEDs in the ring of light will flash in a particular pattern. The pattern itself leads some insight to the problem. Certain patterns will lead to numbered error codes which will provide further insight to the problem. The numbered error codes are described below their corresponding LED code.

Sections 1, 2, 3, and 4 are flashing red
- The AV cable cannot be detected
/ \
\ /

Make sure that the AV cable is correctly connected to the Xbox 360 console.

Sections 1, 3, and 4 are flashing red
- General Hardware Failure
/ \
\ /

Check the secondary Error Code per the instructions in the section below

Sections 1, and 3 are flashing red
- Overheating
/ \
\ /

Overheating can be cause by the console locking up or "freezing" after a set amount of time. Lockups that occur at a specific point in a game are generally problems with the game itself and not caused by overheating.


Section 4 is flashing red
- Hardware Failure
/ \
\ /

This Specific Type of hardware failure can be determined by the error code displayed on the screen.
If the screen is blank or you would like additional information follow the instructions for determining the secondary error code in the section below
E45: Unknown (possibly dashboard update related)

E64: DVD Drive Error.... DVD Timeout, Wrong firmware, dvd is without f/w chip, etc.

E65: DVD Drive Error.... DVD Timeout, Wrong firmware, dvd is without f/w chip, etc. This can also be caused by the tray not being fully closed on boot.

E66: DVD Drive Error: DVD model, or version does not match that of the version expected by the dashboard. OR the firmware version on the drive is older then the firmware version expected by the dashboard. Make sure the DVD drive is of the same version originally included with the console and that it is using either the original firmware included with the console or newer.

E67: Hard Drive Error... It could be a problem with the Hard Drive itself or a problem with the internal connection to the hard drive, Try removing the hard drive and playing without it

E68: Hard Drive Error... It could be a problem with the Hard Drive itself or a problem with the internal connection to the hard drive, Try removing the hard drive and playing without it, This can also be caused by a Hard Drive Eprom Error. Some also believe this might be caused by a problem with the fans.

E69: Hard Drive Error... It could be a problem with the Hard Drive itself or a problem with the internal connection to the hard drive, Try removing the hard drive and playing without it

E71: possibly a dashboard update error, Check below in the "Console Reset Codes" for instructions. If that does not work there is no other solution and the console must be sent back to MS for repair.

E72: (not yet known)

E73: General Hardware Error: Ethernet port... this error is caused by a problem with the Ethernet port.

E74: AV cable error... There is a problem with the AV cable, try using a different AV cable. If the cable is known to be working then there is a 90% chance it's a scaler chip problem (the "ANA" or "HANA" chip connected directly to the AV cable) in rare cases it is the GPU.

E76: (not yet known)

E79: Hard Drive Error... It could be a problem with the Hard Drive itself or a problem with the internal connection to the hard drive, Try removing the hard drive and playing without it

Console Reset Codes
Clear All Installed Game Updates and Console Cache
Go to the "system" blade
Select "memory"
Press Y on the HD symbol
Press X,X, Left Bumper, Right Bumper, X,X

A message will appear saying: "Do you want to perform maintenance on your Xbox 360 storage devices?" Select Yes. Clear Any Failed system updates that cause the console to error. With the console off, press and hold the sync up button (the small white one) While holding the sync button press the power button to turn on the console, Continue to hold the sync button until the Console has booted up completely. During the boot process the console should clear any failed updates, allowing you to use it normally.

32. Can I use a USB drive with my Xbox 360
Adding some storage capacity to your Xbox 360 is really easy to do. The best part about using a USB hard drive with your 360 is that YOU have control of what content you have on it. With the factory Xbox hard drive you cannot load any content to it unless its acquired from Live or ripped form CD's.

It should be noted that USB storage devices cannot be used for Xbox live marketplace content and it must be formatted in Fat 32 Format.

33. What IR remotes will work my xbox 360 ?
the official 360 remote on the right and the universal one on the left !

http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/picture....pictureid=1191

most 3rd party remotes should also work. more info @ http://www.xbox.com/en-US/support/sy...es.htm?tag=txt

34. What is the Gamertag, Gamercard and Gamerscore ?

A Gamertag is the universal name for a player's username on Microsoft's Xbox Live. A Gamertag must be unique and can be up to 15 characters in length and may include numbers and letters. Using a Gamertag, any player can be located and messaged from within Live.

A Sample Xbox 360 Gamercard

http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/picture....pictureid=1349

The Gamercard is an information panel used to summarize one's user profile on Microsoft's Xbox Live. The pieces of information on a Gamercard include:

* Gamertag
* Gamerscore
* Reputation
* Gamer Zone
* Recent games played

A player's Gamercard can be viewed via the Xbox 360 Dashboard, or online through Xbox.com. Third party sites allow users to post rendered versions of their Gamercard as small Flash applets or JPEG images on any website or Internet forum.

There are four Gamer Zones; Recreation is for casual gamers, Family is for family-friendly gamers (without profanity, etc.), Pro is for competitive gamers who enjoy a challenge, and Underground is for no-holds-barred gaming where anything goes (as long as it does not violate the Xbox Live Terms of Use).

The Gamerscore (G) is a measure that corresponds to the number of Achievement points accumulated by a user with an Xbox Live profile. These Achievement points are awarded for the completion of game-specific challenges, such as beating a level or amassing a specified number of wins against other players in Xbox Live matches. Initially, retail Xbox 360 games offered up to 1,000G spread over a variable number of Achievements, while each Xbox Live Arcade title contained 12 achievements totaling 200G. These possible totals per game have been raised to 1250G with the one exception being Halo 3 which has 1750G and the Arcade games have been raised to to 250G,

35. How do I use a LCD Display my xbox 360 ?

http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/picture....pictureid=1263

A VGA Kit from Microsoft and MadCatz for the Xbox 360 are readily available at retail and online for around R300 - R500. When connected via VGA, the Xbox 360 has wider array of resolution options than when it is connected with Component wires. The resolutions are selectable though the Xbox 360's dashboard, and include:

* 640x480
* 848x480
* 1024x768
* 1280x720
* 1280x768
* 1280x1024
* 1360x768

http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/picture....pictureid=1264

When using an LCD monitor with your Xbox 360, it's important to check that the LCD has one of these resolutions as either a native or supported resolution. Most modern LCDs in the 20'' range will have native resolutions higher than 1360x768, but that doesn't necessarily solve the problem. Trying to send a non-supported resolution into most LCDs will lead to a muggy, badly scaled, and possibly out-of-frame-image.

Sound is a concern. Because few PC monitors have integrated speakers these days, you'll need some kind of external speaker solution. The VGA wires for the 360 have optical (Toslink) outputs, so if you've got a nice soundcard for your computer with optical-in, you can take that digital signal straight into whatever speakers you're using with the PC. If you don't have optical support, you'll have to use the stereo-RCA wires that are integrated into the VGA cable. That's a hassle, because most 2.0 or 2.1 PC speaker kits only have mini-jack auxiliary inputs. You'll need to grab a little RCA-to-mini-jack dongle to allow for the connection.

NB* To save all this hassle Just buy and use an HDMi cable if your monitor supports it.

http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/picture....pictureid=1265

36. My Xbox Has RROD what should I do now ?

If you are sure that your xbox is displaying the rrod

http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/picture....&pictureid=784

then follow these steps to have it swopped out ! (all 360's are covered by a 3 year RROD swapout warranty)

You have to call the Microsoft Xbox 360 Technical support on 0800 991 550 They will ask you a few troubleshooting questions and if they are sure that it's RROD you will recieve a reference number from them. You will have to supply your console's serial number to them.

Once you have your reference number take it with your Proof of Purchase, and the Xbox 360 Console (Only the console and nothing else) to the store where you purchased it. Ask them to replace your console.

If you dont have a proof of Purchase you will have to call Powercare (the official SA Xbox distributor) @ 0861 926-9360 or 011 997-5000 to handle your swapout procedure.

NB* If Powercare does your swopout then you will have to pay a possible swopout fee to them if you dont have a proof of purchase and console is still under the 3 year RROD warranty.

35. Where can I get free Xbox 360 Gaming Magazines ?[/B]
Visit http://www.gamerzines.com/360zine/ for their monthly Free Electronic Gaming Mag.

37. What type of Divx/Xvid videos can the xbox 360 play ?
Here are some limitations on DivX/XviD playback:
· File Extensions: .avi, .divx
· Containers: AVI
· Video Profiles: MPEG-4 Part 2, Simple & Advanced Simple Profile
· Video Bitrate: 5 Mbps with resolutions of 1280 x 720 at 30fps.
· Audio Profiles: Dolby® Digital 2 channel and 5.1 channel, MP3
· Audio Max Bitrate: No restrictions.
· The maximum file size for an AVI, MPEG-4 Part 2, and H.264 file that can be played is 4 GB
DivX files must be encoded with version 5.0 or higher

While there are many ways to install the dashboard update on a banned console, there is currently no way to add DivX support in any way other than directly installing it from LIVE. U can't just download it from Xbox.com or transfer it from another hard drive because the DivX codec is not free for commercial use, therefore Microsoft has to pay a licensing fee for each unique device that uses it. The only way to keep track of how many consoles require this codec is to tie it to the individual machine. It make sense from a business standpoint to not embed the codec in the dash update, which is why it prompts you to download the first time you you play a Divx file. If only 40% of consoles use this feature, why would MS want to pay the royalty for every machine out there.

38. How do I know what type of DVD drive my 360's got ?

The Xbox 360 DVD drives are distinguisable by the difference in shape of their disc trays

http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/picture....pictureid=1187

39. Everyone's Talking about NXE ! What is it ?

NXE = New Xbox Experience (It is the New User Interface for the Xbox 360)

http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/picture....pictureid=1261

User Interface changes

* Completely redesiged GUI (Similar to Windows Media Center).
o New pop-up/in-game Live Guide, using a redesigned version of the blades interface
o New sound effects
o Ability to preview your own themes before setting them.
* Support for 1440x900 and 1680x1050 16:10 resolutions (displays with black bars) over VGA and HDMI (when using DVI)

Xbox Live changes

* Xbox Live Party allowing for 8 person chat and image sharing.
* Fully customizable Avatars for use in upcoming games and on Xbox Live. (Some current games will also receive an update on November 19th to support the new Avatars).

* Access Xbox Live Marketplace on a PC via Xbox.com with the ability to queue downloads to the xbox.
* Ability to watch Netflix movies on your Xbox 360. (You must be in the US, a Gold Xbox Live member, and a Netflix Subscriber)

Game changes

* Option to install games to hard drive in order to decrease load times and to make the hardware quieter. The disc must still be present for the game to load.
* Information from Xbox Live regarding the game in your disc tray.
* Quick Launch for launching games on your console
* Ability to remove games with 0 gamerscore from your profiles played games list
* Auto Start - Option to set whether you want the disc to run/or stay idle when the disc tray closes with a game or media disc inside, by default its set to run

NOTE: Update requires 128MB of free memory

* Microsoft is offering either a 512 MB memory unit or 20GB refurbished hard drive for US $19.99 to users owning a Core system and a refurbished 20GB hard drive and 3 months of Xbox Live Gold for US $29.99 to users owning an Arcade system to allow them to download the update at XboxStorageUpgrade.com

40. Kinect ? What is it, i hear it's the future of gaming ?

Kinect formally known as Project Natal is the name for a "controller-free gaming and entertainment experience" by Microsoft for the Xbox 360 video game platform. Based on an add-on peripheral for the Xbox 360 console, Kinect enables users to control and interact with the Xbox 360 without the need to touch a game controller through a natural user interface using gestures, spoken commands,or presented objects and images. Kinect is aimed at broadening the Xbox 360's audience beyond its typically hardcore base. When Kinect was first announced on June 1, 2009 at E3 2009. Microsoft said that over a thousand software development kits began shipping to game developers that same day.

http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/picture....pictureid=3727

Kinect is also served as the basis for the "new" Xbox 360 S SKUS.

The sensor is an approximately 9-inch (23 cm) wide horizontal bar connected to a small circular base with a ball joint pivot, and is designed to be positioned lengthwise above or below the video display. The device features an "RGB camera, depth sensor, multi-array microphone, and custom processor running proprietary software", which provides full-body 3D motion capture, facial recognition, and voice recognition capabilities. The Kinect sensor's microphone array enables the Xbox 360 to conduct acoustic source localization and ambient noise suppression, allowing for things such as headset-free party chat over Xbox Live.

http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/picture....pictureid=3728

Three technical demos were shown to showcase Kinect then known as Project Natal when it was revealed at Microsoft's E3 2009 Media Briefing:

* Ricochet – a Breakout-like game in which the entire body is used to bounce balls at blocks.
* Paint Party – where the player can make throwing motions to splash or draw with paint onto a wall. He/she can choose colors using speech recognition, and can pose to make stencils.
* Milo and Kate – a game in development by Lionhead Studios in which the player interacts with a young child (Milo or Milly, selected by the user at the start) and his/her dog Kate by performing real-life actions. In an interview after the demonstration, Lionhead founder Peter Molyneux confirmed that the demo was in fact the long-running Dmitri Project. Interaction was demonstrated only with Milo at this event.

A demo based on Burnout Paradise was also shown outside of Microsoft's media briefing, which allows the player to use an invisible steering wheel to control the vehicle.

41. I have heard that an xbox 360 Dev kit is available, is that another SKU i can buy ?

The Xbox 360 Dev Kit
http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/picture....pictureid=3730

The Xbox 360 development kit is not an SKU that you can buy in a retail store it is only available for MS approved licenced Developers and comes with features like 1GB of RAM, which is twice as much as the amount of console memory found in theretail SKU systems. The purpose of this increase in console memory is to give Xbox 360 developers the option to run their code and debug tools simultaneously. The extra 512MB come in an update sidecar, that little add-on you may have seen in pictures when game companies show pre-release code.

a Screenshot of the Dev Kit interface

http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/picture....pictureid=3731

Well damn.

You just punted Voicy's super awesome leet wow guide right into the stone age.

Thread of the month!

Well decent, FAQ / Guide.
Well done, sir!

Very nice. :)

EDIT:

Tinman!! Sticky please!! :D

very, very cool and informative post dohc-wp

*side note*
now if there just was a way to play divx movies without connecting to live - as for the love of me i can't seem to my xbox connected via 3g

Updated ! ;)