E=Xbox 360
At A Glance
Xbox 360™ launches the next generation in home entertainment. With it, you can watch home videos, listen to music, view photographs, screen DVDs in 720p, and more. When it comes to games, the console packs incredible processing power to make your games as realistic—or unbelievable—as your imagination. New, thrilling gameplay moments are now possible through technological advancements in physics on Xbox 360. But what are physics, and how do they make gaming on Xbox 360 superior? Glad you asked.
Physics in action in The Outfit™. Physics, as applied to gaming, is the replication of how objects in motion react. In simplified terms, programmers can simulate such things as a basketball bouncing against a wooden court, an automobile rolling and spinning in an accident, objects flying into the air when caught in an explosion, or the movement of body limbs as a character tumbles down a flight of stairs. Its applications are limitless, and the effects are simply incredible and unlock new possibilities in gaming when powered by Xbox 360. Thousands of objects can be independently tracked and manipulated in real time before your eyes, giving you huge digital playgrounds on which to explore. Let's take a look. Now, a wireless controller is all you need Believable Environments, Unbelievable Experiences By having three symmetric cores running at a clock speed of 3.2 GHz, programmers can offload mathematically intensive routines onto another core to free up processing, allowing massive calculations to take place. What this means for gamers is that empty, static game environments are a thing of the past. Now, you're able to move around in believable cityscapes, chat with lifelike non-player characters (NPCs), and manipulate the world around you in ways you've only imagined.
Saint's Row lets you cause mayhem in the 'hood. According to Satchell, "When you combine A.I. with sophisticated physics, you're not watching a canned animation, but the scene plays out in real time. Characters react to outside stimulus on the fly, and new experiences are generated before your eyes." So when you attack another character on the gritty urban streets, nearby NPCs will react in totally new ways. They'll duck, run for cover, shriek with fright, and protect their children—just like real people. No longer will your actions be meaningless, but instead you'll be forced to witness the effects of your own behavior. Not only does Xbox 360 make fantastic physics simulation You'll have to think on your feet and harness objects in the immediate area. Should you pick up that garbage can and toss it at your opponent, or should you run behind a parked taxi to shield yourself from his attacks? If you kick the wheels of that nearby fruit cart, perhaps you can flood the street with dozens of oranges to slow down your pursuer? The possibilities are limited by your creativity. Games like SEGA®'s Full Auto™ turn the world into one big sandbox. Every storefront, street sign, and rival automobile is fair game. Blast away at the side of a building and create your own shortcut through the ground floor restaurant, or launch your car off of ramp and cut through a parking deck. No longer are you forced to follow a set path—you are now able make your own instead. This will enhance your ability to deal with multiple opponents, both offline and on Xbox Live®.
Ok ... who wants some? Not only does Xbox 360 make fantastic physics simulation possible, but it allows more of it to happen at once. For instance, Rare's anticipated action/adventure game Kameo™: Elements of Power™ plays host to one such scene that will go down in gaming history as a first. After the game's intro level, you are confronted with a dilemma—you need to journey through a battlefield on your way to a destination. Standing in your path, however, are over 1,000 trolls pumping their fists in the air. Before Xbox 360, such imagery was only possible in big-budget Hollywood films like The Lord of the Rings. Now, a wireless controller and an Xbox 360 is all you need to take the reins of a trusty steed and plow through fields of enemies. The Tip of the Iceberg |
