Hard Drive Extras
At A Glance
- Find out what comes preloaded on the hard drive.
- Get free Dashboard themes and gamer card icons.
- Listen to a dozen songs from some popular bands.
- Play the addictive Xbox Live Arcade game Hexic.
The Xbox 360™ Hard Drive is, in and of itself, a vastly useful bit of hardware. Sure, it houses your saved games, music playlists, downloaded content, and other media, but you'll also find this baby is loaded with great stuff: gamer pictures for your gamer card, themes for your dashboard menu, and even a free Xbox Live® Arcade game.
Gamer Picture
This icon exists on your gamer card, visible to all on Xbox Live and online when you sign up for My Xbox here at Xbox.com. Get your gamer card here if you don't have one already. The hard drive comes pre-loaded with a great variety of gamer pictures to help give you a unique identity. Look for thumbnail-sized appearances from some of your favorite game characters as well as interesting, artful, and just plain odd designs in their own right.
Some icon samples.
Dashboard Theme
Much like desktop themes on your PC, Xbox 360 Dashboard themes will spice up your menu navigation. You'll find many available in Xbox Live Marketplace, but the hard drive is packed with several to get you started. Entries from developers Bungie and Bizarre Creations are featured … I'll leave just what that means to your imagination.
An example of the free theme for PGR 3.
Xbox Live Arcade Freebie
Hard drive owners will find Hexic HD, the new puzzle entry from acclaimed designer Alexey Pajitnov (creator of Tetris) already installed. Beyond addictive gameplay, Hexic also offers a great introduction to the casual gaming world of Xbox Live Arcade, and even boasts achievements in its own right, so you can get to work on your Gamerscore right away!
Beyond the obvious benefit, the freebies offered
on the Xbox 360 Hard Drive offer a concrete example
of the kind of value you'll find on Xbox Live Marketplace.
Instant Playlist
Music enthusiasts are also in for a rare treat, as 12 popular songs from such groups as Marcy's Playground, Z-Trip, Head Automatica, and Funeral for a Friend are preloaded onto the hard drive.
Music enthusiasts are also in for a rare treat, as 12 popular songs from such groups as Marcy Playground, New Order, Head Automatica, and Funeral for a Friend are preloaded onto the hard drive. Here's the full breakdown of songs available on the hard drive from the get go:
Whether it's a dashboard theme for your favorite games, company-specific gamer card icons, downloadable movies, music, or the free Xbox Live Arcade game that gets you pumped, the hard drive gets you started in the right direction with great content.
Article by Alex McLain
