Other Xbox.com Personalities
| Xbox 360: FaceplatesAt a Glance
I recently managed to pin down the well-traveled and extremely busy Jonathan Hayes at super-secret Xbox® headquarters to learn more about the Xbox 360™ faceplates. For something that is purely cosmetic, people sure are excited about this feature! I remember E3 this past May, where people passing by the Xbox booth lingered at the faceplates display like drunks in front of a liquor store. Or, uh, kids in a candy shop. Yeah, that's it. Here's what went down: TriXie: So, why faceplates for Xbox 360? Jonathan Hayes: Because we think personalization is really important. People customize everything: cars, skin, skateboards … we want to be culturally relevant, and we've got this nice clean area on the front of the console.
The face behind the faceplates. TriXie: How many faceplates will be available at launch? JH: Japan will have four unique faceplates at launch, North America will have four unique faceplates, and Europe will have four—which will be some combination of those from Japan and North America. TriXie: So where will people get faceplates? JH: They'll be available at retail. Buy them at the same places you buy your console and all your Xbox gear. TriXie: Sweet! I'm gonna get all four! Is it easy to swap out the faceplate? JH: Yes, just pop off the old faceplate and pop on a new one. Like shucking an oyster. TriXie: Oh yeah, you're a Boston guy. So, I'm holding one of the prototype faceplates and it feels real solid. JH: They're very high quality. "For every Xbox 360 faceplate at retail,there will be a matching skin you can download."TriXie: Where are they made? JH: The prototypes are made in two places. The graphics are done in Austria. A layer of film with the graphic is formed to fit the faceplate and cut out. Then the films are taken to Italy, where they're placed on a mold and plastic is shot in behind it. The final faceplates will be manufactured in China. The graphic is a very deep layer of pigment and is scratch-resistant. TriXie: So what exactly does the faceplate cover and what part of the Xbox 360 console will still be visible? JH: The only things that aren't part of the faceplate are the chrome parts—the DVD tray and the eject button. The Ring of Light is visible through the faceplates. There's also an infrared window for your remote. TriXie: I'm really impressed with these little hinged doors on the faceplates. JH: They are cool. There are hinged doors for the USB ports and memory units. TriXie: So now, if you're game (pun intended), I've got some faceplate questions for you from the Xbox community. JH: Shoot.
Personalizing your console is a snap. rubber ducky125: Will there ever be a chrome faceplate? JH: Definitely … we love this idea. Printing, painting, or wireless issues may push this past launch, but stay tuned. Dave: What is the circle area to the right of the memory slots used for? Is that supposed to be a controller port? If it's not a controller port, what is used there? JH: That's the "connect" button, critical for wireless gaming. You will soon understand its importance. Dave: Will Microsoft encourage non-copyrighted images on their faceplates, so some of us can make a buck modding and designing our own faceplates? JH: Power to the people—we love the entrepreneurial energy this has unleashed! Dave: Will the faceplates come with a protective plastic covering like the initial Xbox unit did around the power button area? (I still have mine on.) JH: Some will, on a case-by-case basis. Brian: Will they only be available separately or will they be available as a package choice? Are there faceplates specific to games, like Perfect Dark Zero™ or Project Gotham Racing® 3? JH: We're looking into all sorts of options … bundling with games is certainly something we'll consider as we move forward. Dean: I was wondering if attaching the faceplate changes the software skins on Xbox 360, or are they just like a phone's faceplates? JH: Across the entire Xbox 360 system, hardware and software integration has been a big priority, which means that for every Xbox 360 faceplate at retail, there will be a matching skin you can download. But to add a bit of mystery, not all the themes match their faceplate in exactly the same way … HOVA uk: Will there be competitions on Xbox Live® where you can win faceplates made by celebs or Xbox workers (TriXie, J Allard, Major Nelson, Robbie Bach, The Big Boy Bill)? JH: More stuff we're looking into. Celebrity faceplates—featuring my colleagues—would be a blast to work on. Maybe they could come with the person's gaming and digital entertainment settings already implemented! TriXie: Thanks, Jonathan!! |
