Xbox Solution:

Xbox: More than Just Games!

By Christina Mariannino

Time after time, the Xbox® version of a game outperforms the rest of the consoles, and often the PC versions as well. Look in any multi-platform gaming magazine, and you notice that the Xbox versions consistently score higher.

PC games are great, mainly because of all the variables and parameters you can set within the game and the display. But it's costly to upgrade a PC every year with a new audio card, video card, and monitor in order take advantage of the best of the PC gaming market.

If you really want to get your game on, you need an Xbox and an Xbox version of your game. But I'm not going to focus on games specifically. Instead, I'll outline some Xbox features and accessories, in addition to its great lineup of titles.

Consoles Are Built to Play Games, Aren't They?
Quite right. In an Xbox game console, all of the hardware is dedicated to running the games. This removes some of the processor and memory limitations encountered in PC gaming, and makes it easy to immerse yourself in intense, cutting-edge gameplay.

The Xbox has a built-in Ethernet port that connects you to instant Xbox Live™ action. The hard drive, meanwhile, is used for game save data, music, and downloadable content.

Compared to the original Xbox, the new Xbox 360™ looks like a supercomputer, and I see a lot of potential on the horizon.

What Can the Xbox Do?
The Xbox can play music, and can double as a DVD player or karaoke machine. It can also connect to a media center PC for even more multimedia action.

If you have a family, the Xbox is the gaming console for you, as it's the first system to offer parental controls. You can decide what can and cannot be viewed on the Xbox, whether it's a game or a DVD.

The DVD Movie Playback Kit
With a DVD Playback Kit, your Xbox can automatically recognize and play DVDs. The kit is a remote control that communicates with the Xbox via an infrared sensor that plugs into one of the controller ports. The DVD Playback Kit checks the ESRB rating for the DVD, and ensures that it meets the content rating parameters set in your parental controls.

Xbox Karaoke
Another fine accessory is the Xbox Music Mixer. This nifty add-on features a microphone and a software disc for the Xbox. The Music Mixer comes with about a dozen tracks ready for karaoke, with text that appears on screen. You can also take any CD and remove the vocal tracks, as well as download new karaoke song packs.

While you're not being a karaoke star, you can move music and photos to your Xbox from your PC, view a slideshow of images, and watch some pretty neat visualizations as music plays on the Xbox Music Mixer.

Dance the Night Away!
Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix™ and Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix™ 2 let you shake your booty. Both titles feature dance and workout modes, and often come bundled with the required Dance Pad controller. You can also purchase the Dance Pad at gaming retailers or directly from the manufacturer.

DDR is a favorite for my seven-year-old god-daughter, Danielle. She spends hours inventing dance moves, and I get tired just watching her!

Keep the Multimedia Flowing
If you're lucky enough to have a Media Center PC, the Windows Media Center Extender for Xbox will put all that multimedia content at your fingertips at any television set.

The Xbox can be wired directly to the Media Center PC through a router or via an established wireless connection. The extender comes with a remote and a software disc, and also doubles as a DVD remote.

The Windows Media Center Extender formats content correctly for display on your TV. For example, the video card on my PC will not format the dual display for use on both my TV and PC at the same time. But with the Windows Media Center Extender, this is no longer an issue.

You can also watch TV, access a free television programming guide, and schedule TV broadcasts to record, all from your gaming chair!

The Xbox was built from the ground up to be the best in its class for gaming, but it has a ton of other features and uses, too. If you have an Xbox or are considering purchasing one, be sure to use it to its fullest extent.

When holiday 2005 comes around and the Xbox 360 is released, many of the features listed above will be standard. For the time being, if you don't already have an Xbox, go get one!

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