Treit and True

Xbox 360: The Second Wave

The dawn of Xbox 360™ is drawing close to its one year anniversary, and while time flies, it doesn't do so without purpose. The world of Xbox 360 is continually evolving, stretching the boundaries of the console's capabilities and striving to constantly redefine what a truly next-gen console can do.

If you thought launch was impressive, take a look at what Holiday 2006 is set to offer you, and see what it means to your next-gen lifestyle.

Just the beginning.

Powerful Peripherals
Xbox 360 is all about bringing you functionality without the baggage of obligation. The Windows Media Center functionality lives and breathes inside every Xbox 360. Does that mean you need a Windows Media Center PC? Not at all, but if you have one, all the Media Center features you may crave are already there. In a similar light, the following options will all be available in the coming months, should you choose to acquire them.

• HD-DVD Player: High-definition movies utilizing the very best resolutions your HDTV can handle are finally here, and this fall you can make the next-gen jump to movie watching on your Xbox 360 at a fraction of the cost of standalone players. Learn more here.
• Xbox Live Vision Camera: The Vision Camera is much more than the next generation of webcam. It not only provides video chat at near-perfect real-time, but its functionality is also set to be utilized in games. Imagine taking your picture and molding your face onto your in-game character or using gesture recognition to relay commands to your AI controlled squad-mates in-game. The possibilities are as endless as a developer's imagination.
• Xbox 360 Live Wireless Headset: Any opportunity to rid yourself of wires is a welcome one, and with this fan-favorite peripheral you can finally enjoy voice chat without chaining yourself to your controller or worrying about yanking out cords at a vital moment in an online match.
• Xbox 360 Wireless Steering Wheel: No genre benefits more from an alternate control scheme than the racing genre, and with this sleek racing wheel in your hands, your immersion into the world of car racing will be complete. What's more, it's wireless, but even better, it provides force feedback rumble too.

Persuasion, Mass Effect style.

Second Wave Games
Media functionality aside, Xbox 360 is a gaming platform first and foremost and it lives and dies with its titles. Luckily, you'll be living free and clear this holiday with not just a remarkable array of top-tier games, but more importantly, top-tier games exclusive to Xbox 360. Here's a mere sampling of what you can expect:

• Gears of War®: Since its E3 2005 debut, faithful fans have been drooling over each screenshot and trailer for Gears of War, Epic Games' third person gothic sci-fi shooter. The time is drawing near though where playing, not seeing, will be believing. Check here for media and extended coverage of this anticipated title.
• Lost Planet™: Capcom is set to deliver an entirely unique take on the action genre with this third person shooter set on a desolate snow-covered planet. With a constant need for energy to survive, snow-pirates and alien monsters to slay, and the occasional 'mech to pilot, this Xbox 360 exclusive promises much and delivers more. Check here for extended coverage, but don't forget you can download the 2 level demo for free on Xbox Live® Marketplace.
• Forza Motorsport™ 2: This driving simulation received critical acclaim on Xbox®, and its sequel promises a level of customization and user-detail never before seen in any racing game. Combined with next-gen visuals and physics, this car-freaks wildest dream is revving and ready to roll this October.
• Viva Piñata™: This family friendly social experiment is the ultimate answer for those looking for open and accessible gaming for all. Cultivate land, nurture and raise Piñatas, manage the delicate relationships of all your land's inhabitants, trade creations online with friends and family, and even pick up the occasional tip from the TV show launching simultaneously with the game. Check here for more details.
• Grand Theft Auto IV: Not only will Xbox 360 boast Grand Theft Auto 4 on day-one, but Xbox 360 owners can rejoice in knowing that downloadable expansions and content will be exclusive to the Xbox 360 faithful.
• Mass Effect™: The makers of Star Wars®: Knights of the Old Republic™ have crafted a universe all their own and built it from the ground up with Xbox 360 in mind. Using real-time combat, a massively open world to explore, vastly upgradeable characters and equipment, and intensely effective facial animation and body language, Mass Effect looks to deliver on an emotional note, as well as an action-filled one.

Enjoying a leisurely stroll in Pinata-ville.

The above offers a taste of not just hugely anticipated games, but also games that can only be found (or in GTA IV's case, exclusive content that can only be found) on Xbox 360.

Next-Gen Exclusives
Though not exclusive in the strictest sense, the following games can only be found in next-gen versions on Xbox 360. They will exist (including on Xbox) on current-gen consoles, but if you want the next-gen touch for the following games, you'll find it only on Xbox 360:

• Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six® Vegas
• Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell® Double Agent™
• The Godfather™ The Game
• Superman Returns: The Video Game
• Need for Speed™: Carbon

Xbox 360 launched with momentum, and that momentum is building into tangible benefits in a hurry. The core for next-gen gaming may already be in place, but it is just that, the core. From cutting edge peripherals that provide enriched and refined functionality, to the games that continue to push what's possible, and a constantly evolving Xbox Live service, next-gen gaming is enjoying a constant state of improvement.

Article by Ryan Treit