Microsoft Xbox 360

In November 2005, Microsoft released its highly anticipated Xbox 360, the successor to the original Microsoft Xbox. The Microsoft Xbox 360 is the first 'next-generation' system to launch, beating both Sony PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Revolution to market by several months. On paper, the graphical capabilities, multimedia features and online experience appear impressive, but since the Xbox 360 is first and foremost a gaming machine, the success of the video games created for the Xbox 360 will ultimately decide whether it lives up to its billing. There are two versions of the Xbox 360, and both are priced affordably when compared with recent game consoles. The Xbox 360 Core Edition, which includes only the console and a controller, is relatively inexpensive at $299. The Xbox 360 Premium Edition is an additional hundred dollars at $399, but includes many extras that would cost far more than a hundred dollars if purchased separately. The Core system is the cheaper of the Xbox 360 bundles, but anyone thinking about buying the Xbox 360 system should consider the Xbox 360 Premium version because of the nifty peripherals and other perks that come with the more expensive version. Here is a list of extras you get with the Xbox 360 Premium Edition: '¢ Detachable 20 GB hard drive '¢ Wireless controller '¢ Xbox 360 Headset '¢ High Definition AV Cable '¢ Xbox Live Silver membership '¢ Universal remote (ships with Premium Edition for a limited time) The detachable hard drive alone is worth close to a hundred dollars, and it is required in order to play old Xbox games. If you want to play Xbox Live Arcade games, you'll need to download them somewhere, and a hard drive is the best place to do it - memory cards will quickly become more expensive than a hard drive and won't have near the equivalent storage capacity. The Xbox 360 Core system might be the right choice only if you cannot afford more than $299 at the moment, or if you are buying the Xbox 360 as a gift for someone and just want to get them started. In order to enjoy an Xbox 360 fully however, you will most likely need to purchase at least one or more of the critical components bundled into the Xbox 360 Premium Edition.