Games HOT SPOT - Hardware & Accessories

Xbox 360

The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft, and its most defining feature is probably the Xbox Live service, which lets you compete online against your mates and download content such as arcade games, game demos, trailers, and extra game features (e.g: additional characters, levels, cars, etc). Xbox Live also supports chatting between players, either through SMS-like text messaging or with the use of an optional headset and mic.

In terms of multimedia, the system supports a variety of video formats (WMV, MPEG-4, etc), and it displays pictures and performs slideshows of photo collections with various transition effects. It also lets you rip your favourite music CD to the console's hard drive to use as background music in your games.

As impressive as these multimedia capabilities are, they're only secondary to the epic main purpose of the 360 - and that is playing some awesomely sweet games. Looking at the first Xbox and a 360 running side by side, it's quite startling to see how much the graphics have improved since the last generation; in-game characters now have a disturbing realism to them, game levels are ridiculously detailed and run into the horizon, and environmental effects like rain/smoke/fire are freakishly lifelike. In short, if you haven't witnessed games since the early "original Xbox" days - wear a bib, because you may experience some impromptu drooling.

For those considering a next-gen console to purchase, the Xbox 360 is a very good machine that has had a head-start on its competition - which translates into more games to select from. Couple this benefit with the fantastic integration of the Xbox Live gaming service, with its downloadable Xbox Live Arcade classics (like Golden Axe, Streets of Rage, Frogger, etc), and you really do have a robust gaming platform. Do as the Microsoft advertising catch phrase says and "Jump in", preferably sometime soon.